Current News

VermontBiz Governor Phil Scott, Senator Bernie Sanders, Senator Peter Welch, and Congresswoman Becca Balint, along with the Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC), announced today the Vermont grantees for the NBRC 2024 Catalyst Spring Competition. Eight projects in seven towns spread across six counties will share $7.9 million in funding.

VermontBiz U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) cosponsored the Pell Grant Preservation and Expansion Act of 2024, bicameral legislation led by Senators Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) that would nearly double the Pell Grant maximum award, index the maximum award for inflation, and  expand the award for working students and families. The Pell Grant program is the cornerstone of federal financial aid for postsecondary education, serving over 6 million undergraduate students. U.S. Representatives Mark Pocan (D-WI-02) and Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-VA-03) led companion legislation in the House. 

VermontBiz  U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that USDA is partnering with rural Americans on hundreds of clean energy projects to lower energy bills, expand access to clean energy and create jobs for U.S. farmers, ranchers and agricultural producers. In Vermont and New Hampshire, 17 small businesses received $1,260,113 in combined funding through USDA’s Rural Energy for America Program.

VermontBiz DEW Construction, in partnership with the Franklin West Supervisory Union and Black River Design Architects, recently broke ground on a significant renovation and expansion project at the Bellows Free Academy in Fairfax, Vermont. This project will modernize the school’s infrastructure with 139,663 square feet of renovations and 17,922 square feet of new additions.

VermontBiz Attorney General Charity Clark today announced she has been appointed co-chair of the National Association of Attorneys General’s (NAAG’s) “Tobacco Committee.” The primary mission of the Tobacco Committee is to lead a coalition of 52 state and territory attorneys general in their efforts to enforce, defend, administer, and improve the tobacco Master Settlement Agreement (MSA). Importantly, the Tobacco Committee also provides leadership for all members on tobacco matters not directly related to the MSA, including vaping. Attorney General Clark will be joined in co-chairing this bipartisan group of attorneys general with Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill.

VermontBiz The Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) will be instituting two significant changes later this year due to legislative action taken during the past session: All vehicle registrations with ownership changes will receive a Vermont title regardless of the vehicle model year, and owners of electric vehicles registered in Vermont will pay an annual user fee. 

VermontBiz Reliable, balanced, and accessible local news is essential to sustaining connected communities and a vibrant democracy. As a central component of a multi-year initiative around democracy and civic engagement, the Vermont Community Foundation is proud to announce the launch of Press Forward Vermont. With this local chapter, the Community Foundation partners with Press Forward, a national coalition investing more than $500 million to strengthen communities by reimagining local news.

VermontBiz Vermont employers have been steadily filling unfilled jobs. It’s been a challenge because of Vermont’s low unemployment rate. At times, there were as many as three job openings for each person looking for work.

Nevertheless, employers have succeeded in finding workers to fill the vacancies. In January 2023, employers had just over 332,000 nonfarm payroll jobs, 7 percent of them unfilled. In April of this year, there were almost 330,000 nonfarm jobs, and the share that were unfilled had dropped to 4.5 percent.

VermontBiz Dismas of Vermont, founded in Burlington in 1986, has proudly been selected as part of the 2024 Lowe’s Hometowns program, a five-year, $100 million commitment to rebuild and revitalize community spaces nationwide. Since launching in 2022, the signature grant program has renovated 149 community centers, affordable housing facilities, shelters and food pantries; refurbished 15 first responder and veteran/military family facilities; and built and improved 54 community gardens, parks and playgrounds – among many other projects.

VermontBiz Agri-Mark, Inc./Cabot Creamery Cooperative announced today that it will transition to a 30% post-consumer recycled (PCR) packaging for its flagship 8-ounce cheese bars later this year. This decision follows the completion of a comprehensive sustainable packaging study initiated in 2022 and will result in reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and fuel requirements by up to 25%, alongside significant water savings during manufacturing of their 8-oz bar line. Study findings will be made available industry-wide with hopes of broadening the positive impact of the grant research.

VermontBiz U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) this week joined local leaders, participants of Derby’s Senior Summer Day Camp, and members of the community to celebrate the groundbreaking of the Derby Park project, which will convert acres of unused land into a new community outdoor park. Sen. Welch nominated and secured federal funding for the project through the FY22 Community Project Funding (CPF) process during his last year in the House. 

Vermont Center for Emerging Technologies Waterbury-based NOMAD Transportable Power Systems, Inc. (NOMAD) is one of the nation’s most promising energy storage system (ESS) companies. Founded in 2019, NOMAD offers transportable battery systems designed for rapid deployment and operation. These systems alleviate grid constraints, modernize disaster response efforts, and provide electric vehicle (EV) charging at events and in remote locations. Most importantly, these solutions can be powered by renewable sources like wind and solar.