Current News

Vermont Business Magazine This week, Vermont Public will present the Vermont Community Foundation with more than $875,000 raised in its recent flood relief fundraiser to benefit the VT Flood Response and Recovery Fund 2023. The weeklong effort inspired 4,454 to help affected communities rebuild and recover from the catastrophic flooding caused by heavy rainfall last month.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Economic Development has announced additional details and guidelines for the Business Emergency Gap Assistance Program (BEGAP). The application portal opens today, Thursday, August 3, and businesses and nonprofits can visit the Business Emergency Gap Assistance Program page to learn how the program works and what you will need to have in hand before you begin the online application process.

Vermont Business Magazine FEMA may provide two types of assistance following a presidential disaster declaration: Individual Assistance and Public Assistance. The two programs are funded independently from each other and are intended to benefit individuals and communities in different ways.

Vermont Business Magazine Registering for disaster assistance from FEMA won’t affect your eligibility for other government benefits. FEMA grants are not taxable income, and you can accept them without reducing or eliminating any federal or state benefits you qualify for now. This includes your Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid benefits, as well as those you receive through the state of Vermont, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Reach Up, or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families.

Vermont Business Magazine A Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) opens at 8 a.m., Aug. 3 in Barton in Orleans County to help Vermont residents affected by the floods kickstart their recovery. The joint DRC, a temporary facility established in partnership between Barton, the state of Vermont and FEMA, will help survivors apply for FEMA assistance, upload documents and answer questions in person.

Vermont Business Magazine The City of Burlington Department of Parks, Recreation & Waterfront (BPRW) and Burlington Electric Department (BED) announced that the City departments partnered to install a new, dual-port, Level 2 electric vehicle (EV) charging station near the entrance of Oakledge Park. The ChargePoint charger, which came online late last month, is the first EV charger available in any Burlington park and represents the first of many park-located EV chargers that the City plans to install. The City’s charging network now totals 19 charging stations, furthering the City’s efforts to transition away from carbon-emitting fossil fuels in pursuit of its bold goal to become a Net Zero Energy city.  

Vermont Business Magazine While communities across the state rebuild after this summer’s severe storms, the Department of Vermont Health Access is working to ensure Vermonters affected by flooding maintain their health coverage. Having health insurance will bolster Vermonters’ health and well-being throughout what is sure to be a long and arduous recovery. The Department of Vermont Health Access (DVHA), which administers Vermont Medicaid and Vermont Health Connect, is offering a special enrollment period for Vermonters affected by the natural disaster and in need of health insurance coverage.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont homeowners and renters in Caledonia, Chittenden, Lamoille, Orange, Orleans, Rutland, Washington, Windham and Windsor counties who were affected by the severe storms, flooding, landslides and mudslides that occurred beginning July 7, 2023, and continue may be eligible for FEMA grants for personal property losses and other eligible expenses.

Vermont Business Magazine Agri-Mark, Inc/Cabot Creamery Cooperative recently filled three key leadership positions. CEO David Lynn announced today that Dan Serna has joined the cooperative as Chief Financial Officer, Spencer McDonald has been hired as Senior Vice President of Sales, and Derek Zwegust has been promoted to Vice President of Supply Chain & Logistics. 

Vermont Business Magazine Green Mountain Power (GMP) announced today that local solar company Green Mountain Solar of South Burlington was selected as the exclusive rooftop solar installer for the Resilient Neighborhood program, an all-electric, fully storm resilient neighborhood under construction in South Burlington in partnership with the Vermont property development company O’Brien Brothers. GMP and O’Brien Brothers announced the first of its kind neighborhood of 155 homes called Hillside East at O’Brien Farm in May.

Vermont Business Magazine Seven Days, Vermont’s free, independent newsweekly, has published the winners of its annual Daysies competition, in which readers vote for their favorite local restaurants, stores, performers, destinations and service providers. The winners are collected in All the Best, a 68-page guide at the center of this week’s issue of Seven Days. The Burlington-based weekly launched its first annual Daysies issue in 2003. Voters nominated their faves in 103 categories. Over the decades, the Daysies have blossomed. The contest now features 234 categories and two rounds of voting instead of one.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Fresh Network (VFN) invites the public to a delicious tour through Vermont’s finest food and beverages at the 25th Annual Forum Dinner on Sunday, August 6, 2023. The Annual Forum Dinner is an opportunity to enjoy a dinner celebrating local food on the shores of Lake Champlain with Vermont Fresh Network's chefs, farmers, and specialty food and beverage makers.