Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont) announced Tuesday that UTC Aerospace Systems (UTAS) received $15.8 million in funding for health usage monitoring systems (HUMS) for Department of the Navy helicopters built in Vermont. The HUMS are part of the US military’s ongoing effort to provide more accurate diagnostics of aircraft component conditions, which improves overall readiness while lowering costs. The two contracts are split between the US Navy’s fleet of MH-60 Seahawk, and the US Marine Corps UH-1Y Super Huey and AH-1Z Viper.

Vermont Business Magazine The Green Mountain Care Board has approved Copley Hospital’s Certificate of Need (CON) application to build a new surgical suite to replace its existing surgical suite which was built in 1979. The $12.5 million project in Morrisville integrates all aspects of Copley’s surgical program into one suite, making every patient’s path toward optimum healing as easy and supportive as the experience can be and includes a dedicated waiting area for families. The project involves new construction to build the integrated Surgical Suite, renovation to the Outpatient Services Center’s Infusion Suite, and modifications to repurpose the current Operating Room (OR) space.

Site work will begin this spring, with construction of the new Surgical Suite expected to be completed in December 2017.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont, as might be expected, has a relatively low rate of kicking children out of school, but while nationally racial divides exist, it is not consistent from state to state. A new KIDS COUNT data report shows that black and American Indian kids are more likely to be suspended — and much more likely to be expelled — from school than their white, Latino or Asian classmates. Black and American Indian kids are more likely — and in some instances much more likely — to be suspended and expelled from public school compared to their white, Latino and Asian classmates. 

by Tom Pelham Taxes – the Beatles didn’t like them either - TAXMAN.  But fees, they can bite just as much. Below (2017 Fee Menu) is a spread sheet of the current fee increases and proposed new fees now under consideration by the House Ways and Means Committee.  There are almost 300 of them totaling near $26 million in increases. From farmers to car drivers to folks getting married, you’re on the list. The biggest is a 100% increase in the mutual fund filing fee. The Governor’s recommendation is an increase from $600 to $1,200, raising $13.2 million.

Vermont Business Magazine The State of Vermont and Keene Medical Products, Inc. have reached an agreement settling a multi-year investigation by the Medicaid Fraud and Residential Abuse Unit of the Attorney General’s Office and the Program Integrity Unit of the Department of Vermont Health Access regarding whether Keene submitted false claims or received overpayments from the Vermont Medicaid Program. Keene will pay in excess of $460,000 to settle potential claims, under the Vermont False Claims Act and Vermont Medicaid Fraud Statute, that Keene received improper payments from the Vermont Medicaid Program.

by John McClaughry The most pressing education policy issue of 2016 is protecting parental choice in education against extermination by Act 46. For years the prevailing view in Vermont’s majority party – the Democratic Party – has been to increase state control of local public education, create larger administrative units more closely under the thumb of the State Board and Agency of Education, mandate universal pre-K (to counter the loss of K-12 pupils), increase pay and benefits for teachers and staff, shift as much school financing as possible to the income tax, require private early education operators to unionize, and reduce the opportunities for parents to choose what education is best for their children.

These policies are aggressively promoted by the Vermont-NEA teachers union which, on matters of interest to it, can fairly be said to own the majority party.

Vermont Business Magazine Delivering the highest level of care requires investments in the latest technology. Through its partnership with Dartmouth-Hitchcock, the Southwestern Vermont Regional Cancer Center (SVRCC) will receive a new linear accelerator, known as a linac, for improved cancer care. The device—which delivers external beam radiation treatments for patients with cancer—is used to treat all parts and organs of the body. The replacement of the current linac with this state-of-the-art unit will allow SVRCC to treat a broader range of cancers more comfortably.

“Radiation patients typically undergo 5-7 weeks of daily treatments. This technology allows us to improve every aspect of that challenging time; treatments will be faster and more targeted,” said Matthew Vernon, MD, radiation oncologist. “The benefit to local patients will be tremendous.”

Each of technologies available on the new linac relates directly to a benefit to patients:

Vermont Business Magazine On January 29, 2016 at their Annual Meeting, the Vermont Wood Manufacturers Association (VWMA) honored Dave Laforce, owner of Built by Newport, with the 2015 VWMA Woodworker of the Year Award. Family owned since 1963, Built by Newport manufactures the highest quality furniture parts using the latest technology in their facilities, ensuring lasting, durable, and beautifully crafted parts. After two generations and 40 years in the furniture parts business, Built by Newport established itself as a leader in the wood component industry and one of Vermont's finest wood furniture manufacturers. Laforce has continued to be innovative and resourceful during a hard economic time for the wood products industry.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Technical College is announcing two new degree programs that will start in the fall of 2016. Both programs expand Vermont Tech’s connection to economic development in Vermont. The college’s first ever master’s degree, the Masters of Science in Software Engineering, received approval by the New England Association of Schools and College’s at its fall meeting. Faculty in the college’s business department also designed a new Bachelor of Science in Entrepreneurship program and added it to the college’s curriculum.

Vermont Business Magazine March in Vermont ushers in cultural events, outdoor celebrations of Vermont’s vibrant snow sports scene, and springtime’s many maple festivities.

Vermont Business Magazine Davis and Hodgdon Associates CPAs conducted its semi-annual economic survey in January regarding the outlook of Vermont’s small-to medium-sized businesses, which revealed that respondents have much less confidence in both the Vermont and U.S. economies than they did just six months ago, regardless of their scope of marketplace. Overall more than half of respondents (54%) believe that the Vermont economy is declining as opposed to 37% previously just six months ago.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont's US senators have issued their condolences on the death of US Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. He died in Texas on Saturday of natural causes. A political fight is likely to ensue in the Senate over whether President Obama, in his final year, should nominate a replacement, or wait for the new president and new Congress to act, thus leaving the nation's court down one member. Several Republicans have stated that the president should hold off. The president said, however, he intends to go forward and submit a nominee to the Senate for confirmation.

Statement Of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont), Ranking member, Senate Judiciary Committee, on the death of Justice Scalia, February 13, 2016