Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Today, the US House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee advanced, on a bipartisan basis, Rep. Becca Balint (D-Vermont)’s bill, H.R. 5623, the Addressing Addiction After Disasters (AAAD) Act. The bill is co-lead by Rep. Jill Tokuda (HI-02) and Rep. Doug LaMalfa (CA-01). For the last two summers, Vermont was hit by devastating flooding and mudslides. While the physical damage is clear, disaster-stricken communities need resources to cope with the mental and emotional damage they endure. 

Vermont Business Magazine As September marks Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, Howard Center is dedicated to shedding light on this critical issue and providing vital resources for the community. Suicide is an indiscriminate crisis, affecting people from all walks of life. If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, there is help and hope available. There are individuals who genuinely care who are available to provide support, and a wealth of resources designed to guide individuals through these challenging times.

Vermont Business Magazine Burlington Parks, Recreation and Waterfront (BPRW) celebrated the reopening of Champlain Street Park. Outreach and planning for the park overhaul began nearly 5 years ago, but was initially delayed due to the Coronavirus Pandemic and further delayed by rising costs from inflation. By partnering with donors and community partners, construction was completed in July of 2024. In addition to funds allocated in the City’s capital plan, the project was made possible thanks to numerous generous grants and donations. These included a $50,000 award from T-Mobile's Hometown Grant, a $25,000 donation from the King Street Neighborhood Revitalization Corporation (KSNRC), and donated landscaping and site furnishings from the Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity (CVOEO).  

The Vermont State Police is investigating the death of Gary L. Partridge, 54, of Bennington, Vermont, and Chicopee, Massachusetts, who had been incarcerated at Southern State Correctional Facility in Springfield. The Department of Corrections notified the Vermont State Police at about 11:45 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024, that Partridge, who had been in poor physical health, was transported to Springfield Hospital at about 10 p.m. due to his medical condition and was pronounced dead at 10:53 p.m. An autopsy will be performed at the Vermont Chief Medical Examiner’s Office in Burlington to determine the cause and manner of death.

Vermont Business Magazine Funding is now available through the Laurance & Mary Rockefeller Fund for organizations and projects that preserve and enhance the physical, cultural, spiritual, and wellness environment of the people in the town of Woodstock and surrounding communities. The fund awards grants ranging from $1,000 to $5,000. Applications will be accepted from organizations and projects serving the towns of Barnard, Bridgewater, Hartland, Killington, Plymouth, Pomfret, Reading, and Woodstock. Applicants must be serving one or more of these communities to be eligible to apply. The fund will consider requests for both general operating and project/program support.

Vermont Business Magazine The United States Postal Service (USPS) has announced plans to retain certain local mail processing operations at the Burlington postal facility in Burlington, VT. This decision to leave those operations in Burlington is made possible due to a proposed operational strategy aimed at increasing efficiency, improving service quality, and saving USPS an additional $3 billion per year nationwide. As a result, the Postal Service would now not need to relocate local originating mail processing operations outside of the Burlington facility. This ensures that mail being delivered from one address in Burlington to another would not leave the region for processing. This update follows a previous USPS decision to shift local originating mail processing operations to the Hartford Processing and Distribution Center (P&DC) in Hartford, CT, in 2025. There are no anticipated employee impacts with the decision to keep these operations at the Burlington facility.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine VermontBiz has confirmed that a group led by Kyle Clark, CEO of BETA technologies in South Burlington, has signed a purchase and sale agreement with the state of Vermont to acquire the Caledonia County State Airport. The state had put out an RFP in the summer 2023 to sell the airport. Basically, the state couldn’t afford to keep it up. Dennise Casey, a representative for the Clark group, which is separate from BETA, said their first order of business would be to refurbish the 3,300-foot runway, which is paved. She also noted that the airport must maintain in perpetuity public access to general aviation. Financial terms were not disclosed but will be at some point. The purchasing group is CRAFTVT, LLC.

Vermont State Police The Vermont Chief Medical Examiner’s Office on Tuesday, Sept. 17, completed autopsies on the three victims whose bodies were found Sunday at their home in Pawlet. The state police is now able to confirm the identities of the victims as Brian Crossman Sr., 46; his wife, Erica (Pawlusiak) Crossman, 41; and Erica’s son and Brian’s stepson, Colin Taft, 13. The medical examiner determined that Brian Crossman’s cause of death was gunshot wounds to the head and torso, Erica Crossman’s was a gunshot wound to the head, and Colin Taft’s was multiple gunshot wounds. All three deaths were ruled homicides.

Vermont State Police On September 14, the Vermont State Police St. Albans Barracks was notified via Apple Crash Detection of a motor vehicle crash in the area of Highgate Rd near Bushey Road in Swanton, VT. Missisquoi Valley Rescue and the Swanton Fire Department also responded to the scene. Upon responder arrival, a single vehicle was found at a position of rest off the roadway into trees. The operator, Shelby Adams-Cherrier, was found to be deceased on scene.

Vermont Business Magazine From July 9-11, 2024, seven counties in Vermont were hit with severe storms, flooding, landslides, and mudslides. One month later, local, state, and federal support is continuing to help Vermonters move forward in their recovery including funds for home repair, emergency lodging, transportation, and other needs. On August 20, 2024, President Joseph Biden declared a Major Disaster for the state of Vermont making federal funding available to affected individuals in Addison, Caledonia, Chittenden, Essex, Lamoille, Orleans, and Washington counties. Within hours of the declaration, FEMA representatives were interacting with survivors to answer questions and help residents apply for disaster assistance. Federal funding was also made available to state, tribal, and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations in Addison, Caledonia, Chittenden, Essex, Lamoille, Orange, Orleans, and Washington counties for emergency work and the repair or replacement of disaster-damaged facilities.

Vermont Business Magazine Norwich University’s School of Architecture + Art kicks off the 2024-25 academic year with presentations on Friday, September 20, at 1 p.m. in Chaplin Hall Gallery. The series is free and open to the public. This first event in the annual lecture series will feature presentations by architectural historian Lisa Schrenk, PhD and undergraduate student researcher Riyam Al-Janabi. A reception and the induction of newly licensed alums to the school’s ‘Wall of Fame’ will follow the presentations. Riyam Al-Janabi will present her student research titled: How is natural light strategically used in museums to foster emotional engagement and attachment to visitors? Her research evaluates and contrasts lighting design strategies and their role in shaping the art-viewing experience in three Washington, D.C. museums.

Vermont Chamber of Commerce Will we see you at Vermont’s premier workforce development event? The Vermont Chamber’s 2024 Solutions Summit is dedicated to transforming how we approach and address the challenges of the modern job market. This dynamic event will be held on September 25, 2024, at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Burlington. The Solutions Summit is designed to address the most pressing issues in workforce development and provide actionable solutions to advance Vermont’s economy. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to be part of shaping the future of work in our state. Secure your spot to engage with leaders, educators, and policymakers dedicated to transforming our workforce landscape.