Vermont Business Magazine Funding is now available for Vermont organizations in the Brattleboro area through the Crosby-Gannett Fund grant program. The purpose of the Crosby-Gannett Fund is to support endeavors that contribute to the betterment and vitality of the Brattleboro area. To help address the impact of COVID-19, the Crosby-Gannett Fund will focus its grant making in 2022 on the needs amplified by the pandemic that have been inadequately addressed by public relief funds. The fund is temporarily accepting requests for general operating support from small and/or severely impacted nonprofits.

Vermont Business Magazine Dr Niki Thran, a resident of Warren, Vermont, and an emergency room physician at Gifford Medical Center in Randolph, plans to announce her run for the United States Senate seat left open by the imminent retirement of Patrick Leahy. Her campaign will officially launch with a public announcement on January 16th at 12 noon at the Warren Town Municipal Building at 42 Cemetery Road in Warren, Vermont. Congressman Peter Welch previously announced he is seeking the seat.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Health today is reporting 1,963 cases of COVID-19 for Wednesday. This is more than 1,000 cases higher than Tuesday. Reported cases tend to run higher as the week goes along as people get tested and the labs report their results. There were no reported COVID-related deaths, which remain at 490. There were 49 COVID-19 related fatalities in Vermont in September 2021, and 47 deaths in October, which had been the second- and third-worst months on record (December 2020, 71). There were 42 fatalities in November, 62 in December and 10 so far in January 2022. 

Vermont Business Magazine The Ethiopian Community Development Council, Inc (ECDC) has joined with World Learning and School for International Training (SIT) in an innovative partnership to welcome and resettle up to 100 Afghan evacuees in southern Vermont through the Afghan Placement and Assistance (APA) program. Through this collaboration, World Learning, a Vermont-based, global NGO and the parent organization of School for International Training, is dedicating space on the Brattleboro campus where new arrivals will live and learn for up to 90 days while ECDC staff members work to secure permanent housing. In addition to housing, SIT staff, faculty, and alumni will provide English language and cultural orientation classes on the campus.