Current News

Vermont Business Magazine On August 9, 2022, US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo announced that the Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) would award a $1.2 million grant to Vermont Technical College to expand the college’s agricultural workforce development and entrepreneurship training programs. This grant is funded by the American Rescue Plan and will support the establishment of agricultural and food entrepreneurship coursework designed to spur innovation and train the next generation of farmers, food workers, and food entrepreneurs. The EDA grant will be matched with $314,775 in local funds and is expected to create 690 jobs, according to grantee estimates.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Secretary of State Jim Condos announced that the Statewide Canvass of Vermont 2022 Primary Election results will be held on Monday, August 22 at the Secretary of State’s office, located in Montpelier at 128 State Street. The canvass will begin at 2pm. Secretary Condos, along with Chairs or their designees from the three major parties (Democratic, Republican and Progressive) will be certifying vote totals and winners for federal and statewide offices. The Statewide Canvass is open to members of the public and the press. The Canvass had been initially postponed on Tuesday, August 16 due to a technology issue specific to the ability to generate reports based on the official return of votes submitted by the Town Clerks for the Canvassing Committee to certify.

Vermont Business Magazine The Federal Emergency Management Agency will be sending more than $2 million to the State of Vermont to reimburse the costs of stabilizing the Waterbury State Office Complex after Tropical Storm Irene in 2011. The $2,052,222 Public Assistance grant will go to the Department of Buildings and General Services for work done to stabilize buildings in the complex in an effort to prevent further damage after the August 2011 storm flooded many of them. The state received $53 million in FEMA funding to repair or replace buildings, and spent nearly $13 million drying, cleaning and disinfecting buildings; removing debris; and other measures to preserve the structures.

Vermont Business Magazine On Saturday the Vermont AFL-CIO held its Convention at the Old Socialist Party Labor Hall in Barre. There, the State Labor Council voted to prioritize passage of the Reproductive Liberty Amendment, endorsed the entire Progressive Party slate of candidates running for Statehouse, and appointed Katie Harris to fill the vacant position of Executive Vice President.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Agency of Transportation (AOT) is seeking public comment on a draft management plan for the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail (LVRT). The draft plan can be viewed at vtrans.vermont.gov/lvrt and comments can be submitted via email until 4:00 p.m. on August 31, 2022. The LVRT management plan seeks to develop a cohesive vision for the trail; identifies long-range strategies for management, maintenance, and operations of the trail; and supports opportunities for community and economic development efforts along the LVRT.

Vermont Agency of Transportation This weekly report is a list of planned construction activities that will have traffic impacts on state highways throughout Vermont for the week of August 22. Please remember to drive safely in all work zones. Lives depend on it.

Vermont Business Magazine JAG Productions, a Vermont and New York City-based company serving as an artistic sanctuary for Black creatives in the American theatre, announced its 2022/2023 line-up this week. JAG’s exciting seventh season, including new play and musical development, a residency at New York Theatre Workshop, the return of the wildly popular Theatre on the Hill, and a fully realized production of a new Afro-surrealist dark comedy presented in Vermont and New York City, centers around themes of freedom and healing. The season is titled The Freedom Practice.

Saint Michael’s College Class member Brian Lacey ’72 -- a highly successful entertainment executive and long a champion of the humanities and international scholarship at Saint Michael’s as a donor, trustee and volunteer -- led the push for his class to support the new Center for Global Engagement and efforts of its director, Jeffrey Ayres of the political science/international relations faculty.“ From the outset, a few of our classmates on the committee discussed ways our class could significantly raise the bar for both the level of class participation as well as the total financial commitment to the College for our 50th reunion,” Lacey said. “We felt it was important to accomplish these goals to demonstrate both the appreciation for our Saint Michael’s experience as well as establishing new benchmarks for future 50th reunion class gifts. Lacey believes a liberal arts education has a much longer trajectory than mere preparation for a career. “The class of 1972 gift underscores our collective faith and commitment that this special Saint Michael’s College experience is transformative and more importantly, will be available for worthy students for future generations,” he said.

Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports Did you know that in the past 10 years, the number of program outings Vermont Adaptive has provided has grown 500%? That’s right, 500%! But the crazy part is, as a team, we have served so many more people year-round with our existing small but mighty staff. That’s about to change. There is a deep need for the adaptive recreation and adventure programs that Vermont Adaptive provides in our communities, and as that need grows, so do we.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Health reported August 17 that COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are still considered "Low." Total cases for the week decreased slightly. However, hospitalizations increased about 24%. The BA.5 variant has become the predominant variant of COVID-19. As of August 13, there have been 6 COVID-related fatalities in August in Vermont, for a pandemic total of 702 (the VDH report could be updated as more data becomes available). There were 12 deaths from COVID in Vermont in July. There were 12 deaths in June attributed to COVID after 32 in May. May saw an increase in fatalities from April and March. June and July had the fewest COVID fatalities since July 2021 (2). The Delta variant then took off in August 2021.