Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Wednesday night, Senate Republicans blocked Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats’ attempt to pass by unanimous consent the Supreme Court Ethics, Recusal, and Transparency (SCERT) Act, legislation that the Senate Judiciary Committee advanced last July. The request, made by Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), along with members of the Judiciary Committee, including Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont), comes amid ethical lapses by Justices and an unenforceable code of conduct.

Vermont Business Magazine Microsoft awards Technology for Tomorrow (T4T) a second TechSpark grant to expand the Vermont nonprofit’s digital literacy programming. T4T, based in Williston, was selected in 2023 by Microsoft for its TechSpark Fellowship, a program that aims to foster inclusive economic opportunity, job creation, and innovation in the state. T4T received a second year of funding after a successful first year of programming that exceeded goals. In year two of the TechSpark Fellowship, T4T plans to increase its digital literacy offerings to help close the state’s digital divide.

Richard Warden Sears April 22, 1943 - June 1, 2024. It is with great sadness that we announce the death of our father, grandfather and Vermont State Senator Richard W. Sears, Jr. Richard died peacefully at Albany Medical Center on June 1, 2024, at the age of 81, surrounded by his loving family and close friends. Born on April 22, 1943, in Connecticut, Richard was soon after adopted by his loving parents, Richard and Charlotte Sears of Framingham, Massachusetts. Reflecting on his childhood, he expressed tremendous gratitude for his parents; always acknowledging the strong impact they had on his life. “I was lucky,” Richard once remarked in an interview, “extremely lucky that my parents adopted me. Who knows what would have happened to me if the Sears didn’t take me in?" This experience led him to his lifelong passion of working with at-risk youth.

Vermont Business Magazine Burlington Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak announces the City of Burlington will once again host a celebration of culture, history, and community for Juneteenth. This year’s Juneteenth festivities are presented by the City of Burlington’s Office of Racial, Equity Inclusion & Belonging (REIB) and Northfield Savings Bank, and will take place on Saturday, June 15th from 11 am to 11 pm.  

Vermont State Police The investigation into Wednesday afternoon’s fatal police shooting in the town of Orange remains active and ongoing. During a struggle with a man over a sawed-off shotgun, the trooper discharged his department-issued firearm, striking the man. He was pronounced dead at the scene. This is the first fatal shooting involving a member of the Vermont State Police since July 2022.

Vermont Business Magazine The Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation (FPR) has observed significant symptoms of white pine needle damage (WPND) affecting eastern white pine (Pinus strobus) trees across Vermont. WPND is caused by a complex of four fungal species, that infects newly emerged needles. Although the infected needles remain asymptomatic in the first year, the following spring, they turn yellow, then brown, and eventually fall off prematurely. While WPND rarely kills trees outright, it can reduce their growth and overall health. Residents are advised not to panic if they observe these symptoms in their backyard trees. Vermont’s white pines are resilient, and otherwise healthy trees are expected to recover from this damage. There is no need for removal of affected trees.

Vermont Business Magazine With the beginning of summer and anglers fishing from shore, the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department reminds people that open fires and swimming are prohibited at all Vermont state fishing access areas. Open fires and their remnants, create unsafe areas for other anglers and boaters to use and enjoy.  The remnants of these fires are also unhealthy for the animals and fish that live in the adjacent waters.  Fish and Wildlife cleans up the toxic waste left by open fires on state lands annually at considerable expense. Swimming at fishing access areas is prohibited due to safety concerns and because the primary uses of the fishing access areas is for launching and retrieving motorboats and for shore fishing. 

Vermont Natural Resources Council The Legislature will reconvene next week on June 17th to vote on whether or not to override the governor’s vetoes of two important environmental bills: Modernizing Vermont’s Renewable Energy Standard (H.289); and Protecting Pollinators from Harmful Pesticides (H.706). (It is uncertain whether the governor will veto a third bill, H.687, that would modernize Act 250). This will require a two-thirds majority of votes in support for the bill to be enacted. 

Vermont Business Magazine The Federal Nuclear Waste Policy Committee of the Vermont Nuclear Decommissioning Citizens Advisory Panel (VT NDCAP) will hold its next regular meeting on Monday, June 17, 2024 from 12:00 noon to 1 PM.  A hybrid format will be used for this meeting.  In accordance with Vermont Open Meeting Law, the following physical location will be available for those wishing to attend this meeting in-person: Governor Hunt House, Small Meeting Room (1st Floor, rear of the building), 320 Governor Hunt Road, Vernon.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott signed four bills into law, as passed by the General Assembly. These include H.644, An act relating to access to records by individuals who were in foster care. Scott said: "This bill will allow Vermonters to access their files from their time in foster care, which is important because I believe everyone deserves to know about their past."

The Vermont State Police is investigating an incident in which a man was shot and killed by a state trooper Wednesday afternoon, June 12, 2024, in the town of Orange. The shooting occurred at about 1:25 p.m. outside a home on Spencer Road. The man was pronounced deceased on scene. His identity is unknown at this time. The trooper was uninjured but was brought to Central Vermont Medical Center in Berlin for evaluation as a precaution. This investigation is in its earliest stages and involves detectives with the Vermont State Police Major Crime Unit and Bureau of Criminal Investigations, uniformed troopers from Field Force Division, and the Victim Services Unit. The Crime Scene Search Team will respond to the location of the shooting to process the scene.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Public has partnered with Front Porch Forum on outreach efforts for its Citizens Agenda initiative during the 2024 election season. The Citizens Agenda model of election news coverage aims to put people — not preconceived ideas — at the center of the reporting process. To accomplish that, Vermont Public is taking its cues from Vermonters to ensure their concerns inform candidate debates, voter guides and more. Vermont Public is traveling around the state throughout the year to hear from Vermonters in person and inviting participation online.