Current News

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Health today is reporting 157 cases of COVID-19 for Monday (100 Sunday). The VDH reported three additional deaths on Friday for 623 statewide. COVID-related fatalities in March (17) were the fewest since last July (2). One of the newly reported fatalities is attributed to a March case, but the other two are the first fatalities noted in April. Hospitalizations today were 35 (up 7). The record was 122 on January 19. Health officials have focused on this as a key indicator. They had been running over 100 in early February but fell off dramatically since before the recent increase.

Vermont Business Magazine Vernal Biosciences, a Colchester-based mRNA and lipid nanoparticle process (LNP) development and manufacturing organization, has been awarded a $99,475 grant from the Vermont Training Program (VTP). Vernal will utilize the VTP grant to train new and existing hires on essential process-specific techniques and equipment necessary for the production of mRNA and LNP-mRNA, both of which are now used in the development of cutting-edge medicines such as vaccines, gene therapy, cancer therapies, and more. Training will include on-site laboratory and classroom training as well as vendor-specific training on high-tech laboratory equipment.

Proclaims April 11-15 Community Development Week

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott has signed a proclamation declaring April 11-15 Community Development Week. The designation and proclamation focus on the success and impact of the federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program, which funds housing and economic development projects and public services in communities across the state.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont has a federal grant to support the expansion of community-based mobile crisis intervention services. This funding provides an opportunity to build on Vermont’s mobile crisis system of care to meet the needs of people experiencing a mental health or substance use crisis. The Agency of Human Services (AHS) wants to hear your thoughts about and experiences with mobile crisis services. Your input is vital in helping Vermont improve services. On behalf of AHS, Health Management Associates (HMA) is conducting this survey. It takes about 15 minutes to complete.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Principals’ Association (VPA) will distribute a total of $65,000 in mini-monies this month to 13 Vermont schools/districts for a variety of special projects. The mini-monies program is a part of the Community Navigator Pilot Program (CNPP) and the Vermont Principals’ Association (VPA). Funded (in part) through a grant with the US Small Business Administration, the CNPP uses a “hub and spoke” model, with the Vermont Small Business Development Center (VtSBDC) as the hub, and VPA as one of nine spoke organizations that create collective impact throughout the state for targeted populations including BIPOC, rural, veterans, and women.

​by Martine Larocque Gulick It’s a known secret to those who work in education that there are haves and have nots in Vermont’s education system, and it’s clear that some districts have more resources to spare than others. As someone who has worked in Vermont school districts with relatively low needs and lives in a district with high needs, I was baffled by the discrepancies I saw in funding between various districts.

by Meg Hansen The Global Warming Solutions Act (GWSA) requires Vermont to reduce its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by specific amounts by 2025, 2030, and 2050. Failure to meet these mandatory targets would allow any person to sue the state, at taxpayers' expense, for non-compliance. The GWSA appointed a 23-member Vermont Climate Council to create an action plan. If the CHS is enacted, Vermont will become the first state in the nation to regulate all fossil-based home heating fuels. An unelected 3-member Public Utilities Commission (PUC) – not the Legislature – will craft the details and administer the program.

Vermont Business Magazine The Department of Disabilities, Aging, and Independent Living (DAIL) is developing the next State Plan on Aging, work required by the Older Americans Act (OAA) that outlines the roles and responsibilities of the State and the Area Agencies on Aging in administering and carrying out the Older Americans Act. The draft plan is available online at Draft for Public Comment.

Vermont Business Magazine In common conversation, the words “medical” and “anthropology” are not often found side by side. But, there’s actually a whole field exploring how these two concepts overlap. It’s called Medical Anthropology. Medical Matters Weekly with Dr. Trey Dobson is pleased to welcome Carolyn Smith-Morris, PhD, one of the foremost experts in the field, at noon on Wednesday, April 13.

by Jeff Tieman, CEO, VAHHS Last Tuesday morning, my former boss at the Catholic Health Association—Sister Carol Keehan—texted me that she was going to the White House to celebrate the 12th anniversary of the Affordable Care Act with President Biden and President Obama. Across the country there are still far too many people who are uninsured—at least 25 million by most estimates. But the ACA helped cut that number in half. And here in Vermont, we have a very low uninsured rate, among the lowest in the country. Nearly 97% of Vermonters have health insurance coverage, according to a March 30 report by the Agency of Human Services.

Vermont Business Magazine Wilkins Harley-Davidson in Barre has been collaborating with Harley-Davidson engineers to build an electric motorcycle for law enforcement use. Recognizing the expertise of their technicians, the legendary Harley-Davidson Motor Company has entrusted the development of this specialized machine with the Master Technicians at Wilkins Harley-Davidson. Wilkins was chosen based on its experience in building the nation’s first law enforcement electric LiveWire motorcycle for the Vermont Department of Motor vehicles.

Vermont Business Magazine The nation’s three largest credit reporting agencies on Friday announced major changes to how medical debt affects consumer credit ratings. Beginning July 1, 2022, Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion will remove nearly 70% of medical debt from Americans’ credit reports. The obligation to pay the debt however will remain. Low credit scores can have a material impact on consumers by reducing credit access, increasing the cost of accessing credit, making it more difficult to secure a job or housing, and lowering individuals’ self-esteem.