Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Labor Commissioner, Michael Harrington, has been elected to the National Association of State Workforce Agencies (NASWA) 2021-2022 Board of Directors Executive Committee and will serve as Secretary for Board. Harrington joined the Vermont Department of Labor in January of 2017 as deputy commissioner and was appointed commissioner in June 2020. He also currently serves as the chair of NASWA’s Equal Opportunity Committee.

Vermont Business Magazine Today, the Joint Committee on Public Safety Transformation released the final Functional and Operational Assessment. The Assessment was conducted by the consultancy firm CNA, who began working with the City in March 2021. The Assessment includes 149 evidence-based findings and recommendations, with a focus on five areas: BPD training and operations, racial and socioeconomic bias analysis, staffing and workload analysis, specialized and alternative responses to policing, and an implementation roadmap.

Vermont Business Magazine The State of Vermont today distributed resources and information to all Vermont public and independent schools to enable them to establish COVID-19 response testing in every school across Vermont. The state is bolstering existing testing tools with rapid testing to help keep more kids in school. Using a combination of PCR and rapid antigen tests, response testing allows schools to greatly reduce the time students might otherwise have to spend out of the classroom due to cases at their school. Students who are close contacts of a classmate or teacher who tests positive for COVID-19 will be able to test out of quarantine more easily and continue attending school while in quarantine as long as they have no symptoms.

Vermont Business Magazine People eligible to receive a booster shot of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine can receive it conveniently at the Southwestern Vermont Health Care (SVHC) COVID-19 Resource Center located on the former campus of Southern Vermont College at 982 Mansion Drive in Bennington.

Vermont Business Magazine The Federal Emergency Management Agency will be sending almost $1.2 million to the State of Vermont to reimburse the costs of providing emergency meals for residents in need during the COVID-19 pandemic. The $1,193,662 Public Assistance grant will go to Vermont’s Agency of Commerce and Community Development for operating the state’s emergency feeding program “Vermont Everyone Eats” during the coronavirus pandemic between July and August 2021.

Vermont Business Magazine Phil Scott announced that starting today (October 1), many more Vermonters can now schedule and receive their Pfizer vaccine booster shots. Also today, the Vermont Department of Health reported 189 cases of COVID-19 (down 34 from Thursday), and one death for 318 statewide. There are 48 people hospitalized (up four) and 10 in the ICU (unchanged).

Vermont Business Magazine Central Vermont Medical Center (CVMC) today announced several initiatives underway to address the national pandemic-driven labor shortage that is particularly affecting health systems as increased COVID-19 cases and higher acuity drive demand for care. As of September 20, CVMC has raised its wage floor to $15/hr. This means that all CVMC employees now make at least $15/hr, coupled with differentials for evening, night and weekend shifts, paid time off and a generous benefits package. Current employees will see the wage bump retroactively applied to their paychecks. Additionally, applicants hired into certain positions ranging from food service workers, environmental service technicians to nurses, will also receive one-time sign-on bonuses.

Vermont Business Magazine US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and University of Vermont officials on Wednesday toured the future home of the Food Systems Research Center, which will be located in the Joseph L. Hills Agricultural Science Building on the UVM campus. The tour was part of a two-day visit to UVM. The research center—a collaboration between UVM and the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS)—focuses its work on understanding all facets of the regional food system, from production agriculture to food security, with a special focus on small- and medium-sized farms.

Vermont Business Magazine Green Mountain Power is partnering with local energy committees in Bethel and Essex to invite customers to check out electric vehicles at EVenture Ride and Drive events in Bethel on Saturday and in Essex on Sunday. EV drivers will gather in Bethel on Saturday to kick off the event there. GMP is visiting communities across the state with EVenture Ride and Drive events, which provide an opportunity for customers to talk with EV drivers and GMP experts in a no-pressure environment, ask questions, and learn about the benefits of electric vehicles – from the financial and carbon savings you get when you switch to driving electric, to the zippy ride that a battery-powered car offers on the road.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Health today reported 223 cases of COVID-19 (up 119 from Tuesday), and no deaths, which are holding at 317 statewide. There are 44 people hospitalized (unchanged) and 10 in the ICU (down 2). You can now get a booster shot of Pfizer vaccine if you received your second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine six months ago or more and are age 65 or older. Starting Friday, October 1, anyone over 17 with certain medical conditions that put you at high risk of getting severely ill with COVID-19 can get the Pfizer booster if their second shot was six or more months ago.

Vermont Business Magazine New England Federal Credit Union (NEFCU) announced today the launch of a three-year, $6 million campaign to address the affordable housing crisis in Vermont. The NEFCU initiative will include three separate programs. One, in partnership with the Vermont Housing Finance Agency (VHFA), will devote $3 million to affordable homeownership and multi-family rental projects. The second, with Champlain Housing Trust (CHT), will commit $3 million to advance BIPOC homeownership. The third will be NEFCU’s own Home Ownership Made Easier (HOME) program to help first-time homebuyers struggling with affordability.

Vermont Business Magazine The US Senate Thursday passed the Leahy Amendment to fund the government by continuing resolution through December 3rd with a strong bipartisan vote of 65 to 35. As Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) was the chief architect of the legislation to stave off a government shutdown that would have taken effect at midnight tonight (Thursday). In addition to funding the government through December 3rd, the Leahy Amendment provides $28 billion to address recent natural disasters around the country, and provides crucial assistance to support Afghan refugees and America’s Afghan partners.