Current News

Vermont Business Magazine The U.S. Fire Administration has designated the week of May 5 -11, 2024, as Arson Awareness Week.  This year marks the 50th year of this effort. In 2024, the USFA’s focus is on protecting houses of worship. Each year from 2020 to 2022, an estimated average of 1,300 fires in places of worship were reported to fire departments in the United States. These fires resulted in an estimated annual average of $74.6 million in property loss. The leading cause of fires in places of worship was cooking (33%), but intentional actions accounted for an additional 15%. 

Vermont Department of Economic Development The Vermont Flood Recovery and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) are presenting a series of Flood Recovery Symposiums featuring in-person workshops and opportunities to engage federal agencies, state programs, and other supporting organizations to support flood recovery for your municipality, business, or nonprofit. These representatives can speak with you about your situation, offer tips on how to navigate the system, and combine resources across agencies to help get your projects done.

Vermont Business Magazine This summer, the Vermont Lakes and Ponds Program is seeking volunteers to help monitor and collect information about lakes and ponds in the state. With over 800 lakes and ponds to monitor, volunteers are key to the success of the program’s efforts. Volunteers can be found statewide greeting lake visitors, inspecting boats, collecting water samples, tracking algal or cyanobacteria blooms, reporting aquatic invasive species, and more. 

Vermont Business Magazine The U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) has announced two funding opportunities: $7 million to support women in the workforce under the Women in Apprenticeship and Nontraditional Occupations (WANTO) Grant Program and $1 million to protect women from gender-based harassment and violence at work, under the Fostering Access, Rights, and Equity (FARE) Grant Program. The Women in Apprenticeship and Nontraditional Occupations (WANTO) Grant Program aims to increase the participation of women in sectors where they are traditionally underrepresented, including manufacturing, construction, and cybersecurity. 

Vermont Business Magazine Senators Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), with Reps. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) and Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), today introduced legislation to eliminate all $220 billion in medical debt held by millions of Americans, wipe it from credit reports, and drastically limit the accrual of future medical debt. The medical debt crisis has exploded in recent years, decimating Americans’ bank accounts and deterring them from seeking health care. Among all working-age adults in the United States, an estimated 27 percent are currently carrying medical debt of more than $500, and 15 percent have medical debt loads of $2,000 or more.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Corrections (DOC) this week awarded a Justice Reinvestment grant totaling $240,952 to Jenna’s Promise, a non-profit recovery organization based in Johnson, Vermont. The funding will expand reentry services and community supports for formerly incarcerated women recovering from addiction.   Corrections officials say these funds will address current gaps for women exiting incarceration – and aim to reduce the need for incarceration in the future. 

Vermont Business Magazine Utilizing funding made available through Section 9817 of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, the Agency of Human Services (AHS) awarded over $17.6 million in grants Worth $17.6 million to support Vermont’s system of care for individuals and families who use Medicaid home and community-based services (HCBS). Under the HCBS Grant Opportunity, 45 grants were awarded to HCBS providers, community-based organizations, and other entities that support the HCBS landscape in Vermont.

Vermont Business Magazine On a pause from a typically busy morning, Barre-based restaurateur Lisa St. Lawrence takes a quick mental inventory of her menu items. “Let’s see: there’s grilled garlic, peppers and onions, pepper Jack cheese, horseradish sauce and local beef from Knight’s Farm - that’s the Tribal Archery Signature Burger,” she says almost dreamily. “Then there’s the Yikes Stripes Signature Burger with bacon, cheddar and local maple syrup, and the Ridge Runner with egg and hot sauce.” She takes a breath and explains her enthusiasm. “I love watching people enjoy their food. It’s a passion of mine.” As owner of the soon-to-open Tasty Bites Diner, Lisa clearly has landed in the right profession. And, as of this spring, she’s landed in just the right place. The new diner is located on Barre’s high-visibility, high-traffic North Main Street.

Vermont Business Magazine Overdose deaths in Vermont have decreased for the first time since 2019. According to the Department of Health’s newly released Annual Fatal Overdose Report, opioid-related overdoses resulted in the death of 231 Vermonters in 2023, a 5% drop from 2022 when 244 Vermonters died. The overdose report includes data on Vermonters who died of any drug overdose in 2023. According to the report, 90% of the drug overdose fatalities in Vermont involved opioids. The annual data is preliminary. At the time of the report there were 15 pending death certificates that could change the final figures.

Vermont Business Magazine United Counseling Service (UCS) received notice from the Department of Mental Health (DMH) Commissioner, Emily Hawes, LADC, that its divisions of Children, Youth, and Family Services (CYFS), Adult Outpatient Services (AMH), Community Rehabilitation and Treatment (CRT), and Emergency Services (ES) programs are redesignated for the next four years. The comprehensive re-certification review process included quality service reviews, a review of compliance with the designation standards, and interviews with consumers, family members, board and staff members, standing committee members, and community partners. In the official Agency Designation decision, Commissioner Hawes commended United Counseling Service (UCS)’s leadership and staff for the excellent work they are doing and expressed sincere appreciation to the agency for its demonstrated commitment to improving the lives of Vermonters with mental health needs in Bennington County.

Vermont Business Magazine On Thursday, May 9, Rutland Regional Medical Center will present an interactive learning and discussion on the topic of Social Connections. The free event is sponsored by Social Tinkering with a mission to “strengthen the social fabric of communities by helping people connect to discover and cultivate relationships and cultures grounded in compassionate belonging.” Presenters include Shiela Sharrow, LICSW, Manager, Rutland Behavioral Health, and Kathleen Kinirons, MS, LADC, Clinical Manager at the West Ridge Center.

Vermont Business Magazine Middlebury College President Laurie Patton has announced she will be leaving the school in January to become president of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, effective July 2025. Patton took office on July 1, 2015, and has served as Middlebury's 17th president. “Middlebury is a community I love and admire, and it has become home," Patton said in a release issued May 2 by the college. "Even more, it has taught me a great deal about the work of our democracy and the common good. It seemed right for me to continue that work at a national level with the scholars, artists, writers, lawmakers and businesspeople who are thought leaders in the academy and the world.” The American Academy of Arts & Sciences was created in 1780 by John Adams and John Hancock.