Current News

Department of Economic Development Flood relief continues to be top of mind at the Department of Economic Development (DED).  We are working diligently to review Business Emergency Gap Assistance Program (BEGAP) applications.  That $20 million dollar grant program is to help Vermont businesses and nonprofits that suffered physical damage in the July flooding. As a reminder, landlords are eligible for BEGAP grants to fix up rental units. To date, DED has received 441 completed BEGAP applications. Half have been approved; the other half are in the queue. $4.4 million has been awarded so far with an average grant of $19,971. There is still funding left, so if you know an organization that could use the help, please send them our way.

Vermont Business Magazine Effective September 16, Disaster Recovery Centers across Vermont will be open from 9 am to 2 pm on Saturdays. The centers will continue to operate from 8 am to 6 pm Monday to Friday until further notice. If you were affected by Vermont’s July 7-17 storms, visit a center to get in-person help from FEMA and the U.S. Small Business Administration. Specialists can help you apply for assistance, answer questions and provide referrals to resources.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Labor is thrilled to kick off Fall Job Fest, a collaborative effort with key partners across Vermont to provide six, in-person hiring events throughout September and October. The first two are September 14 in Rutland and September 15 in Lyndon Center.

Vermont Business Magazine The Attorney General’s Office announced that Caleb Cox, 32, of Bennington, Vermont, was arraigned today on nine felony counts of Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material. The charges brought against Mr. Cox are the result of a criminal investigation, including the execution of residential and online data search warrants, conducted by the Vermont Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (VT-ICAC), including personnel from the Attorney General’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations, Vermont State Police, and with the assistance of the Bennington Police Department, Manchester Police Department, Wilmington Police Department, and Bennington County Sheriff’s Department.

Vermont Business Magazine Today, Senator Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), Chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, along with 33 fellow Senators, and 78 colleagues in the House of Representatives, introduced the Child Care Stabilization Act to extend vital federal child care stabilization funding – which is set to expire at the end of this month – and ensure that child care providers can keep their doors open and continue serving children and families in every part of the country.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Health has released the state’s first Suicide Data Linkage Report, an in-depth look at how people who died by suicide interacted with state agencies and other organizations during their life, and where improvements to the state’s prevention efforts can be made. The Suicide Data Linkage Report examines data related to the 246 Vermont residents who died by suicide in 2020 and 2021. The report found that 45% of people who died by suicide experienced a crisis within two weeks of their death. 

Vermont Business Magazine The Lamoille Valley Rail Trail (LVRT) was announced today as a finalist to compete for two America’s Transportation Awards given annually by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). The LVRT will compete against 11 other transportation projects from around the country for the two top honors: the Grand Prize (determined by a panel of judges) and the People’s Choice Award. Also, AOT will reopen an additional 23.2 miles of that middle section this Saturday at 7 a.m. At that time, the LVRT will be fully open from Swanton to Wolcott and from Walden to St. Johnsbury. About 73 miles of the 93 LVRT will now be open.

Vermont Business Magazine State Treasurer Mike Pieciak joined Governor Scott and state housing leaders to announce $55.5 million in housing investments from the Treasurer’s Office’s ”10% in Vermont” local investment program. The Treasurer’s Office awarded $50 million to the Vermont Housing Finance Agency (VHFA), $5 million to the Vermont Economic Development Authority (VEDA), and $500,000 to the Northern Forest Center. It’s the largest housing investment ever made under the “10% in Vermont” program. It will leverage an estimated $340 million in additional capital to support the construction of over 1,100 housing units.  

Vermont Business Magazine A Brattleboro Rotary Club Gateway Foundation scholarship awarded to a Community College of Vermont (CCV) student each year aims to address the shortage of child care workers in Windham County. CCV-Brattleboro student Rheanna Pare received this year’s $2,500 Jesse M. Corum IV Scholarship. CCV is deeply embedded in Vermont’s early childhood education system, providing the educational foundation for students pursuing careers in the field through its childcare certificate and early childhood education associate degree. The College is also home to Northern Lights at CCV, the hub of the professional development system for Vermont’s early childhood and afterschool workforce. 

Vermont Business Magazine A new state incentive program, the Vermont Farmer Ecosystem Stewardship Program, has recently paid $150,000 to 30 Vermont farms to compensate them for their ongoing participation in the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA NRCS) Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP). This incentive from the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets will continue to be available for new CSP applicants this fall, but funding is limited. The state incentive is designed to provide upfront incentive payments and technical assistance to increase the number of farms who enroll in CSP. Each farmer will receive between $2,000 and $9,500 in state incentives, depending on their level of engagement. 

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Arts Council announces over $300,000 in Cultural Facilities Grants to 19 Vermont arts and community organizations, providing critical funds to enhance, create, or expand the capacity of existing buildings that offer cultural activities for the public. Each year, the Cultural Facilities Grant Program supports grants of up to $30,000 in capital improvements to town halls, theaters, library buildings, museums, community centers, and other public spaces where Vermonters gather for arts and cultural activities. 

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Emergency Eats (VEE) continues to distribute meals to flood-impacted Vermonters through September and October in areas of the state where the need continues. Thanks to an extension authorized by the state, the Vermont Emergency Eats program, which was originally set for 30 days, will continue for up to 90 days in areas hardest hit by the recent flooding. Based on the COVID-era Vermont Everyone Eats program, this new short-term emergency program is the result of a joint effort between the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development (ACCD), and Southeastern Vermont Community Action (SEVCA).