Current News

by Kate Kampner, Community News Service Julie Parker-Dickinson, a master gardener and a second-grade teacher, was encouraging kids about their futures back in 2017 when she realized something: She didn’t feel she was doing anything to ensure a bright future would still be there for them. She decided to plant a garden at Quinlan’s Covered Bridge in Charlotte, where she lives, the first of many around town that she would fill with native species. The idea was to build a better food source for local pollinators, who play a vital role in helping plants reproduce. One day, she heard from Bethany Barry, who wanted to help pollinators in Addison County. She thought Parker-Dickinson could be a good partner.

Vermont Business Magazine If you or someone you know would like to go hunting this fall but have never taken a hunter education course, this is the time to act.  Vermont’s volunteer hunter education instructors are now holding a limited number of courses throughout the state. A person must pass the basic hunter education course before they can purchase their first hunting license.

Vermont Business Magazine In its latest effort to ensure state leaders are held accountable and follow their own climate laws, Conservation Law Foundation (CLF) last week sent a notice of alleged violation to Vermont’s Secretary of the Agency of Natural Resources for failing to meet her legal responsibilities set by the Global Warming Solutions Act (GWSA), ensuring the state is on track to reduce climate-damaging emissions.

Vermont Business Magazine The annual Rabies Vaccine Bait Drop will take place from Aug. 7 through Aug. 22. The rabies vaccine bait drop is a nationally coordinated effort between Vermont’s Department of Health, Fish & Wildlife Department, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Wildlife Services to prevent the spread of rabies among wildlife. A special bait drop focused on rabies among wildlife in Chittenden, Franklin, Lamoille and Grand Isle Counties took place earlier this year. Rabies vaccine — in the form of a sweet-smelling oral bait that is attractive to raccoons and skunks — will be placed by hand in residential areas, and dropped in rural areas from low-flying aircraft. Approximately 300,000 quarter-sized blister packs containing rabies vaccine will be distributed in Vermont.

Vermont Business Magazine Today, U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) introduced the AI Innovation and Development for Efficiency (AIDE) Act, legislation that would establish programming at the National Science Foundation (NSF) to support research into artificial intelligence (AI) innovation initiatives at universities nationwide, including at leading-edge research institutions. The program created by the AIDE Act would support research that focuses on improving efficiency across a number of issue areas, including agriculture, emissions reductions, mobility or transportation, resource conservation, smart grids, and waste reduction.  

Vermont Business Magazine Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), Chairman of Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, today led the committee in a bipartisan 20-1 vote to reauthorize, expand, and strengthen the Older Americans Act (OAA) – critical legislation that will substantially increase funding for services for older Americans. This reauthorization marks the second largest authorized funding level increase in the history of the OAA. 

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine The Emergency Board met Tuesday to hear and accept the tax revenue projections presented by Jeff Carr of Economic & Police Resources of Williston and Tom Kavet, Kavet, Rockler & Associates, LLC of Townshend. Revenues are expected to continue their blistering pace, which includes impressive returns for the personal income tax, benefits from changes in some sources and the recent and likely short-lived windfall from the interest income, which in this report is the fourth largest revenue source. The economics told the E-Board that their consensus revenue report includes $50 million in new revenues from tax and fee changes will increase revenue expectations across all three funds by about $198 million in FY25 and $179 million in FY26 relative to the prior January forecasts.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine Gambling on sports only became legal in Vermont in January. So, the data is only for the last half of fiscal year 2024 (January-June). With no history to draw from, state officials projected that revenues to the state would be about $1.2 million for the first six months. Revenues came in at $3.5 million. The total handle was $101.1 million from 232,884 users. Basketball boasted the largest share (39.8%) with $40.2 million.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility (VBSR), the statewide, nonprofit business association advancing a just, thriving, and transformative economy that works for all people and the planet, has launched the second cohort of ClimateReadyVT, a free program helping small businesses in Vermont adapt to our changing climate and prepare for climate-related business disruptions. ClimateReadyVT is accepting applications for the Fall 2024 Cohort through Friday, August 23. The cohort will convene starting in early September.

Vermont Business Magazine The Fletcher Free Library is excited to announce that three government grants will support preservation work to protect and preserve its historic 1904 Carnegie Building. A $500,000 grant from Save America’s Treasures, in tandem with grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the State Historic Preservation Office, will enable preservation work to begin in 2025. The Save America’s Treasures grant is awarded through the Historic Preservation Fund, as administered by the National Park Service, Department of Interior. These grants will receive matching funds from the City of Burlington.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Retail & Grocers Association (VRGA) announced today a significant leadership transition as the current President, Erin Sigrist, will step down effective October 1. During Sigrist’s tenure, VRGA has experienced remarkable changes, including guiding the retail industry through the COVID-19 pandemic, advocating successfully on various issues within the state house, modernizing office operations, increasing fundraising, and streamlining communications. Her leadership has been instrumental in representing the interests of Vermont’s retail and grocery sectors. Ed Fox has joined the association and will begin the leadership transition immediately. 

Vermont Business Magazine Grassroots groups on the front lines of flood relief will gather at the State House Thursday morning to share demands for state-level action towards a just recovery. Speakers will address the relationship between flooding impacts and ongoing climate and housing crises, and present the People’s Demands for a Just Recovery from Flooding, and signed by organizations across Vermont.