Current News

Vermont Business Magazine In 2021 Vermont River Conservancy (VRC) received Clean Water Funding from the Agency of Natural Resources, Department of Environmental Conservation to develop a river corridor and wetland conservation easement in Manchester along the Battenkill River. The purpose of a river corridor conservation easement is to allow our rivers space to move and shift and access their floodplains during flood events. VRC initiated conversations in and negotiated a purchase and sale agreement with the Trustees of Cecelia Johnson Agricultural Land Trust to protect and enhance over 42 acres of riparian and wetland areas within the Battenkill River Watershed. 

Vermont Business Magazine I Heart Mac & Cheese (www.iheartmacandcheese.com) is pleased to announce today that its first St. Albans location will open on Wednesday, September 13, 2023, at 133 Main Street, St. Albans, VT 05478 next store to Feldman’s Bagels at 11 AM. The first 25 paying customers will win Free Mac & Cheese Bowl for a year! 

VermontBiz Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, on Friday issued the following statement after the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced a change in the department’s contract with Regeneron to guarantee that the company’s COVID-19 treatment must be reasonably priced: 

I welcome the Biden Administration’s announcement today that if Regeneron, through a $326 million contract recently signed with HHS, successfully develops a next generation monoclonal antibody for COVID-19 prevention, the list price of this drug must be equal to or lower than the price in other major countries.

VermontBiz The Vermont Kindness Project, with support from the Vermont Department of Health and Mosaic Vermont, is hosting five free public wellness events entitled, “Returning Home to Ourselves,” in September and October. The events are hosted by Kimberly Pierce, a trauma-trained medical provider who has been translating the neuroscience of trauma and resilience into accessible care for more than a decade. These events aim to support community understanding of how addressing childhood trauma and creating environments that encourage Radical Love can offer us a different way of being. 

VermontBiz The Agency of Education (AOE) updated the Annual Snapshot today. The snapshot is an online tool that shows quantitative data about Vermont schools and helps foster collaboration between school systems and their local communities. The Annual Snapshot reports a school’s current performance, improvement over the past year and success in achieving an equitable education for all students. The Annual Snapshot can be found at schoolsnapshot.vermont.gov. 

VermontBiz The need for specialized legal services is both urgent and essential for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. These services provide interventions, such as securing restraining or protective orders, that are crucial for survivor safety. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont is proud to announce that the Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) awarded $1,350,000 to Vermont organizations that provide legal services and improve the effective coordination of justice systems impacting survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking. 

VermontBiz The Vermont Department of Labor began issuing Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) payments to eligible individuals on Thursday, September 7, 2023.  

As of Thursday, September 7, 128 DUA applications had been filed, and payments were being processed for individuals who had submitted the required program documentation and certified with the Department that their employment had been impacted due to the July flooding, as required by federal regulation.  

Vermont Business Magazine Fitch Ratings has assigned a 'AA+' rating to the following Vermont Housing Finance Agency (VHFA) multiple purpose bonds: --$15.0 million 2023 series E (Non-AMT) (Social Bonds); --$7.5 million 2023 series F (Federally Taxable); --$8.945 million 2023 series G (Non-AMT) (Social Bonds). Fitch has also affirmed the 'AA+' rating on approximately $241.2 million (as of July 31, 2023) in multiple purpose bonds outstanding parity debt. The Rating Outlook is Stable. The 'AA+' rating reflects the continued strengthening of the program's asset quality, as indicated in the growing percentage of the mortgage-backed securities (MBS) portion of the portfolio; the program's continued financial strength demonstrated by the FY 2022 results and cash flow asset parity levels; and the low percentage (3%) of variable rate debt exposure. VHFA expects to finance single-family new issuance through the purchase of MBS going forward, which will lead to a continued increase in the portfolio's MBS composition.

Vermont Business Magazine Calling all advocates for worker power! The Vermont AFL-CIO is thrilled to announce its annual State Labor Council Convention, set to take place on September 9th and 10th, 2023, at Jay Peak Resort in Jay, Vermont. This convention promises to be the largest Labor Council Convention yet, bringing together union members, labor leaders, and worker advocates from across the state to address vital labor issues and strengthen the bonds of solidarity.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today announced the appointment of Colin L. Seaman as state’s attorney for Orange County, replacing H. Dickson Corbett, who was appointed as a superior judge earlier this year. Seaman has served as acting state’s attorney since Corbett’s departure, and as deputy state’s attorney since February of this year. He has over 20 years of experience serving as a defense attorney, including running a private practice from 2014 to 2023, where he contracted with the Defender General’s office and was assigned criminal and juvenile cases primarily in Chittenden and Washington Counties. Seaman received a J.D. and M.S.L. from Vermont Law school in 1997.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Agency of Human Services (AHS) is pleased to announce the launch of the Vermont Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Grant Opportunity, a significant step toward enhancing, expanding, and strengthening Medicaid HCBS services in Vermont. The Vermont HCBS Grant Opportunity is funded through Section 9817 of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 and is aimed at bolstering the quality, accessibility, and sustainability of Vermont’s system of care for individuals and their families who rely on HCBS to lead independent and fulfilling lives. This grant opportunity, totaling $20.9 million, is designed to support HCBS providers, community-based organizations, and other entities that support the HCBS landscape in Vermont. 

Vermont Business Magazine The University of Vermont Medical Center and the Vaccine Testing Center at UVM’s Larner College of Medicine will operate as a study site for a worldwide Phase 3 clinical study to investigate the efficacy, safety and immunogenicity of an investigational Lyme disease vaccine candidate. The study, known as the Vaccine Against Lyme for Outdoor Recreationists (VALOR) trial, is sponsored by Pfizer and is enrolling participants five years of age and older. There are currently no approved vaccines available to prevent Lyme disease in humans. The VALOR research study is evaluating if an investigational vaccine is safe and effective for preventing Lyme disease in people who have been exposed through tick bites.