Current News

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development is hosting a webinar at 2 pm June 17 about the Economic Bridge Program. The Bridge Program provides priority funding to businesses that have not received prior state or federal financial assistance. To the extent that funds remain available, the program is also intended to provide funding to businesses that have suffered a tax loss even after receiving State or Federal aid.

Vermont Business Magazine The Fliptable restaurant staffing app launched today, offering a free, contactless, digital hiring platform for restaurant owners and job seekers. With restaurants reopening to full capacity as COVID-19 restrictions ease, most are faced with daunting hiring challenges. That’s where Fliptable comes in, instantly finding and connecting job seekers with relevant, open positions at restaurants within their desired area, while restaurant owners and hiring managers are matched with the best candidates for the job.

Vermont Business Magazine FEMA reimbursed the Vermont Agency of Human Services (AHS) $1,901,466 recently for the state’s Emergency Feeding Program during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021. FEMA provided funds through a grant awarded by its Public Assistance (PA) Grant Program. The grant covered 100% of the Emergency Feeding Program’s eligible costs submitted by AHS from January 1 through April 27 for work by the Vermont Foodbank.

Vermont Business Magazine The Bennington County Regional Commission (BCRC) and the Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation (BDCC) have announced that 10 projects submitted as part of the Southern Vermont Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy have received Vital Project designation. Each year, the CEDS includes new and updated project submissions from businesses and organizations that highlight several activities strengthening the region at a range of scales.

Vermont Business Magazine Today, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing $860,000 in supplemental funding for three current successful Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) grantees in Vermont. The Vermont recipients are among nine groups in New England selected to receive a total of $3.35 million. The recipients of Brownfields RLF funding in Vermont are the Mount Ascutney Regional Commission ($330,000), the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development ($330,000), and the Northwest Regional Planning Commission ($200,000).

Vermont Business Magazine Per the direction set by a 2018 Burlington City Council resolution, the Department of Public Works (DPW) has been evaluating whether to consolidate collection of trash, recycling and food scraps for small residential customers. Currently, the City picks up recycling while residents are responsible for contracting for their individual trash pickup and managing their compost. This results in multiple trash and compost haulers serving the same streets.

Two Rivers-Ottauquechee Regional Commission The State of Vermont Department of Finance and Management has opened a web portal where Vermont municipalities may request their share of $58,788,245 in American Rescue Plan Local Fiscal Recovery Funding. Every city and town in Vermont, and many villages, must take action in the next 30 days to ensure their community receives this funding.

by Paul Costello For more than 20 years at the Vermont Council on Rural Development, we have hosted community conversations with the goal of helping Vermonters come together, consider their local assets and challenges, decide on priorities for action, and then get to work making those priorities happen. At these “Community Visits,” as we call them, one of the most decisive moments comes when community members have chosen areas of action to drive forward together.

Vermont State Police On Tuesday afternoon, the North Troy Fire Department responded to a reported explosion at 159 Railroad Street in North Troy, Vt. Upon arrival, firefighters located an injured male, Wayne LePage, seated outside who appeared to have sustained burns to his upper body. He was rushed to North Country Hospital by a family member and later UVM Hospital by ambulance.

Vermont Business Magazine The Craft Beer Marketing Awards recently announced the winners from around the globe. There are three Vermont wins in this year’s world-wide competition (Burlington Beer won one and Harpoon won two). The CBMAS is the first of its kind international global competition to recognize the artwork, design and retail marketing efforts behind craft beer. Creative artwork and branding in retail marketing is becoming increasingly critical for business success and competition with the rapid increase in craft breweries around the world. To be timely there were pandemic and human rights categories this year.

Vermont Research News Researchers found that support for working at home has grown with 75% of the respondents saying they expected to telecommute more in the future. Also, a new report from The Energy Action Network examines Vermont’s progress towards meeting energy goals and climate commitments. The report finds that Vermont is making progress towards those goals with greenhouse gas emissions declining. And gypsy moths are back and maple syrup production is down. Both outcomes are blamed on weather that is too dry and too warm.

Vermont Business Magazine Nedde Real Estate in Burlington has announced several recent transactions.