Current News

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine Three and a half years after COVID-19 descended on Vermont, the state lost its 1,000th Vermonter to the pandemic in the last week. The Vermont Department of Health reported August 17, 2023, that COVID-19 hospitalizations increased to a statewide total of 25, up from 16 from last week and from 7 the week before. However, COVID-19 activity remains in the "Low" range, according to the VDH. Reported cased were 165 up from 112. There were 5 COVID-related deaths reported last week and zero the week before, for a pandemic total of 1,001 as of August 12 (this is the most recent update). Fatalities have slowed but cases and hospitalizations are up this summer. VDH reported 15 COVID-related deaths in March, 20 in April, 10 in May, 10 in June (these are fewest since the summer of 2021), 11 in July and 4 so far in August.

Vermont Agency of Transportation This weekly report is a list of planned construction activities that will have traffic impacts on state highways and interstates throughout Vermont for the Week of August 21. Some projects are not included in the report this week as they have been temporarily suspended due to flood damage, the work site is inaccessible, or the contractors were repositioned to assist AOT with emergency response and repairs. Please remember to drive safely in all work zones. Lives depend on it.  

Vermont Business Magazine Onion River Press, a locally owned independent publishing company affiliated with Seven Daysies Winner Phoenix Books, announces the launch of Onion River Workshop, an arts education company providing in-person programming for writers of any level. Vermont author and veteran teacher Rachel Carter has joined Onion River Press as program director effective July 2023. For the past decade, Carter has taught creative writing at the college level at both Columbia University and Champlain College.

Vermont Business Magazine The ten best days of summer are just around the corner! It’s the Champlain Valley Fair and we’re excited to open our gates for the 101st time. The Champlain Valley Fair is Vermont’s largest annual event and attracts 120,000 fairgoers yearly! Visitors to the fair have numerous opportunities to learn about Vermont’s agricultural economy, enjoy amazing foods from over 60 food vendors, find their thrill on the Midway with more than 40 rides available, and plenty of free entertainment.

Vermont Business Magazine Vail Resorts’ Northeast resorts are looking ahead to winter with capital investments, new technologies and a robust lineup of new and returning events. Guests planning to visit this winter – whether one day or all season long – are encouraged to purchase their lift access online in advance to save big. The Epic Local Pass, which is only $689 before September 4, allows for Northeast guests to ski or ride all season long at nearly all the company’s resorts across the East Coast, and take a trip out West with unlimited access at Breckenridge, Keystone and Crested Butte, plus 10 days at Vail, Beaver Creek or Whistler Blackcomb. An Epic Local Child’s Pass is just $359. 

Vermont Business Magazine A new study reveals that Wyoming is the state where residents are most likely be involved in a fatal vehicle crash involving a mobile phone. Vermont ranks in fifth place (at more than twice the national average), after North Dakota, Kansas, and Minnesota in second, third, and fourth respectively. Personal injury law firm Zinda Law Group analyzed all 50 states to determine the total number of fatal vehicle crashes between 2017 - 2021 and the number of occupants involved in fatal vehicle crashes caused by mobile phones over the same period. These findings were converted into a percentage for each state to show the extent to which mobile phones contributed to total fatal crashes. Factors included the driver in each crash being distracted by listening, talking, or manipulating their mobile phone, and other relevant incidents involving passengers in each vehicle using similar devices. 

Vermont Business Magazine Vermonters are urged to take steps to protect themselves against mosquito bites, as mosquitoes in Grand Isle and Franklin Counties have tested positive for Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) — a serious and potentially fatal mosquito-transmitted infection. These are the first detections of EEE in mosquitoes in Vermont since 2015. So far this season more than 824 mosquito pools have been sampled. The positive EEE samples were collected on August 8 from pools in Alburgh and Swanton. Earlier this month West Nile virus was detected among mosquitoes in Alburgh and Vergennes.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont’s Killington Resort, the largest four-season resort in Eastern North America and a POWDR company, looks forward to a fall stacked with mountain biking, golf and other fun events for the whole family.  Take a scenic gondola ride to the peak through October 15 to witness Vermont’s spectacular foliage from 4241’ and explore our network of hiking and biking trails all autumn long. The Golf Course remains open for rounds 7 days a week through October 15, and there’s even more to discover resort-wide, including world-class dining options at Preston’s Restaurant in the Killington Grand Hotel and the new K-1 Lodge.  

Vermont Business Magazine Shelburne Museum extends a warm welcome to college students as they return to school with free admission on Saturdays throughout the month of September. Kicking it off Student Saturdays on Labor Day weekend (Saturday, September 2), the museum will offer a unique opportunity for students to engage with art, culture, and community. Whether reuniting with friends or exploring local heritage, students are invited to enjoy some fun while learning about the museum’s collections.

Vermont Fish & Wildlife If you or someone you know would like to go hunting this fall but have never taken a hunter education course, this is the time to act. Vermont’s volunteer hunter education instructors are now holding a limited number of courses throughout the state. 

Vermont Business Magazine Green Mountain Power (GMP) customers will have greater access to seamless, cost-effective home battery backup power following an order by the Vermont Public Utility Commission late Thursday. In April, after the third devastating storm in less than twelve months, GMP filed a request to lift the enrollment caps on its popular Powerwall and Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) home battery programs. Removing the cap allows more customers access to the program as Vermont sees increasingly severe weather due to climate change. The Commission agreed, citing growing customer demand for home batteries, the likelihood of more extreme weather in the future, and that the home battery programs benefit all GMP customers.

Vermont Business Magazine The dedication, compassion and bravery of health care workers is on display every day at UVM Medical Center – and now the region’s only tertiary care and academic medical center is home to a Vermont artist’s tribute to their selfless work during the COVID-19 pandemic. UVM Medical Center recently unveiled “Hearts and Hands – A Tribute to Health Care Workers” – a sculpture by Randolph native and renowned artist Jim Sardonis which depicts two figures, cast in bronze, sitting on a marble bench with their outstretched hands joining to form the shape of a heart. Sardonis, whose “Reverence” sculpture along Interstate 89 near South Burlington has garnered national interest and acclaim, said he was guided by his admiration of the health care workers’ heroic efforts throughout the pandemic, and a desire to recognize their bravery during a protracted period of uncertainty and fear.