Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Wednesday evening, Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont) delivered remarks on the Senate Floor calling for Congress to pass long-term disaster relief funding for Vermont following the catastrophic floods of 2023. Senator Welch highlighted the importance of delivering flexible funds through the Community Development Block Grants-Disaster Relief (CDBG-DR) program, which gives communities impacted by natural disasters the flexibility needed to rebuild and recover, and help them to prepare for future disasters. 

Vermont Business Magazine Representative Ashley Bartley (R, Franklin-1, Fairfax and Georgia) and Representative Rey Garofano (D, Chittenden-23, Essex) on Thursday celebrated the passage of H.704, an act relating to disclosure of compensation in job advertisements. This bill proposes to require employers to disclose compensation in advertisements of job openings. This strike-all amendment takes what is already Human Resources best practice and requires Vermont employers to disclose compensation or a compensation range, in job advertisements to prospective employees.

Vermont Business Magazine On March 22, 2024, the Associated General Contractors of Vermont (AGC/VT) was honored with the prestigious AGC In The Community Chapter Award for its exceptional leadership and dedication in combatting substance use disorders and promoting mental health awareness in Vermont's construction sector. Since the pandemic, Vermont has seen accidental opioid overdoses and substance use disorders skyrocket, with the construction industry being hit particularly hard. By some estimates, 23 percent of Vermont suicides and 26 percent of overdose deaths are in the construction field—more than any sector. Recognizing the growing need to provide more education, services, and assistance to people in the construction industry, AGC/VT launched a multi-faceted program in 2023. The program includes partnering with the Vermont Department of Health and Reid Wobby, a mental health consultant, to distribute Narcan doses (which reverse opioid overdoses) and harm reduction kits.

Shelburne Museum Just in time for Mother's Day, Shelburne Museum opens for the season on Saturday, May 11. To celebrate the exciting new season, we're holding Community Day with free admission! Come experience inspiring new exhibitions and visit the beloved galleries, buildings, and gardens that make Shelburne Museum a place like no other. Saturday, May 11, 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m., Free admission, live music, seed swap, art making activities, tours, and more. Special thanks to High Mowing Organic Seeds for support of the seed swap. Free Event Shuttle: First shuttle leaves from O’Brien Community Center in Winooski at 9:45 a.m., stopping at 10:15 a.m. at Harbor Place in Shelburne. A second loop will depart from King Street Youth Center in Burlington at 11 a.m. The shuttle will loop throughout the day to all three locations. The last shuttle departs Shelburne Museum at 5:15 p.m. 

Vermont Business Magazine Planning for college or training can be stressful, even when the process goes smoothly. And this year, students and families who applied for federal financial aid were stuck in a waiting game that lasted for months. The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Federal Student Aid (FSA) updated their student financial aid (FAFSA) forms for the first time since the 1980s. With delays, glitches, and data processing issues, the past six months have not gone well for students, families, schools, or the FSA itself. One of the final challenges, the ability to make updates and corrections to the FAFSA financial aid form, has now been resolved and schools are sending prospective students their financial aid offers.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Philip B. Scott has declared May 2024 Physical Fitness and Sports Month in Vermont, encouraging Vermonters to be active this spring. The proclamation was requested by the Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, a physical activity promotion and advocacy group comprised of volunteers appointed by the Governor and representing a broad spectrum of Vermonters. The proclamation aligns with the national designation of May as Physical Fitness and Sports Month, an effort by the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition to raise awareness about the benefits of physical activity. The Vermont Governor's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports encourages families to be active outdoors through a variety of programs, including Vermont Parks pass exercise “prescriptions,” Vermont Senior Games, community wellness grants, and the Corporate Cup Challenge and State Agency Race in Montpelier on May 16.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Historical Society is pleased to announce a new installment of its fundraising series “Vermont Eats” a cultural event that focuses on the food and communities that make up Vermont’s diverse history and story. This year’s dinner is in partnership with Burlington’s Lost Mural Project and Ohavi Zedek Synagogue and will take place at the Ohavi Zedek Synagogue on June 6th at 5:30 PM. The event will feature Samuel D. Gruber as the evening’s keynote speaker, who will give a talk titled “Picture This: Art and Life for Vermont's Jewish Immigrants.”

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Congressional Delegation, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont), and Representative Becca Balint (D-Vermont) today called on Deanne Criswell, Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to work with Congress and the Delegation to improve disaster response ahead of future emergencies and address the serious challenges Vermonters have faced in accessing FEMA Individual Assistance (IA) after the devastating flooding of July 2023. In their letter to Administrator Criswell, the Delegation expressed their appreciation for the role FEMA played in Vermont flood recovery, including providing over $25 million in individual and household assistance to over 3,600 households. 

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont State Police is investigating the deaths of two men whose bodies were found Thursday, May 9, 2024, outside a home in South Hero. Police received a 911 call at about 11:30 a.m. Thursday reporting the discovery of two bodies at a location on Kibbe Farm Road. The Grand Isle County Sheriff’s Department along with members of South Hero Rescue and the South Hero Volunteer Fire Department responded to the scene. The men, ages 68 and 35, were pronounced dead on scene. The Sheriff’s Department subsequently requested assistance from the Vermont State Police. Initial investigation indicates this was an isolated event involving individuals who knew each other. Everyone involved with this incident is believed to be accounted for at this time. No one is in custody. There is no threat to the public.

Vermont Business Magazine Building Bright Futures (BBF) has announced a new round of grant recipients for the Vermont Early Childhood Fund (VECF), totaling $1.6 million for projects focused on Vermont children and families. Thanks to these grants, awardees in every region of Vermont will be able to pursue important and innovative projects, including: Creating more than 75 early childhood care and education slots across multiple counties; Increasing access to supports for educators, caregivers and parents through behavioral interventionists, family support workers, speech and language pathologists and wraparound services.

Vermont Business Magazine Attorney General Charity Clark today announced Vermont’s participation in a multistate settlement with a coalition of wireless carriers AT&T Mobility, Cricket Wireless, T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless, and TracFone Wireless, Inc. The settlement resolves investigations into deceptive and misleading advertising practices. Vermont will receive $67,237 through this settlement and, nationwide, 50 jurisdictions will receive a total of $10.25 million. The settlement announced today addresses common misleading advertising practices of the Wireless Carriers, including misrepresentations concerning: (1) “unlimited” data advertisements; (2) “free” phone offers; (3) monetary incentives to “switch” wireless networks; and (4) wireless carrier plan comparisons.

Vermont Business Magazine Sarah Waring, State Director for U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development (RD) in Vermont and New Hampshire, announced today that $8,268,380 is being invested in Twin State small businesses. The funding is part of $23,457,926 in program investments throughout the Northeast region, as announced earlier today by USDA Rural Business & Cooperative Service (RBCS) Administrator Betsy Dirksen Londrigan in Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia. The announcements are being made to celebrate Small Business Week and Small Business Day on May 10th.