Current News

by Jack Bell, Paul Lang, and Allen Fortier We at Long View Forest are writing in support of the Right to Repair legislation in the House this week. This bill would empower loggers and farmers like us to make faster and less expensive repairs to the machines we use to do our work. It would accomplish this by requiring original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to make all the necessary tools, parts, manuals and diagnostic equipment needed to perform repairs available to loggers, farmers, and the independent repair shops we often use. Long View Forest is an employee-owned Vermont company founded 24 years ago. We started as a three-person logging crew and have grown into a diversified operation with 35 employees providing complete services to owners and managers of forestland.

Vermont Business Magazine The United States Attorney’s Office, the Vermont Attorney General’s Office, and the Rutland Area NAACP will be co-hosting a Hate-Free Vermont Forum in Randolph on May 8, 2023, from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm. This forum will be the fourth held in an ongoing series; last month, a Hate-Free Vermont Forum was held in St. Albans. Last year, forums took place in Rutland and Bennington.

Vermont State Police On April 29, 2023, at approximately 0920 hours, the Vermont State Police were notified of a collision between a pick-up truck and bicyclist near the intersection of Brook Road and Carter Road in the Town of Burke. The preliminary investigation indicated the bicyclist was traveling south on Brook Road, while participating in a local bicycle race, when it entered into the northbound side of the roadway.

Vermont Business Magazine Lt. Col Enoch Woody Woodhouse, Jr., one of the last members of the all-Black World War II fighter pilot unit known as the Tuskegee Airmen, is honored with an Honorary Doctorate Degree from Norwich University during their 2023 Commencement Ceremony. The ceremony was held on Saturday, April 29, 2023, in Northfield, Vt.

Leonine Public Affairs The House and Senate have now both passed their own versions of the FY2024 budget, setting up the home stretch of the legislative session when the budget conference committee negotiates the final spending package. The budget conferees have been appointed - House Appropriations Chair Diane Lanpher, Vice-Chair Robin Scheu and House Human Services Chair Theresa Wood. On the Senate side the conferees are Senate Appropriations Chair Jane Kitchel, Vice-Chair Andrew Perchlik and Senator Richard Westman. Westman is the only Republican on the conference committee as all House Republicans voted against the budget.

Vermont Business Magazine Tri-Valley Transit is proud to announce that the Upper Valley Community Transportation Center (UVCTC) designed by Black River Design, Architects has recently been awarded an Efficiency Vermont Small New Construction Best of the Best award and a Net Zero Award and Vermont Green Building Award from the Vermont Green Building Network in the non-residential/commercial/multi-family category.

Northeastern Vermont Development Association Saturday, May 6th is Green Up Day: Every year Vermont calls on volunteers to pitch in and help clean up Vermont's neighborhoods and natural landscape. This Springtime tradition raises public awareness about keeping VERMONT beautiful and litter-free. Each town has a Green Up Coordinator. Click Here for town details and find out where to pick up and drop off bags in your community. Volunteers make a huge difference!

by Lauryn Katz, Community News Service Vermont continues to see spikes in housing prices with the median home price rising 15% in 2022, according to the Vermont Housing Finance Agency. Communities and state officials alike have spent a lot of time discussing how the growth of short-term rentals in Vermont has contributed to the state’s housing crisis. But Randolph’s Josh Hanford— Vermont’s commissioner of Housing and Community Development—thinks too much regulation on the rentals from the state could prove ineffective and that short-term rentals (such as those advertised on Airbnb.com) are only a small part of the housing problem. Instead, he thinks regulating short-term rentals is best done at the local level.

Vermont Business Magazine Agreement provides targeted pay enhancements, recruitment and retention bonuses, and seeks to expand efforts to resolve the Department’s staffing crisis. The Vermont Department of Corrections (DOC) on Friday announced a new agreement between DOC and the Vermont State Employees’ Association, Inc., designed to expand the Department’s Stability and Sustainability Plan, provide targeted pay enhancements for security staff and senior officers, and continue DOC’s 50/50 Work-Life Balance Schedule of 12-hour shifts for seven of 14 days in a pay period. The agreement expands upon the July 2022 agreement that increased compensation for facility staff and transitioned scheduling to decrease mandated overtime.

Vermont Nature Conservancy After a decade at the helm, Heather Furman will be stepping down as Vermont state director of the Nature Conservancy (TNC) on June 2. Furman has been a high impact leader in Vermont’s conservation arena for the past 25 years, previously serving as executive director of Stowe Land Trust, co-founder of the Climbing Resource Access Group of Vermont, and holding various positions in state and federal government prior to joining the Nature Conservancy. Under Furman’s leadership, the Vermont chapter significantly expanded its scope and impact with notable contributions including launching new freshwater and policy programs, adding tens of thousands of conserved and restored acres to public and private ownership, and pioneering innovative climate focused forest carbon initiatives.

Vermont Business Magazine Recognizing the power of the arts to educate and inspire, the Vermont Arts Council and the Vermont Community Foundation are pleased to announce another allocation of funding to support the state’s creative sector through a philanthropic partnership established three years ago. The funding will help artists follow their inspiration and create new work. It will also support arts organizations, municipalities, and schools that strive to provide equal and abundant access to the arts in Vermont.