Current News

Vermont Business Magazine The CARES Act, passed on March 27, 2020, provided funding to state governments for COVID-19 relief for only the last three months of fiscal year 2020, but even so, it seems to have had a major impact on some states’ finances compared to 2019. The US Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of State Government Finances captures the effect of the CARES Act funding and offers a glimpse of its impact on government finances. For example, as a result of the additional funding for April, May and June of 2020, eight states saw more than a 50% increase in government funding, including Vermont, which ranked fourth highest at 66.08 percent. Most of the states were among the smallest by population in the nation, with the exception of Virginia.

by John McClaughry With Montpelier awash in Federal money, the 2022 legislature balanced the General Fund budget while spending more on a long list of popular causes: extending broadband, subsidizing early education (as always with little or no assessment of the results), keeping the reorganized state college system alive, and spending more on favorites like home weatherization ($80 million) and subsidies to entice more people to buy electric vehicles ($32 million).

Vermont Business Magazine Leaders of the Vermont Army National Guard have initiated administrative investigations into allegations of misconduct in recent months. The investigations follow an Organizational Assessment made public by the Vermont National Guard in October last year. Conducted by the Office of Complex Investigations from the National Guard Bureau, the Organizational Assessment consisted of a Defense Equal Opportunity Climate Survey, site inspections and numerous interviews with members from across the Vermont National Guard.

Vermont Business Magazine Amtrak, in conjunction with the Vermont Agency of Transportation, is now selling Ethan Allen Express tickets for daily travel between Burlington and New York City including new stops in Vergennes and Middlebury. Service will kick off at 10:10 am Friday, July 29, 2022, with a celebratory event at Burlington’s Union Station. The details, coming soon, will include $1 ticketed train fares within Vermont on the Ethan Allen Express, limited shuttle service on the day of the event for return transportation to Burlington from Vergennes for ticketed passengers, and 50% promotional fares on the Ethan Allen Express this summer.

​by Michael Monte, Stephanie Lane, Andrew Winter The first questions families with young children ask when considering where in Vermont to live are, "Can we find housing we can afford?" and "Does that area have good childcare options?" Too often, the answers to both questions are not good enough and this is holding us back. According to state data, the cost of a primary home went up 10.2% between 2020 and 2021. While many may see this as an aberration, it’s actually just a blip in an overall market trend: over the last 20 years – through boom and bust cycles, the annual average increase has been a little over 6%.

Vermont Business Magazine Coldwell Banker Carlson Real Estate represented both the seller and buyer in the sale of the Springer-Miller office building and property located at 782 Mountain Road, Stowe, VT. The property traded at $5,350,000. The office building measures just over 26,000 square feet and is situated on 9.5 acres of land, with a prime location on the Mountain Road in Stowe.

Vermont Business Magazine On June 17, 2022, the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE) formally accepted the Vermont State Colleges System’s plan to create a new university, Vermont State University, July 1, 2023. NECHE commended the VSCS for their comprehensive, multi-year planning, making special note of the realistic and extensive work the system has undertaken, the selection of Dr. Parwinder Grewal as president of Vermont State University, and the significant progress already achieved. NECHE also expressed enthusiasm for learning about the successes of the innovative hybrid operational model that Vermont State University is building.

Vermont Business Magazine Nathan McKeen is the director of Vermont’s State Parks and the next guest on Medical Matters Weekly. Viewers are invited to tune in at 12 p.m. on Wednesday, July 13, and learn about all of the wellness and other fun opportunities available through the parks system. The show is produced by Southwestern Vermont Health Care (SVHC) with cooperation from Catamount Access Television (CAT-TV).

by Roxanne Vought, Weybridge, Executive Director of Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility For those of us who envision – and strive each day toward – a just, thriving, and transformative economy that works for all people and the planet, the final week of June 2022 was devastating. On the 24th, the U.S. Supreme Court held that the Constitution does not confer a right to abortion, eliminating a federal constitutional right and bodily autonomy simultaneously. On the 30th they limited the EPA’s ability to reduce climate pollution from power plants, severely damaging our ability to tackle our escalating climate crisis.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals’ membership has voted to ratify a new two-year contract for UVM Medical Center nursing staff. The contract includes substantial wage increases agreed to in February, in advance of full contract negotiations, and numerous other increases and enhancements.

Vermont Business Magazine The Department of Public Service (PSD) today announced that it will conduct new drive tests, in conjunction with the Agency of Transportation (AOT), to determine mobile wireless coverage throughout the state.

“Access to mobile wireless service is a top priority for Vermonters, for this Administration, and for the Department,” said PSD Commissioner June Tierney. “We all know that there are many areas of the state that lack service. The drive tests will help to identify those areas so we can prioritize them for new coverage.”

The drive tests are a collaboration by state agencies, and AOT will conduct the actual driving.

Vermont Business Magazine For the 14th consecutive year, Vermont Mutual Insurance Group® has been recognized as one of the top 50 Property and Casualty insurers in the United States by Ward Group, an Aon Hewitt company, and one of the industry’s most respected benchmarking organizations.