Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott, Senator Peter Welch (D-VT) and Congresswoman Becca Balint joined Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg as they surveyed damage to infrastructure in Hardwick, following historic storms and flooding across the state last week. The group assessed damage to the Hardwick Rail Trail Bridge and visited the site of the Inn by the River, a local hotel that was completely destroyed by floodwaters during the storm. 

Vermont Business Magazine The American Bankers Association Foundation on Monday announced it will start collecting tax-exempt contributions through its Disaster Relief Program website to help aid relief efforts in Vermont after a major storm resulted in catastrophic flooding in the state on July 11. The flooding has devastated cities and towns in Vermont, left hundreds homeless and claimed at least one life. It has also caused significant damage to homes and businesses, including several bank branches and the homes of bank employees.

Vermont Business Magazine New England state air quality forecasters are predicting elevated concentrations of fine particle air pollution due across the region, including Vermont, to wildfires in Quebec and Northern Ontario. The primary concern is high concentrations of fine particle air pollution that is unhealthy, especially for sensitive groups such as people with respiratory disease, the elderly, or people with compromised health.

Vermont Business Magazine On July 24, the Green Mountain Care Board (GMCB) is hosting a virtual public comment forum for health insurance premium review. Members of the public are encouraged to attend this virtual event or submit written public comment on or before July 24 via the GMCB website.  This year, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Vermont (BCBSVT) and MVP Health Care (MVP) have submitted proposed premiums (also known as rates) for their 2024 small group and individual health plans. For instance BCBSVT is proposing a 14.5% annual average increase for small groups and MVP is proposing at 12.5% increase.

Vermont Business Magazine Two Montpelier nonprofit organizations announced today the creation of the Montpelier Strong Recovery Fund. The fund will assist Montpelier downtown businesses in cleanup and rebuilding after the devastating flooding that occurred on July 11, 2023. The Montpelier Strong Recovery Fund will provide grants to downtown businesses. The fund will be administered by a committee that has been created by the two organizations.   

Vermont SBA District Office Low-interest disaster loans from the US Small Business Administration are available to businesses and residents in Vermont following the announcement of a Presidential disaster declaration due to damages from severe storms and flooding that began on July 7.

Vermont Business Magazine The Attorney General’s Office today announced that Andrew Barrows, 22, of Colchester, Vermont, was arraigned on July 14, 2023, on nine felony counts of Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material, one felony count of Use of a Child in a Sexual Performance, and one misdemeanor count of Voyeurism.  The investigation was initiated when VT-ICAC received a CyberTipline Report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that an individual was uploading suspected images of child sexual abuse materials to multiple Google accounts. 

Public Assets Institute Thanks to everyone who has reached out after the flooding last week. We're grateful all of our staff and board are safe and sound. But the same cannot be said for our office, much of downtown Montpelier and many other parts of the state. Like so many other businesses on Main Street in Montpelier, our basement office was completely submerged and nothing in it was salvageable. We were able to get into it late last week alongside our officemates at Voices for Vermont's Children. And an amazing group of volunteers showed up and helped us, working tirelessly in the rain and the mud to clear everything out.

Vermont Business Magazine The Emergency Watershed Protection Program (EWPP) is a core part of how NRCS is planning to help producers recover after the devastating floods in Vermont in 2023. With the recent devastating flooding throughout Vermont, the USDA is inviting interested parties to attend an informational meeting regarding the USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) - Emergency Watershed Protection Program (EWPP). This is a recovery program managed by USDA-NRCS to provide financial and technical assistance to landowners and municipalities to help remove watershed impairments as a result of the most recent flooding.

Vermont Business Magazine Applications open today for state energy departments to access $150 million in workforce development grants through a key home energy savings program championed by Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont) established under the HOPE for HOMES Act, which passed as part of the historic Inflation Reduction Act last year. 

Vermont Business Magazine The University of Vermont Health Network announced today that Anya Rader Wallack, PhD, will step down from her role as Senior Vice President for Strategic Communications on September 1. Wallack will return to Brown University as Administrative Director of the Advanced Clinical Translational Research Program, which supports researchers who improve health care delivery and public health practice. She also will continue her work as a professor in the Brown School of Public Health.

Vermont Business Magazine Due to recent and forecasted storms, Green Mountain Power (GMP) is cancelling the in-person option for its upcoming customer Open House, which had been scheduled for Wednesday starting at 5:30 p.m. at GMP’s Sunderland District office. The event will still be live on GMP’s Facebook page starting at 6:00 p.m., with GMP leaders providing company updates and answering customers’ questions.