Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott and Chief Recovery Officer Doug Farnham today announced the appointment of Patricia Moulton as Central Vermont Recovery Officer. This is the latest step in building out the necessary organizational infrastructure to coordinate the long-term recovery process for Vermont following this summer’s historic flooding. The Recovery Office is the state-level entity that is tasked with coordinating funds from the American Rescue Plan Act, Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Inflation Reduction Act programs, alongside hazard mitigation and ongoing community revitalization work, to ensure that activities are in sync across the many government, nonprofit and volunteer efforts already underway or slated for future deployment. 

Vermont State Police On Wednesday night, the Vermont State Police were notified of a tractor trailer in Smugglers' Notch. When Troopers arrived on scene, they located the tractor trailer in the Notch blocking the roadway. The operator of the truck was identified as Shakur Awfarah, 44, who was working for Sagal Transport LLC. Awfarah told Troopers that he was following his GPS and subsequently got stuck while heading north through Smugglers' Notch.

Vermont Business Magazine Opportunities Credit Union (OCU) will offer a Change for Good 6 Month CD to benefit local Vermonters. When customers open this CD, they will earn 2.5% interest and United Way of Northwest Vermont will earn 2.5%, too. United Way brings local people together to work on local solutions to our community’s greatest challenges. In 2023, UWNWVT is investing $6.5 million in local organizations, strategic initiatives, and its own programs.

Vermont Business Magazine The University of Vermont Board of Trustees reviewed and approved a tuition rate package for academic year 2024-25 in a special meeting today. The approved figures include a 3.5 percent increase in tuition for out-of-state students and an extension for Vermonters of the tuition freeze that has been in place since 2019. The university will also make more Vermont households eligible for the UVM Promise by increasing the household income threshold by 25 percent to $75K beginning next fall. The UVM Promise commits university financial aid resources to ensure that admitted students from more than half of Vermont’s households can attend UVM paying zero tuition.

Vermont Business Magazine Following the closure of the Montpelier Post Office, which was caused by the devastating summer flooding in Vermont, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vt.), and Rep. Becca Balint (D-Vt.) on Tuesday sent a letter to Postmaster General Louis DeJoy regarding the unacceptable response by the United States Postal Service (USPS) to serious worker safety concerns – including a lack of heat – and service disruptions.

Vermont Business Magazine Following a bipartisan push led by Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont) and 13 of his Senate colleagues, the Department of Commerce and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announced today the Broadband, Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program would be expanded to be more inclusive to rural communities, allowing a waiver to bypass the burdensome Letter of Credit (LOC) requirement that has prevented Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in rural areas, like in Vermont, from participating in the BEAD program. 

Vermont Business Magazine Since its launch in July, Vermont Public’s car donation partnership with Good News Garage has yielded three vehicles to Vermonters in need. On September 27, the Burlington-based nonprofit Good News Garage awarded a 2009 Nissan Altima donated by a Vermont Public supporter to Warren Royea of Brattleboro. A second car, a 2008 Honda Civic, was awarded on September 29 to a recipient in Rutland.

Vermont Business Magazine Senators Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) today sent a letter to President Biden expressing serious concern about what the invasion and potential occupation of Gaza could mean, both in terms of the long-term security of Israel and the well-being of the Palestinian residents of the territory.

by Mike Donoghue, Vermont News First A 14-year-old Burlington boy has pleaded not guilty in Vermont Superior Court in Middlebury to adult criminal charges in connection with the fatal shooting of a Chittenden County teen in a car outside a Bristol home on Monday night. Hussein S. Mohamed of Burlington denied a felony charge of second-degree murder of Madden Gouveia, 14, of Shelburne during the hearing Tuesday afternoon. Mohamed also denied charges of involuntary manslaughter and aggravated assault by waving around a loaded handgun with three other teens with him in the car.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont’s demographics are changing, with nearly a third of the state’s population now over the age of 60 — a 30% increase over the past decade. This shift presents challenges for how to address the needs of an aging population in a small state. To help ensure Vermont heads into the second half of the 21st Century as a healthy place to live, work, play, and grow older, state officials are asking the public to comment on a new 10-year action plan called Age Strong Vermont.

Vermont Business Magazine The Barre Disaster Recovery Center will close permanently at 6 pm Thursday, November 9. The center is currently open 8 am to 6 pm Monday through Friday (closed Saturday and Sunday). Until it closes, Vermonters can visit the center to get in-person help regarding disaster assistance. Specialists from FEMA and the U.S. Small Business Administration are available to help upload documents, answer questions and guide you through the appeals process.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today announced the appointment of Sarah Clark, of Waterbury, as deputy secretary of the Agency of Administration and Alex Farrell, of South Burlington, as commissioner of the Department of Housing and Community Development. Farrell replaces former commissioner Josh Hanford, who left state government last month, and Clark replaces Doug Farnham, who was appointed Chief Recovery Officer in response to this summer’s floods.