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Vermont Business Magazine The Attorney General’s Office today announced Vermont State Police Trooper Robert Zink, 39, of Arlington, Vermont, was arraigned in the Criminal Division of Vermont Superior Court in Bennington on one count of Simple Assault. Trooper Zink is accused of striking an individual during an arrest that occurred on February 23, 2021 while the individual was in handcuffs on the ground.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Community Foundation has granted $10,000 through the VT COVID-19 Response Fund to Voices Against Violence, a program of the Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity (CVOEO). This program addresses domestic and sexual violence and stalking through direct service, education, and systems change. This includes Laurie’s House, a shelter for survivors of domestic and sexual violence and their children, transitional living apartments, hotline and chat line, supervised visitation, advocacy, and education programs for the general public on domestic and sexual violence.

The VT COVID-19 Response Fund is designed to support nonprofits that are particularly equipped to address basic needs and community impacts of the pandemic in Vermont, for which Voices is a great match. The Fund is supported by VCF’s own grant making resources as well as by generous contributions from funders.

Vermont Business Magazine The Attorney General’s Office today announced that it has concluded its review of the non-fatal officer-involved shooting incident that occurred on December 6, 2020, in West Haven, Vermont. The Attorney General’s Office is declining to prosecute Vermont State Police Trooper Craig Roland for charges related to the discharge of his firearm at Reginald Book, 70, of West Haven, Vermont, based on the facts and circumstances and consistent with Vermont law. In reaching this decision, the Attorney General’s Office reviewed all materials provided by the Vermont State Police, Major Crimes Unit, who conducted the investigation.

by Maura Collins As a white kid from suburbia growing up in the ‘80s, I thought everyone was in the middle. I assumed, probably rightfully, that my neighborhood, my church, my classmates, and my extended family all fell in the same middle place as my own family. As a child I knew I couldn’t get everything I wanted, but I didn’t worry that there wouldn’t be enough.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Foodbank announces that it has received a $25,000 gift from the Blue Trident Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charitable foundation led by Jaime and Pamela Ellertson of South Woodstock, Vermont. This gift will be leveraged as a challenge match in 2021, multiplying the impact of other donations to help alleviate the hunger crisis in Vermont — which has increased significantly since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic.

Vermont Business Magazine Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont), Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) and Representative Peter Welch (D-Vermont) announced Monday that Vermont has received more than $11 million in additional funding for affordable housing construction, under the American Rescue Plan Act, through the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME). This includes more than $9.5 million for the State of Vermont and $1.5 million for the City of Burlington. This new funding is in addition to the $3.4 million received by the state and city in February.

Vermont Business Magazine By meeting key standards of board oversight, finances, results reporting and fundraising appeals, Pure Water for the World, Inc (PWW) achieved accreditation by the BBB Wise Giving Alliance. This accreditation signifies that PWW is deserving of donor trust as they are a well-run nonprofit organization.

Vermont Business Magazine April 9 marked the start of Step 1 of the Vermont Forward reopening plan, which Governor Scott announced last week. It includes: New Travel Policy, effective April 9; Shift to Universal Guidance, effective April 9, "Group A" sectors in the Vermont Forward plan will move to universal guidance measures for business operations, all remaining business sectors ("Group B") can plan to move to universal guidance on May 1; Event and Gathering Update, event organizers can now plan for indoor and outdoor event and gathering sizes to increase gradually starting May 1.

by Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) The American Rescue Plan (ARP) is, to my mind, one of the most significant pieces of legislation for working families in the modern history of this country. From $1.3 billion in direct aid to state and local governments; checks for individuals; and, critical investments in housing, health care, and education; this new law addresses the very real needs of Vermonters.

Vermont Business Magazine Friday, April 9th, marked the start of the Vermont Forward reopening plan, which Governor Scott announced earlier this week. With this plan, our tourism industry has much to look forward to starting today. VDTM would like thank all – innkeepers, hospitality staff, food service professionals, front-line workers, owner-operators, Vermonters, visitors and everyone in between, alike – for your patience, tenacity, creativity, advocacy, and generosity of spirit in supporting each other as we worked toward this moment, and our bright future ahead.

Vermont Business Magazine Middlebury’s Center for the Blue Economy (CBE) in Monterey, California, invites all Middlebury College students, staff, alumni, and friends to join a virtual lobbying effort for ocean climate action on Wednesday, April 14, via Zoom. Participants, who will be organized by state coalitions, will join fellow citizens eager to see far-reaching policy progress on ocean climate issues.

by Jack Hoffman, Public Assets Institute Those were among the key reasons the Vermont Tax Structure Commission recommended recently that the state abolish the homestead property tax and move to an income-based school tax for all resident homeowners. We support the Commission’s recommendation. We also urge everyone, but especially policymakers, to read the final report. It addresses many persistent questions that have swirled around education funding for almost 25 years.