Current News

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Libraries was awarded $2,135,819 in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) to help Vermont communities respond directly and immediately to the pandemic and related economic and community needs.

Vermont Business Magazine The federal government has authorized the Vermont Department for Children and Families (DCF) and Agency of Education (AOE) to provide temporary food benefits to students (Pre-K to grade 12) who would normally receive free or reduced-price meals at school. These benefits, called Pandemic EBT or P-EBT, are based on the student’s learning model for the month — from March to June 2021: A full benefit of $119.35 for a remote learning month; A partial benefit for a hybrid learning month: $38.19 in March, $37.51 in April, $33.42 in May, and $30.69 in June.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Agency of Education is soliciting feedback from stakeholders and the public on the draft Building for the Future: Vermont’s Plan for Education Recovery and Beyond. The plan is a requirement of Vermont’s Act 74 and the Federal American Rescue Plan Act, and charts how the state will spend federal Elementary and Secondary Schools Emergency Relief funding, and prioritize these resources for Education Recovery and our pathway out of the pandemic.

Vermont Business Magazine Today, Speaker of the House Jill Krowinski announced appointments to the Vermont Community Broadband Board, Cannabis Advisory Committee, and Vermont Citizens Advisory Committee on Lake Champlain's Future. Former VTPBS CEO Holly Groschner is appointed to the VCBB. Ashley Reynolds is appointed to the Cannabis Committee. And Kari Dolan is appointed to the Lake Champlain Advisory Committee.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine Led by the personal income tax once again, revenue collections for the month of June 2021, the last month of the state fiscal year, exceeded targets for the month and for the year. The State’s General Fund, Transportation Fund, and Education Fund receipts were a combined $38.8 million, or 18.2 percent for the month. The General Fund alone was ahead of targets for the fiscal year by $197.6 million (11.3 percent).

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Adaptive Ski & Sports on Thursday night received the $10,000 first-place award in Vermont as part of the 7th Annual IMPACT Awards, a joint initiative of the Red Sox Foundation and the Ruderman Family Foundation which this year focused on supporting organizations whose mission includes raising awareness on the issue of mental health and improving mental health outcomes of young adults in their community. And then the Red Sox beat the Yankees in a wicked good extra inning game.

Vermont Business Magazine The Heart of Vermont Chamber of Commerce, based in Hardwick, announced this month that it has just completed a merger with the Northeast Kingdom Chamber of Commerce, the regional chamber serving the tri-county region of Caledonia, Essex and Orleans. The Heart of Vermont Chamber covers Cabot, Craftsbury, Greensboro, Hardwick, Stannard, Walden, Wolcott and Woodbury.

Vermont Business Magazine Citizens, with branches across Vermont, announced Thursday that the strength of the economic recovery pushed this past quarter’s national Citizens Business Conditions Index (CBCI) to 57, its highest reading in three years and up five points compared to last year. A reading above 50 is considered expansionary. While Vermont’s index is a solid 53.7, this is a drop from the previous quarter (the highest on record) and from the same time last year.

by Becca Balint, Senate President Pro Tempore In the last few weeks of the session, two committees in the House and Senate were at an impasse over a bill that was important to both sides. One colleague kept saying to me in increasingly exasperated tones, “Their position doesn’t make any sense. We could clear this up in a few minutes with just a very small amount of money. Why won’t they take the deal?” Shuttle diplomacy (over Zoom) wasn’t working. Conversations between chairs and leadership teams couldn’t seem to break the logjam. We were all discouraged, and the conflict felt intractable. But then I remembered High Conflict, a new book by Amanda Ripley.

Community Paint Day - Friday, July 23 from 3-5 pm

Vermont Business Magazine After a long winter of COVID-19-related shutdown, Burlington emerged with a serious unsanctioned tagging problem throughout Burlington. As businesses and social activities began to resume this spring and summer, ensuring a welcoming and safe atmosphere for the public became an immediate priority for the City as part of its pandemic recovery.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott announced today that Vermont has received 50% of its American Rescue Plan Act State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund. The State’s request, or certification for the funds, was submitted on July 15, deemed complete on July 21, and payment was received on July 22. The funds include 50% of the $1.049 billion of state recovery funds, or $524 million, authorized by Congress in ARPA, and 50% of the $58 million of local funds, or $29 million. See what your town's getting.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Senate Committee on Committees has appointed Brian Otley to the Vermont Community Broadband Board. Otley was formerly Chief Operating Officer at Green Mountain Power and will provide expertise in the area of utility law and policy to the board. Lisa Ryan was appointed to the Vermont Commission on Women. And Tim Wessel and Chris Walsh were appointed to the cannabis advisory committee.