Current News

Northeastern Vermont Development Association (NVDA) is in the process of updating its Regional Plan, a guiding document that outlines a vision for the area and goals to help achieve that vision for the community. The Plan will cover a range of topics, including transportation, housing, energy, recreation, and zoning. Please visit NVDA.net to take our survey and help identify priorities for the NEK and inform the recommendations of the new Regional Plan. 

Vermont Business Magazine An innovative initiative is underway in Vermont, spearheaded by the nonprofit organization Operation Recovery together with the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets; U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants; the dairy farm families of Agri-Mark; Cabot Creamery Cooperative; and Liberty Hill Farm. The Grow America Farm Corps initiative addresses Vermont’s farm labor shortages by fostering dynamic collaboration among local farmers, new Americans, and supporting partners. Farmers with employment opportunities can sign up to match with new Americans seeking agricultural training and mentorship. Grow America Farm Corps partners assist in placing and transitioning participants who gain housing through on-farm living spaces, professional skills development, and community.

by John McClaughry With this column, I am concluding my biweekly commentaries for the Ethan Allen Institute, that stretch back to 1993. Years ago, I learned that I had some marketable abilities in understanding issues, analyzing implications, and explaining things clearly and I hoped persuasively. Accordingly, I embarked on a career that I half-jokingly referred to as “brain rental.” In 1988, after a tour in the Reagan campaign and White House, I was elected to the Vermont Senate, and reelected with 82% of the vote. But after those often frustrating four years, I concluded that maybe I could make a more valuable contribution by launching a nonpartisan think tank to promote “Ideas for Vermont’s Future” built upon the liberal principles of Vermont’s brilliant 1777 Constitution.

Vermont Business Magazine The Southern Vermont Communications Union District (SoVT CUD) has become one of the first CUD’s in the state to reach universal service coverage. Through a partnership with Fidium, SoVT CUD will reach universal service coverage just 13 months after receiving a grant from the Vermont Community Broadband Board in October 2022. Multi-gigabit service is now available to every home and business in its 14-town service area: Arlington, Bennington, Dorset, Landgrove, Londonderry, Manchester, Peru, Pownal, Rupert, Sandgate, Shaftsbury, Sunderland, Winhall and Woodford. In total, more than 33,000 residents, including 2,400 previously unserved, now have access to multi-gig fiber service. 

by Aly Richards, CEO of Let’s Grow Kids “In this second session of what has already been a historic legislative biennium for Vermont’s families, children and our workforce, the Child Care Campaign is laser-focused on supporting policy-leaders in making Act 76 work for all Vermonters. As Speaker Krowinski expressed today, through Act 76, Vermont has established itself as a national leader in child care, and that’s something we can all be proud of. More work is needed to ensure successful implementation of this new child care law, as well as to make the continued investments necessary to fully fund this groundbreaking new legislation and the system overall."

Vermont Business Magazine As the Vermont Legislature convenes today, the Vermont Ophthalmological Society (VOS) is raising the alarm about an expected push from the optometry lobby to allow optometrists to perform sensitive and complicated eye surgeries, such as laser surgery. All ophthalmologists are physicians (medical doctors) and surgeons. They attend four years of medical school and complete a four-year supervised, hands-on surgical residency program. Optometrists complete a four-year optometry program with no required further training and are not medical doctors or surgeons.   

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott and Treasurer Mike Pieciak today announced a joint effort to develop a comprehensive Resilience Implementation Strategy by July 1, 2025. This timing will coincide with an update to Vermont’s Climate Action Plan, enabling a more coordinated and balanced approach to addressing both the mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions and accelerate efforts to adapt to the consequences of climate change.

Vermont Republican Party It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of yet another longtime Republican activist and 2022 State Senate Candidate Lloyd Dike of Bristol. Chair Paul Dame said: "I personally had the pleasure to know Lloyd and work with him over the past few years. He was a man filled with the energy and hope that is lacking in many men half his age. His persistent optimism and earnest desire to make his community better is something he will always be fondly remembered for and for which he will be dearly missed.

Vermont Business Magazine Community members throughout the Central Vermont region are encouraged to attend the upcoming Youth Opportunity Regional Forum on January 9, 2024, from 5:30-7pm in the cafeteria of the Northfield Middle and High School to discuss how we can improve opportunities for youth in our communities.  The forum will be co-facilitated by a local youth facilitator and the Vermont Council on Rural Development. Free pizza and desserts will be served so that participants can join right after school or work. So far, five regional forums have taken place across the state along with several interviews with various affinity groups. The Central VT forum was originally scheduled for July 1 2023 at the Kellogg-Hubbard Library, but was canceled due to the historic flooding. 

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles is informing Vermonters of recent upgrades to their online services include changes to the web address for registration renewal. The URL "dmvexpress.vermont.gov" has been retired, and they urge anyone with this bookmarked to update it immediately to the new address, "mydmv.vermont.gov." Staying vigilant is crucial, especially in the digital age where scams are prevalent. Please be cautious of third-party websites pretending to be the DMV. Do not automatically trust the top search results when looking for DMV services. 

Vermont Business Magazine One of the standout features of Act 41 (signed into law in June) is the elimination of the license plate validation sticker. Say goodbye to the tedious task of affixing those stickers on your license plates. Act 41 also ushers in a new era of convenience by allowing vehicle operators to present proof of registration electronically on a portable electronic device. This means you can now show up-to-date registration with a tap on your smartphone or other mobile devices.

Vermont Business Magazine The IRS has announced the standard mileage rate for 2024: 67 cents per mile, up 1.5 cents from 65.5 cents in 2023. Issued in Notice 2024-8, on Dec. 14, 2023, it covers the business use of a vehicle (cars, vans, pickups, and panel trucks) and will come into effect Jan. 1, 2024.