Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Bar Harbor Bank & Trust recently presented donations totaling more than $9,600 to five Northern New England nonprofit organizations from its employee-driven charitable giving program, Casual for A Cause. The recipients of the contributions collected in Q2 2021 are: Boots2Roots, Chandler Center for the Arts, NextStep Domestic Violence Project, Paramount Theatre, and West Central Behavior Health.

“While the nonprofit organizations Bar Harbor Bank & Trust employees selected in Q2 2021 are diverse in the services they provide, they are unified in a common goal and that’s to improve the quality of life in our communities,” said Jack Frost, VP Director of Community Giving at Bar Harbor Bank & Trust. “We are honored to support them and the invaluable services they provide.”

Vermont Business Magazine iSun, Inc (NASDAQ: ISUN), a leading solar energy company based in South Burlington, today announced results for the second quarter of 2021 and provided an update to its full year 2021 outlook. iSun reported second quarter 2021 revenue of $4.3 million representing a 57% increase over the same period in the prior year. Year to date 2021 revenue was $11.6 million, representing a 71% increase over the same period in the prior year. Gross profit in the second quarter was a negative $0.6 million compared to breakeven during the second quarter in the prior year. Year to date gross profit was a negative $0.5 million compared to $0.3 million during the same period in the prior year.

Vermont Business Magazine Green Mountain Power (GMP) is reminding customers that $55 million in free grant money is available for a limited time to help renters, homeowners, businesses and farms get caught up on overdue utility bills tied to the pandemic. Customers can apply for grants through the Vermont Department of Public Service through October 25, and qualified customers can use the money to pay past-due landline phone, electric, natural gas and water service bills. Up to $10,000 is available for residential customers, up to $50,000 is available for businesses, and a grant program specifically for Vermonters who rent their homes can help pay rent as well as utilities.

Vermont Business Magazine Southwestern Vermont Health Care’s (SVHC) Medical Matters Weekly with Dr. Trey Dobson—a weekly interactive, multiplatform medical-themed talk show—will feature Patricia Johnson, RN, and Caitlin Tilley, RN, on its August 18 program. The show will air at 12 p.m. The nurses will discuss their work to improve health equity for black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) communities.

The show is produced with cooperation from Catamount Access Television (CAT-TV). Viewers can see Medical Matters Weekly on Facebook at facebook.com/svmedicalcenter and facebook.com/CATTVBennington. The show is also available to view or download a podcast on www.svhealthcare.org/medicalmatters.

Vermont Business Magazine It’s time to begin organizing the back-to-school check list - notebooks, calendars, folders, apps and online tools, oh and don’t forget your annual wellness exams and immunizations! Community Health wants to be sure that you have included health checkups and vaccinations on the list.

Vermont Business Magazine Every year since 1998, the Kraft family and the New England Patriots have been celebrating those who give their time to help others. The program was originally known as the Community Quarterback Awards and were presented to those who exemplify leadership, dedication and a commitment to improving their communities through volunteerism. Dr Raphael Landovitz received a $10,000 donation for Camp Ta-Kum-Ta in South Hero, Vermont.

Vermont Business Magazine Jodi Henderson, RN-C, LCCE, of the Women’s and Children’s Services Department, was a the July recipient of the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses at Southwestern Vermont Health Care (SVHC).

by Julie Lowell, Public Assets Institute The federal government has allocated over $10 billion to Vermont to minimize the health and economic impacts of COVID-19. This unprecedented amount of aid—30 percent of Vermont’s 2019 total personal income—has helped Vermonters get through the pandemic.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Natural Resources Council and Center for Biological Diversity sued Vermont’s Agency of Natural Resources today for refusing to require the Brandon-Leicester-Salisbury-Goshen-Pittsford Insect Control District to apply for permission to harm five threatened and endangered Vermont bat species. The Insect Control District sprays the toxic insecticides malathion and permethrin for mosquito control in the habitat of the Indiana bat, northern long-eared bat, little brown bat, eastern small-footed bat and tricolored bat, all of which are protected by Vermont’s Protection of Endangered Species Act.

Vermont Business Magazine The Small Business Administration Vermont District Office is reminding Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) borrowers to submit their "forgiveness" paperwork. If borrowers do not apply for forgiveness within 10 months after the last day of the covered period, then PPP loan payments are no longer deferred, and borrowers will begin making loan payments to their PPP lender.

Vermont Business Magazine As the production of single-use plastic increases, many businesses want to do their part by contributing to recycling efforts for hard to recycle items, including plastic #4 low-density polyethylene (LDPE), also known as plastic film. In 2017 alone, the United States produced 8 billion tons of LDPE. Currently, there is no curbside or pick-up recycling program for plastic film in Chittenden County, leaving the hundreds of businesses in Vermont’s densest commercial region without an option to recycle.

Vermont Business Magazine Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont has named David Yoo as the company’s new Chief Information Officer. He comes to Vermont from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana. “How do we encourage better patient engagement and better access to care? We can support our members through safer, more accessible, and more consistent data exchange between their health plan and their providers.”