Current News

by Will Guisbond, Community News Service As Green Mountain Transit brings back urban bus fares for the first time since 2020, the agency appears buffeted by competing pressures: the need for revenue, the desire to retain riders and a worry that people who stick around will be worse off. Now agency leaders say not only will services likely be cut but fare increases will also continue.  Legislators’ latest bailout, in 2023, came with a caveat: In return for $850,000, GMT needed to bring back fees in 2024 and make up 10% of its revenue in fares. That condition has set the stage for the tumult GMT leaders now face as they look to reinstate fares on May 20 — although even the provider’s own budget doesn’t anticipate meeting 10%, expecting fares to only account for about 8%. 

Vermont Agency of Transportation This weekly report is a list of planned construction activities that will impact traffic on state highways and interstates throughout Vermont for the week of May 13, 2024. Please remember to drive safely in all work zones. Lives depend on it.

Vermont Business Magazine The University of Vermont (UVM) Grossman School of Business will host the inaugural Rural Entrepreneurship Symposium June 19–21, 2024 in partnership with the U.S. Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (USASBE), a national association of entrepreneurship researchers and teachers. This rural entrepreneurship and innovation conference will kick off a series of annual community-building events that will travel the country, with events scheduled for Iowa in 2025, Colorado in 2026, and Texas in 2027. The Rural Entrepreneurship Symposium invites university teachers, researchers, and promoters of entrepreneurship, innovation, and small businesses from around the U.S. to explore why the rural and small-town landscape of Vermont and other rural states produce many innovative organizations that thrive because of their rural character. 

Vermont Business Magazine In honor of National Police Week, United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest recognizes the service and sacrifice of federal, state, county, and local law enforcement officers in Vermont. This year, the week is observed from Sunday, May 12 through Saturday, May 18, 2024. In 1962, President Kennedy issued the first proclamation for Peace Officers Memorial Day and National Police Week to remember and honor law enforcement officers for their service and sacrifices. According to preliminary data compiled by the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (NLEOMF), as of December 31, 2023, 136 federal, state, tribal and local law enforcement officers died in the line-of-duty in 2023, including one police officer from Rutland, Vermont.

Vermont Business Magazine On Saturday, May 18, more than 200 students will be presented for juris doctor, master of laws and master’s degrees when Vermont Law and Graduate School (VLGS) holds its 48th commencement ceremony. Representative Becca Balint (D-Vermont) will deliver this year’s commencement speech and will receive an honorary degree from the school. Balint is expected to speak to graduates about fighting cynicism and what makes good leaders.

Vermont Business Magazine Green Mountain Power (GMP) is reminding customers that they are invited to drop by GMP’s Open House on Tuesday, May 14, from 5:30-6:30 pm at GMP’s service center in White River Junction. Refreshments will be served. As part of GMP’s Multi-Year Regulation Plan, GMP holds two customer Open House gatherings per year, each in a different part of the state. The White River Junction event is a great way for customers to meet the GMP team, ask questions, and share ideas as GMP writes a new Integrated Resource Plan (IRP). Every three years, GMP is required to file an IRP with the Vermont Public Utility Commission (PUC) which regulates Vermont utilities. The IRP will be filed in December 2024, and it is a plan to continue providing reliable, cost-effective power. 

Vermont Business Magazine As expected, Governor Phil Scott will run for a fifth term as governor. He made the announced Saturday evening on a post on X (formerly Twitter), while honoring former Dick Mazza. Mazza (D-Colchester/Grand Isle) retired last month as he battle health issues. Also on Saturday, as with his re-election announcement, he mentioned that there is much more work to do. The Legislature adjourned in the wee hours of Saturday morning. They are expected to return for a "veto session" in June.

Governor Phil Scott today delivered his annual adjournment address to lawmakers. "And after this session, it’s clear we have a lot more work to do. But again, I want to sincerely thank you for your service, and I’m sure our paths will cross again before you know it, and if they don’t, I wish you a more peaceful summer than we had last year."

by Cedulie Benoit-Smith, Community News Service When Jim Andrews began work on the Vermont Reptile and Amphibian Atlas in 1994, the goal was simple: collect information to help inform the decisions of the state committee deciding which species should be listed, and protected, as endangered. Thirty years later, the small project has amassed 123,000 entries as its collaborators celebrate three decades pulling together data on critters across the state. Andrews, one of the first environmental studies graduates at the University of Vermont, was working as a middle school science teacher back in the 1980s. He wanted to return to fieldwork and found his way to the Vermont Reptile Amphibian Scientific Advisory Group, which gives guidance on reptiles and amphibians to the Vermont Endangered Species Committee. What would informally be called the Vermont Herp Atlas (from herpetology, the study of those kinds of animals) took shape in his work for the group, starting in 1994.

Two Rivers-Ottauquechee Regional Commission In March, Senator Bernie Sanders secured $42.5 million for Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) funding on behalf of Vermont. CDS is a congressional budgetary program that allocates federal funds to local projects that address crucial issues such as affordable housing, infrastructure, transportation, clean energy and water, agriculture, childcare, and rural development. The two projects located in our Region are Vershire and Strafford. For the Town of Vershire, $750,000 was awarded to the town to build a new town garage, and for the Town of Strafford, $325,000 was awarded to preserve the historic town office. 

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports has announced the 41st annual Vermont Corporate Cup Challenge and State Agency Race, presented by Union Mutual Insurance Company. The community fitness event will take place in-person in Montpelier on May 16 and virtually May 16 through May 31. The Vermont Corporate Cup Challenge and State Agency Race is a popular 5k running and walking fun competition in which individuals and teams from worksites enjoy the benefits of a wellness activity with their co-workers.

Vermont Business Magazine Switchback Brewing Co. is thrilled to announce plans for a new Tap House & Beer Garden, set to open in summer 2024. The 3,700 square-foot establishment will be located in a 120-year-old historic brick building attached to their current production facility at 160 Flynn Avenue. The new space will boast ample bar and table seating complemented by an outdoor patio, providing an inviting and spacious environment for guests to enjoy Switchback's iconic brews and food. A bar with 20 taps will highlight the brewery’s diverse offerings including fan favorites, smoked beers and releases from their new side project, Askew Beer Co. In addition to the impressive beverage options, the new venue will offer a full kitchen, showcasing an expanded food menu, as well as event space on the adjoining lawn.