Burlington police arrest suspect in shooting of Palestinian students
Three Palestinian students were shot in Burlington on November 25 while walking together on North Prospect Street. The alleged shooter, Jason J. Eaton, who lives on that street, has now been arraigned and charged with triple attempted murder, charges that carry the potential for life sentences. Chittenden County State’s Attorney Sarah George is also investigating whether a hate crime charge should be added. Eaton is currently incarcerated without bail.
Mayor Weinberger said: “The Saturday evening shooting of three young Palestinian college students visiting Burlington on their holiday break was one of the most shocking and disturbing events in this city’s history. This horrific, unprovoked attack was a tragic violation of the values and character of this welcoming, inclusive, and close-knit community.”
No motive has been released for the attack, which, according to accounts, was unprovoked. The shooting comes in the wake of Israel-Hamas fighting in the Middle East, which has spilled over into attacks on Arabs and Jews in the United States. The three men — Hisham Awartani, Tahseen Ali Ahmad and Kinnan Abdalhamid, all 20 years old — are expected to survive, though one has a spinal injury, according to the BPD.
Pieciak announces $15M program to help flood impacted municipalities
State Treasurer Mike Pieciak has announced a $15 million program to support flood-impacted municipalities. Through the 10% in Vermont local investment program, the Treasurer’s Office has awarded $15 million to the Vermont Bond Bank to create the Municipal Climate Recovery Fund (MCRF). The high costs associated with recovery from the summer floods have forced many communities to borrow the funds needed. Vermont’s banking sector has stepped up to help, but interest rates at 20-year highs are stressing budgets as towns await FEMA assistance or other funding solutions. Through the 10% in Vermont award, the Vermont Bond Bank will be able to offer financing allowing municipalities to refinance or reimburse flood expenses at an estimated interest rate of 1.3% for seven years. The program will save taxpayers in flood-impacted communities up to an estimated $3.5 million.
BETA Technologies gets $169M export promotion loan from US Export–Import Bank
The Export-Import Bank of the United States has approved an historic $169 million dollar loan to BETA Technologies, a Burlington, Vermont-based company, which manufactures electric aircraft and charging infrastructure, to finance a net-zero Final Assembly Production Facility. The transaction is the second deal authorized under EXIM’s Make More in America initiative and is estimated to support 400 clean energy jobs in Vermont. Chair Lewis was joined by Kyle Clark, founder and CEO of BETA Technologies, as she announced the transaction’s approval during an “Invest in America” session at the 2023 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Forum.
Scott suspends regulations to support temporary housing project for flood victims
Governor Phil Scott has signed an addendum to his Emergency Declaration (Executive Order 03-23) temporarily suspending all State and local regulations that would prohibit or substantially delay temporary emergency housing for Vermont flood victims. FEMA is still required to follow federal regulations and environmental reviews, but this executive action removes duplicative state and local reviews. “As FEMA works to provide direct housing assistance for flood victims in group housing sites, it is essential they are not delayed by state and local regulations,” said Governor Scott. “This action will allow the project to move forward quickly to establish the temporary mobile housing site in Montpelier that FEMA has been closely coordinating with the state and city of Montpelier.”
Vermont’s unemployment rate edges up another tenth to 2.0% in October
The Vermont Department of Labor has reported that the statewide unemployment rate for October was 2.0 percent, up one-tenth. The jobless rate had been at or near the historic low of 1.8 percent for several months, before rising in the last two months. While the Labor Force increased by 1,061 and the number of Employed was up 525, the number of Unemployed increased by 536. Vermont has the third lowest jobless rate in the nation. Maryland is lowest at 1.7 percent and Nevada is highest at 5.4 percent. The comparable United States rate in October was 3.9 percent, an increase of one-tenth of one percentage point from the revised September estimate. The Vermont civilian labor force participation rate was 64.2 percent in October, an increase of one-tenth of one percentage point from the prior month’s revised estimate. Weekly unemployment claims in Vermont remain low.
$7.5 Million Available Through the Agricultural Clean Water Initiative Program
The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets has announced that $7.5 million is available through the Agricultural Clean Water Initiative Program (AgCWIP) for local and regional partners to provide services for Vermont farms to support the improvement of water quality and climate change mitigation across the state of Vermont. The Ag-CWIP program supports activities in organizational capacity development, education and outreach, technical assistance, conservation practice surveys, and more. Eligible applicants include individuals, businesses, and organizations who work with farmers to support conservation efforts.
Burlington Council supports District Energy Plan
The Burlington City Council has finally passed a plan to build a $42 million steam pipeline that will help the University of Vermont Medical Center reduce its natural gas consumption. Councilors also approved a carbon-impact fee that will assess stiff penalties on new or updated buildings that are heated with fossil fuels instead of more renewable options. While the moves are crucial to Burlington’s plan to eliminate the use of fossil fuels in buildings by 2030, objection has been raised because of the costs and because the McNeil plant, from which the steam will come, burns wood, a local renewable resource but also a carbon-based fuel. UVMMC supports the plan. The vote on the steam pipeline was 6-4 and on the carbon impact fee was 8-4.
$12 million released for LIHEAP home heating assistance for the 2023-2024 season
The Department for Children and Families has released $12 million in Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) funding for households that heat with fuel oil, propane, kerosene, coal, electricity, and natural gas. This funding helps keep thousands of Vermonters warm during the winter months. The benefit was sent directly to certified fuel dealers on behalf of approximately 13,000 households, and the average benefit was $933 per household. Individual notices of benefit amounts are being mailed to program participants.
Breeze Airways brings nonstop service from BTV to Tampa and Orlando
The Patrick Leahy Burlington International Airport (BTV) and Breeze Airways have announced new, nonstop service to Tampa International Airport (TPA) and Orlando International Airport (MCO). Flights to Tampa will begin January 31, 2023, and flights to Orlando will begin February 14, 2023. The flights will be twice a week and year-round to both destinations.
Vermont Strong holiday campaign to raise $1 million more in flood relief for businesses
Governor Phil Scott has launched a six-week holiday campaign to raise funds for Vermonters and businesses impacted by this summer’s flooding through ongoing sales of Vermont Strong license plates and limited-edition socks. Since the “Vermont Strong” license plates were reintroduced in August, $715,000 in proceeds have been donated, with half going to individual needs via the Vermont Community Foundation and half to help businesses through the State’s Business Emergency Gap Assistance Program (BEGAP). During the press conference, Scott also addressed public safety; debris cleanup from the flood; the economic impact from the summer storms; heating system repair for those who lost it; the FEMA trailers in Montpelier; and the $200 million state pensions shortfall.
$7.5 million grant funding announced for Agricultural Clean Water Initiative Program
The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets (VAAFM) has announced $7,500,000 available through the Agricultural Clean Water Initiative Program (Ag-CWIP) grant funding opportunity for local and regional partners to provide services for Vermont farms to support the improvement of water quality and climate change mitigation across the state. Local and regional partners play a vital role in the education, outreach, and implementation of conservation practices that will achieve reductions in nutrient runoff from agricultural operations.
DCF announces seasonal policy for emergency shelter program
To help ensure Vermonters who are experiencing homelessness and don’t have adequate financial resources can seek temporary housing in hotels and motels during harsh winter weather, the Department for Children and Families (DCF) has announced the seasonal policy for Emergency Shelter. As outlined in the 2023-24 Adverse Weather Conditions Policy: Between December 15, 2023 - March 15, 2024 Expanded eligibility will be in place regardless of the forecasted weather; From November 15 - December 15, 2023, and March 15 - April 15, 2024 Expanded eligibility will be in place under certain conditions.
Analysis shows nearly 3,000 more people moved into Vermont than moved out in 2022
In 2022, Vermont gained nearly 3,000 new residents who moved from other states, according to an analysis of recently published U.S. Census Bureau by the Treasurer’s Office. The data, which is published annually in October, is an important estimate of Vermont’s demographic trends, which have a direct impact on Vermont’s workforce, economy, and credit rating. Vermont’s 2022 net migration of 2,981 people is slightly above average compared to the past decade, but sharply lower than 2021 when Vermont saw a net migration of 14,548 new residents. The combined net migration from the last two years, however, exceeds the net migration from the prior ten years combined (+17,529 for 2022-21 vs. +16,067 for 2019-10).
University of Vermont expands UVM Promise, extends tuition freeze
The University of Vermont Board of Trustees has reviewed and approved a tuition rate package for academic year 2024-25. The approved figures include a 3.5 percent increase in tuition for out-of-state students and an extension for Vermonters of the tuition freeze that has been in place since 2019. The university will also make more Vermont households eligible for the UVM Promise by increasing the household income threshold by 25 percent to $75K beginning next fall. The UVM Promise commits university financial aid resources to ensure that admitted students from more than half of Vermont’s households can attend UVM paying zero tuition.
New England electric transmission system upgrade could cost $26 billion by 2050
ISO New England has released its draft report on the results of the 2050 Transmission Study. The first-of-its-kind study, driven by assumptions about the region’s future resource mix and demand for electricity provided by the New England states, offers an overview of the regional transmission system investment needed into the middle of the century to ensure reliability throughout the clean energy transition. Cumulative costs to upgrade the transmission system could reach $17 billion to reliably serve a 51 gigawatt (GW) peak in 2050, or $26 billion to support a 57 GW peak, the ISO’s report said. To reach those levels, the region’s annual investment over the next 26 years would need to roughly keep pace with or exceed the average spent each year over the past two decades. The Burlington area presents its own problems, especially in the winter as heating becomes more electrified, because of a lack of generation and high-voltage transmission options.
State commits $4 million in Brownfield Revitalization Funding for seven communities
The Department of Economic Development is committing $4,058,184 from the Vermont Brownfields Revitalization Fund that promotes the productive reuse of contaminated sites to cleanup properties in Hardwick, Barre, Newport, Burlington, Fairlee, Rutland City, and Winooski. “Cleaning up unused brownfields and turning them into economic opportunities has been a priority for my team,” said Governor Scott. “Transforming these brownfields into job creators and much needed housing is exactly the kind of work Vermont needs advance.”
Fire at RK Miles in Montpelier not believed to be suspicious
Initial investigation into a fire that destroyed the RK Miles lumber yard on the night of Nov. 1, 2023, in Montpelier has uncovered no evidence to indicate the blaze is suspicious. The origin of the fire is undetermined. No injuries were reported. The fire was reported at 6:14 p.m. when emergency dispatchers received multiple calls that a building at the lumber yard, at 707 Stone Cutters Way, was engulfed in flames. The Montpelier Fire Department had a crew on scene within four minutes and began an initial attack on the fire. Suddenly shifting winds pushed the flames in the direction of the fire engine, forcing firefighters to evacuate. The engine was a total loss.
Mikaela Shiffrin wins her 6th slalom title at Killington
Vermont’s Killington Resort hosted the women’s Audi FIS Ski World Cup for the seventh time over Thanksgiving Weekend. Switzerland’s Lara Gut-Behrami won the giant slalom under cold and sunny skies on that Saturday with Mikaela Shiffrin rounding out the podium in third. On Sunday, the crowd roared as Mikaela Shiffrin won her sixth slalom title at Killington and the 90th Audi FIS Ski World Cup of her career. The crowds totaling 34,000 over the weekend began arriving on Friday for the athlete bib presentation and fireworks display, and filled the Grandstands, vendor village and Great Gulf LiveKillington.com VIP tent both Saturday and Sunday as 100 of the fastest female alpine ski racers from 20 different countries descended Superstar.
USDA invests $2,247,000 in Vermont and NH clean energy and food production
The USDA is making investments in 185 projects worth nearly $196 million to create new and better market opportunities for producers and entrepreneurs across the country. The funding includes $2,247,000 for Vermont and New Hampshire businesses through Value Added Producer Grants, a Rural Business Development Grant and Business & Industry Loan Guarantee. Funding includes $250,000 Value Added Producer Grants for three farms in Vermont and one in New Hampshire; and a $1.2 million Business & Industry Loan Guarantee to finance a 788 kW solar array farm in Georgia, Vermont.
Delegation condemns feds on lack of action on Montpelier Post Office
Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont), and Representative Becca Balint (D-Vermont) have issued the following statement: “The U.S. Postal Service’s failure to secure safe and stable postal service facilities in Vermont’s capital city following the catastrophic flooding that displaced their offices on State Street, along with an unwillingness to communicate with the local Montpelier community or their own employees, is a complete and total abdication of their responsibilities and emblematic of the nationwide crisis and total failure of leadership of Postmaster General Louis DeJoy.”
The post office was flooded in July, has not reopened and the USPS has not presented a plan for reopening a PO in the state’s capital city.
Agency of Agriculture offer $200K grants for Vermont specialty crops
The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets has announced $200,000 in grant funds to strengthen Vermont’s specialty crop industries and producer associations. Specialty crops are defined as fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, horticulture crops (including honey, hops, maple syrup and mushrooms), and nursery crops (including Christmas trees and floriculture). Interested applicants should apply by January 14, 2024 at 11:59 PM.
These grant funds will enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops by leveraging efforts to market and promote specialty crops, assisting producers with research and development, expanding availability and access to specialty crops, or addressing local, regional, and national challenges for producers.
Governor Scott appoints five Superior Court judges
Governor Phil Scott has appointed five Vermont Superior Court Judges: Benjamin Battles of Waterbury, Susan McManus of Manchester Center, Rachel Malone of South Burlington, Alexander Burke of Arlington, and Navah Spero of Richmond. “As I have often said, selecting judges is one of the most important responsibilities for any governor,” said Governor Scott. “When appointing a judge, you’re literally putting justice, and people’s lives and livelihoods, into someone’s hands. It’s critical to identify appointees who are fair, impartial, and committed to the calling of public service and safety. I’m confident that these new judges will meet the responsibilities and high level of trust Vermonters put in them.”
Clark and Gaffney announce $595,000 settlement with Morgan Stanley over data security
Attorney General Charity Clark and Department of Financial Regulation Commissioner Kevin Gaffney have announced that Vermont, along with five other states, has reached a multistate settlement totaling $6.5 million with Morgan Stanley over two incidents that compromised the personal information of millions of Morgan Stanley customers. Both incidents occurred due to Morgan Stanley’s failure to erase unencrypted data in certain computer devices that were decommissioned, exposing millions of consumers’ personal information left in those devices. Vermont will receive over $595,000 from the settlement, with approximately $89,000 going to the Vermont Financial Services Education and Victim Restitution Special Fund to help compensate victims of securities violations.
Vermont brands benefit from $12 million infusion for Northeast dairy processors
Dairy processors across the Northeast are receiving an important investment intended to build resiliency and spur industry growth in our region. The Northeast Dairy Business Innovation Center (NE-DBIC) has announced 35 businesses have been selected for over $12 million in awards through the Existing Dairy Processor Expansion Grant. With total funding of $12,287,001 across eight states, individual awards range from $25,852 to $1 million. Those selected for awards represent processors of all sizes: from farmstead creameries to multi-state businesses and co-ops.
Vermont State University awarded over $3 million to study Arctic microbes
Vermont State University has announced that Associate Professor Ross Lieblappen will lead students in a ground-breaking study about microbes in the Arctic through a nearly $3.3 million dollar contract from a collection of federal funding sources, including the US Army Corps of Engineering. Lieblappen submitted a Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) proposal to fund, among other things, the purchase of x-ray imaging equipment that will allow him to study the effects of climate change on microbial environments and further U.S. leadership in knowledge of Arctic terrain.
InnovateNEK receives $1.5 million in funding
The Northeastern Vermont Development Association (NVDA) has secured a Venture Challenge grant via the US Economic Development Administration (EDA) Build to Scale program. NVDA worked with Do North Coworking, an entity of Vermont State University, and the Center on Rural Innovation (CORI) to apply for this grant as part of CORI’s 2023 Rural Innovation Initiative, a technical assistance program empowering rural communities to develop inclusive tech economies that support scalable entrepreneurship and tech job creation. With the $1,501,427 million provided by the Venture Challenge Build grant and matching funds, NVDA and Do North Coworking plan to launch the InnovateNEK initiative.
Bennington among 13 colleges to receive $3.275 million to tackle student mental health
To address what the U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy recognizes as “the defining public health crisis of our time,” thirteen colleges, including Bennington College, have received $3.275 million in funding from The Endeavor Foundation for the first phase of “Enhancing Student Learning and Experience through Campus Wellness, Student Wellbeing, and Mental Health Initiatives.” The multi-year collaborative project seeks both to respond to pressing needs and to integrate attention to mental health, wellbeing, and wellness throughout student learning.
iCare Health Network to purchase Bennington Health & Rehab for specialized care
Individuals in Vermont with complex care needs who struggled with in-state nursing facility placement will soon have another option in Vermont, subject to final state approval. The Department of Disabilities, Aging, & Independent Living (DAIL) issued a Request for Proposals in September 2022 for vendors interested in providing specialized care to Vermonters with complex care needs. Approximately 100 Vermonters are in hospitals, correctional facilities, or out-of-state facilities awaiting placement in a licensed nursing facility in Vermont. These individuals are currently unable to secure in-state placement due to their challenging and complex care needs and/or social or judicial history.
For more NewsBriefs go to vermontbiz.com/news.
