Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Rising gas prices, societal trends and a growing charging infrastructure have sparked a new demand for alternative fuel vehicles. Analysts from online insurer QuoteWizard found that while search interest for electric cars spiked 300% between February and March of 2022, demand for alternative fuel vehicles is up 40% for electric cars and 50% for hybrid vehicles compared to 2021.

Green Up Vermont is almost here! Visit the Green Up Vermont website for all the details to make sure one of Vermont's true harbingers of spring is better than ever. Visit the Town Details page on Green Up Vermont's website to find out how to participate in your neck of the woods, fields, and shores!

Vermont Business Magazine After falling in early April, gasoline prices are again on the rise. Statewide, the average price of gasoline was $4.25 per gallon as of Monday, up 11 cents in a week, 7 cents higher in a month and a $1.44 higher than a year ago.

Vermont Business Magazine On Friday, March 4th 2022, Bromley Mountain held their 19th annual “Mom’s Day Off” and raised more than $4,000 to benefit women’s breast cancer care at Southwestern Vermont Regional Cancer Center. Bromley Mountain Ski Resort’s President Bill Cairns (left) presented the check to President and CEO of Southwestern Vermont Health Care (SVHC) Thomas A. Dee, FACHE, on Friday, April 8, 2022, at Bromley in Peru, VT.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Health today is reporting 504 cases of COVID-19 for Tuesday, up 200 in one day (304 Monday, 98 Sunday). There were 294 cases on Saturday, 323 on Friday and 417 on Thursday. Cases have edged up in recent weeks, especially in Bennington and Washington counties, and grew 5 percent in the last week (2,317 new cases, 318 more cases compared to last week).

Vermont Business Magazine Today, the Vermont Senate voted to advance the Clean Heat Standard bill (H.715), 88-37, for further development by the Public Utility Commission, after adding a disappointing amendment that weakened the law by requiring it to be endorsed again in the 2024 Legislature. The Clean Heat Standard is a core plank of the state’s new Climate Action Plan, designed to help Vermonters access more affordable, cleaner energy solutions. Implementing action in the heating sector at the scale of the Clean Heat Standard is essential to meeting the state’s legal obligation to reduce climate pollution.

Vermont Business Magazine Today, the Vermont House took a critical step forward in addressing a long history of undue environmental injustice by passing Vermont’s first statewide Environmental Justice bill, S.148, by a vote of 109-31. The bill will next go back to the Senate to consider the changes made by the House. The Environmental Justice bill is a high priority of the environmental community this session, and will be critical in bringing Vermont in line with the majority of other states working to design meaningful solutions for justice through deep public engagement and partnership with those most impacted by undue environmental harm. The bill would create the first statutory definition of environmental justice in Vermont, build a framework for the state to better address structural inequities, and create a path for Vermont to work towards a future where a clean environment is prioritized and accessible for all.

Vermont Business Magazine The University of Vermont, for the first time in its history, received more than 30,000 applications for undergraduate admission, leading the university to be even more selective and setting the stage for the Class of 2026 to be the highest-achieving incoming class ever. The number of applicants to UVM also hit record levels in 2021, when the university attracted 25,500 applications, 38% more than the previous year. This year, the number of applicants jumped another 19% to 30,363. The Class of 2026 will arrive on campus with an average SAT score of 1347, average ACT score of 31, and average GPA of 3.8. It also includes the greatest number of students who identify as students of color (72 more students, 21% higher than in 2021-2022), first-generation students (296 students, making up 9% of the class), and students who come from outside of New England (182 more students, 13% higher than in 2021-2022).

​Vermont Business Magazine Attorney General TJ Donovan today announced a settlement with TurboTax, Intuit Inc. (Intuit), for deceiving Vermont consumers into paying for tax services that should have been free. As a result of a multistate agreement, Intuit will pay $141 million in restitution to millions of consumers across the nation who were unfairly charged. In addition, Intuit must suspend TurboTax’s “free, free, free” ad campaign that lured customers with promises of free tax preparation services, only to deceive them into paying for services. Vermont consumers who were deceived into paying to file their federal tax return by Intuit will receive $289,863.62 in total restitution.

Vermont Business Magazine Today Vermont State Treasurer Beth Pearce announced she will not seek re-election and will be retiring in January 2023, after six terms in office. She cited recent health-related issues in making this decision. In her time as Treasurer, Pearce served as President of the National Association of State Treasurers, President of the National Association of State Auditors, Comptrollers and Treasurers, and as Chair of the Government Accounting Standards Advisory Council. She made her statement at a press conference in Montpelier on Wednesday morning.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Agency of Education (AOE) has released an updated version of the Annual Snapshot. The Annual Snapshot is an online tool that presents quantitative data about Vermont schools. Vermonters can see how their school, Supervisory Union/District or the state as a whole is doing based on multiple measures. The Annual Snapshot can be found at schoolsnapshot.vermont.gov. Overall English and Science were meeting the performance standard while Math was not meeting the performance standard. In all three subjects, the Equity Index was not being met. As a tool, the Annual Snapshot is designed to show progress and change over time. Adverse impacts on education and assessment during the COVID-19 pandemic have made it harder to compare the data used to build the Annual Snapshot measures from one year to the next. This is an important caveat for users to keep in mind as they review this most recent version, as the interpretation of some indicators is impacted by this context.

Vermont Business Magazine Last week on Tuesday, April 26, the Associated General Contractors of Vermont (AGC/VT) hosted Vermont’s biggest hiring event at the Champlain Valley Expo, in Essex Jct. Within one week, Vermont employers extended more than 120 job offers, with more expected in the coming weeks. AGC/VT, which partnered with the Vermont Department of Labor (DOL), recruited nearly 200 employers from diverse fields including manufacturing, construction, hospitality, health care, education, public safety, and emergency response. Numerous state agencies also attended and promoted current job openings in state government. The one-day event attracted more than 1,200 job seekers, including hundreds of career center and college students. The average employer spoke with approximately 40 potential candidates, with about 10 Vermonters applying per job opening.