Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Mayor Weinberger today announced his support for Vermont to lead the nation in the fight against climate change, and become the first state to pass a revenue-neutral Carbon Pollution Fee.

Lake Champlain Committee While snow has blanketed much of the Champlain watershed and dusted the edges of the lake, we still have a few more weeks of fall left. Below we share some late autumn updates about recent work, our 2018 GreatNonprofit status, an upcoming event along with nature notes, Lake Look and water news from near and far. We hope you enjoy reading them, and look forward to your continued engagement in the work for clean water.

Vermont Business Magazine On December 1^st 2018 at approximately 2:30 pm Vermont State Police received a call from an emergency response company who advised that they received an S.O.S beacon activation from a device they sell. The company had contacted the emergency contact listed for the owner of the device.

It was learned that 46 year old David Gagne of Chester New Hampshire had been skiing the back country at Bolton Valley and had not been seen by his skiing partner in a few hours. Gagne was not familiar with the area. Vermont State Police and Stowe Mountain Rescue responded to the area of the beacon activation on Cotton Brook Road in Waterbury and were able to locate him and give him a ride out of the woods. Gagne had a problem with his skis and was having difficulty moving in the deep snow when he activated his emergency beacon.

Vermont Business Magazine The statue of Ceres rose atop the Vermont State House Dome in Montpelier just after noon today. In Roman mythology, Ceres was the goddess of agriculture, grain crops, fertility and motherly relationships and an important deity in classical times. As described by Montpelier native Senator Patrick Leahy, the new version of Ceres replaces a 1938 replica of the original statue that was removed last April after too many severe Vermont winters took a toll on the wood figure. Since that time, Vermont artists Jerry Williams and Chris Miller have been hard at work creating the new Ceres, first sculpting a model and then chiseling the final mahogany figure.

Vermont Business Magazine In May, the Vermont Attorney General’s Office reached a settlement with Volkswagen to resolve violations of the Vermont Consumer Protection Act involving VW’s well-publicized diesel engine scandal. Under the settlement, VW agreed to pay Vermont consumers $2.9 million, up to $1,000 for every qualifying vehicle.

Vermont Business Magazine A mixed precipitation event forecast for this weekend could create new problems in areas of Vermont already severely impacted by this week’s winter storm. Governor Phil Scott and the state’s utilities are encouraging Vermonters to prepare for further power outages and hazards. “Many throughout Vermont have endured power outages this week. Damage in central and southern Vermont was particularly severe as a result of this week’s storm and could be in the area of greatest impact again this weekend,” said Governor Scott. “My administration has been working with towns, utilities and non-profits this week to ensure everyone who needs help receives it. That will continue into this weekend as utilities complete restoration, and if new damage results from the upcoming storm.”

Vermont Business Magazine The Northeast Kingdom Fund at the Vermont Community Foundation made $65,053.95 in grants to 19 organizations in Orleans, Essex, and Caledonia Counties this year. The Fund was established in 2011 by the Community Foundation and local partners as a permanent philanthropic resource to support the people and communities in the region. This year’s grantmaking was supported in part by donors from across Vermont. The support of these donors demonstrates the importance of philanthropic collaboration and partnership in advancing the good work in communities in the Northeast Kingdom.

Vermont Business Magazine Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) will host a live streamed town hall on climate change Monday in Washington at 7 pm. Sanders will be joined by 350.org founder and author Bill McKibben; actress, activist and Our Revolution board member Shailene Woodley; CNN host and author Van Jones; Congresswoman-Elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez; Earth Guardians Youth Director Xiuhtezcatl Martinez; Union of Concerned Scientists Director of Climate Science Dr. Brenda Ekwurzel; Dr. Camilla Bausch, President of Ecologic Institute; and Dale Ross, the Republican mayor of Georgetown, Texas.

Vermont Business Magazine Winter is here in full force and is prepared to hit us again with another storm forecasted for Saturday. Green Mountain Power crews have been out all week and so far, restored power to more than 100,000 customers. Crews are on track to finish restorations tomorrow, just as forecasters say a new storm system will hit Vermont. GMP is preparing for the possibility of new outages starting Saturday night. The storm is expected to bring wet snow, freezing rain and ice to already hard-hit areas of central and southern Vermont.

Vermont Business Magazine BCTV today announced in a press release that its future and that of similar organizations around Vermont and the country is in serious jeopardy. On September 25, The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issued proposed rulemaking (Docket 05-311) which, if successful, could allow cable operators to reclassify certain services and charge those against the cable subscriber fees that are collected to fund public access stations in Vermont and across the country.

Vermont Business Magazine New England Federal Credit Union (NEFCU) President/CEO John J Dwyer, Jr announced Tuesday a $500,000 grant from NEFCU to Vermont Housing Finance Agency (VHFA) to address the area’s shortage of housing affordable to Vermonters with low and moderate incomes. The money will support construction and renovation costs for perpetually affordable homes in Bristol, Jericho and several other towns.

“This investment will help address the shortage of affordable housing in the area, which impacts not only our residents but also businesses and communities,” Dwyer said. “We believe that improving the affordability of homes in the counties we serve creates a cascade of benefits that help make the region more economically healthy in the long run,” he continued.

Vermont Business Magazine In order to help residents, businesses and emergency personnel cope with the aftermath of Winter Storm Bruce, Comcast is opening its 8,400 Xfinity WiFi hotspots throughout Vermont to anyone who needs them – including non- Xfinity Internet customers. The Xfinity WiFi hotspots will remain open through Sunday, December 2nd.