Current News

Vermont Business Magazine As vaccine supply continues to grow, Governor Scott said today that he expects to share the full remaining vaccination eligibility schedule for Vermonters on Friday. He also said he expects Vermont to be back to a "pre-pandemic normal" by the Fourth of July. But he also said that there would continue to be health guidance regarding mask wearing and other mitigation measures going forward after that because "the virus will still be with us." State officials also continue to urge people to get vaccinated when their time comes to ensure that the state can continue to open up and meet that summer-time goal.

Vermont Business Magazine Speaker Jill Krowinski today presented an $84 million proposal to invest in higher education, scholarship programs, workforce development initiatives. The University of Vermont, the Vermont Student Assistance Corporation, the Vermont State Colleges and Primary Care Physician and Nursing Scholarship Programs would be the recipient organizations

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Attorney General TJ Donovan submitted comments yesterday expressing his concerns about US Customs and Border Protection’s recent proposal to place Remote Video Surveillance Systems towers in Vermont towns, including Derby, Franklin, Richford, and Troy. While recognizing the importance of border monitoring for legitimate law enforcement reasons—to protect citizens from known terrorist threats or other illegal activities that may otherwise threaten the health and safety of Vermonters—Donovan is concerned about unwarranted surveillance or potential interference with the privacy interests of Vermonters.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is asking Vermonters to report when lakes and ponds lose their ice cover, also known as the “ice-out date.” Once a lake or pond is completely free of ice from shore to shore, DEC scientists can begin their spring water quality sampling efforts. The ice-out data also helps scientists track the effects of climate change in Vermont.

by Don Tinney As we enter the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic, Vermonters have reason to be proud of their commitment and sacrifices in mitigating the virus, keeping our infection rate one of the lowest in the world. The low community spread of the virus, combined with the extraordinary efforts and flexibility of Vermont educators, allowed our schools to remain open for in-person instruction since September.

Political leaders across the nation—including President Biden and Governor Scott—have called for students to return to school full-time. Since last March, efforts have been focused on the logistics of mitigating the virus and protecting everyone’s physical health. Attention is now being focused on the social and emotional wellbeing of our students, emphasizing mental health alongside physical health.

Vermont Business Magazine White River Junction VA Healthcare System has begun offering COVID-19 vaccinations to Veterans of all ages who are enrolled in VA healthcare. With the greater and more consistent availability of Vaccine, White River Junction VA Healthcare System is now able to schedule enrolled Veterans of all ages to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. If you are a Veteran who would like to schedule an appointment to receive your COVID-19 vaccine through the White River Junction VA you can call 802-296-5151.

Vermont Business Magazine iSun, a leading solar energy and clean mobility infrastructure company with 50 years of construction experience for solar, electrical and data services, today announced results for the fourth quarter and full-year 2020: Record fourth quarter revenue of $9.3 million, up 47.1% year-over-year, driven by new contract wins; Strong revenue growth and scale benefits drove improvement in EBITDA margins to 6.9%; Strengthened balance sheet provides increased financial flexibility to support strategic growth initiatives, including $21M cash balance prior to the warrant redemption notice; Continued executing our organic regional expansions with new contract wins in Vermont, Maine, Rhode Island, and Connecticut; Fourth quarter 2020 backlog of $61 million positions iSun for robust revenue growth in 2021.

Vermont Business Magazine Special Olympics Vermont (SOVT) has partnered with the University of Vermont’s Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) Program to create a mutually impactful health program involving SOVT athletes and UVM DPT students. The Triple Combine Fitness Challenge is a 10-week at-home fitness competition for Special Olympics athletes across the state of Vermont. As part of SOVT’s Healthy Athletes initiative, athletes were given the option to work with a UVM DPT student throughout the challenge via Zoom. Over 100 athletes are participating in the Triple Combine Fitness Challenge, and 40 are paired with UVM DPT students.

Vermont Business Magazine Attorney General TJ Donovan today expressed disappointment when reacting to the plan Purdue Pharma filed in bankruptcy court. Along with 23 other states, Attorney General Donovan released the below statement: “We are disappointed in this plan. While it contains improvements over the proposal that Purdue announced and we rejected in September 2019, it falls short of the accountability that families and survivors deserve."

Vermont Business Magazine In Vermont, where the Secretary of State mailed ballots to every registered voter, 73% of eligible voters voted, shattering previous records, and 75% of those voted absentee. From same day registration to early voting, our state has a strong track record of making it easier for people to vote. I'm proud that the Senate is contributing to that legacy by making mail-in voting the rule for general elections from now on.

Vermont Business Magazine A new program at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center (SVMC) provides caesarean section patients the opportunity to return home more quickly than in the past. The program is a part of a general shift toward offering more patient education and preparation before surgical procedures and a more individualized approach to post-operative care, both of which shorten hospital stays. In the past, C-section patients would stay in the hospital 3 – 4 days. Now, if both the mother and the baby are ready, they can return home in as few as 2 days.

Vermont Business Magazine The annual “Big Change Roundup for Kids” to support specialized care provided at The University of Vermont Children’s Hospital has changed a lot during this pandemic year – including adding contactless drive-thru collections. The three-month long coin collecting campaign is the largest annual fundraiser for the hospital, and is a joint project of the UVM Children’s Hospital and 98.9 WOKO-FM. Although the Roundup has pivoted to virtual events and contactless collections to prevent the spread of COVID-19, one thing that hasn’t changed is the need for support of the hospital’s high-quality care of pediatric patients in Vermont and Northern New York.