Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Attorney General Charity Clark is warning Vermonters that the grandparent scam is on the rise -- and scammers are utilizing new, sophisticated tactics. As typical of this scam, callers claim to be grandchildren in an emergency situation, such as in a car accident, in prison, or at the hospital, and need money to resolve the problem. The Attorney General’s Consumer Assistance Program (CAP) has received reports of a new tactic used with this scam: scammers have local “couriers” arrive in person and collect money directly from grandparents at their home to resolve the fake emergency.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Historical Society has created a new initiative to preserve images and documents pertaining to the historic floods that severely impacted the state in July 2023. Members of the public are invited to submit their photographs, audio and video recordings, written memories, and other relevant documents to the Flood of 2023 Archive on VHS’s website, which will preserve them for future Vermonters and scholars. VHS holds a considerable number of records of past floods in its collection, including images and video from the Flood of 1927, the Montpelier flood of 1992, and of Tropical Storm Irene in 2011, amongst others. 

Vermont Business Magazine Senator Peter Welch (D-VT) today celebrates the implementation of the senator’s Home Efficiency Rebates program for residential energy efficiency upgrades across the United States. The new rebate program, which Welch first introduced and championed as the HOPE for HOMES Act and successfully passed as part of the historic Inflation Reduction Act, will be available to households across the US after state governments develop rebate programs and submit applications to the DOE. Along with the Home Electrification and Appliance Rebates program, the Home Efficiency Rebates program is the core Inflation Reduction Act provision for homeowners—individuals will eventually be able to access these benefits directly from their state governments. Taken together, the savings programs provide states $8.5 billion to lower the cost of energy and make homes more energy efficient and upgrades more affordable.

Vermont Business Magazine Today, Mayor Miro Weinberger released a new report by Burlington’s BTVstat Data team showing the region’s rising challenges around Opioid Use Disorder has reached unprecedented heights. Between January and July of 2023, the Burlington Police Department (BPD) responded to a record 265 overdoses, already surpassing the prior year’s total. Overdose responses increased by 75% between 2021 and 2022, and could increase as much as 100% between 2022 and 2023. City analysts project the total number of incidents to approach 500 by the end of the year.  

Vermont Business Magazine A Disaster Recovery Center will open August 4 in Springfield to help Vermont residents affected by the floods kickstart their recovery. The joint DRC, a temporary facility established in partnership between Springfield, the state of Vermont and FEMA, will help survivors apply for FEMA assistance, upload documents and answer questions in person.

The Vermont State Police has completed its criminal investigation into the events that took place prior to the motor vehicle crash which occurred on Water Tower Road in the Town of Berkshire involving Carson Smith (16) of Berkshire. As a result of this investigation, it was discovered Carson Smith along with several other juveniles attended an underage drinking party on Berry Road in the town of Richford. Witness statements and video footage has shown Jon Schurger (22) purchased the alcohol for the party from a retail establishment in Enosburgh and was aided by Dylon Smith (22), who was also present. The party later continued at the River Walk in Montgomery. It should be noted that Carson and Dylon were not related.

Vermont Business Magazine Berkshire Hills Bancorp, Inc (NYSE: BHLB), parent of Berkshire Bank with branches in southern Vermont, today announced that its Board of Directors has approved a quarterly cash dividend of $0.18 per common share to shareholders of record at the close of business on August 17, 2023, payable on August 31, 2023. 

Vermont Business Magazine The Business Emergency Gap Assistance Program (BEGAP) went live today. This $20 million grant program is intended to help businesses and nonprofits restore, reopen, and bring their employees back to work after suffering physical damages to their property beginning on July 7, 2023, when severe storms swept into Vermont. The application portal is available on the ACCD site.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Army National Guard will build a new Regional Readiness Center in Lyndonville, VT, on land being purchased from the Vermont State University’s Lyndon campus. The Northeast Regional Readiness Center will house Alpha Troop, 1st Squadron, 172nd Cavalry (MTN), and add more units in the future.

VermontBiz On Thursday, August 3 at 2pm, Scott Whittier, Warning Coordination Meteorologist for the Vermont office for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), presented the StormReady Certification to Rutland Regional Medical Center. “I’m pleased to present this certificate to Rutland Regional Medical Center,” said Whittier. “This demonstrates that the hospital has met all of the criteria and qualifications required to be recognized as a National Weather Service StormReady Supporter in addition to being a Weather Ready National Ambassador through NOAA.”

VermontBiz Thanks to successful collaboration between neighbors, community members, and nonprofit organizations Lamoille Housing Partnership (LHP) and Lamoille Community House (LCH,) Lamoille County’s first and only year-round homeless shelter will soon open its doors in Hyde Park following resolution of a zoning permit appeal.

“Working in partnership with our communities, open communication and intentional collaboration are vital to solving Lamoille County’s interconnected affordable housing and homelessness challenges,” said outgoing LHP Executive Director Jim Lovinsky. 

VermontBiz The Vermont Department of Labor has received a $2,283,000 grant from the U.S Department of Labor to improve equity and access related to the State’s Unemployment Insurance Program. The grant will focus on improving language access for those looking to interact with the Department while also identifying and removing other barriers to the unemployment insurance system.