Current News

Vermont Business Magazine The Attorney General’s Office announced that Nicholas Badger, 20, of Fairfax, Vermont, was arraigned today on four felony counts of Luring a Child, and one felony count of Use of a Child in a Sexual Performance. The charges brought against the defendant are the result of a criminal investigation, conducted by the Vermont Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (VT-ICAC) and the Essex Police Department, and including personnel from the Attorney General’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations.

Vermont Business Magazine Average gasoline prices in Vermont are unchanged from last week's $3.64 per gallon. Prices are up 7 cents/g from last month and up 14 cents/g from last year. The lowest price in the state yesterday was $3.45/g in Middlebury and Castleton, while the highest was $3.89/g in West Charleston. The national average price of gasoline has fallen 4 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.63/g today.

Vermont Business Magazine The Agency of Natural Resources Departments of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and Forests, Parks, and Recreation (FPR) announced Wednesday that Thomson Timber Harvesting and Trucking LLC (Thompson Timber), a company that performs logging activities in Vermont, was fined $32,550 for violating the Vermont Wetland Rules and failing to follow Acceptable Management Practices (AMPs) for Maintaining Water Quality on Logging Jobs in Vermont. Healthy forests, wetlands, and waterways provide valuable and necessary services to the public and environment such as wildlife habitat and water quality protection. Vermont’s laws aim to improve water quality over time, protect wetland functions and values, and reduce existing risks, all while maintaining a working forested landscape and a vibrant forest-based economy. 

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine Vermont, once again, has been ranked as the most "equity-rich" state in the nation, and once again it isn't close. The ranking is based on mortgage loan to home value. In addition, three Vermont counties are among the most equity rich, with Chittenden County number one overall and Addison and Washington counties ranked third and fourth in the nation. As has been the case for many years, the Northeast and West Coast have the most equity rich states, while the lowest have been in the South and Midwest. Vermont (82 percent of mortgaged homes were equity-rich), Maine (59.2 percent), Montana (58.7 percent), California (58.6 percent) and New Hampshire (57 percent) were the top five, according to ATTOM. The bottom five were: Louisiana (20.1 percent of mortgaged homes were equity-rich), Oklahoma (28.1 percent), Illinois (28.3 percent), Kentucky (28.7 percent) and Alaska (29.5 percent). The US average is 45.8 percent.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Buildings and General Services (BGS) has announced the auction of a large assortment of State vehicles and equipment on Saturday, May 11 at 10 AM at the Agency of Transportation Central Garage in Berlin. Gates will open on Saturday at 8 AM. The event is open to the public and will take place rain or shine. Inventory preview and pre-registration will take place Friday, May 10 from 11 AM to 3 PM. Historically a popular and engaging event, the auction will offer opportunities to bid for dump trucks, plow trucks, loaders, forklifts, trucks, cars, golf carts, snowmobiles, trailers, boats, kayaks, snowblowers, riding lawnmowers, generators, tires, and assorted parts and power tools. In past years, this annual destination event has totaled between $600,000 and over $1 million for 100-300 lots of merchandise, drawing bidders from Quebec and across New England.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Professionals of Color Network (VT PoC) has announced the launch of its BIPOC Community Survey, aimed at gathering insights and experiences from Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) living in Vermont. Launched on May 1, the survey offers BIPOC individuals an opportunity to share their perspectives to enhance economic opportunities and community building across the state. The survey, designed to take approximately 15 minutes to complete, is open to all individuals who identify as BIPOC and reside in Vermont, regardless of whether they were born inside or outside of the United States. Participants are encouraged to provide feedback on their experiences in Vermont, usage of existing resources within the state, perceptions of VT PoC, and preferences for community engagement. 

Vermont Business Magazine Venture 7 Advisors, a Burlington, Vermont-based merger and acquisition advisory firm, have announced the recent sale of The Oxford Company of Middlebury, Vermont to India-based KnitPro, the world’s largest manufacturer of knitting and crocheting accessories. The acquisition is aimed at enhancing Knitpro’s product portfolio and extending its global reach. Venture 7 Advisors was the The Oxford Company’s exclusive merger and acquisition advisor on the transaction. The terms of the deal have not been disclosed.

Vermont Business Magazine With the onset of warmer weather, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency urges New Englanders to be aware of the increased risk of ground-level ozone (often referred to as smog) and fine particle air pollution, when combined, and to take health precautions when air quality levels are predicted to be high. EPA and the New England states continue to offer free resources and tools for the public to monitor the latest air quality forecasts. Warm summer temperatures aid in the formation of ground-level ozone. The current ozone standard, set in 2015, is 0.070 parts per million (ppm) on an 8-hour average basis. Air quality alerts are issued when ozone concentrations exceed, or are predicted to exceed, this level. EPA's New England office posts a list of exceedances of the ozone standard, by date and monitor location, at Current AQI in New England.

Vermont Business Magazine The U.S. Fire Administration has designated the week of May 5 -11, 2024, as Arson Awareness Week.  This year marks the 50th year of this effort. In 2024, the USFA’s focus is on protecting houses of worship. Each year from 2020 to 2022, an estimated average of 1,300 fires in places of worship were reported to fire departments in the United States. These fires resulted in an estimated annual average of $74.6 million in property loss. The leading cause of fires in places of worship was cooking (33%), but intentional actions accounted for an additional 15%. 

Vermont Department of Economic Development The Vermont Flood Recovery and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) are presenting a series of Flood Recovery Symposiums featuring in-person workshops and opportunities to engage federal agencies, state programs, and other supporting organizations to support flood recovery for your municipality, business, or nonprofit. These representatives can speak with you about your situation, offer tips on how to navigate the system, and combine resources across agencies to help get your projects done.

Vermont Business Magazine This summer, the Vermont Lakes and Ponds Program is seeking volunteers to help monitor and collect information about lakes and ponds in the state. With over 800 lakes and ponds to monitor, volunteers are key to the success of the program’s efforts. Volunteers can be found statewide greeting lake visitors, inspecting boats, collecting water samples, tracking algal or cyanobacteria blooms, reporting aquatic invasive species, and more. 

Vermont Business Magazine The U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) has announced two funding opportunities: $7 million to support women in the workforce under the Women in Apprenticeship and Nontraditional Occupations (WANTO) Grant Program and $1 million to protect women from gender-based harassment and violence at work, under the Fostering Access, Rights, and Equity (FARE) Grant Program. The Women in Apprenticeship and Nontraditional Occupations (WANTO) Grant Program aims to increase the participation of women in sectors where they are traditionally underrepresented, including manufacturing, construction, and cybersecurity.