Current News

Vermont State Police The Vermont Chief Medical Examiner’s Office in Burlington on Friday completed its physical examination of the body of Stephen Nuciolo Sr, 44, who was found deceased Wednesday morning inside his home in Bridport. The cause and manner of his death are listed as pending further investigation. The Vermont State Police Crime Scene Search Team processed the Swinton Road home overnight, and police have subsequently released the scene. Following an examination Thursday, Jan. 25, the medical examiner informed the state police that the death appears suspicious.

Vermont Business Magazine The following statement can be attributed to Frank Knaack, executive director of the Housing & Homelessness Alliance of Vermont, regarding the vote by the House today on the Budget Adjustment Act to include funds to continue to house all cohorts currently housed under the General Assistance Emergency Housing program. "With today's vote in the House, Vermont is one step closer to ensuring that people currently housed through its general assistance emergency housing program can maintain safe and secure housing."

Vermont Manufacturing Extension Center Are you prepared for an unannounced OSHA inspection? Find out what you need to know with our upcoming webinar, OSHA Compliance 101: What to Expect During an OSHA Inspection, on February 21. Learn about inspection processes, rights and responsibilities, preparation strategies, navigating inspections, understanding violations and penalties, and post-inspection steps. Benefit from expert guidance, actionable tactics, and networking opportunities. Empower your workplace with knowledge and turn compliance into a competitive edge.

Vermont Business Magazine A new report from the American Lung Association urges Vermont lawmakers to focus on funding tobacco prevention programs as well as ending the sale of flavored tobacco products to reduce the burden of tobacco use in the state. The 2024 “State of Tobacco Control” report evaluates state and federal policies on actions taken to eliminate tobacco use and recommends proven-effective tobacco control laws and policies to save lives. Vermont received a less that perfect report card, with two F grades, one B grade and two A grades for policies to improve statewide efforts to prevent and reduce tobacco use.

Vermont State Police An autopsy was completed Thursday, Jan. 25, 2024, at the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office in Burlington. The victim is identified as Christina Chatlos, 38, of Williamstown and Barre. The medical examiner determined the cause of her death was a gunshot wound to the torso, and the manner of death is a homicide. The Vermont State Police investigation is continuing. 

Vermont Business Magazine Colleges and universities can now participate in the Vermont Campus Voting Challenge, a new nonpartisan initiative announced today by Vermont’s Secretary of State Sarah Copeland Hanzas, in partnership with the nonpartisan nonprofit the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge. All higher education institutions in Vermont are invited to be a part of the Challenge. Participating colleges and universities will be eligible for awards based on achieving their campus goals for the November 5, 2024, election. 

Vermont Business Magazine Average gasoline prices in Vermont are $3.15 per gallon, down 4 cents per gallon from last week, down 15 cents/g from last month and 39 cents/g from this time last year, according to GasBuddy. The lowest price in the state yesterday was $2.79/g in Brattleboro, while the highest was $3.40/g in Lyndonville. The national average price of gasoline increased 1 cent per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.10/g today. The national average price of diesel has fallen 2.1 cents in the last week and stands at $3.87 per gallon.

Vermont Business Magazine The Department of Environment Conservation (DEC) has released the Vermont Clean Water Initiative 2023 Performance Report. It highlights water quality progress achieved through public investment. By investing $420 million in clean water over the past eight years, the State has cut pollution going into Vermont’s waters. In the report, DEC details progress to reduce phosphorus pollution in Lakes Champlain and Memphremagog. Excess phosphorus can cause toxic cyanobacteria blooms that impact recreation and aquatic life. To restore water quality, it is key to cut phosphorus. Since the passage of Vermont’s Clean Water Act in 2015, Vermont has created and expanded a number of regulatory and incentive-based programs to drive implementation of clean water projects. Together, these projects have kept about 94,580 pounds of phosphorus out of Lake Champlain. This is 20% of the total reduction needed to restore the lake’s water quality. 

Vermont Business Magazine Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont) Wednesday celebrated the announcement of $3.7 million in grants from U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to seven clean energy projects across Vermont. The investments are funded through USDA’s Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) and will work to reduce energy costs, increase revenue, boost job opportunities in rural communities, and bolster competition for U.S. farmers and agricultural producers. 

Vermont Business Magazine Pioneer Power Solutions, Inc (Nasdaq: PPSI), a leader in the design, manufacture, service and integration of electrical power systems, distributed energy resources, power generation equipment and mobile electric vehicle (EV) charging solutions, today announced that it is launching its first zero-emission platforms. Developed in partnership with NOMAD Transportable Power Solutions, Inc, the leading domestic manufacturer of zero-emission, utility-scale mobile energy storage, Pioneer’s Zero Emission e-Boost (“ZEeB”) and EXZELCR platforms set a new bar in meeting the growing demand for low-carbon, mobile, e-Boost solutions with grid-gap solutions.

Vermont Business Magazine US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development State Director for Vermont and New Hampshire, Sarah Waring, today announced $951,197 in Technical Assistance Grants (TAGs) to help rural small businesses and agricultural producers apply for funding through the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP). As directed by the Biden-Harris Administration, REAP, which increases energy efficiency and decreases costs for thousands of rural U.S. businesses each year, received $1.05 billion through the end of fiscal year 2024 under the bipartisan Inflation Reduction Act, and doubled its maximum project funding levels. On Monday, the Agency announced more than $5.1 million in REAP grant funding throughout the Twin States. This includes: Farm Credit East - $200,000; Pecos Wind Energy – Two REAP TAGs, $152,050 each; and Ecology Action - $100,027.

Vermont Business Magazine This winter, the Clean Water Initiative Program (CWIP) at the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is launching the 2024 Clean Water Conversation Series. These monthly webinars are free and open to the public. The series spotlights the collaborative endeavors of the state and its partners aimed at enhancing Vermont’s water quality. “The Clean Water Conversation Series is a great opportunity for the public to learn about the long-term statewide efforts to meet Vermont’s clean water goals,” said DEC Commissioner Jason Batchelder. “This year’s series highlights how our clean water efforts support the state’s flood and climate priorities." DEC will host three talks this winter and announce the rest of the series in the spring.