Current News

Vermont Business Magazine On Friday, March 5, 2021, CVHHH hosted the 33rd Annual Chez Henri Cup Sugarbush Timed Racing, Fundraiser, and Raffle. Kim Farnum, CVHHH’s Director of Community Relations & Development, is pleased to share that the event brought in over $12,000 in net proceeds. “This year, in spite of the pandemic, we raised more than this event has ever raised in the past 30-plus years,” says Kim. “This is due to the generosity of our sponsors and participants, many of whom returned to support us this year.”

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 Family Medicine Physician Jennifer Baker-Porazinski, MD, of Twin Rivers Medical, P.C. in Hoosick Falls, NY, as a guest on its March 17 show. The two will discuss Dr. Baker-Porazinski’s personal experience with COVID-19 and her interest in integrative medicine.

Vermont Business Magazine Global industrial computer hardware manufacturer and IoT solution provider, OnLogic, celebrated Pi Day by unveiling their first Raspberry Pi-powered industrial computer. Measuring just 102.5 x 129 x 38 mm, the tiny device made its debut on the OnLogic website on Pi Day (March 14), after first being shared with OnLogic's community of hardware enthusiasts and device builders who signed up to receive more information in advance of the system's public availability.

by Devon Green, VAHHS, Vice President of Government Relations Happy crossover! Last week, we reached the theoretical halfway point of the legislative session. I say theoretical because with the latest federal COVID-19 relief/stimulus package, the legislative calendar may extend beyond mid-May or legislators may come back in the fall. Regardless, the crossover deadline remained—meaning that all bills not involving money had to be passed out of legislative committees to stay alive. Any bills not passing out of committees on Friday are left “on the wall” and the legislature will have to wait until next year to take them up again.

Last Week

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Health today is reporting 85 new cases of COVID-19 There have been two more deaths since Friday for a statewide total of 214. Over 143,144 Vermonters have now received at least one dose of vaccine (26.1% of population).

Vermont Business Magazine Attorney General TJ Donovan announced that the State of Vermont filed a civil lawsuit in Orleans County Superior Court for timber trespass at Hazen’s Notch State Park. The state alleges that, in 2019, the Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation (FPR) observed an area of trees and shrubs cut on state land within a designated natural area of the Park. In its complaint, the state alleges that Thomas Tremonte, an abutting property owner, cut timber and brush on the state park land without approval. Tremonte in an interview confirmed the cutting was for the purpose of backcountry skiing.

by David Snedeker, Northeastern Vermont Development Association As you have likely heard there will be funding for local governments in the American Rescue Plan Act passed by Congress and signed into law. Your can find the bill here: American Rescue Plan Act .

Vermont Business Magazine The Kick Start Middlebury program, created by a partnership of property owners and government, economic development, educational and business entities, is now accepting Letters of Interest to establish, relocate or expand a business in Middlebury. At least two applicants will receive an incentive package that includes free or discounted services and products donated by area businesses, a $10,000 grant made available by the Town of Middlebury’s business development fund, and various benefits offered by property owners.

Vermont Business Magazine The US Small Business Administration announced extended deferment periods for all disaster loans, including the COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program, until 2022. This includes Vermont.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Labor on March 15 announced that the January 2021 unemployment rate was 3.2 percent. This reflects a decrease of three-tenths of one percentage point from the prior month’s upwardly revised estimate of 3.5 percent. The comparable United States rate in January was 6.3 percent, which was a decrease of four-tenths of one percentage point from the revised December estimate. Vermont's jobless rate is tied for third lowest in the nation with Nebraska. North Dakota and Utah are at 3.1 percent. Hawaii has the highest rate at 10.2 percent.

Testing returns 21 new positive cases in Newport; 100 cases medically cleared from isolation

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Department of Corrections (Vermont DOC) is reporting 19 new cases of COVID-19 among incarcerated individuals and two new staff cases in the outbreak at Northern State Correctional Facility (NSCF) in Newport. The cases were detected both independently and in testing conducted March 11. Corrections previously reported 100 cases.

The outbreak began after one staff member and 21 incarcerated individuals tested positive for the virus in testing conducted February 23, 2021. There are currently 37 positive incarcerated cases and 6 positive staff cases at the facility. Four staff are expected to be medically cleared early this week.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Electric Co-op and Green Mountain Power today each launched a Broadband Deployment Program to help more Vermonters in some of the hardest-to-reach corners of Vermont get connected to broadband quickly and cost-effectively. The plans approved Friday by the Vermont PUC lower the cost for broadband providers to connect the hardest-to-serve customers, by offering up to $2,000 per unserved location for infrastructure connection costs. The program aims to create greater equity for customers. If broadband companies fully enroll for the discounts, more than 10,000 customers who currently do not have broadband could be connected by the end of next year.