Current News

Vermont Business Magazine As FEMA, under the direction of the White House Task Force, has led the whole-of-America response to the COVID-19 pandemic for the past two months, billions of essential resources and protective equipment have been delivered throughout the nation. As of May 14, FEMA has obligated more than $9.4 million in federal support to Vermont.

Vermont Business Magazine Community College of Vermont (CCV) is growing a program to provide just-in-time scholarships for students with emergent financial needs. With generous support from philanthropic partners, CCV is pleased to announce the establishment of its new Endowment for Life Gap Grants, as well as the expansion of its Life Gap Fund, both of which build on an existing program that helps students bridge challenging situations and persist in their studies.

“Now more than ever, CCV students are vulnerable to unexpected financial stress as COVID-19 impacts our lives and communities,” said CCV President Joyce Judy. “In this uncertain time, students who continue with their education will be better prepared for careers here in Vermont. For many students, Life Gap Grants will make the difference between staying in school and dropping out. We are grateful to our philanthropic partners for their support of this critical initiative.”

Vermont Business Magazine In response to the ongoing health crisis, the Community Sailing Center (CSC) has adapted its existing youth programming to provide a Spring Adventure Sailing Camp, a child care resource for frontline COVID workers and families affected by school closures. In line with their mission to provide lake access and life lessons, the program is a full day of care that combines indoor and outdoor time specifically tailored to abide by the state’s health and safety standards. Children will participate in sailing on 23 ft long keelboats and on land science activities. Each day will be balanced with time dedicated to the children’s school requirements.

Vermont Business Magazine The 2020 Census, the once-a-decade count of everyone who lives in the United States, is underway, and it is easy, safe and important to respond. Responses inform decisions on how hundreds of billions of dollars in federal funds are allocated every year for the next 10 years for critical public services to communities across the country, including in rural areas.

Vermont Research News Vermont, along with Montana and Idaho, showed the greatest improvement in reducing the spread of COVID-19, according to a new report analyzing data after March 24th and before April 21st. The study reports that how much improvement states showed could not be attributed to the density of infections around March 24th, nor to the population size of the state. Vermont can meet its ambitious energy and emissions-related goals with less than 1% of its land area occupied by wind and solar PV infrastructure using a wide variety of infrastructure ratios and siting strategies, according to a recent article.

Vermont Business Magazine The Lake Champlain Chamber announced two upcoming webinars designed to help guide businesses through the slow reopening of the economy. The first addresses the unique challenges the hospitality industry has faced in the COVID-19 crisis. The second provides an overview of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Health today reported that there have been six new cases of COVID-19 since Friday for a total of 940 cases statewide. One more person died for a total as of Sunday of 54. Hospitalizations remained at three. Governor Scott's updated state of emergency and Be Smart, Stay Safe order on Friday allows the next step in reopening the state's economy. This includes starting tomorrow, May 18, limited general retail. There is also funding for child care centers available. PUA unemployment insurance claims should be largely resolved this week. And if health trends remain positive, hair salons and some other personal services will reopen June 1. However, dental offices and other close-contact services will have to wait longer.

Vermont Business Magazine The University of Vermont honored the graduating class of 2020 on Sunday with a online celebration featuring a video with remarks from university and state leaders, a montage of photos of graduates, announcements of student awards and the conferral of degrees. The online celebration was held in place of UVM’s traditional May commencement, which has been postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic.

by Aly Richards I’ve always loved Vermont’s state motto: Freedom and Unity. We Vermonters take our freedom and independence seriously. It gives us the kind of true grit required to withstand snowstorms in October and May. But our independence has never been challenged like it is being challenged now. In the face of this pandemic, our fates are now inextricably linked. Your choices now impact my health, and my choices impact your health.

We’ve had to shift our mentality from one of independence to interdependence. And it’s working. After all, the second half of our state motto is “unity.”

By adhering to health and safety measures together, we have managed to dramatically slow the spread of COVID-19 throughout Vermont. This week, only three new cases were reported across the state and we now have the lowest rates of infection in the country.

Vermont Department of Labor Call-center volume is decreasing, and call-center staffing is increasing. At the highest point, there were well over 500,000 call attempts into the various lines in one day. Two weeks ago, there were 60,000 call attempts and as of yesterday they were down to 5400 attempts (75% of which were answered). To be clear, attempts are not unique callers -- that number is much lower. As we have scaled up staffing in the call center, nearly 250 on the phones now, we are able to answer, on average, 4,500 calls per day. ​

Vermont Business Magazine Attorney General TJ Donovan will partner with Orleans County State’s Attorney Jennifer Barrett and Vermont Legal Aid to host a “virtual” expungement clinic on Friday, May 22 from 10 am to 2 pm. Expungements wipe from your record specific convictions and dismissed charges after a certain period of time has passed. Under Vermont law, many misdemeanors, 14 different felony offenses, and all dismissed charges can be expunged. The clinic will focus on expunging criminal charges and convictions from Orleans county and will be open to the public by telephone appointment.

Vermont Business Magazine NBT Bank, with branches in northwest Vermont, has secured approval for approximately 3,000 loans and over $540 million in relief through the SBA’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), helping businesses and organizations in the communities served by NBT to retain more than 61,000 workers. The average amount of NBT’s PPP loans was $185,000, and each loan is supporting an average of 20 jobs.