Current News

Vermont Business Magazine In 2021 Vermont River Conservancy took on new and larger projects to improve wildlife habitat, keep communities safe, and to ensure people will always have access to rivers for swimming, paddling, and fishing. Vermont boasts hundreds of rivers and streams -- iconic swimming holes and fabled paddlers’ trails that draw more than a half million Vermonters and visitors each year to splash, float, and fish with families and friends. Back in 1995, central Vermont volunteers founded VRC when they saw that more and more “no trespassing” signs were cutting communities off from their beloved rivers.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Nuclear Decommissioning Citizens Advisory Panel (VT NDCAP) will hold a Special Meeting on Monday evening, January 10, 2022 from 6 pm to 8 pm to review and potentially approve its 2021 Annual Report to the Vermont Legislature.

by Rob Roper A key component of the Climate Action Plan just put forward by the Vermont Climate Council is a thing they’re calling “The Clean Heat Standard.” This is a convoluted scheme that is in practice a stealth tax on home heating oil, propane, natural gas, and kerosene that will drive up the costs of those products for consumers.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today delivered his State of the State address to the General Assembly, outlining his priorities for the 2022 legislative session and reporting on the progress of the last year. The major themes Scott presented are familiar to Vermonters: Take care of each other during COVID and do your part to get vaccinated and take other precautions; the state must take advantage of this "once in a lifetime opportunity" with the billions of dollars of federal money coming to Vermont to rebuild the infrastructure, expand broadband and build up the workforce; improve housing; and upgrade education. "It's all within our grasp."

Vermont Business Magazine Elected leaders, business and healthcare experts have weighed-in on Governor Phil Scott's State of the State Address given remotely today before a joint session of the Legislature.

by Congressman Peter Welch One year ago, on January 6, the US Capitol – the symbol of the democracy we all cherish – was attacked by a mob intent on overturning the decision of American voters to elect Joseph Biden as our 46th President. The mob came within seconds of capturing Vice President Mike Pence to stop him from doing his constitutional duty of certifying election results. It invaded the US Senate and desecrated symbols of American democracy. The mob then attacked the House Chamber, shattered windows, and attempted to batter down the barricaded doors.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Health today reported 887 new cases of COVID-19 for Tuesday, while this is half of the record, it is still historically high. The record of 1,727 cases of COVID-19 was set on Monday. The VDH also today reported two more COVID-related fatalities for 482 statewide. With case counts now elevated, the positivity rate has increased to a record high 12.6 percent.

Vermont Business Magazine Join the Vermont Department of Labor on Thursday, January 6 at noon for a discussion on unemployment insurance and the impact of employer COVID-19 vaccine mandates on eligibility for workers.

​Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Corrections detected four new incarcerated cases of COVID-19 during intake quarantine at four different facilities: Marble Valley Regional Correctional Facility (MVRCF) in Rutland, Northwest State Correctional Facility (NWSCF) in St. Albans, Northern State Correctional Facility (NSCF) in Newport, and Southern State Correctional Facility (SSCF) in Springfield.

by Andrew Garland Vermont is proposing to expand enrollment of health insurance to allow low-income Vermonters’ access to new plans year-round. Blue Cross supports expanding the special enrollment period to support low-income families and reach more definitively toward health equity.

Vermont Business Magazine Former champion quarterback Drew Brees—now a studio analyst for NBC Sports and prolific businessman and investor—shares his insights about leadership and success in this episode of 21st Century Business Forum.

During his athletic career, he amassed an unprecedented collection of records, milestones and accolades—both on and off the field—during a 20-year NFL career as quarterback with the New Orleans Saints and San Diego Chargers. He led the Saints to victory in Super Bowl XLIV and was named the game’s MVP.

Vermont Business Magazine Today, House Speaker Jill Krowinski gaveled in the start of the second year of the biennium and issued the following statement on the priorities for the legislative session: “Today, we gaveled in to start the 2022 legislative session and continue the work after last year’s momentous session. Unfortunately, with COVID case counts at record highs, we are beginning legislative work remotely, which I know is disappointing to many. We will continue to monitor the spread of COVID-19 in Vermont, and hear from health and science experts on how we can best return to the State House safely. However, that will not deter us from doing the important work that Vermonters in all 14 counties are counting on in order to recover from this pandemic and build more resilient, equitable communities across the state."