Current News

Burlington-based Local Motion and the Vermont Bicycle and Pedestrian Coalition are joining forces. Interest in walking and biking is surging, and, statewide, Vermont is surpassing national trends for the number of people who choose to walk to work, and keeping pace with national trends for biking to work. Commute data is one of the few comparable measures from state to state, but as you know so well, it is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of the many reasons and ways in which we enjoy walking and biking whenever we can.

Emily Boedecker, Executive Director of Local Motion and Grant Orenstein, Vermont Bike Ped Coalition Board Chair sign the merger agreement.

Utah again garnered the top spot for states with the best economic outlook, followed by North Dakota, Indiana, North Carolina and Arizona, according to the newest edition of Rich States, Poor States released Wednesday by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). Vermont once again finished 49th, just ahead of New York. In the "performance" aspect of the report, Vermont finished 38th, down two spots. The report is authored by Reagan-era economist Dr Arthur B Laffer.

With much of the ranking predicated on tax policy, Vermont has predictably finished near or at the bottom. In the eights years of the study, Vermont has not finished higher than 49th and has been 50th twice. While ranking low for all the income and propety tax questions, Vermont was 7th best in sales tax and 5th in debt service.

See data tables below.

Governor Peter Shumlin has appointed St Albans City Manager Dominic Cloud as a member of the Natural Resources Board (NRB) and has appointed environmental advocate Elizabeth Courtney as an alternate member of the NRB. The NRB administers Vermont’s landmark land use law, Act 250. The five member panel meets monthly to address issues related to Act 250 rules, discuss policy issues, and hear requests to reconsider jurisdictional decisions. Cloud replaces Elizabeth Wilkel, whose term expired, as a member of the NRB. Courtney fills an open alternate position vacated by Patricia Moulton when she was appointed Secretary of the Agency of Commerce and Community Development. Alternate board members serve when needed to avoid scheduling issues or conflict of interests.

At the Queen City Brewery in Burlington this morning, Congressman Peter Welch (D-Vermont) announced his support for bipartisan legislation to provide tax relief to Vermont's growing small brewery industry. Welch was joined by Kurt Staudter, Executive Director of the Vermont Brewers Association; Paul Hale, co-founder of Queen City Brewery; John Kimmich, co-owner of the Alchemist brewery; Matt Cohen, brewmaster of Fiddlehead Brewing; and Tommy Noonan, manager of Vermont Pub and Brewery.

“Vermont is quickly gaining a reputation for brewing some of the best and most sought after beers in the world,” said Welch. “Our brewers exemplify Vermont’s entrepreneurial culture but taking a brewery from concept to the first pour is a daunting challenge. The Small BREW Act will give these passionate and committed small business owners a financial boost that will help them achieve their dream while creating good local jobs.”

Vermont Gas Systems CEO Don Rendall today announced that former VNRC executive director Ned Farquhar has joined the company as Vice President for Communications and Government. Rendall has said the Vermont Gas team will use energy efficiency, energy innovation, and conversion to natural gas to support Vermont’s transition to a lower-emitting, more affordable, and largely renewable energy portfolio.

by John Herrick vtdigger.org Tropical Storm Irene cost the owners of the Alchemist $650,000 when it washed out the pub and brewery in Waterbury in 2011. The maker of the popular Heady Topper beer was forced to lay off 15 employees to help pay the bills. “More extreme weather is on its way due to climate change. Across the globe, businesses, homes and infrastructure is at risk,” Jen Kimmich, co-owner of the brewery, told a packed House Natural Resources and Energy Committee on Wednesday during a discussion on a carbon pollution tax.

Kimmich and about 200 other Vermont businesses want lawmakers to put a price on carbon pollution as a way to control human-caused climate change. She said she is willing to pay a small tax to help spur emission reductions and allow her business to survive over the long term.

The Vermont Department of Health is notifying Vermonters about a voluntary recall of Sabra Dipping Co, LLC Classic Hummus due to possible contamination with Listeria monocytogenes, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

There have been no reports of illness related to the product, which is sold in Vermont.

Listeria monocytogenes is an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in pregnant women, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems. Healthy children and adults can also become infected withListeria, but they rarely become seriously ill, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Seven vehicle fleets around the region have been selected as Northern Stars of New England by the New England Clean Cities Coalitions for their efforts in cutting carbon emissions, reducing the use of petroleum, and promoting and utilizing alternative fuels to power their vehicles. The fleets selected include the City of Boston Massachusetts, the City of Nashua New Hampshire, Oakhurst Dairy in Maine and New Hampshire, the University of Vermont, the Greater Portland Transit District (METRO) in Portland, Maine, Newport Biodiesel in Newport, Rhode Island, and Malloy Energy in Cumberland, Rhode Island. Each fleet demonstrated a deep commitment to the goals of the Clean Cities program through use of alternative fuels, alternative fuel vehicle purchasing, and petroleum reduction practices.

Vermont gasoline prices have fallen to an average of $2.454 after an increase in the late winter. The current US average is $2.404. The Vermont and US averages are both more than a dollar less than a year ago. A national reporting firm says to expect a slow, modest decline in retail gas prices during the second quarter of the year and perhaps into the summer. Through the first quarter of 2015 retail gasoline prices climbed highest in California and the Great Lakes region, but overall it’s been a subdued climb across the rest of the US with the national average price of gasoline rising 45 cents per gallon since the New Year.

“While California’s average reached a 2015 high point of $3.44 earlier this year, and the Great Lakes states saw spikes due to multiple refinery problems in the Midwest, we believe we may have already seen the 2015 peak for the US when the national average hit $2.47/gal. on March 6,” said Patrick DeHaan, senior petroleum analyst with GasBuddy.

The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department recommends taking down bird feeders from April 1 through November 30 to avoid attracting black bears that will be coming out of their winter dens to seek an early spring meal. Bears are attracted to suet and bird seed, especially black oil sunflower seed. Bringing feeders in at night doesn’t work, because bears will still feed on seed that is spilled on the ground. Bird feeders are just one of the things that can attract hungry bears. Other sources of food that bears find appealing are: pet food, barbecue grills, garbage, household trash containers, open dumpsters, and campsites with accessible food and food wastes.

Purposely feeding a bear is not just bad for the bear, it’s also illegal.

As part of an ongoing commitment to give consumers the confidence and tools they need to be fiscally healthy, Citizens Bank has made a $5,000 contribution to Champlain Housing as part of the Citizens Helping Citizens Manage Money financial literacy initiative. Citizens Bank’s funding will support Champlain Housing Trust’s Home Education and Financial Counseling Program which assists low and moderate income households with knowledge to build more secure lives.

The program’s homebuyer education offers monthly workshops in St Albans and Burlington. Participants learn about budgeting, credit, and the buying process including securing a mortgage, working with real estate agents, home inspections and many other facets of the home buying process.

Contrary to popular perception, traditional home ownership truly is a goal of young professionals in the Burlington area, but not surprisingly, rent consumes a large percentage of their income, according to the results of a recent survey. During 2014, the Lake Champlain Regional Chamber of Commerce (LCRCC), through its Burlington Young Professionals (BYP) group, created the Young Professionals Advocacy Task Force with a specific focus on housing issues in and around Burlington. As one of its first steps, the Task Force compiled a survey to better understand the needs and concerns of Vermont’s young workforce.