Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Recent flooding in central and northern Vermont caused many basements to fill with water and, in some cases, resulted in a release of oil from heating oil tanks in the basement. The Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is offering guidance for basement cleanup. If there is no evidence of oil in the water – such as an oil sheen (nothing floating on the water or no oil odor) – the water may be pumped out to the ground (preferably) or storm drains. When oil or petroleum is present floating on the water in a basement or container, report the situation to DEC.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today announced the appointment of Joseph McLean, as a superior court judge of the environmental division. “Joe has demonstrated a strong understanding of Vermont’s environmental laws through his decades of legal experience,” said Governor Phil Scott. “His experience, and balanced approach to the law will serve Vermonters well.” For more than 28 years, McLean worked in private practice, first as an associate then owner, providing legal services to Vermont municipalities. Throughout his career, his work has focused on land use regulation, permitting, development review and enforcement, Act 250 and Section 248 proceedings.

Vermont Business Magazine The State of Vermont on Saturday submitted a request for a Preliminary Damage Assessment (PDA) from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to determine whether the state qualifies for a federal major disaster declaration for flooding and resulting damage on July 10 and 11, 2024. The request requests assessments for both Public Assistance (PA) and Individual Assistance (IA) declarations. A PA disaster declaration provides 75 percent reimbursement to communities for responding to and repairing public infrastructure damaged by the storm. Assessments will be done in Addison, Orleans, Washington, Caledonia, Chittenden, Lamoille, Orange, and Essex counties. 

Vermont Business Magazine After major flooding in central and northern Vermont, the Department of Environmental Conservation’s Dam Safety Program is sharing how the State is keeping Vermonters safe from the effects of potential storm damage to dams. Vermont’s three Winooski River Valley flood control reservoirs are functioning as designed. They are effectively protecting downstream communities from what would have been more severe flooding effects. These reservoirs have plenty of remaining storage capacity and water levels are starting to become stable or recede. Engineers are actively monitoring all three dams: East Barre, Waterbury, and Wrightsville.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott and other state officials held a press briefing last Thursday to discuss the state's ongoing response to last Wednesday's flooding. As the northern half of Vermont begins the clean-up and recovery process from flooding July 10-11, the Vermont Department of Labor stands by, ready to help businesses and individuals get back on their feet. 

Vermont Business Magazine Average gasoline prices in Vermont are $3.46 per gallon, up 1.5 cents per gallon from last week's $3.44/g. The lowest price in the state yesterday was $3.14/g while the highest was $3.89/g, a difference of 75.0 cents per gallon. The national average price of gasoline has risen 2.5 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.49/g today. The national average is up 5.2 cents per gallon from a month ago and stands 5.8 cents per gallon lower than a year ago.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont State Police investigation into Sunday night’s trooper-involved shooting in Burke remains active and ongoing Monday afternoon, July 15, 2024. The man who was shot is identified as Brenden Sackal, 30, of Hopkinton, Rhode Island. He initially was treated at Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital in St. Johnsbury and subsequently transferred to Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, New Hampshire, where he remains Monday afternoon. He was reported to be in critical condition with non-life-threatening injuries. The situation began Sunday evening when police in Rhode Island notified law-enforcement authorities in northern New Hampshire and Vermont that Sackal was believed to be traveling in the region and was the subject of an arrest warrant on charges related to possessing illegal high-capacity firearm magazines. 

Vermont Business Magazine The Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington will celebrate the Mass of Ordination and Installation of the Most Reverend John Joseph McDermott as the 11th Bishop of Burlington on July 15, 2024, at 1:00 p.m. at the Cathedral of St. Joseph in Burlington.

by Vermont Agriculture Secretary Anson Tebbetts Well, here we are. It’s hard to imagine that just one year after extreme flooding we are again facing severe weather issues and more flooding. Many of our farmers, producers and citizens were once again hit with damage. All of us at the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets are thinking of you during this difficult time. Our team is contacting the farm community, and we will continue to stay close once we arrive at the recovery stage.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott on Saturday signed an addendum to his Emergency Declaration, which updates the existing Declaration to include temporary regulatory relief in specific areas. These actions will help expedite the response to the July 2024 flooding. “This addendum to our existing State of Emergency will temporarily waive certain requirements to expedite response and recovery,” said Governor Phil Scott. “With so much infrastructure damage, this is critical for towns and Vermonters to access the tools needed to move forward with repairs to roads, bridges, homes and businesses.” Under authority provided by the state of emergency, the governor is providing specific, temporary regulatory relief critical to the immediate response and recovery work.

by Charlotte Oliver, Community News Service From the top of the Northeast Kingdom down toward the Berkshires, the VTXL carves a path across Vermont. The biking route takes cyclists along the chatter of dirt and gravel roads in a ride that stitches together the state’s character. Breathtaking views come after hard climbs, and tunnels of trees spit out riders into small towns. The trail demands much of the rider and offers rewards. Its 301 miles are peppered with 30,300 feet in total climb — all on public dirt roads between a dozen rocky Class IV sections. 

Vermont Center for Emerging Technologies Matt Dunne, the king of rural innovation, joins the podcast to inspire us all. His deep roots in Vermont are intertwined with the community that shaped him. From being elected to the legislature at 22, to convincing Google to open an office in White River Junction, to founding the Center on Rural Innovation (CORI), Matt’s ability to build community is remarkable. This podcast is essentially a crash course on how to create a thriving community anywhere. We’re big fans, can you tell?