Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont search interest in small businesses has spiked more than any other state since 2019. Across the nation, small business support has increased by 267% in that same period. How exactly are residents supporting small businesses at a local and state level? Using Google Trends data from 2019 to 2022, Skynova's comparative analysis examines small business support in the 50 states across several variables. 

by Bruce Baroffio, President of the Vermont Trappers Association We have all experienced nuisance animals such as hearing about skunks under porches, raccoons in the attic, foxes killing chickens, fisher preying on cats, coyotes attacking dogs and livestock, and volumes could be written about beaver complaints. But: Have you ever wondered why?  Why do these animals cause us trouble instead of living out in the woods where they belong? One big reason is lack of habitat. All animals need habitat that suits their particular needs.  A beaver's habit can be as small as the pond he has built while a coyote's habitat is measured in square miles. All animals need enough territory in their habitat to find food, shelter and a safe place to raise their young.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Fish and Wildlife is reminding hunters to wear fluorescent hunter orange. “Hunting is one of the safest outdoor activities, thanks to advances in education as well as science,” said Vermont Hunter Education Program Coordinator Nicole Meier.  “Our volunteer hunter education instructors stress that wearing orange during hunting season is important, and studies prove that wearing fluorescent hunter orange keeps hunters visible to other people in the woods, but it keeps them relatively invisible to deer.”

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Scott and ACCD Secretary Lindsay Kurrle provided an update Wednesday on the Business Emergency Gap Assistance Program (BEGAP) and urged more flooded organizations to apply. To date, almost 600 applications have been formerly submitted and 392 are fully complete, up around 50 from last week: 66% are currently being reviewed or in the queue to be reviewed; 34% are completed and approved for a BEGAP grant; A total of $1.8 million in funding has been approved with an average award of around $13,000.

by Joshua Defibaugh, UVM In a time of unprecedented rainfall and flooding throughout Vermont in July 2023, the University of Vermont’s (UVM) Office of Research in collaboration the Gund Institute for Environment issued a call for proposals for rapid deployment of UVM researchers to engage in flood-related research activities that would contribute to understanding the impacts of the flooding crisis across the state and assist in response and recovery. The call was answered and UVM has announced that six awards were given to researchers in the fields of geophysical processes, agriculture, public health, and community resilience to evaluate and recover from this year’s catastrophic flooding as well as planning for future climate events.

Vermont Business Magazine South Burlington Schools, Highland, and Green Mountain Power (GMP) celebrated one-year of successful clean electric bus transportation for students across the district at the local High School where state and city leaders marked the occasion with the community and with a free ride along on the electric buses. The district’s four electric busses completed more than 30,000 miles of clean driving last year, offsetting more than 100,000 pounds of carbon emissions, and are ready to get rolling when students head back to school August 30. Through a GMP program, four bi-directional EV chargers installed last year allow the District to share energy stored in the buses’ batteries during peak energy use times, such as heatwaves, which cuts costs for all GMP customers in Vermont. 

Vermont Business Magazine Starting this Saturday and into the Fall, Green Mountain Power (GMP) customers can join the GMP team at events around Vermont to learn more about switching to clean electricity to power their lives, and how GMP rebates and programs can help them save on electric yard care equipment, electric vehicles (EVs), home energy storage, heat pumps, and more. This Saturday, GMP will be at the Noble Ace Labor Day BBQ in Rutland, 11am-2pm.

Vermont Business Magazine Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, on Tuesday issued the following statement after the Biden Administration announced the first ten prescription drugs that will be subject to price negotiations between Medicare and drug manufacturers: “While the pharmaceutical industry makes huge profits every year, the American people pay, by far, the highest prices in the world for prescription drugs. And that situation is getting worse. Last year, the median price of new drugs approved by the FDA was over $220,000."

Vermont Business Magazine VCBB submitted Vermont’s 5-Year Action Plan to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) this week. It’s the first of several documents that need to be approved to unlock $229 million from the federal Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program for the state’s broadband buildout. The 5-Year Action Plan describes Vermont’s vision and strategy for using the BEAD program to achieve universal high-speed broadband access in the state. The vision is that all Vermonters have universal access to reliable, high-quality, affordable, fixed broadband at speeds of at least 100/100 Mbps, and that all Vermonters and institutions have the tools and skills necessary to maximize its value.

Vermont Business Magazine The Rutland Disaster Recovery Center will close permanently at 6 pm, Friday, Sept 1, 2023. The center is currently open 8 am to 6 pm. The Springfield Disaster Recovery Center will close permanently at 6 pm, Saturday, Sept 2, 2023. The center is currently open 8 am to 6 pm, Monday through Saturday. For flood relief as of August 30, FEMA has distributed $16.3 million, and the SBA has distributed over $12 million. The State of Vermont has requested that FEMA extend its deadline to apply for flood relief from September 12 to October 12. A decision is expected soon. However, Governor Scott is urging Vermonters impacted by the flood to apply as soon as possible and not assume the date will be extended.

Vermont Business Magazine The National Life Group Do Good Fest® brought in $1,712, 445 in donations and pledges for Vermont Community Foundation’s VT Flood Response & Recovery Fund 2023. With the devastation Vermont experienced last month from historic flooding, National Life transformed within three days the annual benefit concert Do Good Fest, historically held on the company’s back lawn, to an indoor acoustic performance that was livestreamed so that viewers across Vermont, the nation and globally could support the rebuilding of Vermont through online donations. The July 15 event, Do Good Fest, generated 1,845 gifts from 42 states and five countries outside of the US raising $962,445 with National Life matching $750,000.

Vermont Business Magazine The US Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Region 1 is awarding a total of $3 million from the agency’s Climate Pollution Reduction Grants (CPRG) program to the State of Vermont. The award given to the State of Vermont will fund the development of plans and innovative strategies to cut climate pollution and build clean energy economies. Working in tandem with other programs also funded by the Inflation Reduction Act, CPRG provides flexible planning resources to local governments, states, Tribes, and territories for climate solutions that protect communities from pollution and advance environmental justice.