Current News

Vermont Business Magazine The United States Attorney’s Office announced that Ella Mae Woods, 76, a former Brattleboro resident who recently has been living in Iowa, was sentenced today in United States District Court in Rutland to twelve months and one day of imprisonment following her May 2024 guilty plea to a charge of wire fraud. Visiting U.S. District Judge Mae D’Agostino from the Northern District of New York ordered that Woods serve a one-year term of supervised release upon completion of her prison term and pay restitution in the amount of $328,000. Woods has been incarcerated since she was found to be in violation of the conditions of her pre-trial release in April. 

Vermont Business Magazine The Community College of Vermont has announced that the CCV-Middlebury center has moved to 3 Court Street. This move provides CCV with the opportunity to continue to collaborate with a close partner, the Vermont Community Foundation. For the Vermont Community Foundation, sharing available space with CCV aligns with their work to make a difference in Vermont. The Middlebury center will offer advising, financial aid counseling, and other services by appointment at the new location. Fall classes start September 3.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott, the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD), and Vermont’s congressional delegation today announced $2,155,468 in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) federal funding awards through the Vermont Community Development Program (VCDP). These investments will support renovations to existing rental units in the City of Rutland, the redevelopment of underutilized and vacant housing in the City of Rutland and Town of Castleton, construction of water and wastewater infrastructure to support the development of eight Habitat for Humanity homes in Underhill, and making the Vergennes Opera House fully accessible.

Vermont State Police An officer with the St. Johnsbury Police Department is facing a felony charge of aggravated assault arising from his use of force when attempting to arrest a man May 10, 2024, in St. Johnsbury. According to evidence collected by the Vermont State Police, St. Johnsbury police Sgt. George Johnson lacked sufficient cause to stop 35-year-old John Stelzl at about 5:10 p.m. May 10 as he was walking near the Honking Bridge on Bay Street, and then subsequently employed excessive force during a physical altercation with Stelzl. Stelzl was taken to the hospital, treated for significant injuries, and later released

Vermont Agency of Transportation On 08/20/24 at approximately 1:05 p.m., Vermont State Police in St. Albans were made aware that a tractor trailer had crashed on VT 78 in Swanton between Mac’s Bend and the U.S. Wildlife Refuge. The motor carrier operating the tractor trailer was identified as SBPS Trans, Inc., from Indianapolis, IN. DMV Inspectors and VSP responded and discovered that the tractor trailer swerved to avoid a collision with another vehicle that crossed over the center line. The tractor trailer then lost control and subsequently went into the Missisquoi River.

Vermont Business Magazine Starting next week and for the next two weeks, kids from all over Vermont are heading back to school and young adults are starting college for the 2024-2025 school year. While this is an exciting time for students, parents and schools, it can also mean new lung health challenges. The American Lung Association is providing guidance to parents, young adults and school officials to ensure that everyone heads back to school with healthy lungs.

Vermont Business Magazine The Community Health Improvement Team at Rutland Regional Medical Center is hosting a free online Diabetes Prevention program beginning Saturday, September 5, from 9am to 10am, and continuing Saturdays through August 2, 2025. Attendees learn how to decrease their risk of developing diabetes through healthy eating, getting more physical activity, managing stress, and creating action plans that work for them. The year-long program consists of 16 weekly core sessions, plus monthly maintenance sessions to help hard-wire healthy behaviors and to provide encouragement toward success. The online Self-Management workshop for Diabetes Prevention will be facilitated by Kristen Hixon who is well known expert on diabetes prevention, care, and management.

SBA Vermont District Office For over 60 years, National Small Business Week has recognized the outstanding achievements of America’s small businesses for their contributions to their local communities, and to our nation’s economy. The SBA is currently accepting nominations for its 2025 National Small Business Week Awards, including the Small Business Person of the Year. All nominations must be submitted electronically no later than 4:00 p.m. EDT on December 5, 2024. The awards will be presented during the National Small Business Week awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. on May 4-5, 2025.

Vermont Business Magazine New research has revealed the states where your mail is most likely to be lost, with Vermont ranking fifth. Experts in digital mailboxes at iPostal1 analyzed the average number of monthly Google searches in each state for over 150 terms related to lost mail, including ‘USPS mail recovery’ and ‘FedEx lost mail.’ The number of searches in each state were compared to the population to determine which state has the most lost mail per 100,000 citizens. At the top of the list is Colorado, with 12,667 cases of lost mail per 100,000 citizens each month. The state least likely to lose your mail is Oklahoma, with just 8,974 monthly searches regarding missing mail per 100,000 residents.

Vermont Business Magazine President Joseph Biden today approved Governor Phil Scott’s request for a FEMA major disaster declaration for Vermont to assist individuals and communities in recovering from flooding that occurred from July 9 to 11, 2024. This FEMA major disaster declaration provides funding for individuals in Addison, Orleans, Washington, Caledonia, Chittenden, Lamoille, and Essex counties to apply to FEMA for assistance. The Individual Assistance (IA) program helps people impacted by the disaster seek some reimbursement for necessary expenses and serious needs that cannot be met through insurance or other forms of assistance. Eligible expenses include rental assistance, home repair, home replacement, lodging, and other expenses.

Vermont Business Magazine Today, Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak was joined by federal, state & city officials along with community partners to announce the opening of the middle segment of the Champlain Parkway. This segment includes a new multi-use path, pedestrian activated signalization, a stormwater detention pond and a newly constructed 25 MPH road between Home Avenue and Lakeside Avenue. “This section of the Parkway will alleviate truck traffic in front of Champlain Elementary School, unlock potential for more housing, take pressure off of the combined sewer system and give pedestrians and cyclists safer space to navigate our City. We will take the lessons learned from this project to improve community engagement, and advance infrastructure projects that make Burlington a walkable, bikeable, and climate resilient community.”

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Corrections (DOC), University of Vermont (UVM), and Urban Institute today released the third and final round of survey findings from the Prison Research and Innovation Network (PRIN). With a 70% response rate from correctional staff, the March 2024 results showed large improvements in correctional staff job satisfaction and workplace culture. Sixty-five percent of staff respondents said they often or always look forward to coming to work, and 85% of respondents reported they agree or strongly agree they take pride in their job. The survey reiterated that mandatory overtime and staff mental health continue to be significant challenges at the facility. With an 83% response rate from incarcerated individuals, responses showed improvements in access to activities that promote well-being and growth and increased emotional support amongst incarcerated individuals. Preparation for release is still perceived negatively by those incarcerated, as is timely access to medical care and costs associated with phone calls and commissary.