Current News

Vermont Business Magazine One of Vermont's largest, connected and privately-owned forests outside of the Northeast Kingdom has been protected, thanks to private landowners, Green Ridge Forest LLC, who partnered with the Vermont Land Trust (VLT) and The Conservation Fund (the Fund) to conserve lands along the spine and easterly flank of the Northfield Mountains. Visible from Route 12A and Interstate 89, the Green Ridge Forest spans the towns of Braintree, Granville and Rochester, and three counties: Addison, Orange and Windsor. Some of the highest elevation peaks in Vermont are found here, ranging from 800 to 3,000 feet. There are six significant streams that form headwaters of the Third Branch of the White River, a major tributary of the Connecticut River.

Vermont Business Magazine At its recent 50th Anniversary celebration, the Vermont Institute of Natural Science was honored with a first-of-its-kind recognition. Presented by Dr Margaret “Canopy Meg” Lowman, VINS was given a Platinum Plaque from Mission Green, a new program whose mission it is to save 10 of the world’s most endangered forests by 2030 through the creation of canopy walkways.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Nuclear Decommissioning Citizens Advisory Panel (VT NDCAP) will hold its fifth and final meeting of 2022 on Monday evening, December 12, 2022, from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM. In addition to receiving updates from NorthStar and Vermont State Agencies regarding recent Vermont Yankee (VY) decommissioning activities, the Panel will consider endorsing recent International Brotherhood of Electrical Worker (IBEW) comments filed in response to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s (NRC’s) proposed rules governing nuclear power plant decommissioning. The Panel will also review and potentially approve its 2022 Annual Report to the Vermont Legislature and Governor. Lastly, elections for 2023 Panel Officers will be conducted.

Vermont Business Magazine As Americans struggle to pay rising energy bills, leading states have instituted energy efficiency policies that cut utility bills—especially for those who need it most—while reducing greenhouse gas emissions, according to the 2022 State Energy Efficiency Scorecard. These policies can serve as models for the dozens of states that have yet to prioritize energy-saving upgrades to reduce costs for disadvantaged households. California comes in first place in the 50-state scorecard (which also includes Washington, DC) from the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE). Rounding out the top 10 are Massachusetts (#2), New York (#3), Vermont (#4), Maine (#5), Washington, DC (#6), Maryland and Rhode Island (tied at #7), Connecticut (#9), and Minnesota (#10).

Vermont Fish & Wildlife Hello, hunters! We're reaching out with a final friendly reminder to complete the hunter effort survey. It's important to fill out the hunter effort and sighting survey after a hunt. This survey asks you to record how many hours you hunted and how many deer, moose, bears, or other wildlife you saw each day out during the season. This helps the department evaluate how hunting pressure and wildlife populations vary around the state.

The Vermont State Police is continuing to investigate a reported shooting that occurred late Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2022, on Church Street in the village of Orleans. As part of the investigation, troopers have obtained surveillance photos showing a suspect in this incident. Anyone who recognizes the suspect in the attached photos or who has any information that might assist investigators in this case is asked to call the Derby Barracks at 802-334-8881 or leave an anonymous tip online at https://vsp.vermont.gov/tipsubmit.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Attorney General’s Office announced that William Pine, 52, of Brookfield, Vermont, was sentenced today on two felony counts of Aggravated Assault and one misdemeanor count of False Information to a Law Enforcement Officer. After a contested hearing in Vermont Superior Court, Orange Criminal Division, Mr. Pine was sentenced to 18 months to 10 years to serve, with credit for approximately 4 months of in-patient treatment.

Vermont Business Magazine The Senate Tuesday night unanimously passed the Unleashing American Innovators Act, sponsored by Senators Leahy (D-VT), Tillis (R-NC), and Hirono (D-HI). The Unleashing American Innovators Act builds on the legacy of the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act in broadening access and inclusivity in the patent system by increasing the outreach efforts of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, developing programs to help first-time and under-resourced inventors, and lowering patent application fees for small businesses and micro entities.

Vermont Business Magazine Drafty, inefficient homes in need of weatherization will soon have a new affordable program available to them with the launch of the Weatherization Repayment Assistance Program (WRAP). The program, funded by $9 million from the state and overseen by the Vermont Housing Finance Agency (VHFA), will use an innovative on-bill payment model to help moderate-income Vermonters participate in comprehensive home energy projects. WRAP will allow Vermont households to pay for qualifying weatherization projects like insulation and air sealing as well as heat pumps and advanced wood heating systems through a monthly charge on their utility bill that can be paid back over time. Both homeowners and renters can participate in the program.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Secretary of State Jim Condos announces the completion of the 2022 Vermont General Election Audit, conducted on December 6 at the Pavilion Auditorium in Montpelier. No significant abnormalities or discrepancies were found between audit results and the Official Returns of Vote. Seven towns or cities were selected at random for the 2022 General Election Audit: Burlington (Chittenden -13 District), Dover, Fair Haven, Mt. Tabor, Newport City, Richford, and Waitsfield.