Current News

​by Jack Hoffman, Public Assets Institute We’ve all heard the complaint: Why does Vermont education spending continue to rise when student enrollment has declined? The answer can be found in the UVM student weighting study released in late 2019 and in the spotlight for the last 6 months. There may be approximately 87,000 actual students in Vermont public schools on any given day, but we have the equivalent of 137,000 or 163,000 students, depending on which set of weights is applied.

Vermont Business Magazine Attorney General TJ Donovan along with Grand Isle County State’s Attorney Douglas DiSabito, Orange County State’s Attorney Dickson Corbett, and Essex County State’s Attorney Vincent Illuzzi will host a free expungement clinic on Friday, January 14th, with appointments available from 10 am to 2 pm. Expungements wipe from your record specific convictions and dismissed charges after a certain period of time has passed. Under Vermont law, many misdemeanors, 14 different felony offenses, and all dismissed charges can be expunged.

Vermont Business Magazine Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) on Thursday sent a letter to Postmaster General Louis DeJoy demanding action to address the postal issues across Vermont, including the immediate installation of a functioning cancellation machine at the White River Junction mail processing facility.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Health on Tuesday reported 426 COVID-19 cases. The state awaits an expected surge in cases for the holidays, driven by the new Omicron variant. The VDH reported 653 cases on Wednesday. There were 240 cases on Tuesday, 242 on Monday, 463 on Sunday and 454 cases on Saturday.

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.