Current News

Vermont Business Magazine DealerPolicy, the leading insurance marketplace for automotive retail, today announced a strategic partnership with APCO Holdings, LLC, a leading provider and administrator of F&I products and home to the EasyCare and GWC Warranty brands. With this alliance, DealerPolicy's innovative and cost-saving personal insurance platform will now be offered through APCO's vast network of franchise and independent dealers.

Vermont Business Magazine Big Heavy World has been approved for a $10,000 Grant for Arts Projects award to support its work as a music development office. Big Heavy World coordinates volunteers who archive and promote music from Vermont, building community and celebrating the state’s ubiquitous creativity. Five Vermont organizations received a total of $78,000 in grants: New England Center for Circus Arts (aka NECCA); Marble House Project, Inc; Tupelo Press, Inc; and Weston Playhouse Theatre.

​Vermont Business Magazine The Attorney General’s Office announced that Keith Partridge, 37, of Springfield, Vermont, was arraigned today on two felony and three misdemeanor counts of Possession of Child Sex Abuse Materials. The charges brought against Partridge are the result of a criminal investigation – including the execution of residential and online data search warrants – conducted by the Vermont Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (VT-ICAC), including personnel from the Attorney General’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations, Vermont State Police, Orange County Sheriff’s Department, and Springfield Police Department.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine The COVID-19 case data is still backed up after a technical glitch inside the State of Vermont's system in the reporting of test results. However, data is expected to be updated Wednesday. In the meantime, the VDH and DFR are estimating that case counts will increase about 4,000 since the system was disrupted beginning last Saturday. Going forward with the more virulent Omicron variant, cases will be going up from the current about 2,000 a day to upwards of 5,000 a day through the end of the month, before they begin to subside in February. As for testing, the state will be relying more heavily on self reporting as rapid antigen tests become more prominent. The rapid tests will become the standard in schools as daily testing of close contacts will replace the PCR surveillance testing and contact tracing now used in the Test to Stay program.

Vermont Business Magazine The Department for Children and Families announced today that many 3SquaresVT households will continue to receive a higher benefit in January and February. This extra help is part of the federal Coronavirus Relief Bill. It will not permanently change a household’s monthly benefit. It is a temporary increase from the federal government to help those affected by the pandemic. Households at a zero benefit will not receive a benefit. Everyone else will receive the maximum benefit for their household size.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Corrections detected three new incarcerated cases of COVID-19 in isolation testing of symptomatic incarcerated individuals at Northeast Correctional Complex (NECC) in St. Johnsbury. The tests were performed Saturday and Tuesday, with results returned Monday evening and Tuesday afternoon. The positive individuals are from two units in the same building. The facility is on full lockdown.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today announced his appointment of Golrang (Rey) Garofano, Democrat, to fill the Chittenden-8-1 House District vacancy. Garofano replaces former Representative Marybeth Redmond (D-Essex) who resigned last month. Garofano has been a public servant at the State of Vermont for 16 years, serving in various leadership roles supporting Vermonters, including the most vulnerable. She currently serves as a childcare quality program administrator at the DCF. She has a deep personal commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, and has been actively engaged in multiple community projects over the last decade to promote racial equity and inclusion in and around Essex.

Vermont Business Magazine GunSense Vermont today announced the hiring of Conor Casey as their Executive Director, effective immediately. Casey began his career in the office of Senator Edward Kennedy and brings with him over 15 years of public policy experience in Vermont, serving recently as the Executive Director for the Vermont Democratic Party after spending eight years as Legislative Director of the Vermont State Employees' Association.

UVM Gund Institute for Environment Property damages from flooding in Vermont are calculated to exceed $5.2 billion over the next 100 years, new University of Vermont research finds. The most flood damages are projected along the Winooski River floodplains, which houses many of the state’s most populous towns, including Burlington, Essex, Colchester, Williston and Montpelier.

​Vermont Business Magazine Southwestern Vermont Council on Aging (SVCOA) has named Laurie Knauer of Castleton Community Seniors its Community Partner of the Year for 2021. Knauer, Program Director with Castleton Community Seniors and the Castleton Community Center, and Vice President of Tai Chi Vermont, has partnered with SVCOA for many years on numerous wellness-related events and programs including the nationally-recognized, evidence-based “Matter of Balance” and “Tai Chi For Fall Prevention” classes. Most recently, Knauer served as a master trainer for the “Matter of Balance” program and trained 12 individuals to become class instructors in both counties.