Current News

Vermont Business Magazine With its Spring Gala and other important fundraisers canceled this year due to Covid-19, the Brattleboro Museum & Art Center (BMAC) is counting on an online auction to provide essential support for its year-round youth and education programs. Hosted by Duane Merrill & Company Auctioneers and Appraisers, the auction will take place on Friday, September 4, starting at 9:45 a.m.—in person at the Merrill & Co. showroom in Williston, Vermont, and online via LiveAuctioneers.com. Details are at brattleboromuseum.org.

​Vermont Business Magazine Vermont retail stores, travelers, tourists, local businesses and folks from around New England welcome our new calendars and planners in the style and spirit of products formerly sold by Vermont Life. Amazing Vermont Calendars introduces our lineup of four beautiful 2021 calendars and planners featuring inspirational photographs that showcase the stunning beauty of Vermont.

Vermont Business Magazine Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont) Friday announced that the Preservation Trust of Vermont has been awarded a $745,000 award from the Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Grant Program grant, administered by the National Park Service. The grant was one of only eight applications funded nationally as part of the Leahy-created program to invest in historic preservation in rural communities around the country. Leahy renamed the program in honor Vermonter Paul Bruhn, a longtime champion of historic preservation and original founder of the Preservation Trust of Vermont.

Vermont Business Magazine Health Commissioner Mark Levine, MD said at a press conference Friday that preparations are beginning for flu season, with the goals of keeping Vermonters healthy, and to have the rate of flu be as low as possible to ensure that we do not face a “twindemic” of both flu and COVID-19 cases this winter. Also Friday, Agency of Human Services Secretary Mike Smith provided an update Friday on two of the Coronavirus Relief Fund grant programs being administered by the Agency: Front-Line Employees Hazard Pay Grant Program and the Health Care Provider Stabilization Grant Program.

The Vermont State Police is investigating a crash that occurred Thursday, Aug. 27, 2020, in Jericho involving an SUV and a bicyclist that resulted in the death of the 9-year-old girl riding the bike. The victim is identified as Kinsley Millard of Jericho.

Vermont Business Magazine Eight of Vermont’s specialty food producers received thirteen awards across seven categories in this year’s annual sofi Awards presented by the national Specialty Food Association (SFA). The sofi Awards, which stands for “specialty outstanding food innovation,” are the most prestigious awards in the specialty food industry and honor excellence across a variety of food categories, from vinegars to vegan snacks. Winners were announced on August 25th with three of Vermont’s producers awarded gold: Big Picture Farm, Mount Mansfield Maple Products, and Vermont Creamery.

Vermont Business Magazine Attorney General TJ Donovan today filed a lawsuit challenging the Trump Administration’s final rule to roll back requirements under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) that federal agencies review and assess the impact of their actions on the environment. The lawsuit, filed with a coalition of attorneys general, argues that the final rule also limits public participation in the review process, robbing vulnerable communities of the opportunity to make their voices heard on actions that are likely to have adverse environmental and health impacts. The coalition argues that the final rule abandons informed decision making, public participation, and environmental and public health protections in violation of the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) and NEPA.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott and the Agency of Commerce and Community Development (ACCD) today announced that Twin Pines Housing has received $65,000 in grant funding from the State’s Brownfield Initiative to work with Evernorth (formerly Housing Vermont) to remediate the former Tip Top Tire site in Wilder and construct four units of affordable housing.

Vermont Business Magazine As National Water Quality Month comes to an end, the Vermont Agricultural Water Quality Partnership (VAWQP) celebrates the progress that has been made in protecting Vermont’s water quality, while looking forward to water quality improvements yet to be accomplished. The leadership of the VAWQP is encouraged by data indicating measurable results in water quality improvement, thanks to farmer efforts and a strong conservation commitment from the partnership.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine Weekly unemployment claims continued their descent last week in Vermont, though last week more slowly. After a steep decline as the economy began to reopen in April, initial unemployment claims for the last several weeks flattened, rose slightly and now have been falling consistently since the beginning of July.

​Vermont Business Magazine Despite COVID-19 pandemic putting many normal aspects of life on hold, a new survey has revealed a strong willingness to travel during 2020 among Americans nonetheless, with domestic travel preferred and Vermont the number 1 travel destination this winter. According to the survey of 746 U.S.-based respondents, conducted by SkiDriven.com, 72% of Americans still plan on traveling in 2020, while 91% are more likely to travel domestically than internationally. The latter finding reflects not only travelers’ preferences, but necessity, given the current bans on American visitors in the European Union and worldwide due to the ongoing surge of coronavirus cases in the US.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott and Vermont officials today congratulated the Ministry of Transport Quebec (MTQ) for breaking ground on the third segment of construction of Autoroute 35 (A-35), which will connect the Highgate Springs crossing of U.S.-Canadian border directly to Montreal.

“We are very pleased to see this phase of construction begin and we congratulate the MTQ on this exciting next step,” said Governor Scott. “The completion of the A-35 will be an economic boon to both Vermont and Quebec, reducing travel time, providing a more direct route, and encouraging more opportunities for business and recreation on both sides of the border. We look forward to its completion and returning to a time where we can be better connected to our neighbors to the north.”