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by John McClaughry One interest group fared extraordinarily well during the just-completed legislative session. That’s the interest group comprised of Representatives and Senators. Unlike other interest groups, who have to lobby legislators for the benefits they want, the legislators themselves get to vote on their own benefits. This was an opportunity not to be missed. This year’s legislative compensation bill (S.39) prescribes a 100% increase from today’s $14,616 per year salary to $29,766 in 2027. It also allows legislators to enjoy state employee health insurance. The state’s 80% contribution for a $27,300 family plan comes to $21,840.

Vermont Business Magazine May is National Foster Care Month. It is a time to acknowledge the role of foster and kinship care providers statewide. In Vermont, more than 1,000 children and youth are currently provided foster care. Most will successfully reunify with their birth families. When that is not possible, permanency is sought – often through adoption. This year, the State of Vermont is highlighting the need to take a holistic and culturally responsive approach to supporting the mental health needs of those involved with child welfare. This includes the mental health and wellbeing of children and youth, their caregivers, and of the staff within the many agencies and services involved with the care of children and youth in foster care.

Vermont Business Magazine The American Red Cross asks people to book a time to give blood or platelets now to address a recent drop in donation appointments that could lead to fewer transfusions for patients in the weeks ahead. Type O blood donors are especially needed to ensure a strong blood supply. The start of summer can shake up normal routines, but it’s important for donation appointments to stay on the calendar – especially as Memorial Day weekend approaches. More than 42 million Americans are expected to travel over the holiday, meaning fewer donors may be available to give.

by Amy Olson, Dartmouth College The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated fear of childbirth among pregnant people in the US, according to a new Dartmouth study. The researchers were particularly interested in understanding, from a US context, which factors predict childbirth fear and how the pandemic has affected this fear and birth outcomes. The findings are published in Evolution, Medicine, and Public Health. “Our results showed really high rates of childbirth fear in our sample,” says first author Zaneta Thayer ’08, an associate professor of anthropology. “Since there’s no pre-pandemic U.S. data, we cannot compare our data to that context but we know that the rates are very high compared to other international studies on the subject that have been published pre-pandemic.” The research team drew on data from their COVID-19 and Reproductive Effects Study, an online survey which examined how COVID-19 affected pregnant people’s well-being and health care experiences.

Vermont Business Magazine First diagnosed with polycystic kidney disease at the age of 14, William Celley of Bennington always knew that dialysis was in his future. And for the past eight years, he faithfully made his way to the Renal Dialysis Unit at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center (SVMC) three times a week to receive lifesaving 3- to 3-1/2-hour dialysis treatments. That calculates to over 4,000 hours spent away from the comfort of his home and the company of his family, including three children ages 17, 15, and 5. Very much a realist, Celley had learned to accept his absences from home as the cost of keeping his kidneys functioning and, quite literally, staying alive. But, thanks to new at-home dialysis technology provided by SVMC, Celley is now enjoying more time at home and better health.

Public Assets Institute Vermont’s economy grew 2.8 percent, after adjusting for inflation, in 2022—the second year of growth after a drop in 2020 at the start of the pandemic. Data released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis at the end of March show that Vermont’s gross state product—the total value of all goods and services—saw the highest growth rate in New England. In 2022 Vermont’s gross state product also surpassed $40 billion for the first time, a rise from 2021 of more than $3.5 billion in unadjusted dollars.

Vermont Business Magazine In July 2022, the Vermont State Police completed its investigation into the June 17 use-of-force incident that resulted in significant injuries to Marshall Dean in Newfane. VSP treated the matter as an officer-involved shooting. Per standard protocol in such cases, state police turned over the full investigative file to the Vermont Attorney General’s Office for review. The Attorney General’s Office has concluded its review and today directed the Vermont State Police to cite Sgt. Ryan Wood and Trooper Zachary Trocki of the Westminster Barracks on charges of misdemeanor simple assault and misdemeanor reckless endangerment. The Attorney General’s Office determined the use of force was not justified given the circumstances of the incident.

Vermont Business Magazine New data from the Vermont Department of Health that measures students’ health risks and behaviors provides a unique snapshot of Vermont youth’s health and well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2021 Vermont Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) shows that students know how to get help from an adult if they need it, are involved in extracurricular activities, and generally feel valued by their communities. However, areas of concern include continued substance use, the number of students reporting active thoughts of self-harm and significant disparities in mental health among populations such as LGBTQ+ students. The biennial survey of Vermont high school and middle school students asks questions covering a broad range of topics, including substance use, mental health, unintentional injuries, violence, physical activity, nutrition, and factors such as school and family connectiveness and post-graduation plans.

Vermont Business Magazine Burlington is one step closer to a new high school and technical center. Today, demolition began on the first of five buildings on the sprawling campus of the former high school and technical center. EnviroVantage, the company overseeing demolition, has been working for months, marking, removing, abating asbestos, and creating remediation plans for contaminated building materials. Last Friday, the company received final air clearances for asbestos, meaning the building was ready for exterior demolition to begin. BSD expects the project’s construction manager Whiting-Turning to begin construction this July while EnviroVantage continues demolition, remediation, and removal of material. The District expects substantial completion of the project to be done in November of 2025, with students and staff slated to begin in the new building in January of 2026.

Vermont Business Magazine The Community College of Vermont (CCV) will hold its 2023 commencement ceremony at Norwich University’s Shapiro Field House in Northfield, Vermont on Saturday, June 3. The ceremony will begin at 2:00 p.m. More than 450 students will be awarded associate degrees. The College has announced that this year’s keynote speaker will be Kyle Clark, founder and CEO of BETA Technologies, a South Burlington-based company working to electrify aviation. A native Vermonter, Kyle is an entrepreneur, aerospace engineer, pilot, and former NHL athlete who holds a degree in materials science and engineering from Harvard University. Kyle and his team at BETA are focused on building solutions that move goods and people more safely, efficiently, and with minimal environmental impact to help shift the transportation paradigm and turn the corner on climate change.

Vermont Business Magazine Kathy Underwood, CEO of Ledyard Financial Group and Ledyard National Bank, announced at the Company’s Annual Meeting of Shareholders on May 18th that she will be retiring on July 3, 2023. Josephine Moran, President of Ledyard, assumed the role of President & Chief Executive Officer effective May 18, 2023. Underwood will continue to serve on Ledyard’s Board of Directors. Moran joined Ledyard on January 31, 2022, as President and Chief Banking Officer. Moran was elected to the Ledyard Board of Directors in January. Moran’s promotion to CEO was part of a succession plan several years in the making. Ledyard is based in Hanover, NH, with a branch in Norwich, Vermont.

Vermont Business Magazine Average gasoline prices in Vermont fell again over the weekend, according to GasBuddy. Vermont prices averaged $3.46 per gallon, down 2.2 cents per gallon from last week's $3.48/g. The lowest price in the state yesterday was $3.25/g while the highest was $3.69/g, a difference of 44.0 cents per gallon. The national average price of gasoline is unchanged in the last week, averaging $3.51/g today.