Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont’s Pico Mountain and Killington Resort, the largest mountain resort in Eastern North America, today announced a new In Season COVID-19 Coverage as part of its Passholder Promise. The Passholder Promise launched earlier to address the impact of COVID-19 on the 2019/20 season and provide assurances for the 2020/21 season. The Passholder Promise’s new In Season COVID-19 Coverage will provide assurance for passholders’ investment in the 2020/21 season with a pro-rata voucher for future use on a season or multi-day pass should there be a COVID-19-related prolonged closure.

Vermont Business Magazine In 2019, investigating vaping and improving substance abuse prevention for young people were top priorities for Vermont health researchers. Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit, altering behavior in both areas. Armed with data from their 2019 pilot study of young Vermonters, a team of University of Vermont (UVM) and Vermont Department of Health behavioral and public health scientists are poised to take the pulse of this population in the environment of the “new normal.”

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Mutual Insurance Group, headquartered in Montpelier, has announced that they will contribute $1 million in charitable donations to assist with COVID-19 relief efforts in Vermont. Two organizations, the Vermont Foodbank and the Vermont Community Foundation have already been named as the first recipients, with $500,000 total being designated for the two institutions.

Vermont Business Magazine The state’s independent non-partisan Vermont Commission on Women just released a new data dashboard report focusing on the ways the COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately and uniquely impacted women. For those who work in child care and for those that rely on child care to work, the loss of jobs and access have real and potentially lasting economic impacts for women. June 1st marked the first date child care programs could reopen, but with limitations on numbers of children and challenging new health protocols. Some programs are closing, further limiting availability. Before COVID-19, over 70% of Vermont children 6 and under had all available parents in the labor force – the need for more quality affordable care is now likely greater than ever.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine Initial unemployment claims fell last week after two weeks of increase. The hit their peak in early April. At that point, Governor Scott's "Stay Home" order resulted in the closing of schools, restaurants, construction and more, while many other industries cut back operations. As the governor has continued to open up the economy, the weekly unemployment insurance claims fell rapidly until three weeks ago when they took a turn for the worse.

Vermont Business Magazine Green Mountain Power (GMP) customers can now enroll in Share With Vermont Green, a pioneering pilot program empowering solar net metering customers to share their credits with other customers. The shared energy credits will go to small businesses and nonprofits in Vermont recovering after the COVID-19 shutdown. Solar net metering customers, who are not already in a group share, can download an app to set the maximum amount of energy credit they’d like to share on a daily basis, and small businesses and nonprofits can sign up online to receive those credits on their monthly energy statements.

Vermont Business Magazine This summer Vermont Electric Cooperative (VEC) will be returning patronage capital to members a month earlier than usual in an effort to provide some financial support to members during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We know some of our members have been facing financial challenges over the past few months, so the Board of Directors took this unusual step to get these credits out sooner rather than later,” said Rebecca Towne, VEC’s chief executive officer. “We hope this step, as modest as it may be, can help reduce the strain on members and their families.”

VEC line worker works on a pole in the Champlain Islands. Photo courtesy VEC.

Agency of Commerce All of Vermont’s state parks will be open for public use effective June 26th. Mandatory health and safety guidelines will be in effect. Day use activity will be managed to ensure sufficient physical space is available for social distancing, and amenities will be scaled back. State park campgrounds will be limited to tent, RV and lean-to camping; a new and improved web-based reservation system is also now available. Also effective Friday, arts, culture, and entertainment venues, as well as restaurants, can expand capacity for events and dining to 50% of approved occupancy size, with new maximum gathering sizes of 75 people for indoor events and 150 people for outdoor events.

Vermont Business Magazine As cities and towns across the country begin to open up, Comcast is continuing its efforts to help people connect to the Internet during the COVID-19 crisis. Today, the company announced it will extend free access to its 1.5 million public Xfinity WiFi hotspots to anyone who needs them, including non-customers, through the end of 2020.

Vermont Business Magazine Health Commissioner Mark Levine, MD, said as the state reopens, and as more of us are outside, being active, seeing family and friends, gathering in groups at events like barbecues on the lake, or even at a protest, the risk of transmission does increase. However, the virus is still out there and should continue to practice health care commonsense. Dr Levine also provided an update on three Health Department investigations: A community outbreak based in Winooski/Burlington has 114 associated cases; An employer-based cluster in the Fair Haven region has 12 associated cases; A family-based cluster in Windham County has no new cases and fewer than 10 total to date. However, as of today's report, there were 20 new cases statewide for a total of 1,184.

Vermont Business Magazine United Way of Northwest Vermont has issued its third round of program funding grants to 50 local nonprofit organizations serving Chittenden, Franklin and Grand Isle counties, finalizing a three-year funding commitment that collectively totals $4.5 million in community investments. In May of 2018, United Way’s board of directors unanimously approved the funding cycle, aimed at supporting a portfolio of programs that address five strategic priorities: Advancing Employment, Reducing Substance Use Disorder, Meeting Basic Needs (Housing, Food, Transportation and Health Care), Supporting Families and Promoting Mental Health.