Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, today with Rep. Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-VA), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, introduced legislation that would raise the federal minimum wage to $17 by 2028. Estimated to benefit nearly 28 million workers, or 19 percent of the working population, the Raise the Wage Act of 2023 would raise the federal minimum wage to $17 per hour over five years, eliminate the tipped sub-minimum wage over seven years, eliminate the sub-minimum wage for workers with disabilities over five years, and eliminate the sub-minimum wage for youth workers over seven years.

Vermont Business Magazine State Treasurer Mike Pieciak hosted a Virtual Policy Forum on Homelessness on Monday. The forum included Vermont housing stakeholders and University of Washington Assistant Professor Gregg Colburn, author of the book "Homelessness is a Housing Problem." During the forum, Professor Colburn argued the cost and availability of rental housing best explains the rate of homelessness in a given community rather than individual factors like mental illness or generosity of public assistance. He concluded that Vermont’s high median rental cost and low vacancy rate most likely explain why Vermont has one of the highest per capita homelessness rates in the country.   

Vermont Business Magazine With generous support from Governor Phil Scott and the Vermont Legislature, Vermonters seeking education and training in certain high-demand fields will receive a 50% tuition break at the Community College of Vermont (CCV) during the upcoming academic year. More than 20 degree and certificate programs are included in the Vermont Tuition Advantage program, in areas that meet the demands of critical workforce needs in Vermont. This includes healthcare, early childhood education, IT, bookkeeping, and more.  

Vermont Business Magazine Senator Peter Welch, Vermont Governor Phil Scott, Vermont Secretary of Agriculture Anson Tebbetts, and State and local agriculture stakeholders visited farmer Paul Mazza and his family at the Paul Mazza’s Fruit and Vegetables farm in Essex Junction on Monday to survey extensive damage to crops on the farm following historic flooding across Vermont earlier this month. The bipartisan group called for swift relief for Vermont farmers and a coordinated state and federal response to disaster recovery in the state.  

Vermont Business Magazine Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont), and Representative Becca Balint (D-Vermont) today sent letters to 95 insurance companies holding federally-backed and private insurance policies across Vermont – including the top flood, homeowner, and auto insurance companies – calling on them to act quickly and fairly when assessing what damage from the recent floods can be covered under their individual policies. While most individuals and small businesses in Vermont have no flood insurance, the vast majority of those who do are covered through the federal government’s National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). NFIP is managed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), with policies operated by private insurance companies.

Vermont Business Magazine Generator, Burlington's premiere makerspace, has just launched the innovative VT MakerSchools Program thanks to $365,000 from the US Department of Education granted as part of former Senator Patrick Leahy’s congressionally-directed spending request in the Omnibus Appropriations Act of 2022. This significant allocation allows Generator to support the buildout of makerspaces in 6 rural Vermont secondary schools, provide makerspace professional development to Vermont educators, and establish a dedicated classroom at Generator to serve as a model learning space for both efforts.

Vermont Business Magazine Breastfeeding parents are highly motivated to feed their babies breast milk for its health benefits (83%) but cite significant challenges, particularly around pumping breast milk, which about 3 in 4 breastfeeding parents do at least some of the time, according to new research. Conducted by Mamava and Medela, the study surveyed more than 15,000 breastfeeding parents about their breastfeeding motivations, challenges, and support systems. August is National Breastfeeding Month.

Vermont Business Magazine Lamoille County and neighboring towns have certainly seen their share of rainfall this summer, resulting in catastrophic flooding, damage to houses, farms, roadways, and infrastructure, and the contamination of many towns’ drinking water systems. For over a week, water storage tanks and daily tractor trailers hauling water have been the norm at Copley. 

Vermont Business Magazine What if you always wanted to become a nurse, but never had access or opportunity? Then, an employer like Southwestern Vermont Medical Center, provided you with an easy way to get your education while you are working, with no financial outlay on your part. This week, nine SVMC hospital employees were invited to participate in SVHC’s RN Apprenticeship Pathway – a strategic partnership between the hospital, Vermont Talent Pipeline, Vermont State University (VTSU), Community College of Vermont (CCV), and Vermont Student Assistance Corporation (VSAC).

Vermont Business Magazine National Life Group has been named on the 2023 Ward’s 50, an annual list of the country’s 50 top life and health insurance performers based on financial health. Ward’s measures performance over the previous five years in determining which companies make the list. National Life’s 2022 Annual Report noted steadily increasing sales records despite market volatility.

Vermont Business Magazine To mark the completion of the new mental health support area in its Emergency Department (ED), Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital (NVRH) will hold an Opening Celebration on Tuesday, July 25, 2023. The mental health support area, which was made possible by a $3 million Congressionally Directed Spending grant sponsored by Senator Leahy, will expand the ED to better support individuals who are experiencing a mental health crisis. The space will include four patient rooms and two easily accessible bathrooms; a staff station; and a social room for commingling, consultation and family meetings.

Vermont Business Magazine Community Health brings its popular and unbearably adorable “Teddy Bear Clinic” to Rutland’s National Night Out Tuesday, August 1, from 4 to 7 pm at Meadow Street Park in Rutland. Lots of love and care will be shared at Community Health’s Teddy Bear Clinic where our staff and volunteers hear from children and tend to what ails their teddy bear, stuffed puppy, dinosaur or favorite plush creature. The Teddy Bear clinic typically attracts hundreds of teddy bears and their owners as they line up for a dose of kindness from our compassionate nurses, doctors and health care volunteers.