Current News

Vermont Business Magazine U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack announced from the Brunswick Farmers Market today that USDA is partnering with farmers and small businesses to expand access to clean energy and lower energy bills through the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) and the Rural Energy for America Technical Assistance Grant Program. In Vermont, $1,126,925 in REAP grants will help small businesses implement climate-smart solutions into their operations, reducing energy costs and carbon emissions. 

Vermont Business Magazine As private equity’s grip on the American health care system grows stronger and more dangerous, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), today led the committee in a bipartisan vote to authorize an investigation into the bankruptcy of Steward Health Care and subpoena the company’s CEO. The committee authorized both the investigation and the subpoena in bipartisan votes – 20-1 for the investigation, 16-4 for the subpoena. The subpoena – the first issued by the HELP Committee since 1981 – compels Dr. Ralph de la Torre, Steward’s CEO and Chairman, to testify at a hearing on September 12 titled, “Examining the Bankruptcy of Steward Health Care: How Management Decisions Have Impacted Patient Care.”

Vermont Business Magazine With a new law in effect that helps make financial assistance policies more consistent among Vermont hospitals, University of Vermont Health Network leaders reaffirmed their commitment to working to ensure all patients have access to care regardless of their ability to pay. Assistance is available to patients in both Vermont and northern New York as part of the health system’s commitment to make care more equitable, and physically and financially accessible. Act 119 was signed in 2022, and officially went into effect on July 1, 2024. It aims to provide a consistent approach to financial assistance policies among all hospitals in Vermont, in areas such as how income is calculated and how eligibility for assistance is determined. 

Agency of Commerce and Community Development At the Governor’s weekly press conference, state leaders shared that a decision on a FEMA disaster declaration is expected by the end of this week. If Vermont qualifies for individual FEMA assistance, impacted Vermonters will need to submit their information to FEMA, in addition to 211. Vermonters are encouraged to prepare their documentation in advance. Resources are available at the State Floor Recovery Centers to assist with this and we will communicate the availability of assistance if, and when, FEMA makes a decision.

Vermont Business Magazine On July 11, 2024, while the community should have been reflecting on the collective hard work that it took to rebuild from the flooding of July 2023; instead, we were watching, worrying, evacuating, cleaning up, and putting back together… AGAIN. While VSHA cannot replace your home, we may be able to provide rental assistance in another home if you have been displaced due to the flooding we experienced in Vermont this July. You will need to meet income and other eligibility requirements. 

Vermont Business Magazine Today, the Agency of Natural Resources’ (ANR) Climate Action Office (CAO) released the latest Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions Inventory and Forecast report (1990-2021). As in prior years, the two largest sectors of GHG emissions in Vermont in 2021 were transportation and heating fuel use in buildings. As shown in the accompanying graph, transportation emissions rebounded in 2021 following sharp decline during the height of the COVID pandemic in 2020. Yet 2021 emissions were lower than 2019 emissions and all years prior through 1990, when the inventory was first established.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine The average gasoline price in Vermont is $3.44 per gallon, down 2 cents per gallon from last week, up 6 cents/g from last month and down 20 cents/g from last year. The lowest price in the state yesterday was $3.23/g in Brattleboro, while the highest was $3.65/g in Londonderry. The national average price of gasoline has risen 2 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.52/g today.

Vermont Business Magazine In fiscal year 2024, the Vermont State Treasurer’s Office processed a record 19,010 individual unclaimed property claims, returning $5.8 million to Vermonters. It is the highest number of claims the office has ever paid in a single year. The state also received $18.14 million in unclaimed property for the fiscal year—the most collected in two decades. Unclaimed property includes uncashed checks, forgotten security deposits, investments, and other financial property. Financial institutions and other entities annually report forgotten financial assets and turn them over to the state. The Treasurer's Office receives these assets and safeguards them until claimed by rightful owners or heirs. 

Vermont Business Magazine Bowman Consulting Group Ltd. (NASDAQ: BWMN), a national engineering services firm delivering infrastructure solutions to customers who own, develop and maintain the built environment, has completed the installation and activation of its first company-owned, stand-alone electric vehicle (EV) charging stations at its Burlington, VT-area office. The two EV ChargePoint stations are now available for public, client, corporate fleet and employee use, marking a milestone in Bowman’s commitment to sustainability and environmental impact. The installation is representative of Bowman’s two-pronged strategic initiative to expand its portfolio of sustainability-focused services and positively affect its own environmental impact. 

Vermont Business Magazine TD Bank Group (TD) announced today that applications are now open for the annual TD Ready Challenge grant program. This year, TD is inviting eligible charitable and non-profit organizations to submit proposals for innovative solutions that support underserved small business owners in developing, launching, or growing their businesses. A total of 10 grants are available of either CDN $1 million or USD $1 million, depending on the applicant's country of residence. 

Vermont Business Magazine For the tenth consecutive year, farmers across Vermont will open their barn doors and garden gates to welcome the public for a behind the-scenes look at Vermont’s vibrant working landscapes during Vermont Open Farm Week, Sunday, Aug. 4 through Sunday, Aug. 11.  After July’s challenging weather across the state, many Vermont farms look forward to welcoming visitors in support of Vermont’s agricultural community. Vermont Open Farm Week started in 2014 as “CSA Open Farm Day” and included open houses at farms all across Vermont. Now, for its 10th Anniversary, Vermont Open Farm Week features 49 farms at 157 events across the state.

Vermont Business Magazine American Meadows and its sister company, High Country Gardens, are driven by their shared purpose of doing good through gardening.  Their commitment to supporting local communities and positively impacting the environment has led to a pledge to divert all organic materials from the waste stream. At the end of each season, unsold plants are donated to community-focused organizations rather than discarded into landfills. This season, plant donations have supported the creation of new community and memorial gardens, habitat restoration, and educational initiatives. These contributions have benefited approximately two dozen recipients, including urban gardening organizations in Chicago, Philadelphia, St. Louis, Taos, Santa Fe, and Salt Lake City.