The U.S. Small Business Administration, in consultation with the Treasury Department, announced Jan. 8 that the Paycheck Protection Program will re-open the week of Jan. 11 for new borrowers and certain existing PPP borrowers. To promote access to capital, initially only community financial institutions will be able to make First Draw PPP Loans on Monday,…

On Jan. 7, the Vermont State Police (VSP) received a report of personal, off duty, social media posts by Lucas Hall of the Shaftsbury barracks. The posts appear to support the criminal insurgency that occurred Jan. 6 at the U.S. Capitol and to advocate for such insurgency to continue. “God Bless America!!!!” Luke Hall, allegedly…

Whereas, on January 6, 2021, President Donald J. Trump addressed thousands of supporters, urging them to go to the U.S. Capitol in support of his false claim that he won the 2020 presidential election, and Whereas, the President’s supporters marched to the Capitol and violently stormed the building, attacking police officers, ransacking offices, terrorizing the…

On Jan. 8 the Vermont House of Representatives voted 130-16 in favor of a resolution to condemn the storming of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. The bill enjoyed tri-partisan support. According to a release from the Vermont Democratic Party, “130 Democratic, Republican, and Progressive House members voted in favor of the resolution in…

By Katy Savage Coaches and athletes are navigating a challenging season since Gov. Phil Scott gave winter sports the green light to start practicing Dec. 26. Scott didn’t announce when or if competitions could begin. Some sports are more affected than others. High-contact sports, like wrestling, can’t practice at all, while cheerleaders can’t practice vocal…

By Anne Wallace Allen/VTDigger About 50 Vermonters made the trip to Washington on a coach bus that left Vermont Tuesday night, Jan. 5. With a mixture of pride and defiance, the organizer who helped 51 people travel to Washington, D.C., for Wednesday’s planned demonstration at the Capitol building described a festive occasion where like-minded people shared…

Gov. Scott cautions Vermonters: 'Don't be played; don't be used as a pawn' By Alan J. Keays/VTDigger and Polly Mikula Vermont law enforcement officials are preparing for possible armed rallies at the State House. The FBI issued a warning Monday, Jan. 11, that demonstrations by gun-toting protesters are planned at state capitals across the country. ABC…

By Jack Lyons/VTDigger Soon after Vermont’s first wave of Covid-19 deaths subsided in May, another wave of death quickly began to climb: traffic collisions. Crashes at one point surpassed the death toll of the coronavirus, and killed 62 people in the state in 2020, up from 47 the year before. Vermont roads have had less traffic…

State officials urge all Vermonters who recently gathered with others or traveled to get tested By Polly Mikula Governor Phil Scott and State Health Commissioner Dr. Mark Levine encouraged Vermonters to go get a Covid-19 test, at the regular press conference Tuesday, Jan. 5. The governor had temporarily permitted households to gather with one trusted…

Hockey teams will not be traveling outside the state to play until at least the end of this month, state officials from the Northeast announced on Dec. 31. New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, Maine Governor Janet Mills, Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo, New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu, Vermont Governor Phil Scott, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont…

Mentor Vermont announced the recipients of the 2020-2021 Vermont mentoring grants on Dec. 30, which provide funding for youth mentoring programs throughout the state. This year, Mentor  Vermont awarded 24 grants, totaling $347,850, which will support over 100 new and existing program sites, and nearly 1,500 adult-to-youth mentor pairs in communities across Vermont. These grants…

Local schools participating include Woodstock Union High School, Harwood Union High School, West Rutland High School, Proctor High School, White River Valley High School and Thetford Academy The Vermont Student Anti-Racism Network recently received a $1,000 grant from the Vermont Community Foundation’s Spark Connecting Community grant program. The grant will help further the network’s mission…

The Dept. of Environmental Conservation (DEC) invites the public to its monthly virtual series highlighting efforts to protect and restore water quality in Vermont. Efforts to improve water quality provide many additional benefits- protecting public health and safety, increasing flood resiliency, supporting outdoor recreation, and enhancing wildlife habitat. On Jan. 7 from 12-1 p.m., DEC’s Stormwater…

Student participation that exceeds the national average and overwhelming parent satisfaction with afterschool programs make Vermont a “Top 10 State for Afterschool,” according to a household survey commissioned by the Afterschool Alliance and released earlier this month. Nevertheless, unmet demand for programs – the percentage of Vermont parents who say they would enroll their child…

Attorney General T.J. Donovan joined a bipartisan coalition of 37 attorneys general in suing Google for anticompetitive conduct in violation of Section 2 of the Sherman Act on Dec. 17. The coalition alleges that Google illegally maintains its monopoly power over general search engines and related advertising markets through a series of anticompetitive exclusionary contracts…