Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Coldwell Banker Classic Properties has announced its merger with Coldwell Banker Hickok & Boardman, combining two highly respected and successful real estate firms in Vermont. This partnership with a shared commitment to providing exceptional service to home buyers and sellers across the region, further strengthens the services and tools available for both consumers and agents.

Northeastern Vermont Development Association Implementation Grant Awards have been announced for the Vermont Municipal Energy Resilience Program (MERP). NEK communities have been awarded over $11.4 million for energy efficiency and resiliency measures across 85 municipally-owned buildings! View all MERP awardees on the BGS website. These projects include HVAC improvements, weatherization work like air sealing and insulation, LED lighting & equipment upgrades, and solar panel & battery back-up installation. Implementing these upgrades will enhance building systems and comfort to occupants, while lowering their daily operational costs. For example, Albany received funds to upgrade their historic Town Hall, which will create a year-round, comfortable gathering space for community events while lowering heating and maintenance costs. 

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Nuclear Decommissioning Citizens Advisory Panel (VT-NDCAP) will hold its final regular meeting of 2024 on Monday evening, December 9, 2024, from 6:00 PM to 8:30 PM. In addition to receiving updates from NorthStar and Vermont State Agencies regarding recent Vermont Yankee (VY) decommissioning activities, the Panel will review and approve its 2024 Annual Report to the Vermont Legislature and Governor.  Elections for 2025 Panel Officers will also be conducted. 

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Congressional Delegation, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont), and Representative Becca Balint (D-Vermont) today called on Troy Miller, Acting Commissioner of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), to immediately return the hours of operation for six Land Ports of Entry (LPOEs) in Vermont, to pre-pandemic levels, following the agency’s recent reduction of hours at a total of 38 crossings along the U.S.-Canada border. The Delegation expressed concern about how reduced hours of operation at border crossing facilities in Vermont will negatively impact public safety, the local economy, and the availability of workers in critical industries. 

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Pre-proposal portal is now open, officially opening the VT-BEAD Subrecipient Selection process. BEAD is a federal program that provides $42.45 billion to expand high-speed internet access by funding planning, infrastructure deployment, and adoption programs in all states and territories. Vermont’s allocation of those funds is almost $229 million. Internet service providers (ISPs) interested in submitting an application for the VT-BEAD Program must submit a Pre-proposal through the Pre-proposal portal between now and January 9, 2025, at noon. 

Vermont Business Magazine The new bridge constructed connecting Brattleboro, Vermont, to Hinsdale, New Hampshire, via Vermont/New Hampshire Route 119 was opened this afternoon. There is a new traffic pattern that will be active in Brattleboro. Watch for message boards throughout the area indicating where the new traffic pattern is active. Barricades will be set up on Bridge Street to encourage local traffic only. Eastbound travelers to VT/NH 119 will need to turn onto Vermont Route 142 (Vernon Street) and access the new bridge at the new signalized intersection. Westbound traffic on VT/NH 119 will need to turn onto VT 142 north to proceed to U.S. Route 5 (Canal Street).

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Secretary of State Sarah Copeland Hanzas announced the completion of the 2024 Vermont General Election Audit, conducted on December 3 at the Vermont State House in Montpelier. No significant abnormalities or discrepancies were found between audit results and the Official Return of Votes. The 2024 General Election Audit was open to the public and livestreamed by ORCA Media. The recorded livestream can be viewed courtesy of ORCA Media on their YouTube channel. General Election audits are a nationally identified best practice and have been required by Vermont state statute since 2006. Seven towns or cities were selected at random for the 2024 General Election Audit

Vermont Business Magazine GlobalFoundries (Nasdaq: GFS) has received an additional $9.5 million in federal funding from the U.S. government to advance the manufacturing of GF’s essential gallium nitride (GaN) on silicon semiconductors at its facility in Essex Junction, Vermont. The funding moves GF closer to large-scale production of GaN chips. With the ability to handle high voltages and temperatures, GaN chip technology is essential for enabling higher performance and greater energy efficiency across a range of RF and high-power control applications including automobiles, datacenter, IoT, aerospace and defense.

by David Blittersdorf, President and CEO of AllEarth Renewables If we learned that Vermont would be facing a significant water shortage in the not-too-distant future, I suspect we would do a good job of putting differences aside and doing what we’d need to in order to ensure that this vital substance continued to flow. It’s time to think about electricity in the same way, whatever our age, beliefs or how we voted in the last election.
When you get up tomorrow morning, look at how many things in your home or apartment are already plugged in and working, and how many more you add even in the first few minutes when you turn on the coffee maker, plug in your laptop and put on several lights in the house. These parts of our lives do not run on Democratic, Republican or Progressive electricity.

Vermont Business Magazine Cultivate, a Vermont-based, woman-owned public relations agency specializing in media relations, social media, and influencer partnerships, announces the launch of its Roots & Blossoms Fund, a new grant initiative designed to support artistic and cultural programming for Vermont youth. The fund will offer financial and in-kind support to non-profit organizations that offer opportunities for youth to explore their creative potential and forge strong cultural connections. 

Vermont Business Magazine Today, Speaker Jill Krowinski and the Chairs of House Education and Ways and Means outlined the groundwork for the upcoming legislative session to address the rising property taxes and the future of public education in Vermont. Governor Scott issued the administration's "December 1 Letter" which projected a property tax increase next year of 5.9%. The current year's increase was 13.9%. Chair of House Education, Representative Peter Conlon, who was appointed to the Commission of the Future of Public Education, discussed the work of the Commission, which will include a report in late December with policy recommendations addressing cost containment and strategies for reducing the cost of education. 

Burke Mountain The moment we've all been patiently waiting for is here! Join us this Saturday, December 7th for the start of the 2024.25 winter season. The Mid Burke Express will be spinning from 9am-4pm. Reminder that the Mid Burke Express services intermediate and advanced terrain only, so please plan accordingly.