Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Southwestern Vermont Council on Aging (SVCOA) today announced that it is seeking applicants for National Family Caregiver Support (NFCSP) grant funds available to local agencies providing supportive programs and services for caregivers, as well as individual caregivers age 55 and up who are caring full-time for children under the age of 18. The National Family Caregiver Support Program provides caregiver support and services for unpaid caregivers including information and assistance, respite, counseling, support groups, trainings and other evidence-based educational programs.

Vermont Business Magazine The Fox US Open of Mountain Biking has released its event schedule for racing this weekend at Killington Resort, September 15-18. Athletes will kick off the epic competition on Thursday, September 15, with the Bike Park remaining open to the public, while racers begin preparing for the Open Downhill event. Known as a true family-friendly mountain bike festival, this event is free to attend and watch. Visitors will enjoy the excitement of the competition among some of the biggest names in the sport and the incredible experiences Killington Resort has to offer.

VermontBiz The LoveYourBrain Foundation, a Vermont-based national nonprofit, is set to host its 6th Annual Golf Tournament on Monday, September 19th at Burlington Country Club. This annual event, presented in 2022 by Vermont-based Bitter Bubble, invites golf enthusiasts, corporations, professionals and philanthropists to join LoveYourBrain in raising money for their community-based and online programs for people affected by traumatic brain injury (TBI). Every 11 seconds, someone experiences a TBI - including concussion - and all proceeds from the tournament support LoveYourBrain’s programs and resources, which are provided at no cost to participants around the globe.

Longtime champion of LoveYourBrain and host of the X Games Jack Mitrani is set to host the event. One of snowboarding’s most popular personalities, Mitrani brings a vivacious spirit to the tournament, along with a deep passion for the support and community LoveYourBrain provides.

VermontBiz Falling is not a normal part of aging, yet 31% of Vermonters ages 45 and older report experiencing a fall that results in injury. A serious injury ─ especially when you are older ─ can limit a person’s mobility and independence and increase social isolation, which can lead to additional health problems.

In 2020, 171 Vermont residents ages 65 and older had a fall-related death. To help reduce the risk of falls, state health officials and Falls Free Vermont, a statewide resource for fall prevention information and training, are urging Vermonters to know the simple steps that will help avoid falls and injuries.

by Vermont Auditor of Accounts Doug Hoffer Imagine this scenario: A police officer from a small police department is patrolling in his cruiser late in the evening when the dispatcher directs him to respond to a 911 call at a local residence. Little is known other than that the caller says a family member is threatening violence against the caller. The officer arrives at the home. The front door is open. After announcing his arrival and that he is an officer, the officer gauges the situation. An adult male is screaming at the top of his lungs, the caller is crying, and the adult male is now threatening the caller and the officer and begins to aggressively approach the caller... There may be no greater power granted by the State than that which it gives law enforcement to perform their public safety functions. With that power comes enormous responsibility.

Vermont Business Magazine The next guest on Medical Matters Weekly is Rachel Desautels, the executive director of Girls on the Run Vermont. The show airs on Facebook Live at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, September 14. The show is produced by Southwestern Vermont Health Care (SVHC) with cooperation from Catamount Access Television (CAT-TV). Desautels has been the executive director of Girls on the Run Vermont since 2019, before which she served as a statewide program manager, program coordinator for Northern Vermont, and a volunteer coach.

Organization opens application process for 2023-2024 awards and grants funding

Vermont Business Magazine The American Lung Association has announced the start of its 2023-2024 research awards and grants cycle. The organization is now accepting research grant applications from researchers across the nation with the potential to improve prevention, detection and treatment options for all lung diseases including lung cancer.

“Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont are home to several wonderful research institutions and leading-edge researchers,” Trevor Summerfield, Director of Advocacy for the American Lung Association in Vermont. “The Lung Association is committed to supporting the best scientific minds to help develop solutions to alleviate the burden of lung disease. We encourage innovative researchers in Vermont, Maine and New Hampshire to apply for these grants.”

VermontBiz Today, the Green Mountain Care Board completed its review and approval of the Fiscal Year 2023 budgets for Vermont’s 14 community hospitals.

“Like households and other businesses, Vermont hospitals have been challenged by historically high inflation rates, supply chain breakdowns, and workforce shortages,” said Jessica Holmes, Interim Board Chair. “The continuing impacts of COVID-19 have led hospital costs to outpace revenues, with 9 of our hospitals currently experiencing operating losses. Every year, we work hard to balance cost containment with the need to ensure that Vermont’s hospitals have the resources necessary to provide high-quality care in their communities. This year, we paid close attention to restoring the financial stability of the hospital system and preserving access to care.”

VermontBiz Special Olympics Vermont has announced that Brattleboro Union High School, a Special Olympics Unified Champion School, is receiving national banner recognition for its efforts to provide inclusive sports and activities for students with and without disabilities. Brattleboro Union High School is receiving this honor as a result of meeting national standards of excellence in the areas of inclusion, advocacy, and respect. Brattleboro Union High School plans to celebrate the award throughout the school year with a kick-off event open to the community in the next few weeks.

Brattleboro Union High School is amongst a select number of schools to receive this distinction. They will be presented with a banner to hang in their school and be included on a list of other schools around the country who have achieved this distinguished status.

VermontBiz Creative Futures Grants, with $9 million in funding from Vermont’s last legislative session, will be available beginning Thursday, Sept. 15, to help the creative sector recover from economic losses due to the pandemic.

Grants of up to $200,000 will be available to creative sector non-profits and for-profit entities, including sole proprietors, that have sustained substantial losses from the pandemic. Losses include decreased revenue or gross receipts; financial insecurity; increased costs; and challenges covering operating expenses.

Grant amounts, which will be based on pre-pandemic operating revenue from 2019, may be used to cover a wide range of regular operating expenses, including payroll and office expenses; rent, mortgage, and utilities; and costs associated with ongoing Covid-19 mitigation and prevention.

VermontBiz The Attorney General’s Office today announced it charged four caregivers after Vermont Superior Court, Franklin Criminal Division, found probable cause for multiple criminal charges. The charges, including abuse and neglect of vulnerable adults, are against David Mumley, 29, formerly of Swanton, Vermont; Heather Mumley, 30, formerly of Swanton, Vermont; Krystal Grenier, 30, of Milton, Vermont; and Nicholas Grenier, 29, of Milton, Vermont. The charges brought against the four caregivers are the result of an investigation conducted by the Medicaid Fraud and Residential Abuse Unit of the Attorney General’s Criminal Division.

David Mumley was paid to provide care to a vulnerable adult who lived in the home of David and Heather Mumley and was dependent on Mr. Mumley for feeding, toileting, and other personal hygiene necessities. David Mumley was arrested in Florida and has been charged with: