Current News

Vermont Business Magazine UVM Medical Center’s COVID Testing Clinic on Blair Park in Williston will shut down effective today, Wednesday, February 15, medical center officials announced, saying falling demand for testing in the community, changes to pre-procedure COVID testing requirements at the Medical Center, and the widespread availability of at-home testing resources, have made the clinic unnecessary. Goodrich added that policy changes at the Medical Center, which several months ago rolled back requirements for patients to undergo pre-procedure COVID tests, also contributed to falling demand for the clinic’s services.

Vermont Business Magazine Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), Chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, today issued the following statement after Starbucks CEO Howard Shultz refused to appear in front of the committee to testify about his company’s long-running noncompliance with federal labor law: “It is disappointing, but not surprising, that Howard Schultz, the CEO and director of Starbucks has declined an invitation from a majority of members on the HELP Committee to testify at a U.S. Senate hearing to answer why the National Labor Relations Board has lodged over 75 complaints against Starbucks for violating federal labor laws. Apparently, it is easier for Mr. Schultz to fire workers who are exercising their constitutional right to form unions, and to intimidate others who may be interested in joining a union than to answer questions from elected officials."

Vermont State Police The Vermont State Police is investigating a non-fatal shooting that was reported Wednesday morning, Feb. 15, 2023, in the town of Waterbury. No one is in custody, and members of the public should expect to see a heavy police presence in Waterbury, especially along Vermont Route 100 in the vicinity of the Green Mountain Club, while the investigation is underway.

Vermont Business Magazine Southwestern Vermont Health Care (SVHC) and the Community College of Vermont (CCV) launched their Early Childhood Education (ECE) Residency Program last week with a ceremony attended by the 18 matriculating students, each organization’s staff, and representatives from Vermont’s Federal Legislative Delegation. The ECE Residency program incentivizes early childhood education students in either CCV’s early childhood education associate degree or childcare certificate program by paying them to increase their course load and graduate sooner.

Vermont Business Magazine Transportation for Vermonters (T4VT) recently released their policy priorities for the 2023 Vermont legislative session. T4VT is a diverse coalition of organizations, service providers and institutions committed to working together, creatively, and across sectors to achieve a sustainable and accessible transportation system for our rural state. Bold investments and creative solutions that help all Vermonters get to where they need to go can: improve quality of life and public health; increase affordability and equitable access for communities that have been underserved; foster smart growth, walkable community centers that support local economies; reduce air and water pollution; and shift us toward a cleaner transportation system that reduces our contribution to the climate crisis.

Vermont Business Magazine One in 7 patients entering a hospital will need a blood transfusion. At the same time, only about 3% of Americans give blood. The American Red Cross needs more people to make and keep appointments to give blood or platelets in February and has three great reasons to do so: Help prevent a blood shortage: Winter brings seasonal illness and dangerous weather, which can hurt the blood supply. When donors give now, they can help ensure blood is on hospital shelves when it’s needed; It’s Heart Month: During a blood donation appointment, the Red Cross checks donors’ blood pressure and pulse, which are important indicators of heart health; Treat yourself: All who come to give in February will get a $10 Amazon.com Gift Card by email, thanks to Amazon. Those who come to donate this month will also automatically be entered to win a trip for two to Clearwater Beach, Florida.

Vermont Business Magazine Today, Amazon and Superplastic announced a multifaceted collaboration that spans investment and a first-look deal with Amazon Studios, which is currently in development on a series featuring Superplastic's synthetic celebrities. The Alexa Fund, Amazon's venture capital arm that focuses on new media, smart consumer electronics, ambient intelligence, and other areas of digital technology, leads Superplastic's $20 million Series A extension investment round. Other investors include Craft Ventures, Google Ventures, Galaxy Digital, Kering, Sony Japan, Scribble Ventures, Kakao, Animoca Brands, Day One Ventures, and Betaworks. This latest round brings Superplastic's total funding to $58 million to date, and supports the expansion of the Superplastic character universe.

Vermont Business Magazine Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) held a roundtable discussion at the Vermont State House on Saturday morning with the student finalists of his 13th annual State of the Union Essay contest. The contest gives Vermont high school students the opportunity to identify a major issue facing the country and propose what they would do to address it. This year, 382 students from 31 Vermont high schools submitted essays. A panel of seven Vermont educators served as volunteer judges, ranking the essays and selecting twelve finalists and three winners. Students wrote on critically important issues, including climate change, access to mental health care, political polarization, gun safety, disability rights, racial justice, and more.

Vermont Business Magazine Energize Vermont, a non-profit energy education and advocacy organization, today (2/15/2023) announced a grant award to the Greensboro, Vermont Energy Committee to support the town’s WindowDressers program. Over the last several years, Energize Vermont has granted thousands of dollars to WindowDressers communities. At WindowDressers workshops, community volunteers collaborate to assemble custom-fit plastic film inserts stretched over wooden frames for use in area homes. The Energize Vermont grant is intended to support participation in WindowDressers workshops by lower-income households.

Vermont Business Magazine Ledyard National Bank, with a branch in Vermont, has been selected to participate in the Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston's Equity Builder Program, which assists local home buyers with down-payment and closing costs as well as home buyer counseling and rehabilitation assistance. The program provides grants to financial institutions to assist households at or below 80 percent of the area median income. Borrowers are eligible to receive up to $29,000 in assistance on a first-come, first-serve basis. Buyers must also complete a home buyer counseling program.