Current News

Vermont Senate President Pro Tempore Becca Balint issued the following statement regarding a social media incident earlier this week related to a back to school activity at Irasburg Village School: "I was made aware on Sunday of the incident concerning Senator Russ Ingalls and a classroom teacher at the Irasburg Village School. I have spent the last 48 hours gathering information from the teacher, from townspeople, from educators, and from Senator Ingalls. I have taken this situation extremely seriously and have done due diligence to gather the details about what happened. I also met with Senate Secretary John Bloomer to discuss whether Senator Ingalls violated any official Senate Rules by his actions. Although Ingalls has not violated any of our written rules, it is clear that he violated our general principles of decency and professionalism by his conduct on social media."

Vermont Business Magazine South Burlington-based global industrial computer hardware manufacturer and Internet of Things solution provider OnLogic plans to build a new Vermont headquarters, open an office in North Carolina and expand operations in the Netherlands, Malaysia and Taiwan. To accommodate their continued growth, OnLogic's 125,000-square-foot global headquarters will be located in South Burlington's Technology Park. The company has outgrown their current 36,000-square-foot high tech facility in Meadowlands Park, which was previously expanded in 2014. The planned $50 million project will house manufacturing, warehousing, testing facilities and all other business operations.

Vermont Business Magazine The Navy celebrated the commissioning of USS Vermont (SSN 792), the first Block IV Virginia-class submarine to enter service, Saturday, August 28, at Naval Submarine Base New London. “Vermonters have served with valor from the highest mountains to the depths of the ocean,” said Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro, who served as the event’s keynote speaker and was attending his first ship ceremony as secretary.

​Vermont Business Magazine Grace Cottage Family Health and Grace Cottage Hospital have both been awarded “Age-Friendly” certifications from the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI). In its letter congratulating Grace Cottage for this achievement, IHI called Grace Cottage “a leader in this rapidly growing movement committed to the care of older adults.”

by Jeff Tieman, Vermont Association of Hospitals & Health Systems What a week. Vermont’s hospitals have just completed their fiscal 2022 budget hearings before the Green Mountain Care Board (GMCB). As I reflect on the hours of hearings—I observe every one of them—I am filled with both immense pride and continued concern for the well-being of our hospitals and the beleaguered Vermonters who keep them running 24/7/365.

by John R. Brumsted, MD, President and CEO, UVM Health Network Throughout the pandemic, we’ve worked together to protect each other and slow the spread of COVID-19. With cases and hospitalizations rising due to the highly contagious delta variant, if you haven’t yet been vaccinated, now is the time. We are starting to see the FDA give full approval to vaccines, once again demonstrating their safety and efficacy. If you’ve already been vaccinated, please be vigilant and watch for news on booster shots soon.

Senator Patrick Leahy Twenty years ago, the United States embarked on a military campaign to bring Osama bin Laden and those who carried out the September 11th terrorist attacks to justice. That mission was achieved a decade ago, yet we stayed in Afghanistan another decade in pursuit of the unrealistic and unachievable goal of turning Afghanistan into a unified, democratic society. It cost the lives of thousands of Americans and coalition supporters, and hundreds of thousands of Afghans, many, civilians.

Vermont Business Magazine This fall, Bennington College will welcome over 250 first-year students and 18 transfer students. This entering class will be the largest in the College’s history. Students reported that Bennington’s appeal stemmed from historical strengths of the College—including the self-directed academics of the Plan, annual Field Work Term internship opportunities, and access to world-class faculty mentors. Bennington has also been very successful at handling the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Vermont Business Magazine On Friday, August 27, leaders from Southwestern Vermont Health Care gathered with donors, government representatives, and community leaders for a ceremonial groundbreaking in front of the hospital’s main entrance. The project is a component of the organization’s five-year strategic plan, called VISION2020. The Foundation Board, along with the VISION2020 Capital Campaign Steering Committee, has raised $20.7 million dollars toward the goal of $25 million.

Vermont Business Magazine Green Mountain Care Board meetings via Microsoft Teams begin September 1 with hospital budget deliberations. Presenters and Board Members will be participating remotely through Microsoft Teams tentatively through October 1, 2021. Members of the public can attend all meetings at the physical location 144 State St, Montpelier, VT 05602, through the Microsoft Teams application, or via the call-in number.

Vermont Business Magazine In support of Breastfeeding Month, today the USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) held a virtual ceremony for its WIC Breastfeeding Award of Excellence winners in the Northeast Region, including the one in Bennington, Vermont.

Vermont Business Magazine Residents of five Central Vermont towns will soon see the first big step toward providing fast internet throughout CVFiber’s service district. Work crews will be conducting a comprehensive pole inventory that’s necessary in order to design a fiber network. The crews will collect more than 50 different kinds of data on every utility pole including precise latitude, longitude and GPS position, pole height and condition, available attachments and their exact heights. Workers will also take photographs to document each pole.