Current News

VermontBiz Governor Scott has proclaimed that Saturday, October 7, 2023 as Ageism Awareness Day in Vermont. Most people, without even thinking about it, use language that describes aging as a negative experience. Ageism is a serious challenge in our culture and communities, and it is manifested in unconscious thoughts, actions and behavior, and institutional policies and systems. Ageism refers to stereotypes (how one thinks), prejudice (how one feels) and discrimination (how one acts) toward others based on age, and it is the most widespread and socially accepted form of prejudice. An estimated 183,157 older adults – those over the age of 60 – live in Vermont, which makes this group our fastest growing demographic in the state and for whom this prejudice of ageism is lived daily.

VermontBiz As directed by their respective legislatures decades ago, Vermont Attorney General Charity Clark and New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella today met on the Norwich, Vermont-Hanover, New Hampshire bridge spanning the Connecticut River to “perambulate” the sister states’ border. The Attorneys General also enjoyed a short boat ride in the Connecticut River to inspect the border.

New Hampshire and Vermont laws require state officials, in consultation with the Attorneys General, to meet periodically to “perambulate” the border between their respective states to assure that all markers and monuments of the boundary between the two states are properly renewed and maintained. The last perambulation occurred in 2012. For over 20 years, Vermont and New Hampshire litigated over where the boundary line between the states should be located.

VermontBiz U.S. Senators Peter Welch (D-VT), Jon Ossoff (D-GA), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Dick Durbin (D-IL), and Mazie Hirono (D-HI) on Friday led 18 of their Senate colleagues, including every Senate Judiciary Committee Democrat, in a letter to Senate Appropriations Committee leaders emphasizing the importance of correcting a shortfall in the Federal Defenders budget. Noting that approximately 90% of federal criminal defendants require court-appointed counsel, the Senators urged that adequate funding be provided for Defender Services in both chambers’ Financial Services and General Government (FSGG) legislation. The current proposed funding levels are projected to result in hundreds of layoffs in Federal Defenders offices across the country, slowing the administration of justice, limiting the right to counsel, and ultimately increasing costs. The letter follows recent reporting on the potential impacts of these cuts.  

Vermont Business Magazine BETA Technologies, an electric aerospace company based in South Burlington, opened the doors on Monday to a large-scale production facility at the Patrick Leahy Burlington International Airport (BTV) in Vermont, where it will manufacture and assemble its all-electric aircraft. Production has begun with the installation of assembly tooling and the initiation of various system production lines, marking a significant milestone along BETA’s path to delivering its all-electric aircraft, the ALIA CTOL and the ALIA VTOL, to military and commercial customers. BETA’s facility is designed to be net-zero, equipped with state-of-the-art sustainability technology. The 188,500-square-foot production facility will ultimately be capable of producing up to 300 aircraft per year and it is expected to create hundreds of jobs. BETA is planning for a steady ramp up to maximum production rates and delivery to its diverse base of customers across cargo, medical, defense, and passenger industries. 

VermontBiz The Vermont State Police is investigating a suspicious death that occurred Thursday afternoon, October 5, 2023, in Castleton.

Police responded at about 4:30 p.m. to the Rail Trail near 1587 South Street after receiving a call regarding a deceased female. Arriving troopers discovered a woman deceased at the scene.

A witness in the area reported a possible suspect was northbound on the rail trail walking towards the Castleton Campus after gunshots were heard. The witness described the male as a white male approximately 5'10", short dark-colored hair, last seen wearing a dark gray t-shirt and carrying a black backpack.

VermontBiz Senators Peter Welch (D-VT), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), and Bernie Sanders (I-VT) today introduced legislation to de-link the development of renewable energy from oil and gas leasing. The Comprehensive Legislation for Expanding and Advancing Nonrestrictive (CLEAN) Energy Act and the Nonrestrictive Offshore Wind (NOW) Act will help the United States address the climate crisis, protect public lands and coasts, and expand new clean energy jobs and projects across the United States.    

VermontBiz This is the final week for Vermont residents affected by July’s severe storms, flooding, mudslides and landslides to apply for FEMA assistance.

The deadline to apply is October 12, 2023.

If you had storm-related expenses and live or own a business in Caledonia, Chittenden, Lamoille, Orange, Orleans, Rutland, Washington, Windham or Windsor County, you should apply as soon as possible. FEMA assistance can provide grants and U.S. Small Business Administration loans for housing, home repairs and other disaster-related needs.

VermontBiz The Vermont Agency of Natural Resources (ANR) is pleased to announce this year’s Sally Laughlin Award recipient, Dr. C. William “Bill” Kilpatrick.

The Sally Laughlin Award for the Conservation of Endangered and Threatened Species is selected annually by the Secretary of the Agency of Natural Resources based on recommendations from Vermont’s Endangered Species Committee. The award is given to a person who has shown leadership in advancing knowledge, understanding and conservation of endangered and threatened species and their habitats in Vermont.

VermontBiz Montana is the worst state for drink driving deaths, new research has revealed. 

The study, by California-based criminal defense law firm Simmrin Law Group, analyzed the latest available data from FARS on the number of drivers involved in deadly crashes who were under the influence of alcohol. 

It revealed that out of the 1,187 drivers who were involved in fatal accidents between 2017 and 2021 in Montana, 373 were found to be under the influence of alcohol. That translates to 31.42% of drunk drivers in deadly vehicle crashes in the state – the highest rate in the nation, with no other state seeing a rate higher than 30%. 

VermontBiz After a night investigation and years-long court process a Vermont poacher was mandated this week to forfeit his vehicle and weapon in addition to prior fines and loss of hunting privileges, according to the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department.

Shane Phillips, 43, of Johnson, was initially cited for “deer jacking”—illegally shooting a deer at night.  The citation followed an after-dark field operation by game wardens in October 2020 at multiple locations in the town of Johnson.

Vermont Business Magazine The innovation and executive teams behind Darn Tough Vermont in Northfield are disrupting the sock industry with the launch of Wide Open – The Wide Width Sock. Available now on wideopensocks.com, Wide Open™ boasts quality socks with style, durability, and stretch to fit wide feet, ankles, and calves. Wide Open embraces that bodies come in all shapes and sizes and believes socks should too. In four heights: no show, quarter, micro crew, and crew, Wide Open™ socks feature unique colors and designs with sizes to fit a range from Women's 4.5 to Men's 14.5. Every pair is backed by Darn Tough's Unconditional Lifetime Guarantee – great for consumers and great for the planet. Pricing ranges from $20 to $25 depending on height.

Vermont Business Magazine Attorney General Charity Clark announced today that she, along with 49 other attorneys general, has reached a settlement with software company Blackbaud for its deficient data security practices and response to a 2020 ransomware event that exposed the personal information of millions of consumers across the nation. Under the settlement, Blackbaud has agreed to overhaul its data security and breach notification practices and make a $49.5 million payment to states. As one of the states leading the investigation into Blackbaud, Vermont will receive $3 million from the settlement.