Current News

Vermont Business Magazine On Friday, Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont) will join broadband leaders from across Vermont at Burlington City Hall to discuss the introduction of the bipartisan, bicameral Affordable Connectivity Program Extension Act, which will provide $7 billion for the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). This program helps provide affordable high-speed internet to qualifying households in Vermont and across the America. The program, which is administered by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is projected to run out of funding by April without action by Congress. Since its implementation, 22.5 million households–including over 25,000 Vermont households–have utilized the program’s monthly discount of up to $30 for internet service, and up to $75 monthly for those living on Tribal lands. 

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Community Broadband Board (VCBB) invites proposals from eligible internet service providers to take part in the new Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Subrecipient Support Program, which provides funds to promote the ability of various entities to participate in the BEAD Program. The program provides needs-based grants to assist in preparing a BEAD application. Awards range from $10,000-$200,000 to be used for planning, analysis, stakeholder engagement, collaboration, and short-term capacity necessary to plan and draft an application to the BEAD program. Municipalities, municipal organizations, co-ops, utilities, for-profit entities, nonprofit entities, or other consortiums are all eligible.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation (FPR) is beginning an innovative project in the Camel’s Hump Management Unit, as outlined in the 2021 Long-Range Management Plan. This project underscores FPR’s commitment to sustainable and adaptive forest management and is designed to demonstrate an important approach in increasing forest resilience to climate change and invasive pests. Collaborating with the University of Vermont (UVM) and the Northern Institute of Applied Climate Science, this project is part of a series of forest adaptation experiments being implemented across the Northeast. 

Vermont Business Magazine Attorney General Charity Clark today announced highlights from the Office’s Environmental Protection Unit during her first year in office. Including, in June 2023, the Attorney General’s Office filed a lawsuit against Monsanto to protect and restore Vermont’s natural resources and schools affected by PCB contamination. The lawsuit seeks recovery for PCB contamination in schools on a statewide basis and is the first of its kind in the nation. The lawsuit is in Chittenden Superior Court and Monsanto’s response to the Complaint is due on January 12, 2024. Separately, in November the Attorney General asked for a stay of an overlapping federal case until the State’s case is resolved.

Vermont Business Magazine Peter Watson, 49, of South Hero, VT is the lucky winner of the 2023 Vermont Lifetime Hunting and Fishing License Lottery. Watson will be entitled to hunt and fish in Vermont for free for the rest of his life. He was drawn as the winner from among 18,425 Lifetime License Lottery tickets purchased in 2023. The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department holds the drawing annually. This year’s sales of the $2 tickets brought net sales of $36,551 to the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department.  These state dollars can be leveraged with federal funds to produce more than $109,500 to support the department’s mission to conserve fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats.

Vermont Business Magazine The annual Yankee Sportsman’s Classic show will be held January 19, 20 and 21 at the Champlain Valley Expo in Essex Junction, and the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department is inviting you to visit their exhibits and attend their seminars at the show. Show hours are Noon to 6 p.m. on Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday.

Vermont Business Magazine Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) on Wednesday spoke on the floor of the US Senate about the horrific humanitarian disaster in Gaza and what Congress should do about it. He also announced his intention to bring his 502B(c) resolution – that would require the State Department to provide any credible information on potential human rights violations in the Israeli campaign – to the floor for a vote next week.

Vermont State Police A 70-year-old woman sustained significant injuries when a structure on her property collapsed on her while she and her husband were working on it Wednesday morning in Dummerston. The collapse occurred at about 10:35 a.m. on Old Ferry Road as the couple worked to dismantle a house trailer on their property. The roof gave way, and the victim was trapped under the debris. Multiple Vermont State Police troopers arrived on scene within minutes of a 911 call placed by the victim’s husband. 

Vermont Business Magazine Thursday, January 11 at 11 am the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD), along with the Tax Department, and the Department for Children and Families will hold a virtual presentation to highlight the Scott Administration’s housing reform priorities to revitalize communities and increase housing stock. There will also be an update on current collaborative efforts with the legislature to enact these reforms and proposals.

Vermont Business Magazine The Community College of Vermont (CCV) is pleased to announce that its St. Johnsbury campus is moving to the Fairbanks Museum & Planetarium. The move comes as part of the museum’s much-anticipated expansion, begun in 2022, which features the creation of its new Tang Science Annex. As Vermont’s second-largest college, CCV serves more than 10,000 students each year at its 12 statewide academic centers and online. The St. Johnsbury campus has been located on Main Street since 1995. Select courses, as well as advising, financial aid counseling, and other services will be available in person at the new location beginning in late January.

Vermont Department of Public Safety On January 10, 2024, at approximately 9:34 AM the Orleans Fire Department was dispatched to a structure fire at a multi-family apartment building located at 46 High Street in Barton, VT. When fire crews arrived, they discovered heavy smoke emitting from a first-floor window. Defensive firefighting actions were taken, the fire was extinguished and contained to a single room in a downstairs apartment. The cause of the fire is under investigation and is believed to be accidental. The circumstances surrounding the fire do not appear to be the result of a criminal act. 

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing (VDTM) announced today that 12 partner organizations were approved for grant funding from the inaugural Grants for Relocation Outreach Work (GROW) program. The grants support local, regional, county-wide, or state-wide organizations conducting new resident relocation, recruitment, and retention activities. There are two types of GROW grants, the Regional Relocation Network Track and the Outreach Track. Some awardees are receiving grants from both tracks.