Current News

Vermont Business Magazine From June 3 - 11, critically acclaimed, award-winning authors and faculty of the Bennington Writing Seminars will host Writers Reading, an evening reading series during the MFA program's summer residency, which is being conducted remotely this term. All readings are free, open to the public, and will take place virtually via Zoom and begin Thursday.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine For those betting against a veto session this year, you will need to find your Venmo password. Governor Phil Scott yesterday vetoed two bills that would allow non-citizen voting in Montpelier and Winooski. Up to this point Scott had only vetoed one bill. That bill was related to raising the age of who legally would be considered a juvenile. That bill probably needed more work to tighten up the language and process and probably would not have triggered a veto session. But the vetoes of the voting rights bills have guaranteed that lawmakers will return to Montpelier at the end of this month.

Vermont Business Magazine An Efficiency Vermont program aimed at helping customers lower energy costs while reducing the number of inefficient appliances plugged into Vermont’s electric grid makes its return, back by popular demand. The offer is available to Vermonters with secondary refrigerators and freezers, as well as old window air conditioners and dehumidifiers.

by Bill Schubart The Vermont Nonprofit sector is a major contributor to Vermont’s economy and to the well-being of Vermonters. Its 6000 organizations represent about 20 percent of Vermont’s overall economy and employ about 14 percent of its workforce. Nonprofit missions range from the dominant healthcare and education sectors to arts and culture, the environment, journalism, housing, hunger/food systems, equity, poverty and more. As such, nonprofits have a vital role to play in the quality of life for many Vermonters. The traditional role of government in assuring the well-being of its citizens is often subcontracted to the nonprofit sector, especially in areas like alleviating hunger, homelessness, or poverty.

Agency of Commerce & Community Development The Economic Recovery Bridge Program provides $30 million in funding to businesses who can show a net loss on their 2020 federal tax returns. The program will give priority during the first 30 days to businesses that have yet to receive any state or federal financial support from COVID-19 recovery programs. The application portal will go live the week of June 7. ACCD will host a webinar to review guidelines and go over application materials for the Economic Recovery Bridge Program on Wednesday, June 2 at 3 pm.

Vermont Business Magazine The VDH is reporting only two cases of COVID-19 as cases in Vermont, across the region and across the US subside. There have been no COVID-related deaths in the state in 15 days. Vermont is the only state with no fatalities during that span. Governor Phil Scott has said that once 80 percent of eligible Vermonters are vaccinated, all state COVID-19 restrictions will be lifted. At his Tuesday press conference, Governor Scott said that only about 11,000 more Vermonters need to get their shot in order to meet this goal.

Vermont Business Magazine After holding base rates flat for the past year to help customers facing the economic hardship created by the pandemic, Green Mountain Power today filed a request with the Public Utility Commission to increase base rates beginning October 1 by 4.69 percent. This filing marks the third and final year of what is called a “multi-year rate plan” where GMP forecasted annual rate increases at approximately 2.72 percent. If approved by regulators, customers will pay less than previously estimated, or about 2.47 percent averaged over the three years.

Vermont Business Magazine The Attorney General’s Office today announced Max Misch, 38, of Bennington, Vermont, was arraigned in the Criminal Division of the Vermont Superior Court in Bennington for violating a condition of release previously ordered by the Court in an ongoing criminal proceeding, State of Vermont v. Max Misch. Misch is currently being prosecuted by the Attorney General’s Office for allegedly violating Vermont’s ban on large capacity magazines.

Vermont Business Magazine With a shared goal of providing greater access to care in southwestern New Hampshire, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in New Hampshire and Brattleboro Memorial Hospital announced the hospital has joined Anthem’s Pathway Network of health care providers serving consumers in the individual health insurance marketplace as of today, June 1.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Community Foundation has granted $10,000 through the Vermont Women’s Fund to fund a partnership between Voices Against Violence and Growing Money, two programs of the Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity (CVOEO). Through the partnership, survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault in Franklin and Grand Isle Counties will learn financial skills to increase their confidence and to become self-sufficient.

Vermont Business Magazine State Treasurer Beth Pearce today announced the names of twenty Vermont students who won this year’s prize drawing for the Treasurer’s Office’s Reading is an Investment financial education program. The winners were drawn from 2,419 K-6 students who completed all steps of the financial literacy curriculum, entitling them to the drawing for one of twenty $250 college savings accounts.

Vermont Business Magazine Today, US Small Business Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman issued a statement on the closure of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) to new loan guaranty applications, which has provided over $798 billion in economic relief to small businesses and nonprofits across the nation, keeping employees employed and helping businesses come back stronger than ever.