Current News

Shelburne Museum Winter Lights is a brilliant and beautiful display of unique colorful light installations throughout the Museum’s campus. The season opens with new light installations, entertainment on select Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, making for an awe inspiring, magical experience for all ages. 

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Public is accepting applications for its next Community Forum, a volunteer group that provides input to the organization about its programming and content, and serves as an important link between Vermont Public and the communities it serves. The Forum is composed of 20-40 community members representing different professions, geographic regions, individual needs and interests of the communities that Vermont Public serves. It reflects as broadly as possible the demographic, geographic, cultural, economic and social diversity of the region. Members will learn about public media, meet staff members, and have regular communication with the station about programming and service. They’ll have the opportunity to discuss the goals of public media with other members of the Forum. Members also serve as ambassadors for Vermont Public within their communities. 

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont has made significant progress on its connectivity goals, with more than 50% of Vermonters now having access to fiber broadband, according to Vermont Community Broadband Board (VCBB). Fidium Fiber has been a leader in the charge for fiber expansion, as in just three years it has brought fiber access to more than 134,000 Vermont homes and businesses, including for communities in three communications union districts (CUDs). Fidium’s investment in Vermont has brought symmetrical, multi-gig speed internet to historic downtowns and rural dirt roads across the state, allowing Vermonters to access the benefits of fiber connection no matter their address. In the past year, partnerships with Southern Vermont CUD, Lamoille FiberNet and Otter Creek CUD have headlined Fidium’s expansion, each completing construction in less than 14 months and expanding fiber access to a combined 53,000-plus homes and businesses in 41 communities. 

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Community Broadband Board (VCBB) announced today the availability of $8 million in additional funds for the state’s broadband buildout. The money is interest earned on initial American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) money that the General Assembly entrusted to the Vermont Community Broadband Fund. VCBB will be developing proposals on the best use of the $8 million for the Board's consideration in the near future. These funds come shortly after VCBB has awarded nearly all of the state’s ARPA Capital Projects Fund (CPF) funds to Vermont Communications Union Districts (CUDs) and internet service providers. $241 million has now been granted to fulfill Universal Service Plans and ensure that every Vermonter has access to broadband. All of Vermont’s CUDs have now received construction funds.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine Today, the Vermont Department of Labor reported that the seasonally adjusted statewide unemployment rate for October was 2.3 percent. This reflects an increase of one-tenth of one percentage point from the prior month’s revised estimate. The civilian labor force participation rate was 65.6 percent in October, a decrease of one-tenth of one percentage point from the prior month’s revised estimate. All three major indicators were negative for the month, with the Labor Force and Employment down, while the number of Unemployed rose. The comparable United States rate in October was 4.1 percent, no change from the revised September estimate. Vermont continues to have the second lowest rate in the US. South Dakota is lowest at 1.9 percent and Nevada is highest at 5.7 percent.

Vermont Business Magazine Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) today held a press conference with Sens. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Peter Welch (D-Vermont), and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) to discuss the Joint Resolutions of Disapproval (JRD) to block the sale of certain offensive arms to Israel. Sanders will bring the JRDs to the Senate floor for a vote this Wednesday. The resolutions were officially introduced on September 25, 2024. Sens. Merkley and Welch are cosponsors on resolutions to block the sale of 120mm mortar rounds and Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAMS). Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) joins them as a cosponsor on a third resolution to block the sale of tank rounds.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine For the week ending November 9, 2024, the Vermont Department of Health reported that the number of COVID-19 cases fell dramatically while hospitalizations also fell. There was only one fatality last week. Hospitalizations and general "syndromic" cases decreased to5 cases statewide for the week. The number of reported COVID cases fell from 146 to 69. Cases had been falling in April and May and were as low as 31 at the beginning of May. Along with the case numbers, wastewater monitoring also has shown a decrease in levels of virus. The pandemic death total stands at 1,227.

Vermont State Police November 19, 2024, 12:07 pm The covered bridge in Waitsfield on Bridge St is closed for an undetermined amount of time due to a crash that has impacted the stability of the bridge. This incident is expected to last until further notice.  Specific details are not yet available and updates will be provided as appropriate. Motorists should expect delays in the area, or seek alternate routes.

Vermont Business Magazine On November 14th the Vermont Statewide Housing Conference recognized the contributions of Julie Bond and Rick DeAngelis of Good Samaritan Haven by selecting them for this year’s Vermont Housing Hero award. Good Samaritan Haven is a non-profit providing emergency assistance to people experiencing homelessness in Central Vermont. Bond and DeAngelis were selected to receive the award due to their dedication to expanding shelter capacity, providing stability for people experiencing homelessness and for shaping the non-profit into a critical resource of Central Vermont’s most vulnerable residents.

Vermont Business Magazine Police Chief Jon Murad today announced publicly his decision not to seek reappointment in June of 2025. Chief Murad informed the Mayor of his decision in a letter dated November 4, 2024, and informed Police Department staff earlier this morning, November 19. He will continue to lead the department through the early part of 2025, while the administration engages in a search process to find the next Chief of Police. Murad, a native of Burlington, did not offer a reason for stepping down in his resignation letter.

Vermont Business Magazine The Lincoln Institute of Land Policy has released a new Policy Focus Report, Preserving Affordable Homeownership: Municipal Partnerships with Community Land Trusts, by John Emmeus Davis and Kristin King-Ries. Drawing on insights from 115 community land trusts (CLTs) that were interviewed or surveyed by the International Center for Community Land Trusts, the report explores how CLTs are partnering with public officials to help address the housing affordability crisis. In this innovative model, individuals buy homes on land that is leased from a local CLT and agree to limit the resale price, reducing the upfront cost of homeownership and keeping those homes affordable for one income-qualified household after another.

by Mike Del Trecco, CEO of VAHHS It’s been a busy and noisy last several weeks in health care. We’ve had federal, state and local elections on top of it all. We cannot ignore the stress we feel, and know our neighbors feel, in this moment. But what we can do is act. We can lean into things that represent progress. As Vermont moves forward with health care transformation, the Vermont Association of Hospitals and Health Systems (VAHHS) remains committed to advancements in areas that we know align with what Vermonters want and deserve: equitable access to high-quality care (especially in rural Vermont), stabilization and strengthening of our health care ecosystem (nursing homes, transportation, mental health, etc.), and affordability (we must continue to find efficiencies and cost-saving where possible).