Current News

Vermont Business Magazine The Agency of Natural Resources (ANR) has released a draft rule to guide the management planning process for lands owned and managed by ANR. The public is invited to comment on the draft rule until November 1, 2024. ANR owns and manages approximately 375,000 acres of public lands across the State of Vermont through its three departments: the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation (FPR); Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department (FWD); Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). These lands provide immense value by supporting diverse wildlife habitats, offering abundant recreational opportunities, preserving vital natural resources, enhancing the state’s resilience to climate change, and contributing significantly to the well-being of our environment and the prosperity of our communities.

Vermont Business Magazine As the state continues to experience the impacts of climate change, Vermont Secretary of State Sarah Copeland Hanzas promoted an upcoming “Day of Learning” event, supported by her office, on Tuesday September 17 at the Elks Lodge in Barre, VT. This event will be hosted by the Vermont Arts & Culture Disaster and Resilience Network (VACDaRN), founded in 2019 as a partnership of the Vermont Arts Council and the Vermont State Archives and Records Administration (VSARA), which is a division of the Secretary of State’s office. VACDaRN provides resources and training in disaster preparedness for arts and cultural institutions.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott on Wednesday made a formal request to President Joe Biden for a Major Disaster Declaration to help communities and individuals in Caledonia, Essex, and Orleans counties recover from damages incurred in the storms and floods of July 29-31, 2024. The declaration requests funding under the Public Assistance (PA) and Individual Assistance (IA) programs. A federal damage assessment identified more than $3.7 million in public infrastructure damage because of that storm. Floodwaters also destroyed or damaged 85 homes across the three counties, according to the initial assessment.

Vermont Business Magazine Following advocacy by Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont), and Representative Becca Balint (D-Vermont), the Town of Rockingham has been awarded $749,983 from the National Park Service to preserve the historic Rockingham Meeting House, a Vermont and New England landmark and rare eighteenth-century meeting house built in 1787. Last year, Sanders also secured $360,000 for the preservation of the Rockingham Meeting House in FY2023 Congressionally Directed Spending funds.

Vermont Business Magazine A suspect has been arrested on murder charges related to the fatal shooting more than two years ago of a 38-year-old man from Springfield, Vermont. The Vermont State Police obtained an arrest warrant Friday, Aug. 23, 2024, for Paul Lachapelle Jr., 28, of Littleton, New Hampshire, on charges of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder. The charges arise from the homicide of Justin Gilliam, who was found deceased June 6, 2022, on Greeley Road in Springfield. Lachapelle, who lived in Springfield, Vermont, at the time of Gilliam’s killing, was jailed pending an initial court appearance in New Hampshire that is expected to be held sometime Thursday, Aug. 29. Further details will be provided when available by the New Hampshire State Police.

Vermont Business Magazine Health officials are strongly recommending people in towns at high risk for Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) avoid spending time outdoors as much as possible between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. to avoid mosquitoes that could carry the virus. If going outdoors, taking steps to prevent mosquito bites is essential. High-risk towns currently include Alburgh, Burlington, Colchester and Swanton. The recommendation will be in place until the first hard frost that kills mosquitoes. Vermont continues to see much higher numbers of mosquitoes testing positive for EEE virus this year compared to previous years, affecting more areas of the state. Risk levels are based on the sustained numbers of EEE-positive tests of mosquitoes in these towns, in addition to the person infected with EEE in Chittenden County.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont State Colleges System (VSC) Board of Trustees, in consultation with VSC Chancellor Elizabeth Mauch, is pleased to announce that David Bergh, who has been serving as interim president since November 2023, will continue in his leadership role as president of Vermont State University through June 2026. This decision reflects the confidence and unanimous support of the Board of Trustees.  The Board will initiate a national search for a new president to include broad stakeholder participation from faculty, staff, students, and community partners during the 2025-2026 academic year. 

Vermont Department of Economic Development The Business Emergency Gap Assistance Program (BEGAP) application portal will open on Thursday, August 29 at 8 AM. BEGAP is a grant program for businesses, nonprofits, landlords, and farms that suffered physical damage from flooding. It is available for properties damaged in 2023 and/or 2024. Property that is eligible for 2023 BEGAP funding may also be eligible for 2024 BEGAP funding. Separate applications must be submitted for each year's funding, for each physical location. A business or nonprofit can receive grants for up to three physical locations, per flood year.

Vermont Business Magazine A Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) will open in Waterbury, at the Waterbury Armory from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. The joint DRC, a temporary facility established in partnership between Waterbury, the state of Vermont and FEMA, will have disaster assistance specialists available to help disaster survivors apply for FEMA Individual Assistance, upload documents needed for their application and answer questions in person.

Vermont Business Magazine Linda Rossi, State Director of the Vermont Small Business Development Center (VtSBDC), announced today that Phyllis K. Ershowsky has been named the organization’s 2024 State Star. The award, presented annually and recognized nationally, celebrates a member of the organization’s team who demonstrates exemplary performance, makes significant contributions to their networks, and is deeply committed to the success of Vermont’s small businesses.

by Mike Donoghue, Vermont News First, Vermont Business Magazine A small Orange County business, which was hired to install fiber optics in three states for a major national firm, says it has been stiffed out of nearly $1.5 million for its completed work, according to a lawsuit filed in federal court in Burlington. Eustis Cable Enterprises LTD of Brookfield has filed the breach of contract lawsuit against Tilson Technology Management Inc., which is based in Portland, Maine and operates a regional office in St. Johnsbury, court records show. Beginning with work billed to Tilson in November 2022 and continuing until at least February 2024, "TTM wrongfully failed to pay invoices."

Vermont Business Magazine The University of Vermont (UVM), Vermont‘s flagship, land-grant university and Cambridge-based BioInnovation Labs (BioLabs), an internationally known innovation laboratory platform with a network of shared lab and office workspaces, will launch a dedicated incubator at UVM’s Colchester facility. The BioLabs Innovation Center at UVM will support entrepreneurs and start-up companies specializing in all areas of life sciences research and development with fully equipped combination office and laboratory space to test and scale their research. Through this strategic partnership, UVM will oversee the new facility and provide technology, equipment, and direct collaboration with faculty at The Robert Larner, M.D. College of Medicine at the University of Vermont. The college includes nearly 200 research faculty and over 700 clinical faculty who practice in the UVM Health Network. BioLabs will support UVM with facility operations, access to industry partners, and networking and programming events.