Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott and the Agency of Natural Resources announced today that approximately $10 million in funding is available to help manufactured housing communities in Vermont address water infrastructure issues. This is the second round of funding allocated by the State using American Rescue Plan (ARPA) funding. Communities are invited to apply by October 17, 2023. Examples of eligible activities include assessing communities’ water infrastructure needs, designing and permitting projects to address these necessities, connecting to municipal water or wastewater, retrofitting stormwater practices, installing drinking water or wastewater projects, and more.

Vermont Business Magazine The University of Vermont has officially announced the Vermont Pitch Challenge, a new entrepreneurial-focused competition that gives high school students from across the world in grades 10-12 a chance to pitch innovative and impactful business plans – all while competing for individual cash prizes and full tuition scholarships to UVM, valued at up to $180,000. The new program is free to enter and offers young students a unique opportunity to learn from UVM faculty and alumni as well as top entrepreneurial experts about how to write a business plan, create a compelling pitch, and achieve their ultimate career goals.

Vermont Business Magazine Average gasoline prices in Vermont have fallen 2 cents to $3.79 per gallon from last week's $3.81/g. The lowest price in the state yesterday was $3.55/g while the highest was $3.90/g, a difference of 35.0 cents per gallon. The national average price of gasoline has fallen 1.2 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.77/g today.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Agency of Transportation (AOT) is now accepting grant applications for the SFY 2024 Municipal Park-and-Ride Grant Program, which provides funding for improvements of small park-and-ride facilities in Vermont communities. These facilities will assist in the effort of reducing the number of single occupancy vehicles on the roadway, which in turn helps to reduce vehicle pollutants and traffic congestion.  

Vermont Business Magazine FEMA's Montpelier Disaster Recovery Center will close permanently at 6 pm, Wednesday, September 6, 2023. The center is currently open 8 am to 6 pm at this location: Vermont College of Fine Arts, 36 College St. Other recovery centers remain open Monday through Saturday.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Health reported August 30, 2023, that COVID-19 hospitalizations edged down to a statewide total of 27, down from 31 last week, they were 25 before that and 7 three weeks ago. Cases and hospitalizations have risen over the summer. However, COVID-19 activity remains in the "Low" range, according to the VDH. Reported cases last week were 162, down from 219 last week, they were 165 before that and 112 three weeks ago. The CDC has stated that a new booster will be available this fall and that an estimated 97% of Americans have some level of immunity, from either vaccination or infection or both, which they said will help keep down new transmission and lessen serious outcomes. There was 1 COVID-related death reported last week.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont is leading the nation in breastfeeding support- three local WIC clinics have achieved the highest level awards from the US Department of Agriculture. The awardee clinics have some of the highest breastfeeding rates among WIC clinics in the country: Morrisville received the Elite award and Barre and St Johnsbury received Premiere awards.

North Country Hospital Thanks to golfers and sponsors coming together in support of the annual North Country Hospital fundraiser, another round of students will receive scholarship awards in the next round of application review. And this was the case last Sunday with 19 teams teeing off at Newport Country Club. Each June at local high school graduation time, North Country Hospital awards $1,000 scholarships to students pursuing a degree in various healthcare fields of study, including nursing, pharmacy, physical therapy, and dentistry. This results in about $40,000 benefitting 40 students each year, all coming from the hospital foundation’s fundraising efforts.

Vermont Agency of Agriculture Food & Markets Do you operate a farm or forest business, or a food business that uses local products? Or are you a producer association or service provider that works with these businesses? Are you looking for funds for equipment, infrastructure, marketing, climate-focused projects, research, or workforce development? If so, consider applying for a Working Lands Enterprise Initiative grant! Applications will open throughout the fall and winter, with awards announced throughout the winter and spring. These awards should be for projects that you will start working on in spring/early summer 2024.  

by Mike Donoghue, Vermont News First, Vermont Business Magazine Veteran prosecutor Bram Kranichfeld, who was passed over to head the Chittenden County State's Attorney's Office in 2017 by Governor Phil Scott, has been tapped by the chief executive to take command of the troubled Franklin County State's Attorney's office. Scott is scheduled to swear in Kranichfeld today as the Interim Franklin County State's Attorney to replace embattled prosecutor John Lavoie, who was facing an impeachment inquiry by a special House Committee until he resigned last month. One of Kranichfeld's primary tasks will be restoring peace and civility to the Franklin County State's Attorney's Office, which had some employees actively opposing Lavoie's campaign last year when longtime boss Jim Hughes announced he was retiring.

Vermont Business Magazine Most of Vermont’s forests are young, having been cleared within the last 200 years, and the old forests once dominated Vermont’s landscape are extremely uncommon. Besides being rare, old forests are diverse, resilient, and provide important habitats for wildlife. Join Ethan Tapper, the Chittenden County forester, this week for a talk about what old forests are like (it may surprise you!), why they’re important, and how forest management can help make Vermont’s young forests more like old forests, creating many of the unique conditions and habitats found in old forests centuries sooner than they would naturally occur.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today issued the following statement on commemorating Labor Day: “Today, we pay tribute to and recognize the workers of America who built our nation, support our communities, and power our economy. America has risen to be the envy of the world in no small part because of the ingenuity, determination, and work ethic of the American worker."