Current News

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Health on Sunday reported 242 cases of COVID-19, 463 on Sunday and 454 cases Saturday. The VDH reported on Saturday Vermont's first case of the Omicron variant. The VDH also reported today three additional deaths, including one in the 30-39 age band for the first time in several months. COVID deaths now stand at 455 statewide. There have been 23 deaths in the last seven days.

Vermont Business Magazine Mike Vlacich was sworn in as New England Regional Administrator for the US Small Business Administration. In this position he has oversight of the six district offices located in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

Vermont Business Magazine The Agency of Natural Resources Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) announced today that Ronnie M. Wells of Milton, was fined $27,819.50 for placing unauthorized fill into a wetland in violation of the Vermont Wetland Rules. Wetlands are places where land and water meet and are commonly known as bogs, marshes, and swamps. Wetlands often occur in association with open bodies of water like ponds and streams, but they can also be isolated from any obvious connection to open surface water. Vermont's wetlands support plants and wildlife that depend on wetland habitat and provide important water storage and filtration functions that protect water quality.

Vermont Business Magazine The Attorney General’s Consumer Assistance Program (CAP) today released a video and toolkit warning Vermont businesses of the business imposter email scam. Imposter scams continue to be among the top scams reported by Vermonters to CAP. In 2020, the business imposter email scam resulted in a total reported loss of $116,648. Today’s video and toolkit are the third and final installment in a three-part series on imposter scams.

Vermont Business Magazine Green Mountain Power (GMP) is extending its popular rebate programs through all of 2022 to help more customers save money while reducing carbon emissions. The rebates were set to expire at the end of this year. In 2021, GMP customers saved with more than 7,000 rebates when they made the choice to switch away from fossil fuel at home and on the road – for heating, driving, mowing their lawn, and electric motorcycles. GMP rebates include a $1,500 rebate on all electric vehicles, plus an extra $1,000 for low- and moderate-income customers, and a $400 base rebate on cold climate heat pumps with an extra $800 in incentives for income-eligible customers in partnership with Efficiency Vermont.

Vermont Rail Action Network Updates on Ethan Allen to Burlington preparations and getting back to Montreal were presented by VTrans at Thursday’s Vermont Governor’ Rail Advisory Council. Work is almost finished on the platform at Burlington Union Station [Main Street Landing], the storage siding in Burlington yard, some crossings in Burlington and on an additional sidetrack at Florence in Pittsford. Vermonter ridership in October 2021 was down only 13.4% compared to 2019. The Ethan Allen was up 4% from 2019.

Vermont Business Magazine A reminder that the Agency of Commerce and Community Development is hosting a webinar to discuss COVID-19 mitigation recommendations in the workplace. Officials from the Agency of Human Services, Department of Health, Department of Labor, and Agency of the Administration will be on hand to discuss and answer questions about implementing ways to reduce COVID-19 disruption, slow the spread, and how you can extend your reach beyond employees to help customers, clients and your communities as we move forward. The webinar will be held TODAY, Monday, December 20th at 3pm to 4pm.

Public Assets Institute No surprise, Vermonters cut back their consumer spending in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. The US Bureau of Economic Analysis released data recently showing that Vermonters spent $1.2 billion less in 2020 than the year before. That was about a 4 percent drop. But while people stopped shelling out for hotels, restaurant meals, and trips to the dentist, some appear to have made the most of being stuck at home. Spending on garden tools and equipment rose almost 14 percent, or $10 million, and on books and periodicals more than $35 million.

Vermont Business Magazine US Senator Patrick Leahy announced Monday that four Vermont organizations will share in $2.66 million in federal grants from the US Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women (OVW). Voices Against Violence/Laurie’s House received $650,000 to operate five transitional apartments for survivors of intimate partner abuse, sexual violence and stalking in Franklin and Grand Isle counties. An $823,126 Services, Training, Officers and Prosecution (STOP) grant to the Vermont Center for Crime Victims Services will help to fund prosecutors with expertise in handling domestic violence cases. A Child and Youth Grant for $499,945 to Steps to End Domestic Violence will be used to support young people who may be exposed to domestic violence in their homes or community. The Vermont Network Against Sexual and Domestic Violence received $270,782, which it will use to support domestic and sexual violence programs across the state.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today announced his appointment of three Vermont Superior Court Judges: Elizabeth Novotny of Jericho, Heather Gray of Quechee and Justin Jiron of Underhill. “I have often said there are few responsibilities more important than governors making judicial appointments,” said Governor Scott.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont high school seniors, facing continued uncertainty amid the COVID-19 pandemic, will have access to additional support at the Community College of Vermont (CCV) next year. Thanks to a generous award from the J. Warren and Lois McClure Foundation, current CCV Early College students who matriculate at the College and enroll in two or more courses in summer or fall 2022 will receive a stipend to cover the cost of one class or the equivalent amount to be used toward other costs associated with college. Early College is a state-sponsored program that allows Vermont students to spend their senior year of high school enrolled as full-time college students.