Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Most testing sites have already distributed all the antigen take-home test kits that were available today. Additional tests will be available tomorrow, December 24 at the Agency of Transportation sites. Two test kits per car (or walk-in) will be given out on a first-come, first-served basis. People should plan in advance for high demand and wait times. Locations and updated information about availability can be found at healthvermont.gov/testing.

Vermont Business Magazine Mayor Miro Weinberger, Burlington Parks, Recreation & Waterfront Director Cindi Wight, and President of the Burlington Parks Foundation John Bossange recently celebrated the reopening of the final significant segment of the Burlington Greenway. A key component of the Mayor’s commitment to public infrastructure, the $13 million Greenway Rehabilitation project broke ground in October 2014 in the central Waterfront area.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont gasoline prices were unchanged from last week at $3.36 a gallon. Prices are down 7 cents from a month ago, but $1.15 more than one year ago. The lowest price in Vermont was $3.08 in West Dover and the highest was $3.72 in Island Pond.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott and the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) today announced $3.5 million in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding awards through the Vermont Community Development Program. The funding will support 14 projects in all 14 counties, including affordable home repair financing for low-income homeowners, improvements to community facilities, and the building of new mixed-income housing.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont House Committee on Appropriations will hold a public hearing on Thursday, January 6, 2022, at 10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. in Room 24 of the State House (limited seating) and via videoconference (preferred). The Committee will take testimony on the governor’s recommended budget adjustment at the above date and time. Anyone interested in testifying should sign up in advance of the hearing through an online form no later than noon on January 5, 2022. Instructions on how to access and participate in the hearing will be sent once you have signed up for the hearing.

​Vermont Business Magazine Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) on Thursday issued the following statement asking President Biden to demand the immediate resignation of Louis DeJoy as Postmaster General of the United States Postal Service: “Given the serious crisis and total failure of leadership at the United States Postal Service, I am urging President Biden to demand the immediate resignation of Louis DeJoy as Postmaster General."

Vermont Business Magazine Help prepare them for college or training with VT’s 529 plan … and get a 2021 tax credit. With Vermont’s state-sponsored 529 savings plan, you can give a gift that lasts far beyond the holiday season. VSAC encourages families to look ahead, and plan for their kids’ (or grandkids’) future possibilities, with a gift of education savings. Whatever the age of your loved one, whether an infant or a teen—or even in high school or college—you can benefit now from federal and state tax advantages for 529 contributions and savings: Deposits made into a VT529 account by December 31 qualify for a 10% Vermont state income tax credit for 2021.

by Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger As we close 2021, we are entering yet another new stage of the pandemic with the arrival of the highly contagious Omicron variant in Vermont. As the President and Governor have said repeatedly, because of the huge progress we have made over the last year with vaccinations and our understanding of the virus, this should not be cause for panic, but it should be cause for attention and taking action. While the contagiousness of Omicron means that it is likely that we will see a large surge in cases in the weeks ahead, our very high rates of vaccination and rising booster rates are causes for hopefulness that we will avoid a large increase in hospitalizations and death here in Chittenden County.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Health on Tuesday reported a sharp increase in COVID-19 cases after a couple of relatively quiet days. The state awaits an expected surge in cases for the holidays, driven by the new Omicron variant. Today the VDH reported 653 cases of COVID-19 (up 413 from Tuesday). There were 242 on Monday, 463 on Sunday and 454 cases on Saturday. On Wednesday, the VDH began presenting the relative death, hospitalization and case counts between fully vaccinated and not fully vaccinated Vermonters, in order to emphasize the benefits of getting vaccinated and boosted (fully vaccinated includes having received a booster shot for those who are eligible.)

Vermont Business Magazine The University of Vermont announced today that new and returning students are required to receive boosters no later than Feb. 1, 2022. The new variant shows signs of being more contagious than any previously known variants, but more data are needed about the severity of COVID symptoms for those infected and not vaccinated or boosted. For those who are already fully vaccinated, boosters appear to significantly reduce or prevent serious COVID symptoms following infection by the Omicron variant.

​Vermont Business Magazine In advance of the holidays, Governor Phil Scott today announced a series of COVID-19 testing clinics providing access to rapid tests across Vermont. 10,000 rapid LAMP tests and 60,000 at-home rapid antigen tests will be distributed through a combination of testing sites and community organizations starting December 23. This represents a significant expansion over pre-Thanksgiving testing, where in comparison the State of Vermont offered 1,200 rapid tests.

​Vermont Business Magazine Agri-Mark’s Cabot Extra Sharp Vermont Cheddar earned the Chairman’s Award and the title of Best Cheddar at the National Milk Producers Federation’s (NMPF) Annual Cheese Contest held last month in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Co-operative earned an additional 13 awards, sweeping the Extra Sharp Cheddar, Sharp Cheddar, and the Natural Cheese Snack categories.