Shared Concern for Safety and Well-Being of Children

Vermont Business Magazine The child advocates from Prevent Child Abuse Vermont (PCAVT) applaud the recent announcement by Attorney General T.J. Donovan of a joint investigation into TikTok and the harms the use of their social media platforms pose for Vermont’s children and young adults.

Both before and during the pandemic, PCAVT has been working to bring awareness to the dangers inherent in social media platforms, that are increasingly used by youth as young as 6 yrs. old. TikTok, and other social media, are being used by adults with an inappropriate sexual interest in children to establish contact with them, to develop relationships, and to groom potential victims for sexual abuse.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Federal Credit Union has been awarded the 2021 Crystal Performance Award by Raddon. The award is based on an analysis of key performance metrics focused on service, member relationships, sales and other areas. “We are honored to be among the award winners and thank our employees for their service and commitment to our members” said Jean Giard, CEO. “2021 was a challenging year for our communities and our staff, and I am incredibly proud of our team’s perseverance and dedication to our mission."

Vermont Manufacturing Extension Center VMEC is seeking a new Center Director & CEO. Join us on the front lines in a leading role to develop and implement a strategy for strengthening and modernizing Vermont’s manufacturing sector. VMEC has also added in-person learning opportunities to its spring schedule. Check out what we have to offer you, your teams and your entire organization, both virtual and in-person. More dates and ways to upskill are being added so check back often.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Health today is reporting 159 cases of COVID-19 for Thursday, up from 130 on Wednesday. Hospitalizations today were 12 (down 4). The record was 122 on January 19. Health officials have focused on this as a key indicator. They had been running over 100 in early February. ICU stays, which also had been elevated and have now fallen, were zero today, which is the first time there has been no one in the ICU for COVID for several months.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today signed into law a law (S.4) that would prohibit the carrying of firearm into a hospital except by law enforcement officials. It also includes a compromise to seven days of when a background check for a firearm transfer would have to be completed. The original bill proposed three days and the governor previously suggested 30 days. The governor also signed H.701, which regulates medical cannabis.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today issued the following statement following the Vermont Senate’s confirmation of Judge Nancy Waples to the Vermont Supreme Court: “I’m thrilled that the Vermont Senate has unanimously confirmed my appointment of Judge Nancy Waples to the State’s highest court. Judge Waples is a distinguished public servant, an accomplished jurist and will bring an invaluable perspective to the bench."

Vermont Business Magazine After more than two years of all of us dealing with this global pandemic, VermontBiz, is proud to announce the 2022 Best of Business Awards (BOB Awards) winners. This awards program celebrates the best Vermont companies in more than 100 business-to-business categories. All of these businesses have been affected by the pandemic in one form or another and like us at VB we are looking forward to the day when business and life in general can get back to some form of normalcy. We do see a light at the end of that tunnel. Vermont businesses are very resilient and deserve to be recognized for their commitment to Vermont consumers.

​Vermont Business Magazine Attorney General TJ Donovan today filed a civil lawsuit against Missouri-based company, Karabell Industries, and its owner, Eli Karabell, for making repeated illegal telemarketing calls and harassing state legislators to pay him exorbitant sums of money. The lawsuit was filed in Washington Superior Court after numerous state legislators complained of receiving late-night phone calls from the Defendants who claimed to offer “government consulting services.” The Defendants then emailed state legislators proposing contracts and demanding payments of $18,500 per hour or even $48 billion. The Attorney General’s lawsuit alleges that the Defendants—who have ignored requests to stop—violated Vermont’s Consumer Protection Act and Telephone Solicitation Act.

Vermont Business Magazine On Thursday, the Ethan Allen Institute released the 2022 legislative midsession “Roll Call Profiles.” The profiles include legislators’ votes cast in January and February of this legislative session. The profiles demonstrate how Vermont lawmakers voted on bills to lengthen firearm background checks, impose a rental housing registration fee, broaden the definition of illegal speech, amend the state constitution (Proposal 5), and more. Each profile contains a brief overview of the issue at stake and links to more in-depth information such as original records, supporting documents, recorded floor debates, and analysis. Importantly, the profiles show each legislator’s voting history from 2013 to the present.

Vermont Business Magazine Brattleboro-based G.S. Precision, Inc, a leading manufacturer of complex, high-precision components and specialty hardware used primarily in aerospace engines and defense systems, announced today that it acquired SMC Aerospace, a provider of highly engineered tubes and machined components for the aerospace and defense industries. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. GSP is a portfolio company of AE Industrial Partners, a U.S.-based private equity firm specializing in aerospace, defense & government services, space, power & utility services, and specialty industrial markets. SMC is based in Laconia, NH.

Vermont Business Magazine The US Department of Justice has filed notice that it intends to join a whistleblower lawsuit filed by Phillips & Cohen LLP against Modernizing Medicine and a co-founder alleging serious violations of the False Claims Act involving the company's electronic health records (EHR) software and illegal kickbacks to physicians. The lawsuit was unsealed in United States District Court for the District of Vermont in Burlington on March 24, 2022.