Current News

Vermont Business Magazine The United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that Jennifer Stocker, 46, of New Haven, Vermont was sentenced on Friday, March 8, 2024, in United States District Court in Burlington for making false statements to a credit union on an application for a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan, and for violating conditions of probation related to Stocker’s 2018 false statements conviction. Chief U.S. District Judge Geoffrey W. Crawford sentenced Stocker to a four-month term of imprisonment for the PPP loan offense, and a consecutive 30-day term of imprisonment for the violation of conditions of probation. After she is released from custody, Stocker will be subject to a three-year term of supervised release. 

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Community Broadband Board (VCBB) will kick off Vermont’s state-led Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) challenge process on March 18, 2024. The challenge process will permit local government, nonprofit organizations, and broadband service providers to challenge the service availability at Broadband Serviceable Locations (BSLs) from the FCC's National Broadband Map and Community Anchor Institutions identified by the VCBB. These challenges will determine VCBB’s final list of BSLs that are eligible for BEAD funding. Challenges must be based on whether the BEAD map correctly shows if BSLs are served, underserved, or unserved for purposes of BEAD, not whether a BSL appears or does not appear on the BEAD map.

Vermont Business Magazine During the spring fish spawning season, the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) wants to remind Vermonters that permitted lake encroachment construction projects on public lakes and ponds are typically not allowed from March 15 to July 1. Examples of projects that are not allowed during this period include adding rock or other material to the water for shoreline stabilization (such as riprap or seawalls), boathouse reconstruction, dredging, or other projects that disturb the lakebed. If you have not finished your project before spawning season, you must stabilize the area. You must also make plans to finish the work after July 1 when spawning season ends.

Vermont Business Magazine Today, the Vermont Department of Labor reported today that the January 2024 unemployment rate for January was 2.3 percent. This reflects no change from December’s revised estimate. The comparable United States rate in January was 3.7 percent, which also was unchanged from the revised December estimate. The monthly and annual data show strong growth in the labor force and employment, while job losses were relatively minimal. The seasonally adjusted data for January reported an increase of 2,000 jobs from the revised December data. There was an increase of 3,600 jobs between the preliminary and the revised December estimates due to the inclusion of more data. Wholesale Trade (+200 jobs or +2.3%), Accommodation & Food Services (+500 jobs or +1.7%), and Administrative & Waste Services (+200 jobs or +1.5%) showed notable increases. The industry with a notable decrease was Private Educational Services (-200 jobs or -1.6%). 

Vermont State Police Giancarlo DiGenova, 45, of Essex, a former trooper with the Vermont State Police, has been cited on an additional charge related to the theft of personal property from a secure storage room at the Williston Barracks. The state police investigation into this additional incident began in late January as troopers were moving into the new VSP Barracks in Williston. As part of the move, troopers were transferring items of personal property that had been taken from individuals upon their arrest and were being kept in secure storage at the barracks. Troopers discovered that a gold necklace with a diamond-dust pendant was missing. The estimated value of the necklace was $375.

Vermont Business Magazine Former Saint Michael's College President Paul J. Reiss died on February 28 in his hometown of Lake Placid, NY. Reiss served as president of the Colchester Catholic liberal arts college from 1985 to 1996. He oversaw a dramatic construction phase and a re-emphasis on the college's Christian mission. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Saturday, March 16th at 10:00 AM at Saint Agnes Church, Hillcrest Ave., Lake Placid, NY. He was 93. 

Vermont Business Magazine Average gasoline prices in Vermont are $3.24/g, up 2.2 cents per gallon from last week's $3.22/g. The lowest price in the state yesterday was $3.05/g while the highest was $3.44/g, a difference of 39.0 cents per gallon. The national average price of gasoline has risen 6.2 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.40/g today. 

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Corrections today announced the death of Sean Osterhout, an incarcerated individual at Tallahatchie County Correctional Facility (TCCF). Sean Osterhout, 43, of Barre, Vermont, was found unresponsive in his cell at 2:06am (CT) on March 9. TCCF staff immediately began life-saving measures and called for emergency medical services (EMS). Life-saving efforts, including CPR, were unsuccessful. EMS pronounced Mr. Osterhout deceased at 2:38am.

Northeastern Vermont Development Association Join NVDA, Northern Counties Health Care and NEK Collaborative for an online Health Equity in Municipal Planning listening and sharing zoom event March 12. This is part of a series of focus groups being planned throughout the Kingdom to ensure everyone has a fair and just opportunity to attain their highest level of health. A grant from the Vermont Department of Health enabled the Regional Planning Commissions, including NVDA, working together in collaboration with health partners, to draft a Health Equity Toolkit. Health Equity is achieved when everyone has a fair and just opportunity to attain their highest level of health. This Toolkit serves as a guide for communities to introduce the concept of health equity and incorporate it into municipal planning documents and bylaws.

Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets In 2012, the Vermont Legislature passed Act 142, creating the Vermont Working Lands Enterprise Initiative and the structure for investment of state dollars into agricultural and forestry-based businesses. Over the ensuing eleven years, the Working Lands Enterprise Initiative (WLEI) has invested $15.6 million in 446 farm, food, and forestry projects and leveraged an additional $24.6M in matching funds. These projects have created 540 new jobs, impacted 24,985 acres, and generated $92M in sales. To celebrate these investments and the resulting impacts, the WLEI Board has released the latest Impact Report detailing the significant outcomes from the 11 years of the program.  The report contains specific results of the funding in fiscal year 2023, including special funds allocated to the program from the American Rescue Plan Act.

Vermont State Police On Saturday afternoon, Vermont State Police were dispatched to a single motor vehicle crash on I-91 South near mile marker 118 in the Town of Barnet. State Police Dispatch reported the vehicle left the roadway, hit a tree and rolled over. Preliminary investigation revealed the vehicle for unknown reasons left the west side of the roadway struck a large tree and overturned. Two people were found deceased in the vehicle and two others made it out of the vehicle. One was transported by ambulance to Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital and the other was transported to Dartmouth Hitchcock. Occupants of the vehicle were not wearing seatbelts and it is still under investigation as to who was operating the vehicle at the time of the crash.

by Holly Sullivan, Community News Service The Senate Committee on Education is revising a bill that aims to improve Vermont’s literacy rate — a number that’s been steadily declining for years. The changes address problems prompted by education officials who said the bill’s language is too limiting and would present problems for schools required to implement them. If screenings revealed a potential reading deficiency in a student, S.204 would require all public and approved independent schools to provide literacy screenings and interventions approved by the Agency of Education. The bill is an attempt to support struggling readers early in their education.