Current News

Vermont Agency of Transportation This weekly report for the week of September 20, 2021, is a list of planned construction activities that will have traffic impacts on state highways throughout Vermont. Please remember to drive safely in all work zones. Lives depend on it.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Health today reported 210 new cases of COVID-19 (187 Saturday). The VDH also reported on Saturday two more deaths, which now stand at 298 statewide. There are 41 people hospitalized (down one from yesterday) and 12 in the ICU (down two). Hospitalizations have remained relatively steady. The IT glitch discovered Thursday has been resolved. The glitch caused a delay in reporting of cases since September 9, with cases too low and then seeming to spike. But the recent surge in cases and deaths attributed to the Delta variant remain high. The Delta surge was expected to plateau by now in Vermont, as it has in other countries.

Vermont State Police On Friday 09/17/2021, at approximately 1812 hours, Vermont State Police responded along with 45 Parallel EMS and Colebrook NH Fire Department to a report of a motorcycle crash on VT RT 102 in the Town of Lemington, VT. Upon arrival the operator of the motorcycle was identified as Andre Dostie. Dostie succumbed to his injuries on scene.

Vermont Business Magazine Northfield Savings Bank (NSB) has announced the opening of a new temporary branch office in Richmond Vermont at 53 Railroad Street. The new location opened its doors to the public on July 1. The temporary branch is equipped to accommodates three NSB bankers and an equivalent number of customers at one time.

Vermont Business Magazine The Agency of Human Services and the Agency of Digital Services determined on Friday that an outside vendor’s IT issue delayed the delivery of test results, artificially inflating Thursday’s report of 314 new cases of COVID-19 by 109. The IT glitch has been resolved and the state has identified the number of cases affected. State officials, however, emphasized that although the glitch impacted the one-day total, the cumulative number of cases over these days is accurate.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Health today reported 219 new cases of COVID-19. The VDH is also reporting today two more deaths, which now stand at 296 statewide. There are 41 people hospitalized (down one from yesterday) and 12 in the ICU (up two). Hospitalizations have remained relatively steady. The number of cases yesterday was the highest single day report since the beginning of the pandemic and may have been impacted by an outside vendor’s IT glitch that delayed the delivery of test results.

Vermont Business Magazine The state’s General Fund, Transportation Fund, and Education Fund receipts were a combined $13.25 million, or 6.97 percent above monthly consensus expectations from the July 30, 2021 updated consensus revenue forecast. General Fund revenues for the month totaled $122.25 million, or $11.5 million above the monthly consensus revenue target, as the personal income tax bounced back from July.

Public Assets Institute In 2020 the typical Vermont household income dropped $8,000 from the previous year, to $66,902—below the US median for the first time since 2007. But the state’s official poverty rate stayed steady at around 9 percent. The economic impact of COVID-19 would have been worse were it not for substantial help from the federal government.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine Weekly unemployment claims continue to hold at typical pre-pandemic summer levels: 315, down 79 for the week and 297 fewer than this time last year. The state unemployment rate is also near its low pre-pandemic levels (3.0 percent August). But the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation programs have now expired. In addition, the federal government will not allow the state to pay regular UI claimants an extra $25 a week. Meanwhile, UI benefits lowered the overall poverty rate in the US by 1.4 percentage points to 11.4 percent in 2020 and decreased poverty across all racial groups and all age groups, according to US Census Bureau.

Vermont Business Magazine Attorney General TJ Donovan announced that Robert Scott, III, 61, of Rutland, Vermont, was arraigned on Wednesday, September 15, on two counts of Possession of Child Sex Abuse Materials and one count of Failure to Comply with the Sex Offender Registry Law. The charges brought against Mr. Scott 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).

Vermont Business Magazine House Speaker Jill Krowinski and Senate President Pro Tem Becca Balint announce the next round of community conversations on the once in a lifetime opportunity facing Vermont to make significant investments that will transform and shape the future of our state. These regional discussions will be held virtually. Future opportunities will be announced soon and posted on the Speaker and Pro Tem’s websites.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate was unchanged at 3.0 percent in August, according to the Vermont Department of Labor. This reflects no change from July. The comparable United States rate in August was 5.2 percent, which was a decrease of two-tenths of one percentage point from the revised July estimate. The Labor Force and the number of Employed showed significant gains from July. However, even as the number of Employed and Unemployed showed major improvement from last year, the Labor force is still down nearly 5,000 workers.