Current News

The Vermont Health Department is closely monitoring the developments in the outbreak of respiratory illness caused by a novel (new) coronavirus ("COVID-19"). Vermont is prepared to respond to protect and support Vermonters. There is still only one reported case in Vermont.

Vermont Business Magazine The University of Vermont announced this afternoon that it will cancel classes this Monday and Tuesday and begin remote learning for students on Wednesday March 18 as a response to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. UVM President Suresh Garimella referred to this action as "exercising an abundance of caution." No one at UVM has tested positive for COVID-19 to date and only one person in Vermont (in Bennington) has tested positive so far in the state.

by Julie Lowell, Public Assets Institute Last Tuesday, communities across Vermont voted on school budgets (among other things). Historically, Vermonters have provided the financial resources that school boards have indicated our kids need to thrive in school—and preliminary results this year suggest voters passed over 90 percent of the school budgets up for approval on Town Meeting Day. In addition to voting yea or nay on the annual school budget, five school districts—Barre Unified Union, Canaan Schools, Champlain Valley, Slate Valley Unified, and South Burlington—faced a second separate school budget decision: whether to fund school construction needs.

Vermont Business Magazine Eating fresh, local greens during the winter months can be a challenge but Ceres Greens of Barre, an early stage vertical farming company, is working to supply fresh, local produce to institutional and food service customers year-round. The Flexible Capital Fund has announced an investment of $75,000 to help the company grow.

Vermont Business Magazine Following guidance from Special Olympics International, Special Olympics Vermont (SOVT) announced that the upcoming Winter Games, scheduled for March 22-24 at Killington Pico Resort, as well as the Unified Champion Schools Snowshoe Tournament, scheduled for March 25, are cancelled, in an effort to ensure the health and safety of its athletes, coaches, volunteers, staff and families.

Vermont Business Magazine The Northern Forest Center will award $424,000 over the next two years for outdoor recreation infrastructure development through the Destination Development Initiative outdoor recreation grants program. Funding is available in Caledonia, Essex, Orleans counties in Vermont; Coos County, New Hampshire; and Oxford and Franklin counties, Maine, using funds granted to the Northern Forest Center by the Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC).

Vermont Business Magazine Comcast held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the grand opening of its new interactive Xfinity Store in Rutland. Community leaders came out to celebrate the grand opening and tour the store. During the event, Comcast marked the occasion with a $2,000 donation to the Rutland Boys & Girls Club. The newly redesigned Xfinity Store is focused entirely around the needs of customers, providing them with an opportunity to explore, learn about and engage with the latest Xfinity products and services. The store features contemporary hands-on displays, comfortable seating areas and strategically designed product areas— Xfinity X1, Xfinity Internet, Xfinity Home and Xfinity Mobile—so customers can see the industry-leading products in action.

by Joseph F Hagan, Jr, MD, FAAP In every community throughout the state of Vermont there are simply too few childcare openings. Failure to provide affordable early education for all our children is both a missed opportunity and a crucial error. The neuroscience of child development demonstrates that every time we sing to and smile at an infant, we help them make more brain cells and teach these cells to connect and to work together. Extensive research demonstrates how the positive experiences of exposure to language, social interaction, and play are additive. So, when it comes to early education--whether by parents, family, or early education in high-quality childcare--having fun with a young child not only makes them happy, it makes them smart!

Vermont Business Magazine The Southwestern Vermont Chamber of Commerce and Hopridge Farms held the fourth annual Southern Vermont Winter Homebrew Festival on Saturday, March 7th in downtown Bennington, Vermont at the former Brush Building to a sell out crowd! The Saturday festival opened its doors at noon to exclusive VIP ticket holders for a private tasting of both regional apps and brews.

Vermont Business Magazine The Opportunity Fund for Southshire Youth is a new fund at the Vermont Community Foundation that has awarded $43,500 in grants since its inception in 2018. The fund is now accepting applications for its 2020 grant round to support dynamic and innovative youth programs in Bennington, North Bennington, Pownal, Shaftsbury, and Woodford.

The fund was formed in 2018 in response to the community’s recognition that middle and high school youth in the Bennington area are looking for more opportunities to pursue their interests and build new skills. Growing the number of youth development programs can play a vital role in keeping families in—and attracting families to—the Southshire.

Vermont Business Magazine Middlebury College President Laurie Patton announced in a letter to students and staff that the college will begin spring break on Friday, March 13, a week early, and that the college will be closed the following week because of the novel coronavirus issue. Students will resume classes via remote learning beginning March 30.

Vermont Business Magazine Attorney General Donovan filed a lawsuit today against Clearview AI, a data broker that uses facial recognition technology to map the faces of Vermonters, including children, and sells access to this data to private businesses, individuals, and law enforcement. The complaint, filed in Chittenden Superior Court – Civil Division, alleges violations of the Vermont Consumer Protection Act and the new Data Broker Law. Along with the complaint, the State filed a motion for preliminary injunction, asking the Court to order Clearview AI to immediately stop collecting or storing Vermonters’ photos and facial recognition data.