Current News

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Health today reported 104 cases of COVID-19 (up 22 from Tuesday), and four more deaths, for 317 statewide. There are 44 people hospitalized and 12 in the ICU. In his weekly briefing yesterday, DFR Commissioner Michael Pieciak said that while total COVID cases are slowly decreasing in Vermont and the Northeast (and more rapidly in other parts of the US after a Delta variant surge) fatalities and hospitalizations are a trailing indicator. The rollout of the Pfizer booster shots will expand greatly on Friday. Then, basically everyone who has had both Pfizer doses at least six months ago and is older than 17 can get a third dose.

Vermont Business Magazine VGS today announced that it is increasing financial rebates to help more low- and moderate-income Vermonters weatherize their homes. Starting January 1, 2022, VGS will offer qualifying single-family homeowners an incentive to cover 75 percent of comprehensive weatherization project costs up to $5,000, providing an affordable option to reduce energy expenses, improve comfort, and lower their carbon footprint. Weatherization is a proven strategy to combat climate change and a cornerstone strategy of VGS’s Climate Plan.

Vermont Business Magazine THINKMD, a Burlington-based healthcare technology company, has appointed Chris Powell as Chief Executive Officer to lead the company in its next phase of growth. Previously Powell was CEO of Burlington testing lab Aspenti Health, until its acquisition by Virginia-based AverHealth last May.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont’s pediatricians support a "Test to Stay" (TTS) program for asymptomatic, unvaccinated children exposed to COVID-19 at school. Vermont pediatricians and pediatric infectious diseases specialists are collaborating with state agencies in the design and implementation of TTS based on the program currently in place in Massachusetts. A recently published randomized controlled trial in the U.K. demonstrated that schools using a TTS strategy had as little school transmission as schools quarantining students after in school exposure.

Vermont Business Magazine A multi-institutional research team led by UVM’s Sabrina Greenwood has been awarded $2.9 million to explore the potential animal health, environmental and economic benefits of seaweed as a feed alternative for organic dairy cows. The grant is one of USDA’s newly funded Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative projects to help improve yields, milk quality and profitability for organic farmers and producers.

Senator Bernie Sanders Let’s be crystal clear. If the bipartisan infrastructure bill is passed on its own on Thursday, this will be in violation of an agreement that was reached within the Democratic Caucus in Congress. More importantly, it will end all leverage that we have to pass a major reconciliation bill. That means there will be no serious effort to address the long-neglected crises facing the working families of our country, the children, the elderly, the sick and the poor. I strongly urge my House colleagues to vote against the bipartisan infrastructure bill until Congress passes a strong reconciliation bill.

by Rob Roper As the Vermont Climate Council readies its plans to dramatically reduce Vermont’s greenhouse gas emissions, they embarked on a series of public engagement events to field questions from curious citizens. Here are some we all might consider asking. Transportation: From the Council’s discussions, it appears you are going to recommend putting over 40,000 electric vehicles on Vermont’s roads by 2025 (1 out of every 4 new vehicle purchases). There are only about 4000 EVs on our roads today. Logistically, how do you intend to do this over a three-year period? How much will it cost? Where will the money come from?

Vermont Business Magazine Today, Lieutenant Governor Molly Gray, Attorney General TJ Donovan, Senate Pro Tem Becca Balint, and Speaker Jill Krowinski issued the following statement:

Vermont Business Magazine You can now get a booster shot of Pfizer vaccine if you received your second dose of the Pfizer vaccine six months ago or more and are age 65 or older, or are age 18 or older with certain medical conditions that put you at high risk of getting severely ill with COVID-19. The list of conditions is very long. Also, the Vermont Department of Health today reported 82 cases of COVID-19 (down 117 from Monday), three more deaths, for 313 statewide. There are 44 people hospitalized (up 8) and 12 in the ICU (up 5).

by C.B. Hall, Vermont Business Magazine The saga of troubles that followed Marlboro College's 2019 announcement that it was closing may have reached its denouement, and a happy one at that. On September 24, Democracy Builders Fund (DBF), which purchased the 533-acre campus and its 52 buildings in 2020 for a pittance in cash, conveyed the property to Potash Hill, Inc, an entity under the control of the Marlboro School of Music (MSM), popularly known as the Marlboro Music Festival. MSM, which has staged its summer festivals on the campus since 1951, paid DBF $2.74 million for the real estate.

Vermont Business Magazine is proud to announce the winners of its Rising Stars recognition award. The list is comprised of 40 winners under the age of 40. Award recipients were selected by a panel of judges for their commitment to business growth, professional excellence, and involvement in their communities. For these young professionals, it’s not just about business. It’s about them making a difference in their communities. These honorees over the years have stepped up as leaders, not only at their place of employment but also in their communities

Vermont Business Magazine Nearly four years ago, a family nurse practitioner in northern Vermont approached Blue Cross Blue Shield of Vermont with a problem: how to track food insecurity through the healthcare system. Food insecurity is considered one of the social determinants of health and all too often, problem solving issues like food security, racism, and stable housing, are siloed away from health care. Blue Cross worked with the provider to pursue a request for the implementation of new medical codes pertaining to food insecurity to the CMS and the CDC.