Current News

Vermont Business Magazine The members of the VNAs of Vermont (VNAVT), the not-for-profit VNAs and Home Health and Hospice Agencies in the state, have been selected as pilot agencies for the Medicare Care Choices Model (MCCM) demonstration grant which will allow the agencies to provide extensive palliative care and care management services to patients who qualify for hospice care but chose not to enroll in the hospice program.

“This is especially good news for terminally ill Vermonters who are seriously ill but, for a variety of reasons, choose not to enroll in our hospice programs,” said Peter Cobb, VNAs of Vermont Executive Director. This model will allow them to receive select hospice services while continuing to receive curative care services concurrently which are not allowed under the hospice rules.”

Vermont Business Magazine Citizens Bank has announced it has introduced Touch ID authentication to its award-winning mobile banking app for iPhone® models 5S, 6 and 6 Plus. The latest enhancement is part of Citizens’ Bank Better commitment to make banking simple, clear and personal.

Touch ID, which uses a customer’s fingerprint to authenticate, enables customers to quickly login and access the features in the Citizens Mobile Banking app for iPhone with the press of a finger.

Vermont Business Magazine Today, Lisa Ventriss, President of Vermont Business Roundtable (VBR) and Jeffrey Carr, President, Economic & Policy Resources (EPR), announced the 2nd Quarter results of their joint initiative, the VBR-EPR Business Conditions Survey. The survey, which is conducted quarterly, provides both a look back at the previous quarter and a predictive index going forward. The data for both the backward and forward-looking questions are weighted to the Vermont economy by sector employment and turned into “diffusion indices”. These diffusion indices provide a tool for analyzing and presenting insight into the Vermont economy over time through the sentiments of the Roundtable members.

Vermont Business Magazine President Obama today announced the finalization of America's Clean Power Plan, the biggest step the United States has ever taken to combat climate change. This plan sets the first-ever carbon pollution standards for power plants, while providing states and utilities with the flexibility they need to meet those standards.

Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont) issued the following statement after President Obama unveiled new environmental regulations to combat climate change and promote renewable energy.

Vermont Business Magazine Conservation Law Foundation and Vermont Natural Resources Council today sought dismissal of the Act 250 application for a proposed multi-use development, including a new tourism center, off Exit 4 in Randolph. "The Applicant utterly failed to show that the proposed project meets the clear Act 250 standards for protecting valuable farmland. A recent Recess Order from the District Commission confirms the project's shortcomings. The appropriate action is to dismiss the Applicant's request," said Sandra Levine, Senior Attorney at the Conservation Law Foundation.

Vermont Business Magazine A motion was filed today by AARP Vermont with the Vermont Public Service Board showing that Vermont Gas Systems (VGS) has failed to disclose highly material information with the Board in relation to their Addison Natural Gas Project. The evidence concerns lawsuits between their primary pipeline contractor, Over and Under Piping Contractors, Inc. As it turns out, VGS has never had a signed contract with the firm, terminated them last November and the contractor is suing for over $11 million and has placed contractor liens on VGS real property and pipeline equipment. Much of this information was not disclosed to regulators when the company was testifying to the projected costs of the project.

Vermont Business Magazine Open Farm Week begins today with an intriguing mix of on-farm tastings, activities and entertainment. More than 85 farms across the state will open their gates to the public this week. All participating farms, activities, directions, and hours of operation can be found at www.DigInVt.com.

Here are some of the events happening today, August 3:

Northwest:
Trillium Hill Farm's 10th Birthday- Farm tour, farm-grown dinner and live music.
Boston Post Dairy, LLC- Taste farmstead cheese, maple, and other products, visit the animals, and take a hike on the Missisquoi Valley Trail.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Cheese Council (VCC) has announced that Vermont took home 46 ribbons from 20 cheesemakers at the 32nd annual American Cheese Society competition in Providence, RI. Notable awards include a third place Best In Show designation for Cellars at Jasper Hill’s (Greensboro) Harbison, and ribbons by brand new VCC members Fairy Tale Farm Cheese (Bridport) and Sweet Rowen Farmstead (West Glover).

The American Cheese Society (ACS) is the leading organization supporting the understanding, appreciation and promotion of farmstead, artisan and specialty cheeses produced in the Americas. Since its founding in 1983, ACS hosts North America’s foremost annual educational conference and world-renowned cheese judging and competition. This year’s competition included 1,779 entries from 267 companies across North America.

Vermont Business Magazine Generac Holdings Inc (NYSE: GNRC), a leading designer and manufacturer of power generation equipment and other engine powered products based in Waukesha,WI, announced today the acquisition of Country Home Products, Inc and its subsidiaries effective August 1, 2015. Based in Vergennes, the iconic Vermont company is famous for its DR brand of outdoor power equipment, including mowers and log splitters. The current management team of Country Home will continue to lead the company. Terms of the deal and the future of Country Home Products were not released. According to VBM, Country Home has 200 employees and annual revenues of over $50 million. Generac net sales were $1.461 billion during 2014 as compared to $1.486 billion in 2013.

by Mike Smith I owe Donald Trump an apology. Not for saying in last week’s column that Mr Trump is acting like a weenie when he attacks US Senator John McCain’s heroism. Rather, this is a general apology — just in case — because apparently if you say or write anything critical of Mr Trump you may get a response from his lawyer and confidant, Michael Cohen, that goes something like this:

“I will make sure that you and I meet one day while we’re in the courthouse. And I will take you for every penny you still don’t have …”

“… So I’m warning you, tread very (expletive)-ing lightly, because what I’m going to do to you is going to be (expletive)-ing disgusting …”

“… I’m going to mess your life up … for as long as you’re on this (expletive)-ing planet … you’re going to have judgments against you, so much money, you’ll never know how to get out from underneath it …”

by Jim Condos Vermont Secretary of State Vermonters deserve good government — and that includes an open and transparent government! We are proud of our state and our collective ability to overcome any difficult issue we may encounter. As Vermonters, when we see a problem, we know we can fix it through hard work and a dose of common sense. We expect the same of our government.

Vermont’s constitution (Chapter 1, Article 6) states that the power is “derived from the people, therefore, all officers of government, whether legislative or executive, are their trustees and servants; and at all times, in a legal way, accountable to them.”

The public’s access to open and transparent government is key to our democracy.

This sacred trust must not be taken lightly. We must either restore that accountability or risk Vermonters’ faith in our ability to govern.

Vermont Business Magazine. The message for a long time has been, "Retire to Florida to save money," but now it appears that it could be amended with "...but don't get sick." Vermont, meanwhile, is among those states with the lowest health care costs for retirees. A new app developed by HealthView Services shows that Michigan, Florida, Nevada and Maryland are the most expensive states for key components of retirement health care costs. Meanwhile, Hawaii, Vermont and Maine are shown to be the least expensive in the nation.