Vermont Secretary of State Jim Condos announced on Oct. 14 that a record number of ballots have been cast early in the Nov. 3, 2020 General Election as compared to ballots cast early in prior elections. As of the end of the day on Oct. 13, 110,016 Vermonters have voted early in the 2020 General…

Saturday, Oct. 24 and Wednesday Oct. 28—The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department, along with several local, state and federal conservation partners, will be celebrating World Fish Migration Day on Saturday, Oct. 24 and Wednesday, Oct. 28 with in-person and online activities. World Fish Migration Day is a global day of recognition to raise awareness about…

Governor aims to prevent influx from high risk areas Following the decision by the State of New Hampshire to close indoor skating facilities for two weeks, Governor Phil Scott Oct. 16 issued an executive order prohibiting Vermont’s skating rinks from accepting new reservations for use beginning that Oct. 16, at 5 p.m., through midnight on…

The state has announced $240,000 in additional relief funding was made available through two new Coronavirus Agriculture Assistance Programs that launched this past Friday, Oct. 16. Farmers Market Relief The Farmers Market Relief program will provide up to $2,000 to markets that suffered economic harm as a result of the global pandemic. Markets must have…

The U.S. Small Business Administration, in consultation with the Treasury Department, released a simpler loan forgiveness application for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans of $50,000 or less on Oct. 8. This action streamlines the PPP forgiveness process to provide financial and administrative relief to America’s smallest businesses while also ensuring sound stewardship of taxpayer dollars.…

Qualifying businesses can now receive up to $300,000 Governor Phil Scott announced Tuesday, Oct. 20, an expansion of the state’s Economic Recovery Grants, utilizing an additional $76 million in funds from the $1.25 billion the state received from the Federal CARES Act. These funds are in addition to the $152 million in economic relief already…

Agency dollars assist Vermont fruit, vegetable, and value-added producers and increase consumer access to locally produced food The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets (VAAFM) last week  announced grants totaling $299,350 for seven projects to benefit Vermont fruit, vegetable, and value-added producers and increase consumer access to locally produced food. These grants, funded through…

Author of the bill cites lowering abortion rates among its goals Vermont will become the first state in the nation to make free condoms available in public middle and high schools next year. Gov. Scott signed a bill on Oct. 5 that expands access to contraceptives. Some of the country’s largest school districts have free…

On Oct. 8, legislative leaders released a proposal to address climate change in the 2021 Vermont Transportation Bill. As the transportation sector makes up nearly half of Vermont’s carbon emissions, these key proposals will produce results to immediately begin achieving the requirements of the Global Warming Solutions Act. Historically, members of the House Committee on…

The Vermont Department of Labor announced Thursday, Oct. 1, an increase to the state’s minimum wage. Beginning Jan. 1, 2021, the state’s minimum wage will increase $.79, from $10.96 to $11.75 per hour. The calculation for this increase is in accordance with Act 86 of the 2019 Vermont General Assembly. This adjustment also impacts the…

The Vermont Agency of Transportation (AOT) invites Vermonters to write their own highway safety message to get drivers’ attention and help keep travelers safe. The winning message will appear on the light-up message boards on highways and interstates around the state this fall. The messages must focus on highway safety and be tasteful and non-offensive.…

By Andrew Martin News & Citizen/VTDigger The number of fatal car crashes on Vermont’s roads has risen substantially this year. “We are up significantly from last year, more than double,” said Mandy White, spokesperson for the Vermont Agency of Transportation. Though theoretically fewer drivers are on the road because of the pandemic, the number of…

The Vermont Dept. of Labor announced Oct. 5 that the state is set to “trigger off” of the High Extended Benefits program, as of Oct. 10. This determination by the U.S. Dept. of Labor follows Vermont’s unemployment rate decreasing from 8.3% in July to 4.8% in August. A state’s unemployment rate is what drives its…

Dr. Devborah Birx said she was impressed with student, community response to pandemic during campus visit, Saturday By Alek Fleury/Vermont Cynic On a visit to the University of Vermont campus Saturday, Oct. 10, White House coronavirus task force coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx praised UVM and the state for its handling of the Covid-19 pandemic. At the…

Gov. Scott announces laws on cannabis regulation, police force Governor Phil Scott announced on Oct. 7 action on a range of bills, including the Legislature’s bill to create a regulated cannabis market in Vermont, which will be allowed to go into law without his signature. The new law establishes a cannabis control board that will…