Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Average gasoline prices in Vermont are $3.37 per gallon, unchanged from last week. They're 15 cents/g higher than a month ago and 1 cent/g lower than this time last year. The lowest price in the state is $3.15/g in Rutland, while the highest is $3.59/g in Burlington. The national average price of gasoline is $3.57, up 3 cents/g from last week. The national average is up 21 cents per gallon from a month ago and stands 7 cents per gallon higher than a year ago.

Vermont Business Magazine With spring cleaning underway in some parts of the state, the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) wants to remind Vermonters to follow a few guidelines for on-premise or backyard open burning. DEC in general discourages burning. However, on-premise or backyard burning of brush, deadwood, or tree cuttings collected from normal property maintenance is allowed under the Vermont Air Pollution Control Regulations, as long as no public or private nuisance, such as excessive smoke, is created. DEC asks those who burn to follow their guidelines during backyard burning.

Vermont Business Magazine Today US Integrity (USI), based in Las Vegas, announced a first of its kind co-sponsored initiative to promote Athlete Alert, an anonymous tip line that enables athletes, coaches, trainers, and others to report potential betting improprieties without fear of retribution, with a resounding endorsement, from the Vermont Department of Liquor and Lottery (DLL). Some examples of circumstances that this tip line should be leveraged for includes any participant involved in an athletic contest that is subject to physical threats, harm or emotional abuse catalyzed by gambling-related losses, as well as any integrity-related concern, including but not limited to the misuse of insider information, potential match-fixing, game manipulation or illegal wagering.

Vermont Business Magazine Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont) released the following expanded statement following reports from World Central Kitchen it was deliberately targeted for delivering life-saving food aid to Gaza: “Only weeks ago, I welcomed World Central Kitchen Founder and Chef José Andrés to Capitol Hill for a private briefing with my colleagues, where he discussed the daunting challenges WCK faces in delivering food aid to Gazans in need. The Israeli missile attack that killed seven World Central Kitchen aid workers is more tragic evidence that the way the Netanyahu government is conducting this war is terribly wrong... The U.S. has a responsibility to stop financing the Netanyahu government’s strategy, which has so disproportionately killed civilians, aid workers, and medical personnel, used food as a weapon, and that has no vision to establish a viable, independent Palestinian state alongside the State of Israel.” 

Vermont Business Magazine NASA is awarding approximately $3.7 million to 17 museums, science centers, and other informal education institutions as part of an initiative to ignite STEM excitement. The money will go toward projects that inspire students and their learning support systems to take an active role in the wonder of science, technology, engineering, and math. Projects were selected for NASA's Teams Engaging Affiliated Museums and Informal Institutions (TEAM II) program and TEAM II Community Anchor Awards. Both are funded through NASA's Next Generation STEM project, which supports kindergarten to grade 12 students, caregivers, and formal and informal educators in engaging the Artemis Generation in the agency's missions and discoveries. The selected projects will particularly engage students from underserved communities in a variety of STEM learning opportunities including exhibits, mentorship, educational content, and hands-on activities.

Vermont Business Magazine Central Vermont Economic Development Corporation (CVEDC) announces today that it has been awarded $75,000 through the Vermont Department of Labor’s Work Based Learning & Training Grant to offer a 2024 internship program in coordination with Norwich University. The grant funding will be used to: Supplement intern wages at $20.00 per hour up to 120 hours; and pay gas mileage reimbursement to and from internship sites up to $300. The grant is set up to serve eighty students at Norwich University, ten this Summer and seventy in the Fall.

Vermont Business Magazine The Patrick Leahy Burlington International Airport (Leahy BTV) announced today that its fixed based operator, Heritage Aviation, has reached general aviation (private) aircraft reservation capacity for the Solar Eclipse on Monday, April 8th, 2024. Commercial operations will continue at BTV with the exception for the eclipse totality. There will also be an eclipse viewing celebration at the airport. Nic Longo, Leahy BTV, said, "We are elated with the well-executed advanced preparations that our business partner, Heritage Aviation, has made for Monday’s monumental Solar Eclipse. This is the greatest quantity of traffic the airport has ever experienced in a sign. These advanced preparations are reflective of Heritage Aviation’s continuous professionalism and strong partnership with the Leahy BTV aviation community. This effort has shown our strong collaborative relationships and ability to rely on expertise from a wide range of airport partners including the FAA, Air Traffic Control."

VermontBiz Morrisville Water and Light (MWL) recently filed our intent to surrender our Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) license to generate electricity at the Green River hydro facility. The State of Vermont’s Water Quality Certificate conditions make the economics of the Green River hydro facility unfeasible for the small, not-for-profit utility. Surrendering the license to generate electricity is the first formal step in MWL’s plans to move the Green River Reservoir’s dam operations to the State of Vermont.

VermontBiz Vermont’s “Trophy Trout” stocking program for 2024 includes nine river sections and 37 lakes and ponds receiving the two-year old trout, some over 18 inches long. 

“The Trophy Trout program provides exciting fishing opportunities for anglers of all ages and skill levels,” said Vermont’s Director of Fisheries Eric Palmer.  “Trophy rainbow and brown trout will be stocked in the Black, Winooski, Lamoille, Missisquoi, Walloomsac, and Passumpsic Rivers as well as East and Otter creeks while trophy brook trout will be stocked into the Deerfield River.  Large two-year old brookies and rainbows will also be stocked in many lakes and ponds.”

Trout harvest season opened this year on Saturday, April 13 and will continue through October 31.  There is no length limit and the daily creel limit is two trout for the Trophy Trout stream sections listed below. 

Vermont Business Magazine The Chittenden Solid Waste District has been awarded a grant worth $111,323 by the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to help cover costs for providing facilities and education for the proper disposal of hazardous waste generated by residents and qualifying businesses. The grant is part of a solid waste assistance fund provided by the state to help towns and solid waste planning entities implement their solid waste plans, as required by state law. The grant is awarded annually by the DEC, an arm of the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources. CSWD uses the grant to help fund the District's hazardous waste collection program, which includes the Environmental Depot, a facility located in South Burlington that accepts hazardous waste year-round from households and Chittenden County businesses, and the Rover, a mobile collection program that complements the Depot.

Vermont Business Magazine The Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is seeking applicants for the Environmental Careers and Opportunities (ECO) AmeriCorps program. The program provides ECO AmeriCorps members with opportunities to explore conservation careers and gain technical skills to protect Vermont’s environment. DEC will accept 23 full-time members to serve from September 2024 to August 2025. The deadline to apply is May 10, 2024. Highly motivated individuals with a background in environmental conservation or education, natural or agricultural sciences, environmental studies, engineering, government or policy, communications or outreach, event planning, or other related fields are encouraged to apply.

Vermont Business Magazine It’s almost time for spring turkey hunting in Vermont, and this year’s season is noteworthy because it marks the 51st hunting season since the successful science-based reintroduction of wild turkeys to our state by the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department. Youth and novice turkey hunting weekend is April 27 and 28 this year, and the regular spring turkey season is May 1-31. To hunt turkeys on April 27 and 28, a youth must be 15 or younger and must have completed a hunter education course and possess a hunting license, a turkey hunting license and a free youth turkey hunting tag.