Current News

Vermont Business MagazineIn a letter to Governor Phil Scott and Agency of Human Services Secretary Al Gobeille, Rights & Democracy is calling for Vermont to extend the ACA enrollment period beyond Friday's deadline. Of the 12 state-based exchanges, Vermont and Idaho are the only two in the United States that has not extended the deadline. Below is a copy of the letter sent to this afternoon by Jessica Early, RN, the Health Care Justice Organizer for Rights & Democracy.

Vermont Business Magazine At a meeting in Barre on December 8, the Vermont Housing & Conservation Board committed $4,749,000 to create 38 new affordable homes in Manchester, Montpelier and Essex, to make accessibility improvements to 60 homes statewide, to conserve 595 acres of farmland in Addison, Rutland, and Franklin counties, and to add 118 conserved acres to a high elevation natural area at Mt Equinox in Manchester.

Vermont Business Magazine Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont) hails action this week by the Canadian Parliament to pass new customs preclearance language into law that will make possible improved rail and air travel between Vermont – and other points in the United States -- and Canada. For an Amtrak rail crossing, Vermont officials have previously told VBM that logistics would still have to be worked out in setting up a station in Montreal to handle customs, among other prerequisites.

Vermont Business MagazineVermont’s two US senators – Senator Patrick Leahy (D) and Senator Bernie Sanders (I) – have joined Senator Edward J Markey (D-Mass), a member of the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, and 13 other senators on Thursday in announcing their plan to introduce a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution that would undo Thursday’s action by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and restore the 2015 net neutrality rules.

The FCC Thursday afternoon approved an item that guts the 2015 Open Internet Order, which the DC Circuit Court upheld in 2016. The Open Internet Order prohibited internet service providers from setting up internet fast and slow lanes and ensured they could not block or slow down internet traffic.

Vermont Business MagazineVermont Youth Conservation Corps (VYCC) was honored, alongside partners from the Green Mountain and Finger Lakes National Forests (GMFL) and the Lexington School for the Deaf, in receiving the US Forest Service Chief’s National Honor Award for Excelling as a High Performing Agency. This recognition was for successful efforts to diversify opportunities in Vermont, including developing American Sign Language crews combining young adults who are deaf and hearing on conservation projects over the past two summers.

Vermont Business Magazine Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger today announced the winners of the first Mayor’s Prize for Entrepreneurship, launched in early October to increase support for entrepreneurs in the City of Burlington. Collectively, the winning organizations received $200,000 and provide a broad range of support services and work with a diverse mix of entrepreneurs.

Vermont Business MagazineVermont Teddy Bear, PajamaGram and the United States Olympic Committee announced today that Spirit, the official Team USA Bear, is giving Team USA athletes a big competitive edge for the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in PyeongChang 2018: warmth and comfort from head to toe. In his second year as the official Team USA Bear, Spirit wears a red, white and blue winter outfit, including a puffer jacket and matching hat, mittens and scarf. A portion of every sale of the Team USA Bear helps support our athletes, and that’s not the only thing Spirit will help: He’s giving Team USA Hoodie-Footies from PajamaGram to each American athlete—roughly 245 total—so they can stay warm and rested when not skiing, sliding, snowboarding and skating to the medal stand.

Vermont Business Magazine The holiday season is upon us in Vermont and Mother Nature has gifted our slopes with up to two feet of snow this week. This abundant early season snowfall allows for expanding open terrain at resorts and has enticed above average amounts of mid-week visitors. With resorts dropping ropes and making snow, and most of the remaining Vermont ski and snowboard areas planning toopen this weekend, Vermont’s open terrain will double over the next week and could be close to 100 percent open over the holiday.

Vermont Business Magazine Today, Peace Corps announced that Vermont is the top state and ranks 2nd overall among regionswith the highest number of Peace Corps volunteersper capita, with 6.7 volunteers per 100,000 residents. There are 42 volunteers from the Green Mountain State currently serving worldwide and 1,579 Vermonters have served in the Peace Corps since the agency’s founding in 1961. The Burlington-South Burlington area ranks Number 6 among metropolitan areas with the highest number of volunteers per capita, with 9.5 volunteers per 100,000 residents. Twenty Burlington-area residents are currently serving worldwide. Washington, DC, had the highest overall regional rate at 8.8.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont ranks 9th nationwide in funding programs that prevent kids from smoking and help smokers quit, according to a report released by leading public health organizations.Vermontis spending$3.6 millionthis year on tobacco prevention and cessation programs, which is still just 42.4 percent of the$8.4 millionrecommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Vermont ranked 10th in 2016and 10th in 2015. It's ranked as low as 8th (2009) and as high as 11th (2013).

The report – "Broken Promises to Our Children: A State-by-State Look at the 1998 Tobacco Settlement 19 Years Later" – was released by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, American Heart Association, American Lung Association, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Americans for Nonsmokers' Rights and Truth Initiative.

Vermont Business MagazineThe Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department is reminding hunters, anglers and trappers of changes to permanent licenses that go into effect starting January 1, 2018. A permanent license is currently available free to Vermont residents 70 or older. Beginning January 1, a resident 66 or older may purchase a permanent license for a one-time fee of $60.

All licenses may be purchased at a license agent or district office or online at www.vtfishandwildlife.com. People who already have a permanent license do not need to purchase another, but need to renew theirs in 2018.

Vermont Business MagazineWay to Go! organizers, state officials including Secretaries Holcombe and Moore, and VTrans Planning and Policy Director, Michele Boomhower, honored the top performing schools at a special ceremony in the Cedar Creek Room of the Vermont Statehouse on December 6th to celebrate and congratulate the winners ofthis year's Way to Go! School Challenge.