Current News

Vermont State Police and Department for Children and Families began an investigation on 4-9-2022 after mandated reporters notified police/DCF that Robert J. Beaulieu SR was suspected of sexual contact with adolescent female family/household members.  After an investigation and identification of 3 victims, Beaulieu SR. was arrested and charged with the above offense and was flash cited to appear in Rutland Criminal Court on 4-26-2024. 

by Holly Sullivan, Community News Service Ever whizzed through a work zone when it seems no one is looking? Even with no cops around, your speeding could get you a ticket if a bill this session becomes law. S.184 would put automated law enforcement cameras in work zones on Vermont’s limited-access highways, such as Interstates 89 and 91, where speeds are higher and drivers can be more reckless. The camera rigs can read speeds, and if one catches you driving more than 10 mph over the limit, it takes a photo of your license plate. Within 30 days, you’ll get a ticket in the mail. The first violation would yield only a warning, but if you’re caught again, you’d be charged $80. A third offense and onward comes with a $160 fine. The bill says cameras would only be on while crews are out in the work zone. Lawmakers are framing S.184 — now in the House after passing the Senate last month — as a 16- to18-month pilot program. Over that span, officials would track how the public responds to automated law enforcement, as well as its impact on road safety. 

Vermont Business Magazine Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak, Chief Administrative Officer Katherine Schad, and city department heads recently held a press conference to discuss the FY25 budget. The estimated deficit has increased from $9M to approximately $13M. The city is committed to delivering an affordable, sustainable budget that meets the city’s needs. Efforts to close the gap include identifying efficiencies, adjusting staffing figures to reflect current hiring challenges, and reviewing programs created with one-time funds. The mayor emphasized a commitment to transparency with City staff, union leaders, City Councilors, and Burlington residents as FY25 budget planning continues. 

by Holly Sullivan, Community News Service After high levels of the toxins known as PCBs permanently shut down Burlington High School, Vermont mandated all schools built or renovated before 1980 to conduct indoor air quality tests. The Agency of Education, and schools themselves, were on the hook to pay for it. H.873, a bill passed by the House and now in the Senate, would shift both responsibilities to PCB manufacturers first. The bill says companies that distribute PCBs must pay for the testing and removal of the chemicals in Vermont’s schools. But the bill has a caveat that’s triggered debate in the capitol: If a company doesn’t have enough money to pay, the state will pick up the slack through the education fund. And if money set aside for testing and removal dips below $4 million, testing will pause entirely.

Vermont Business Magazine Casella Waste Systems, Inc (NASDAQ: CWST), a regional solid waste, recycling and resource management services company, today reported its financial results for the three-month period ended March 31, 2024. Highlights for the Three Months Ended March 31, 2024: Revenues were $341.0 million for the quarter, up $78.4 million, or up 29.9%, from the same period in 2023; Overall solid waste pricing was up 5.5% from the same period in 2023, driven by 6.2% collection price growth and 4.0% disposal price growth; Net loss was $(4.1) million for the quarter, as compared to net income of $3.5 million for the same period in 2023; and Adjusted EBITDA, a non-GAAP measure, was $71.0 million for the quarter, up $20.4 million, or up 40.2%, from the same period in 2023.

Vermont Business Magazine The U.S Small Business Administration (SBA) announced LaunchVT as a Stage One winner for the 2024 Growth Accelerator Fund Competition (GAFC). LaunchVT will receive a $50,000 cash prize for its impactful and inclusive approach to nurturing a collaborative national innovation ecosystem to advance small business research and development (R&D) from ideas to the market. By fostering connections between entrepreneurs, mentors, partners, philanthropies, corporations, investors, and other shared resources, GAFC 2024 catalyzes strategic ecosystem partnerships to build community and organizational capacity for the successful launch, growth, and scale of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)-based entrepreneurs. 

Vermont Business Magazine Average gasoline prices in Vermont are $3.63 per gallon, up 7 cents per gallon from last week, up 26 cents/g from last month and down 7 cents/g from last year. The lowest price in the state is $3.20/g in Middlebury while the highest is $3.79/g in Wolcott. The national average price of gasoline fell 4 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.63/g today. The national average is up 10 cents per gallon from a month ago and stands 1 cent per gallon higher than a year ago. Overall, prices are expected to stabilize.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermonters are invited to participate in a collaborative effort to clean up sections of the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail (LVRT) damaged during last summer’s floods. The work will take place on Vermont’s Green Up Day, Saturday, May 4. The LVRT efforts are being led by the Northern Forest Canoe Trail (NFCT), the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail Committee and the Lamoille River Paddlers Trail, in partnership with Green Up Vermont. Staff and volunteers will focus on town-specific sections of the LVRT: Cambridge, Johnson, Hyde Park, Morrisville, Wolcott and Hardwick. 

Vermont Business Magazine Treasurer Mike Pieciak announced today that he will run for a second term as Vermont State Treasurer. “It is an honor to serve as State Treasurer, and I hope Vermonters will again put their trust in me for another term,” Pieciak said. “I ran for State Treasurer because I care deeply about the future of our state, and our success begins and ends with the economic strength of every Vermonter. I am proud that we have continued building on the work of my predecessor, Beth Pearce.” Pieciak won his first term with 66% of the vote following former Treasurer Beth Pearce’s retirement in 2022. He and Beth Pearce will join supporters on Thursday evening at 5pm for a reelection kick-off event at the Capitol Plaza in Montpelier. 

Vermont Business Magazine Sarah Waring, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) State Director for Rural Development (RD), today announced $1,000,000 in technical assistance funding for Vermont communities to build financial, operational and managerial expertise following a disaster. The Vermont League of Cities and Towns (VCLT) and the State of Vermont, through a cooperative agreement with RD, will support municipalities with direct one-on-one technical assistance in times of need, including resources and curriculum to apply for and implement available federal funds. Made possible through RD’s Disaster Assistance Fund, this pilot program will provide critically needed skills for long-term economic recovery and resilience, and follows on the historic Biden-Harris Administration legislation with the same focus: the Infrastructure Recovery Act (IRA), the Coronavirus Aid, Recovery and Economic Security Act (CARES), the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). 

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets (VAAFM) announces eleven grantees from a new competitive round of funding within the Local Food Purchase Assistance (LFPA) program, referred to as LFPA Plus. Approximately $400,000 will be awarded to eleven organizations that have diverse projects to purchase from socially disadvantaged Vermont farmers and producers and distribute to underserved community members across the state. Projects will focus on increasing equity and cultivating new relationships between local growers and entities providing food to their neighbors. Some projects will involve continuation and/or expansion of previously funded LFPA projects. Projects will begin this spring and run for one year across 11 Vermont counties.

Vermont Business Magazine Today, the Biden administration finalized federal carbon pollution standards for new gas-fired power plants and – for the first time ever – existing coal-fired plants. These critically needed standards will slash carbon pollution and improve air quality for families and communities across the country. In March, the announced retirements of New England’s last coal-burning units marked the beginning of the end for coal in the region. However, the new carbon pollution standards announced today will serve as an additional hurdle for future gas projects, including Enbridge’s much-disputed, state-crossing Project Maple proposal gas pipeline. Notably, as action is taken to clean up new and existing fossil fuel plants, regional clean energy sources – especially New England's abundant offshore wind resources – are continuing to build momentum.