Discover More from This Category: State News

Environmentalists call for low-emission electricity from socially just sources

December 6, 2023
Submitted  350Vermont is seeking to pressure utilities to sell energy using renewable sources.    The grassroots climate justice organization 350Vermont is seeking to pressure utilities to sell energy using renewable sources while producing fewer or no greenhouse gases. The organization will do this by ratcheting up pressure on the Legislature to tighten up the state’s…

State: Get prepared for respiratory virus season

November 22, 2023
   Fall and winter are the seasons when respiratory viruses spread more easily, and that means now is the best time to protect yourself and loved ones from serious illness and hospitalization, according to the the state Health Department, which is urging everyone 6 months and older to get this year’s Covid-19 and flu vaccines.…

Vermont State University awarded over $3 million to study Arctic microbes

November 15, 2023
  Undergraduates, high school students will assist in research that will guide U.S. decisions amid climate change Vermont State University announced Nov. 9 that Associate Professor Ross Lieblappen will lead students in a ground-breaking study about microbes in the Arctic through a nearly $3.3 million contract from a collection of federal funding sources, including the…

DCF announces seasonal policy for emergency shelter program 

November 15, 2023
   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 smergency shelter.   The 2023-24 adverse weather conditions policy will differ by season. Between Dec.…

U.S. delegation introduces bill to support EMS providers in rural Vermont

November 15, 2023
  On Nov. 8, Sens. Peter Welch (D-Vermont) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) introduced the Emergency Medical Services Reimbursement for On-scene Care and Support (EMS ROCS) Act. Representative Becca Balint (D-Vermont) introduced companion legislation in the House. Currently, Medicare does not reimburse Emergency Medical Services (EMS) providers unless the patient is transported to a hospital. However, EMS providers…

Vermont gained another 3,000 new residents in 2022

November 8, 2023
In 2022, Vermont gained nearly 3,000 new residents who moved from other states, according to an analysis of data from U.S. Census Bureau published by the Treasurer’s Office, Nov. 6. The data, which is published annually around this time, is an important estimate of Vermont’s demographic trends, which have a direct impact on Vermont’s workforce,…

Investigation finds nearly 9,000 Vermonters were improperly billed for contraceptive services, refunds on the way

October 25, 2023
  Thousands of Vermonters will be reimbursed by the top three health insurance carriers in the state after a nearly two-year audit by the Department of Financial Regulation (DFR) identified contraceptive medical services for policyholders were incorrectly covered by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Vermont (BCBSVT), MVP Health Care (MVP) and Cigna Healthcare (Cigna), according…

GMP launches first in nation 2030 Zero Outages Initiative

October 25, 2023
                                               Green Mountain Power     Green Mountain Power (GMP) launched its Zero Outages Initiative, Tuesday, Oct. 10. It’s the first utility in the country to commit to a comprehensive, data-driven plan that…

Fraud, scams, con artists: a risk to your computer, phone

October 11, 2023
By Karen D. Lorentz Editor’s note: This is Part 3 of recognizing and preventing scams from happening.  “I’m too smart to be scammed,” many believe.  But the truth is that “Education puts you at risk and higher income makes you a target,” warned Elliott Greenblott, noting that Steven Spielberg got scammed by Bernie Madoff.  For…

CCV receives $1.2 million to support workforce development

October 11, 2023
Rural Vermonters and people in marginalized communities will have greater access to higher education and career advancement in the coming years, thanks to a $1.2 million award from a federal partnership between the Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC) and the U.S Department of Labor that will support workforce education at the Community College of Vermont…

Mortgage loan demand still high, despite high rates 

October 5, 2023
By Curt Peterson The first important thing to know is that a mortgage is a lien, not a loan. A mortgage loan involves the borrower giving a mortgage on a property to a lender in exchange for funds, usually used to purchase the property. The property can’t be sold without paying off any part of…

‘Be prepared to pay 20% over the asking price’

October 5, 2023
  Real estate market remains competitive in Killington through fall  By Curt Peterson  The real estate market is full of vagaries — prices, climbing mortgage loan rates, bidding wars, and the effects of climate change, to name a few. Each town has its own characteristics. The area served by the Mountain Times and where our…

VHFA announces homeownership funding

October 5, 2023
The Vermont Housing Finance Agency (VHFA) Board of Commissioners recently awarded Vermont State Affordable Housing Tax Credits for homeownership development projects across the state. Once sold to investors, the credits will yield nearly $3 million in equity for downpayment assistance for newly constructed or substantially rehabilitated single-family homes as well as energy-efficient manufactured homes.  Additionally,…

One dead in motorcycle crash, Sunday

October 5, 2023
A man died in a motorcycle crash on Route 7 in Clarendon around 11:21 a.m. Oct. 1.   Police said Roy Loomis, 70, of West Rutland, was traveling west on North Shrewsbury Road in a Kawasaki motorcycle and failed to stop at a red light as he entered the intersection. The motorcycle was struck by…

Governor requests major disaster declaration for early August flooding in Rutland and Addison Counties

October 5, 2023
  Governor Phil Scott has made a formal request to President Joe Biden for a Major Disaster Declaration to help communities in Addison and Rutland counties recover costs for repair of public infrastructure damage caused by rainfall and severe flooding on Aug. 3-5.  “For Addison and Rutland counties, the severe storms and flooding from early…