Current News

The Brattleboro Retreat’s Board of Trustees has announced that Dr Robert E Simpson has decided not to renew his contract offer and will step down from his position as President and Chief Executive Officer on December 31. In his announcement to the Board, Simpson said, “It has been a privilege to lead the transformation of the Brattleboro Retreat over the past eight years. I have focused on being a good steward in my efforts to put the Retreat in a position of real strength, and I have been inspired by the quality of the Medical Staff, the Executive team, the Board, and the nearly 900 employees whose courage and commitment mirror the courage of our patients.”

CSWD's Materials Recovery Facility on Avenue C in Williston was closed Tuesday afternoon due to the release of what is presumed to be a household pesticide from an aerosol can that had been deposited in a recycling container and brought to the MRF. CSWD is awaiting tests to confirm the substance type. The substance was determined to be pepper spray.

Vermont Business Magazine Along with the clearly good news that American Airlines was adding a direct flight to its second largest hub in Charlotte, NC, the message from the dignitaries gathered at Burlington International Airport Tuesday afternoon was, "Use it."

Mayor Miro Weinberger and Aviation Director Gene Richards, joined by Secretary of Vermont Agency of Transportation Sue Minter, and other airport officials and stakeholders, announced that American Airlines will be adding new, non-stop air service from BTV to Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT). The new service between BTV and CLT will launch on August 18, 2015, and flights became available for purchase this past Saturday. The Charlotte flight will be operated with an American Airlines 80-seat Embraer E-175 aircraft, featuring First Class and Main Cabin seating, as well as in-flight Wi-Fi service.

Vermont and New England are expected to have enough electric generation and demand-response resources available to serve forecasted peak demand this summer, according to ISO New England Inc, the operator of the region’s bulk power system and wholesale electricity markets. This summer, under normal weather conditions of about 90 degrees Fahrenheit (°F), electricity demand is forecasted to peak at 26,710 megawatts (MW). Extreme summer weather, such as an extended heat wave of about 94°F, could push demand up to 29,060 MW. These forecasts take into account the demand-reducing effect of 1,685 MW of energy-efficiency (EE) measures acquired through the Forward Capacity Market (FCM). Vermont's peak demand is about 1,000 megawatts.

Applied Energy Technologies (AET), a preferred supplier of utility-scale racking systems and one of the top 10 solar racking companies in the United States, and juwi Inc. (juwi), a leading renewable energy company based in Boulder, Colorado, have completed a 3.6 MW solar installation project in Essex Junction, Vermont, one of the largest in the state.

AET managed the installation of its Rayport-G ECO ground mount racking product on the 13-acre site, providing racking and foundation installation along with predrilling for post installation. AET also installed more than 11,000 solar modules on the racking system as part of its world class engineering, manufacturing and installation (EMI) service.

Vermont businesses are hiring and Governor Peter Shumlin joined with 14 of them today to highlight thousands of open positions around the state. The Governor also encouraged job seekers interested in advanced manufacturing to attend a job fair this Thursday, April 30th, organized by the Vermont Department of Labor for IBM, to be held at the Sheraton in Burlington from noon to 6 pm. No pre-registration is required.

“Vermont has many businesses looking for qualified workers right now,” Shumlin said. “It is incredibly gratifying to see employers grow and thrive right here in the Green Mountain State. Today I’m standing with 14 businesses that currently have over 700 open jobs, but that is just a fraction of the thousands of job openings statewide. With unemployment back to pre-recession levels and employers hiring, we’re moving in the right direction.”

Honeywell (NYSE: HON) and NASA's award-winning, hip-hop physics education program, FMA Live! Forces in Motion, is making its way to Northeastern US middle schools this spring. Aiming to inspire students to learn and enjoy math and science in a compelling, fun and memorable way, the popular show is in high demand, having been performed before 400,000 students in all 48 contiguous US states, as well as in Mexico and Canada, since its creation in 2004. After wrapping up in New Hampshire last week, the spring tour will continue its way across Vermont with shows planned at middle schools in Northfield and Montpelier this week.

Merchants Bancshares, Inc (NASDAQ: MBVT), the parent company of Merchants Bank, and NUVO Bank & Trust Company have revealed details of the acquisition terms first reported on Monday. The banking companies have jointly announced the signing of a definitive agreement pursuant to which Merchants Bancshares, Inc will acquire NUVO Bank & Trust Company for approximately $21.8 million in stock and cash, which represents $7.15 per share.

Headquartered in Springfield, Massachusetts, NUVO is small financial institution focused on providing business loans, deposits and cash management services to small and medium-sized businesses and individuals in western Massachusetts. At December 31, 2014, NUVO reported approximately $153 million in assets, $139 million in loans and $134 million in deposits. Merchants had approximately $1.7 billion in total assets as of December 31, 2014, with total shareholders' equity of approximately $125.8 million.

The parent company of Berkshire Bank, Berkshire Hills Bancorp, Inc (NYSE: BHLB), has reported $0.50 in core earnings per share in the first quarter of 2015, which was a 19% increase over first quarter results in the prior year. Profit growth has been due to higher revenues from continued business momentum. First quarter core EPS increased by 4% from $0.48 in the fourth quarter of 2014. GAAP EPS totaled $0.35 per share in the most recent quarter compared to $0.46 in the linked quarter. Earnings in both periods were impacted by non-core charges related primarily to growth and restructuring, including charges related to the acquisition of Hampden Bancorp, which was completed on April 17, 2015.

FIRST QUARTER FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS (comparisons are to prior quarter unless otherwise stated):

All teens are at risk for substance abuse, and parents are the #1 influence on their decision to not drink alcohol or do drugs. The Vermont Department of Health has just redesigned and expanded its ParentUpvt.org website to include many new resources and interactive tools that take into account differing parenting styles.

“By setting clear rules, limiting access to alcohol and refusing to host underage drinking parties, parents can protect children from consequences that may affect them for the rest of their lives,” said Deputy Commissioner Barbara Cimaglio.

Teens who drink before the age of 15 are more likely to experience academic failure, engage in risky sexual behavior, become alcohol dependent and develop other substance abuse problems.

Brattleboro Memorial Hospital and Jennings has been recognized by the 32nd Annual Healthcare Advertising Awards with a Gold and Silver Award in recognition of the hospital’s Emergency Department “Rapid Care” campaign. With nearly 3,500 entries, the Healthcare Advertising Awards, sponsored by the Healthcare Marketing Report (HMR), is the oldest, largest and most widely respected advertising awards competition in the country and one of the ten largest of all advertising awards.

Brattleboro Memorial Hospital’s Rapid Care campaign was comprised of various print, digital, and direct mail pieces that utilized a striking blue background offset with large, white icons depicting various accidents, such as falling off a ladder or toppling over the handlebars of a bicycle.

After an extensive search committee process, Bobbe Maynes, the President of the Board of Directors of the Cancer Patient Support Foundation, (CPS) announced that Sarah Lemnah, of St. Albans, was named the first executive director. CPS has been providing services and support to cancer patients and their families in Vermont and northern New York for over 14 years.

Lemnah previously was the Director of Development & Communications for Champlain Valley Agency on Aging for 9 years. She is the past president of VERG (Vermont Elder Resource Group) and was formerly the producer and host of "Aging Matters" heard on WOKO/WKOL/WJOY/WIZN/WBTZ. In addition, she was a contributing columnist on health and aging issues for Vermont Maturity Magazine and the Burlington Free Press.