Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) Tuesday evening held a telephone town meeting to hear directly from older Vermonters about the issues that matter most to them and how the federal government can address the needs of seniors and working families. Throughout the year, Sanders has led meetings and public events, in-person and virtually, with over 50,000 Vermonters from across the state. These have included a virtual statewide town meeting, in-person town meetings with the Finnish Ambassador to the U.S., a roundtable discussion with the U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and a round table discussion with Vermont affordable housing providers; as well as town meetings focused on issues facing first responders, students, medical professionals, and more.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Agency of Transportation (AOT) today announced that three more segments of the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail (LVRT) – Danville to Hardwick, Wolcott Village to Morrisville, and Cambridge to Sheldon — will be open for public use on December 15th. The final remaining segment, Hardwick to Wolcott Village, is expected to be completed February 1st, 2023.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud and Residential Abuse Unit (MFRAU) has entered a settlement agreement with Upper Valley Services, a designated agency that provides services and supports for people with developmental disabilities in Orange County and Moretown, Vermont. The settlement resolves MFRAU’s investigations into three incidents involving Upper Valley Services. These separate incidents included allegations of neglect that resulted in the death of a vulnerable adult, the confinement of a vulnerable adult in a basement, and the use of Medicaid funds to pay an Upper Valley Services employee who was on Vermont’s Adult Abuse Registry.

Vermont Business Magazine On December 8th, Vermont Lieutenant Governor Molly Gray and House Speaker Jill Krowinski hosted a summit of policymakers and advocates focused on working families, the caregiving economy, and universal access to paid family leave as well as child care in Vermont. The Summit was held at the Vermont State House and consisted of two panels, one dedicated to understanding universal paid family and medical leave, and the other dedicated to understanding universal, affordable child care access. Lieutenant Governor Gray, House Speaker Krowinski, advocates, business leaders, and early childhood educators, all spoke about the need for Vermonters to have access to universal paid family and medical leave and universal, affordable child care.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont State Police is investigating a suspicious death in St. Johnsbury. The investigation began after the St. Johnsbury Police Department received a call at about 9:45 a.m. Wednesday requesting a welfare check at 78 Hastings St. for a report that an individual may have been shot. Responding officers arrived on scene and confirmed that an individual was deceased inside the residence. St. Johnsbury police requested the Vermont State Police respond and lead the investigation.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott has designated Wednesday, December 14, 2022, as Air Quality Awareness Day in Vermont. In recognition of this day, scientists and health officials are offering tips and guidance for how Vermonters can sign up for air quality forecasts in their area, find out what to do on days with poor air quality, and learn how to improve Vermont’s air quality. Even in Vermont, air quality can occasionally reach unhealthy levels, especially in the winter when many people are using furnaces, boilers, or woodstoves to heat their homes. These heating sources produce smoke and other pollutants which may cause significant health problems, including lung and eye irritation, headaches, asthma attacks, acute bronchitis, and other breathing difficulties. It can also lead to long-term health effects.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont business leaders voiced their economic concerns and urged action on workforce and housing initiatives at a roundtable discussion with State Senator Kesha Ram Hinsdale. The meeting, hosted by the Vermont Chamber of Commerce, centered on the top issues facing the business community in advance of the legislative session. Business leaders from various industries emphasized the need for strategic workforce recruitment and retention efforts, and further investment in workforce housing infrastructure. These policy areas are among the top priorities for the Vermont Chamber of Commerce advocacy team in 2023.

Vermont Business Magazine A coalition of housing advocates issued the following statement urging state government to put more money into housing across the board. They argue that the significant resources already spent are making an impact, but that the state will need about 10,000 more housing units over the next five years. They are calling for an additional $175 million to be allocated to several agencies.

Vermont Business Magazine In less than four years, the Orano group, based in France, has completed the cutting up and packaging of the vessel and internal components of the boiling water reactor at the Vermont Yankee nuclear power station in Vernon. Vermont Yankee went offline in December 2014. These operations, started in early 2019 after two years of preparatory studies, are part of a contract signed in 2017 with the NorthStar group. As the site owner, NorthStar is performing the accelerated decommissioning of the facility with expected completion in 2027. NorthStar acquired the site from Entergy, which was the last operator of the nuclear power station.

Vermont Business Magazine New England Retail Properties, Inc has announced that two of their subsidiaries have completed the ground up development of two new Tractor Supply Company Stores in Ensoburg Falls, VT, and Somersworth, NH. Both Stores opened Saturday December 10, 2022 after 6 months of construction. The Vermont store is located in Enosburg Falls and can be found on 38 Jayview Drive and Route 105, adjacent to the Hannaford Supermarket and McDonald’s, has been developed by Enosburg Development Partners LLC.

Vermont Business Magazine Today Vermont Governor Phil Scott issued two proclamations announcing the ratification and adoption of 2022’s Proposition 2 and Proposition 5, amending the Vermont Constitution. In a ceremony required by State law, Secretary of State Jim Condos certified to the Governor the articles of amendment had been adopted by the voters of the State. The amendments were enrolled on the parchment and deposited with the Secretary of State, making official the ratification and adoption by Vermont voters in the 2022 General Election.