By Emma Cotton/VTDigger A new report from Efficiency Vermont concludes that, while Vermonters have been paying relatively steady percentages of their income on energy over the last several years, programs designed to lower energy burdens haven’t reached many people who need them most.  Authors of the 2023 Vermont Energy Burden Report picked up from where a 2019…

  Vermont Agency of Transportation’s weekly report lists planned construction activities that will have traffic impacts on state highways and interstates throughout Vermont for the week of Sept. 4-8. Most crews will be off for Labor Day on Monday and resume work on Tuesday, Sept. 5. Here are the local roadways affected: I-89 White River…

  Up to $53.5 million of Vermont bonds went on sale Aug. 24 for the first time in two years.  Vermont residents and businesses will be given first priority to the bonds. Maturities will range from one to 10 years, with proceeds going toward previously issued state debt. Bonds may be purchased in $1,000 increments…

  New research has revealed the best states for business growth and Vermont came in fourth nationwide.  Business consulting firm Venture Smarter analyzed data from the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics to discover the business growth rate in each state based on the number of establishments in December 2021 compared to December 2022.  Top of the list…

  The Green Mountain Care Board (GMCB) issued decisions requiring Blue Cross Blue Shield of Vermont (BCBSVT) and MVP Health Plan, Inc. (MVP) to modify the premiums they wanted to charge individuals and small businesses for health insurance plans in 2024.  In 2023, these plans covered just over 68,000 Vermonters.   The premium increases requested by BCBSVT and MVP…

  By Lola Duffort/VTDigger The state was given an unusual task in a last-minute legislative deal brokered in June that extended publicly financed motel-based shelter for more than 2,000 unhoused individuals. It was charged with attempting to rehouse or shelter everyone by April 2024, and required to report back to the Legislature on its progress — every single month.…

  Two captive insurance media publications are now naming Vermont the top captive insurance domicile in the world. In their “Q1 Captive Formation Round-Up” article published June 13 in Captive Review used the most recent data to confirm Vermont’s No. 1 status. Another captive media publication, Captive Intelligence, confirmed that data in their captive insurance data…

   U.S. News & World Report, the global authority in hospital rankings and consumer advice, has named Rutland Regional Medical Center as a 2023-2024 High Performing hospital for hip replacement and knee replacement. This is the highest distinction a hospital can earn for U.S. News’ Best Hospitals Procedures & Conditions ratings.  Rutland Regional was one…

  Alburgh and Vergennes mosquito pools are first to test positive in 2023  Mosquitoes collected in Alburgh and Vergennes during the week of July 24 have tested positive for West Nile virus at the Vermont Dept. of Health Laboratory. So far this season, 824 mosquito pools — groups of up to 50 mosquitoes of the…

  Vermont organic dairy farmers are encouraged to apply for relief funding. A grant funding designed to mitigate the extreme market challenges in 2022, including high feed and input costs was made available in the state budget which began on July 1, for $6.9 million. Eligible dairy farmers who apply will receive a single payment…

Declaration provides more resources to help recovery   UPDATE: Administrator Deanne Criswell announced Tuesday evening, July 18, that President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. made additional disaster assistance available to the state of Vermont to supplement state, local and tribal recovery efforts in the areas affected by severe flooding beginning on July 7 and continuing. The…

  Area residents rally in face of storm: Friday's flash flood through Monday's state of emergency By Katy Savage and Victoria Gaither It began with isolated flashfloods and a mudslide in Killington Friday, July 7, but rains continued — and worsened — Sunday and Monday escalating to become a State of Emergency. Estimates of  5-12…

Southern Vermont and the spine of the Green Mountains could see 5 inches of rain. The National Weather Service issued a flood watch for the entire state and warned of flash flooding Sunday night. By Paul Heintz/VTDigger Vermont could face catastrophic, life-threatening flooding as a deluge of rain meets saturated soils and swelling waterways, officials…

   By Amelia Seepersaud/Addison County Independent Vermont is small in population and land mass, but it is very big in at least one thing. Maple syrup. The United States Department of Agriculture’s final tally of this spring’s season showed that Vermont is once again the leading producer of maple syrup nationally.  According to the recently…

   Keeping a small flock of chickens at home to provide eggs and meat has become increasingly popular, but many first-time small-scale poultry farmers are discovering that several species of wildlife like the taste of chicken as much as we do.  The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department urges poultry owners to use electric fencing and…