Current News

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine At his press conference Tuesday, Governor Phil Scott updated a renewed effort to bring an underwater power line under Lake Champlain from Quebec to hook into the New England electric grid. The proposal was first raised more than eight years ago in 2014. He said that while meeting with New England governors last week, as part of the National Governors Association annual meeting in Washington, there was interest in putting the proposal back on the table.

Vermont State Police Members of the Vermont State Police are continuing to investigate an incident that occurred Wednesday morning in which a man was injured and taken to the hospital. At this point in the investigation, detectives have been unable to confirm whether the man’s injuries were the result of gunfire or some other cause. Police are actively investigating the circumstances of how the man was injured, and whether anyone else was involved. The identity of the injured man is being withheld at this time pending further investigation. The state police has conducted interviews with several witnesses and has additional interviews scheduled. Detectives also are seeking search warrants for several cabins along Cabin Lane in Waterbury.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department has proposed issuing 180 moose hunting permits in Vermont’s Wildlife Management Unit (WMU) E in the northeastern corner of the state in a continued effort to reduce the impact of winter ticks on moose in that area. No permits are recommended for the rest of the state. The proposal was given initial approval by the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Board at its February 15 meeting and is now available for public comment. The goal of the department’s 2023 moose harvest recommendation is to improve the health of moose in WMU-E by reducing the number of moose and thereby reducing the abundance and impact of winter ticks.

by Linda McGinnis I’m tired of seeing what the cost of heating fuels is doing to the budgets of everyday Vermonters who are working hard to make ends meet. And I’m tired of seeing the negative impact – both environmental and economic – of fossil fuels on our state, all while the corporate suppliers are making higher profits than ever before. This past year, the price spikes for heating fuels reached all-time highs, and were especially painful during the cold winter months. Relying on high-cost, price-volatile fossil fuels that are 100% imported into Vermont just doesn’t make sense – it’s costly to everyone, and the burden falls heaviest on those who can least afford to pay. It’s time to wean ourselves off fossil fuels. And it’s more possible now than ever before. To address this problem, I’m grateful that many of our state legislators are working to pass the Affordable Heat Act (AHA).

Vermont Business Magazine Following the news that the CEO of Moderna will accept an invitation to testify in front of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee next month, Chairman Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) gave remarks on the floor of the US Senate about the growth of greed in the pharmaceutical industry and what Congress can do to end it. But on one of the most important matters facing our country the American people – Democrats, Republicans, Independents, Progressives, and Conservatives – could not be more united. And that is the need to take on the unprecedented corporate greed of the pharmaceutical industry and to substantially lower the outrageously high price of prescription drugs.

Vermont Business Magazine Attorney General Charity Clark wants to hear young Vermonters’ thoughts about the environment. For the third year in a row, the Attorney General’s Office is holding an Earth Day Essay Challenge and asking fifth and sixth graders to submit essays on the environment. Last year, the Attorney General’s Office received almost 200 essays from fifth- and sixth-grade students from all over Vermont. The Attorney General’s Earth Day Essay Challenge is open to any fifth- or sixth-grade student in Vermont. The Challenge will run from February 13, 2023, through April 7, 2023.

Vermont Business Magazine Nominations are now open for the Vermont Agricultural Hall of Fame through www.VTAgHallOfFame.org. Nominations will be accepted in three categories: Emerging Leaders, Ag Innovators, and The Lifetime Achievement Award. Nominations will be accepted through Friday, March 17th, 2023 at 5:00 PM. This year the Vermont Agricultural Hall of Fame celebrates over 20 years of honoring farmers, producers and people dedicated to supporting Vermont’s working landscape by growing Vermont’s food, fiber and fuel. Anyone is invited to submit a nomination.

Vermont State Police On 11/18/2021 the Vermont State Police Westminster Barracks began an investigation into a report of embezzlement by a former employee of Timson Hill Preschool located in Williamsville, Vermont. The employee, identified as Rebecca McCuller, 54, was employed as the school director for approximately four years, from 2017 until 2021. It was later discovered unauthorized funds had been misallocated to McCuller into a personal account rather than the official school account.

Vermont Business Magazine UVM Medical Center’s COVID Testing Clinic on Blair Park in Williston will shut down effective today, Wednesday, February 15, medical center officials announced, saying falling demand for testing in the community, changes to pre-procedure COVID testing requirements at the Medical Center, and the widespread availability of at-home testing resources, have made the clinic unnecessary. Goodrich added that policy changes at the Medical Center, which several months ago rolled back requirements for patients to undergo pre-procedure COVID tests, also contributed to falling demand for the clinic’s services.

Vermont Business Magazine Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), Chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, today issued the following statement after Starbucks CEO Howard Shultz refused to appear in front of the committee to testify about his company’s long-running noncompliance with federal labor law: “It is disappointing, but not surprising, that Howard Schultz, the CEO and director of Starbucks has declined an invitation from a majority of members on the HELP Committee to testify at a U.S. Senate hearing to answer why the National Labor Relations Board has lodged over 75 complaints against Starbucks for violating federal labor laws. Apparently, it is easier for Mr. Schultz to fire workers who are exercising their constitutional right to form unions, and to intimidate others who may be interested in joining a union than to answer questions from elected officials."

Vermont State Police The Vermont State Police is investigating a non-fatal shooting that was reported Wednesday morning, Feb. 15, 2023, in the town of Waterbury. No one is in custody, and members of the public should expect to see a heavy police presence in Waterbury, especially along Vermont Route 100 in the vicinity of the Green Mountain Club, while the investigation is underway.

Vermont Business Magazine Southwestern Vermont Health Care (SVHC) and the Community College of Vermont (CCV) launched their Early Childhood Education (ECE) Residency Program last week with a ceremony attended by the 18 matriculating students, each organization’s staff, and representatives from Vermont’s Federal Legislative Delegation. The ECE Residency program incentivizes early childhood education students in either CCV’s early childhood education associate degree or childcare certificate program by paying them to increase their course load and graduate sooner.