Current News

Vermont Business Magazine After a long upward trend, unemployment claims have remained nearly unchanged over the last three weeks and below the same time last year. Claims had risen following the "disastrous" winter tourism season, but have now fallen back into a significantly lower range. For the week of May 14, 2016, there were 556 claims, up 31 from the previous week's total and 258 fewer than they were a year ago. By industry, claims were nearly static across the board. Services continued to garner by far the most with 65 percent of all claims. 

Altogether 5,335 new and continuing claims were filed, a decrease of 37 from a week ago, and 7 more than a year ago.

The Department processed 0 First Tier claims for benefits under Emergency Unemployment Compensation, 2008 (EUC08).

Vermont Business Magazine The Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets is pleased to announce up to $1 million available in funding for the Capital Equipment Assistance Program. Financial assistance is available for new or innovative equipment that will aid in the reduction of surface runoff of agricultural wastes to state waters, improve water quality of state waters, reduce odors from manure application, separate phosphorus from manure, decrease greenhouse gas emissions, and reduce costs to farmers when they apply manure or implement a Nutrient Management Plan (NMP). Eligible recipients include farms, custom applicators, non-profit organizations, and other related businesses.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today issued the following statement: “Nineteen years ago, this morning, I was at work when a report came over the radio that a plane had hit one of the Twin Towers in New York. I stopped what I was doing and turned on the television. I watched as another plane flew into the second tower and it soon became clear that our nation was under attack. I watched as we learned a third plane had hit the Pentagon and then a fourth went down in rural Pennsylvania. And I watched as the towers came down and sat in disbelief seeing the images of smoke rising from New York City. We all watched, in real time, as the world was changed forever."

Vermont Business Magazine Peter Gregory, AICP, Executive Director of Two Rivers-Ottauquechee Regional Commission (TRORC) in Woodstock, Vermont, is the recipient of the 2020 Arthur Gibb Award for Individual Leadership. The Vermont Natural Resources Council (VNRC) presents this honor annually to a Vermont resident who has made a lasting contribution to their community, region or state in the ways they integrate smart growth and conservation.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont House today gave preliminary approval to the Fiscal Year 2021 Budget, H.969 on a vote of 140-4. The bill must go through the Senate and then back to the House for any reconciliation before it lands on Governor Scott's desk. This could take three or four weeks. It appropriates the remaining Coronavirus Relief Funds, providing critical relief across the state. Scattered throughout the budget are targeted 3% General Fund reductions and 5% Internal Service Fund reductions. About $100 million is targeted for economic recovery, $33 million less than the governor proposed.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today announced that Vermont has received $3.8 million in federal funding for suicide prevention. The five-year grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will support the implementation and evaluation of the state’s comprehensive public health approach to suicide prevention in Vermont. The announcement coincides with today’s observance of World Suicide Prevention Day.

Vermont Business Magazine This has been a year of extraordinary stress. People are anxious, feeling isolated and have pressures that can be difficult to navigate. All of which, for too many, may contribute to factors that may lead to thoughts of self-harm. As of September 4, there have been 72 suicide deaths in Vermont this year. To honor the friends, loved ones and fellow Vermonters we have lost to suicide, and all who have been affected, we are observing World Suicide Prevention Day by recommitting to a comprehensive public health approach to preventing suicide in Vermont.

​Vermont Business Magazine The University of Vermont (UVM) is participating in a major national research effort to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of varying types of blood thinners to treat adults diagnosed and hospitalized with COVID-19—the disease caused by SARS-CoV-2. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced the launch of two of three adaptive Phase 3 clinical trials September 10.

Vermont Business Magazine More than 20 emergency vehicles and 50 volunteers are scheduled to be part of a full-scale emergency exercise simulating an aircraft accident at Burlington International Airport (BTV) on Saturday, September 12. The simulation is part of a disaster preparedness and response exercise required every three years by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

Vermont Business Magazine The 158th Fighter Wing, Vermont Air National Guard, is scheduled to conduct F-35 night flying from Tuesday, Sept. 15 through Thursday, Sept. 17, with additional night operations from Tuesday, Sept. 22 through Thursday, Sept. 24.
Area residents may see and hear F-35A Lightning II aircraft taking off and landing from the Burlington International Airport during this time. All night flight training operations are scheduled to be completed before 10:00 p.m.

Vermont Business Magazine The US Forest Service will begin construction this month of a new Forest Supervisor’s Headquarters building for the Green Mountain and Finger Lakes National Forests (GMNF). The $6 million facility will be built on Route 4 in Mendon. Senator Patrick Leahy and the GMNF made the announcement on Thursday. Leahy has made a high priority of securing a visitor-friendly, federally owned GMNF Headquarters.

Vermont Business Magazine Attorney General TJ Donovan announced that Kyle Sausville, 31, of Milton, was arrested and arraigned on September 4, 2020, on two felony counts and one misdemeanor count of possession of child pornography. The charges brought against Sausville 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), including personnel from the Attorney General’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations, Vermont State Police, South Burlington Police Department, University of Vermont Police Services, Chittenden Unit for Special Investigations, Milton Police Department, and the Essex Police Department.