Current News
by katie
Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Corrections (Vermont DOC) is renewing its contract with CoreCivic for one year, the final extension allowed under the original contract signed in 2018.
Vermont DOC currently houses 145 incarcerated individuals at CoreCivic’s Tallahatchie County Correctional Facility (TCCF) in Tutwiler, Miss. At its peak in August 2019, the Vermont population totaled 281 incarcerated individuals at TCCF. That number has steadily declined as more individuals returned to Vermont facilities, and out-of-state transports ceased during the pandemic.
by katie
On October 2, 2021, at approximately 1721 hours, the Putney Fire Department received a report of a structure fire at an abandoned property located at 19 Shag Bark Hill, Putney, VT. The Putney Fire Department responded to the scene and found a residential trailer and adjacent vehicle, fully involved with fire. Fire suppression efforts were conducted but the building and vehicle were destroyed by the fire.
The trailer and vehicle were unoccupied and there were no injuries reported.
As part of his scene assessment, Putney Fire Chief Tom Goddard contacted the VT Dept of Public Safety Fire & Explosion Investigation Unit for assistance in determining the origin and cause of the fire.
Members of the Fire and Explosion Investigation Unit responded to the scene and conducted an investigation into the origin and cause of this fire.
The cause of this fire remains under investigation, however, is considered suspicious at this time.
by katie
Vermont Business Magazine Recently, hundreds of equestrian lovers, historians and many others gathered at the UVM Morgan Horse Farm in Weybridge to celebrate the centennial of “Figure,” a statue of the Morgan horse. Vermonter Justin Morgan, who owned Figure in the late 1700s, created the Morgan breed with Figure as its foundational sire. The life-size bronze statue of “Figure” stood tall on his 100th birthday, almost as if he were playing to the crowd.
by katie
Vermont Business Magazine Attorney General T.J. Donovan is co-leading a bipartisan coalition of 52 attorneys general expressing strong support for the hearings being conducted by the U.S. Senate Committee addressing protection and safety of kids and teens using social media.
Attorneys general, who have been monitoring with concern the impacts of social media on youth, cite recent research from Facebook’s own internal studies showing that social media is inflicting harm. According to these internal studies, this harm comes in the form of increased mental distress, bullying, suicide, and other self-harm on a significant number of kids.
by katie
Vermont Business Magazine The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that on October 4, 2021, Jeremy Digby, 41, of South Royalton was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Christina Reiss to 19 months’ imprisonment and three years of supervised release, which will follow the term of imprisonment. Digby also agreed to forfeit the firearms recovered from his residence. Digby had previously pled guilty to being a user in possession of firearms, which carried a maximum sentence of up to 10 years imprisonment.
by katie
Vermont Business Magazine As the U.S. Congress deliberates over legislation that would massively upgrade the country’s aging infrastructure, researchers at the University of Vermont, the University of Maine and Vermont Technical College have received a $4 million grant from the National Science Foundation to develop and test new technologies that could make monitoring the safety and performance of infrastructure less expensive, more accurate and more widespread, resulting in more dependable, durable structures in the future.
The project also addresses human infrastructure, as the national legislation proposes to do, through engaging a group of faculty, graduate students and undergraduates at the three schools to create a trained workforce that could design and manufacture the new technologies the research project will develop and make use of. K-12 students will also participate.
by katie
Vermont Business Magazine Bar Harbor Bankshares (NYSE American: BHB), the parent company of Bar Harbor Bank & Trust, is pleased to announce that the Bank has been recognized as one of “America’s Best Banks” by Newsweek.
Newsweek Magazine recognized Bar Harbor Bank & Trust as an "America's Best Banks" winner in the small bank category for Maine. Best Bank winners were selected from among 2,508 financial institutions and assessed on more than 30 separate factors including the overall health of the bank, customer service performance and features, digital and branch presence, account and loan options, interest rate offerings, and fees. Newsweek defined a “Small Bank” as bank with less than $10 billion in assets and among the five banks with the most branches in the state.
by katie
Vermont Business Magazine The SBA Vermont District Office hosts a free webinar at 11:30 a.m. Today, Oct. 5, about changes made to the Covid-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan. Topics include the increase from $500,000 to $2 million, deferred payments, expansion of eligible use of funds and more.
Updates made to the COVID 19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan Sept. 8 increased the potential loan amount for new applicants and existing COVID 19 EIDL borrowers and made modifications that make it an even more attractive option to provide much needed relief to small businesses during these continuing stressful times.
by katie
Vermont Business Magazine Katie Irwin and Jim McGonigal don’t want any parent to go through what they did more than six years ago. Their daughter Scarlet Suzy McGonigal was stillborn and the Woodbridge, CT couple didn’t have the proper amount of time to spend with her and process their grief.
Following that experience, Katie and Jim created Scarlet’s Mission, donating CuddleCots to various hospitals, including Gifford Medical Center.
by tim
Vermont Business Magazine Howard Center will be connecting to the global world mental health movement and hosting its second annual community-wide recognition and celebration of World Mental Health Day (WMHD) with events throughout the month of October. This year WMHD is on October 10 and is an opportunity for community education and engagement to reduce stigma and raise awareness about topics related to mental health.
by tim
Vermont Business Magazine Following the close of a two-week collective effort, Attorney General TJ Donovan, the Vermont Bar Association (VBA), the Vermont Paralegal Organization (VPO), and the Vermont Foodbank announced the positive impact of the Vermont Legal Community Fighting Hunger Food Drive. For the past five years, legal professionals across the state have come together to run the food drive. After hosting last year’s food drive virtually in June, General Donovan, the VBA, VPO, and Foodbank returned to hosting the event during Hunger Action Month in September. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a steep increase in food insecurity for Vermonters and need has not yet returned to pre-pandemic levels.
by tim
Vermont Business Magazine Southwestern Vermont Health Care’s (SVHC) Medical Matters Weekly with Dr. Trey Dobson—a weekly interactive, multiplatform medical-themed talk show—will feature Southwestern Vermont Medical Center Registered Dietitian Rachel Rodney, RD, on its October 6 program. The show will air at 12 p.m. She will share services that are available for free for local patients who would like to improve their diets.