Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Dairy processors across the Northeast can now apply for the Existing Dairy Processor Expansion Grant through the Northeast Dairy Business Innovation Center (NE-DBIC). With a total of $12 million in funding, this grant will fund specialized equipment to help processors increase the use of regionally sourced milk and expand regional dairy processing capacity. Dairy processors play a vital role in the health of our regional economy, and increasing regional processing capacity leads to a more resilient dairy sector.

Vermont Agency of Agriculture Food & Markets It's time to plan a trip and enjoy the 56th celebration of Maple Syrup in Vermont. This year's theme is "Maple - the Heart of Vermont." Let the Vermont Maple Festival launch you into the basics of maple and the host of ways it can be used. The Festival will kick off at noon on April 28th and includes a craft and specialty food show, Maple Exhibit Hall and contest, parade, sugarhouse tours, the Annual Sap Run, and more! Almost all of the events at the three-day festival are free to attend, and families are encouraged to come for events like a pancake breakfast, kids entertainment in Taylor Park, and the Kid's Center. Tap into all there is to see, learn, savor, and do, from April 28th-30th!

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports will host the 13th Annual Vermont Adaptive Charity Challenge presented by Killington Resort on Saturday, June 17. The event includes a choice of outdoor activities in the morning followed by an afternoon festival at the Skyeship Base Area at Killington Resort with live music, food trucks, a silent auction, and more. The event has drawn about 600 people to the Killington region in past years all in an effort to raise $300,000 for adaptive sports programs and athletes at Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports, a nationally recognized nonprofit that provides sports and recreational programs throughout Vermont to people with disabilities.

by Aubrey Weaver, Community News Service House legislators passed a bill that would legalize mobile sports betting last week, putting Vermont on the road to joining other states in legalizing the practice. And lawmakers don’t just want Vermont to join the club — they’re looking to its neighbors to figure a system out. One of the surrounding states that legalized mobile sports wagering back in 2019 was New Hampshire. Wendy Knight, Vermont liquor and lottery commissioner and chair of a Legislature-formed sports betting study committee, told the House Committee on Appropriations March 20 that the committee has been “picking their guidance and relying on New Hampshire a lot” when crafting Vermont’s legalization policy. A key difference between New Hampshire’s sports betting system and the proposed Vermont model is the number of operators — meaning mobile sports betting franchises — allowed to operate within the state. New Hampshire only has one operator, DraftKings, whereas the Vermont House bill allows between two and six operators through a competitive bidding process. Those could include DraftKings but might also include similar operators like Fanduel and Caesar’s.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Health reported March 29, 2023, that COVID-19 case counts and hospitalizations were down from last week. COVID-19 activity remains in the "Low" range, according to the VDH. Hospitalizations fell to 22 last week (the lowest since last fall). Total cases fell to 201. There were 3 COVID-related deaths in the last week for a pandemic total of 941 as of March 27 (this is the most recent update). March is on track to have the fewest COVID-related deaths since the summer of 2021.

Vermont Business Magazine Fidium Fiber’s multi-gig-speed internet is now available for more than 7,000 residents and small businesses in St. Albans, Swanton, and Georgia. Fidium Fiber delivers multi-gig-speed internet without contracts, installation fees or data caps. All Fidium plans offer reliable, symmetrical speeds from 50 Mbps to 2 Gigs (2000 Mbps). Fidium Fiber also offers VoIP phone service plans, and features speeds that allow customers to seamlessly stream their preferred TV and entertainment.

Vermont Business Magazine States that will see totality in the US are Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, Missouri, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. The full eclipse will cross northern Vermont on April 8, 2024, about 3:30 pm and last about three-and-a-half minutes. 31 million people already live inside the path and millions more will travel to the path of totality on eclipse day. Upwards of 208,000 could visit Vermont just to experience it.

Vermont Business Magazine Nine students from high schools around the world were selected as winners of Bennington College’s 2022-2023 Young Writers Awards. This annual competition, which accepts entries in poetry, fiction, and nonfiction, is free to enter and open to high school students. A first-, second-, and third-place winner is selected in each of the categories, with cash prizes up to $1,000 awarded. Young Writers Award finalists and winners are also eligible for undergraduate scholarships at Bennington. Finalists who enroll at Bennington will receive a $10,000 scholarship every year for four years, for a total of $40,000. Winners who enroll at Bennington will receive a $15,000 scholarship every year for four years, for a total of $60,000.

Vermont Business Magazine National Life Group’s leadership spokesperson, four-time Olympian and record-holder in American women’s high jump Chaunté Lowe, has been named by President Joe Biden to the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition, the White House announced.

Lowe joins 26 other appointees to the Council, including Olympic snowboarder Chloe Kim and professional basketball player Stephen Curry in promoting physical fitness and healthy nutrition to all regardless of background or ability.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Division for Historic Preservation and the CCC Legacy are proud to offer a lecture by award-winning author and historian Martin Podskoch on the history and legacy of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in Vermont. The lecture will take place on April 5 from 5:00 PM to 6:30 PM in the Pavilion Auditorium at 109 State Street, Montpelier. Questions, personal remembrances, and knowledge of CCC camps in Vermont is welcomed at the end of the evening. This program is presented in honor of the 90th Anniversary of the founding of the CCC, a significant public works program that gave meaningful work to unemployed young men during the Great Depression. The CCC operated from 1933 to 1942 as part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal to improve the nation’s public lands, forests, and parks.