Current News

by Joyce Marcel, Vermont Business Magazine For the past four years, Patricia Prelock has been the provost and senior vice president of the University of Vermont. For the past four years, the university has been experiencing a run of exceptional successes. This may not be a coincidence. Prelock became provost in 2019 when Suresh Garimella was appointed the 27th president of UVM. By all accounts, they make a formidable team.

Vermont Business Magazine On Friday, July 14, 2023, President Joseph Biden declared a Major Disaster for the state of Vermont as a result of severe storms and flooding occurring on July 7, 2023 and continuing. Vermont homeowners and renters affected by the recent flooding who live in counties that have recently been designated for Individual Assistance could be eligible for help from FEMA.

Vermont Business Magazine 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 July 17, 2023. Some projects are not included in the report this week as they have been temporarily suspended due to flood damage, inaccessibility to the work site, or contractors repositioned to assist AOT with emergency response work. Please remember to drive safely in all work zones. Lives depend on it. 

Vermont Business Magazine The devastation caused by recent flooding has displaced thousands of Vermonters and closed hundreds of businesses. The long-term impact of these losses is only just being realized. While some counties are currently experiencing more loss than others, every United Way in the state is raising funds in a coordinated effort to ensure Vermonters get the help they need to respond, recover, and rebuild.  

Vermont Business Magazine Women Business Owners Network (WBON) announces the WBON Confidence Conference taking place on Wednesday, September 20, 2023. Titled the WBON 2023 Confidence Conference: Run Your Business Like A Boss, the conference will provide opportunities for education, inspiration and networking to help you build your own business owner toolkit. 

The Vermont State Police is investigating the death of a woman who had been reported missing late Friday, July 14, 2023, in Richmond. At about noon Saturday, the crew of a Vermont Air National Guard helicopter located the body of Katie Hartnett, 25, of Burlington in the Huntington River adjacent to 1498 Dugway Road. Technical rescue teams on the ground then began a recovery operation, which took about an hour. Hartnett’s body was taken to the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office in Burlington for an autopsy to confirm the cause and manner of death.

Vermont Business Magazine Recent flooding across Vermont has increased the likelihood of landslide hazards starting Friday, July 14, 2023, and into the coming days. Landslide hazards can be difficult to predict. Unlike flood hazards, they do not depend on river levels. However, a large body of work in Vermont suggests that a three- to five-inch precipitation event can trigger failures that lead to landslides, particularly when the ground is already saturated. With over six inches of rainfall in most of the Green Mountains and more rain on the way, there is a high risk of landslide hazards.

Vermont Business Magazine The Agency of Transportation (AOT) today continued to repair damage to state roads and bridges throughout the state from the heavy rain and flooding earlier this week. As of early Saturday evening, only 12 state roads remained closed, 12 state roads were partially open to one lane of traffic, and 87 state roads have been reopened that were previously closed. 

Vermont Business Magazine Wine Spectator, the world’s leading authority on wine, has unveiled the winners of the 2023 Restaurant Awards, which honor the world’s best restaurants for wine. This year’s awards program recognizes 3,505 dining destinations, including 17 from Vermont. Launched in 1981, the Restaurant Awards represent the world’s only program focused exclusively on restaurant wine service. They are assigned on three levels: the Award of Excellence, the Best of Award of Excellence and the Grand Award, with 2,001; 1,411; and 93 winners this year in each respective category.

Vermont Business Magazine Lawson’s Finest Liquids, the award-winning Vermont craft brewery with a commitment to quality and sustainability, is now accepting applications for its 2024 Sunshine Fund. Created to assist nonprofits that support the environment and the people of Vermont, the Sunshine Fund is at the heart of the brewery’s Social Impact Program, known as the SIP. A total of 24 local organizations will be recognized by Lawson’s Finest’s Sunshine Fund awards in 2024. Each Sunshine Fund awardee becomes the partner “On Tap” in the brewery’s Waitsfield, Vt., taproom for two weeks during the year and receives 100% of Sunshine Fund donations during that period. 

Vermont Business Magazine On July 14, 2023, President Biden approved Vermont’s Major Disaster Declaration request. This Declaration authorized Vermont to receive “individual assistance,” which includes Disaster Unemployment Assistance. Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) is a federally funded program that provides temporary unemployment insurance benefits to individuals whose employment or self-employment has been lost or interrupted as a direct result of a major disaster. This program is specifically tailored to individuals who are not eligible for traditional unemployment insurance benefits.

Vermont Business Magazine The TD Charitable Foundation, the charitable giving arm of TD Bank, announced on Friday a grant of $150,000 to support flood relief efforts in Vermont. The funds will support Vermont Community Foundation for the VT Flood Response and Recovery Fund, which will disperse funds to communities and small businesses of greatest need. TD colleagues also can contribute directly to the VT Flood Response and Recovery Fund efforts through an internal portal. TD Bank's community support also includes offering financial assistance to its customers in Vermont impacted by recent severe flooding through TD Cares. TD Cares is a relief program that includes fee refunds and other support for eligible consumer and business customers.