Current News
by tim
Vermont Business Magazine The Health Department reported Tuesday that three more Vermonters had died of COVID-19 since last Friday, for a statewide total of 72 and a total case count of 4,239. There have been 13 deaths since November 17. Also, the VDH is asking people who were tested for COVID-19 on November 27, 2020, at Barre Auditorium to get retested. This action is needed because a delay by the company responsible for shipping the original samples to Broad Laboratories in Massachusetts rendered the samples useless. Approximately 249 samples were affected. The Health Department late Monday sent emails to notify people of the shipping error and the need for retesting if desired.
by katie
Vermont Business Magazine University of Vermont Provost and Senior Vice President Patricia Prelock has announced the appointment of Noma Anderson, PhD, as dean of the College of Nursing and Health Sciences (CNHS).
Anderson has built a reputation as a successful leader in the health professions, most recently as dean of the College of Health Professions at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center for six years and special adviser to the University of Tennessee System president on diversity and inclusion.
by katie
Vermont Business Magazine In celebration of Giving Tuesday, Bar Harbor Bank & Trust announces the year-to-date results of its charitable giving programs. From January through November 2020, the Bank has donated more than $488,000 to nearly 400 nonprofit organizations throughout Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont.
“Giving back to the communities where we live and work is a fundamental part of who Bar Harbor Bank & Trust is as a business, employer, and more importantly, a neighbor,” said Jack Frost, VP Director of Community Giving at Bar Harbor Bank & Trust. “This year has been a particularly challenging one for our communities, and we are honored to be able to partner with hundreds of nonprofit organizations to deliver much-needed services to our neighbors in need.”
The Bank has made several donations in celebration of Giving Tuesday this year, including:
by katie
Vermont Business Magazine The Northeast Delta Dental Foundation recently awarded grants of $79,594 to three Vermont oral health programs.
The Foundation awarded $14,594 to Open Door Clinic in Middlebury in support of a University of Vermont study of the oral health of migrant workers; $5,000 to South Royalton School Clinic (dba HealthHub) in South Royalton for general operating expenses; and $60,000 to the Vermont Head Start/Early Head Start Tooth Tutor Program, a state-wide program, for salaries and dental supplies.
by katie
Vermont Business Magazine During its virtual annual collaborative meeting earlier this month, the American Academy of Pediatrics Vermont Chapter (AAPVT) recognized two individuals who have shown exemplary leadership, collaboration and innovation.
Wendy S. Davis, M.D., FAAP and Breena W. Holmes, M.D., FAAP, have been selected as the American Academy of Pediatrics Vermont Chapter Green Mountain Pediatrician award winners for 2020. The Green Mountain Pediatrician Award is given in recognition of dedication and contribution to child and adolescent health within the State of Vermont.
by tim
Vermont Business Magazine Can schools safely remain open or reopen during periods of significant community spread of COVID-19? According to predictions from a model of SARS-CoV-2 transmission in the school setting, yes – if appropriate precautions are followed both in school and in the community.
by tim
by John McClaughry People seeking and using political influence to make themselves richer by enlisting government to their advantage has long been a deplorable practice in the history of this country. Enrichment techniques are legion. Outright cash grants and credits. Preferential taxation. Tariffs and quotas to block competing imports. Regulatory favoritism and obstructionism. Subsidized insurance and guarantees. Stringent occupational licensing. Government-sanctioned cartels.
by katie
Vermont Business Magazine Anyone who gathered should quarantine, get tested. Thanks to the many people who decided to stay home this Thanksgiving and over the weekend. We know it wasn’t easy, but we hope you were able to find ways to still make it special. If you did gather with people from other households, you can still lower the risk of spreading COVID-19 in case you have been exposed or are sick and don’t have symptoms. Please quarantine, get tested right away, and again on day 7 or later. Find free testing near you at healthvermont.gov/covid19testing(link is external).
by katie
Vermont Business Magazine Burlington Electric Department (BED) and the Department of Public Works (DPW) today jointly encouraged Burlington-based individuals, nonprofits, and businesses to apply for grants from the Vermont COVID-19 Arrearage Assistance Program (VCAAP) to pay their past-due electric, water, and sewer/wastewater bills.
Residential and non-residential utility ratepayers served by Vermont electric, municipal, community, or fire district water and sewer/wastewater, private water, or natural gas companies are eligible to apply until December 15, 2020.
by katie
Vermont Business Magazine Vermont will receive $1,393,160 from FEMA for costs incurred by Vermont Department of Public Safety for the purchase of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and bulk supplies in response to the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency. The materials were stored in a warehouse and distributed throughout the state in an ongoing basis.
This grant is funded through FEMA’s Public Assistance (PA) Grant program which reimburses communities for actions taken in the immediate response and during recovery from a disaster.
Eligible applicants include states, federally recognized tribal governments, U.S. territories, local governments, and certain private non-profit organizations. The grant applications are submitted from the state, which coordinates the process with local governments.
by katie
Vermont Business Magazine Northern Vermont University (NVU) is thrilled to announce that it has received a gift of $3.5 million from Lyndon Alumnus Mark Valade ’78 (CEO of Carhart) and his wife Molly. The gift is in support of NVU’s Learning and Working Community and is by far the largest contribution ever received by the Vermont State Colleges System.
The gift will help build the NVU Learning and Working Community – a partnership between NVU and local businesses and organizations throughout northern Vermont to formalize career pathways and provide hands-on learning opportunities for students.
These partnerships will encourage students to stay and work in Vermont by providing advantages in professional networking and opportunities for future employment, helping to solve the acute Vermont workforce shortage.
by katie
Photo: Andre Cloutier hooks up the fuel lines as, from left, Evan Langfeldt (O'Brien Brothers), Jesse Jackman (co-owner of Jackman Fuels) and homeowner Lori Brinkman look on. The delivery was made Monday afternoon to deliver 230 gallons of heating fuel to the Brinkman home in Vergennes. This delivery was absolutely free; half was paid by the Split Fund and half by Jackman Fuels. Courtesy photo
Vermont Business Magazine O’Brien Brothers announces today that they will donate $20,000 to two Vermont organizations to help Vermonters in need to get basic necessities this winter. Vermont Fuel Dealers Association and Feeding Chittenden will each receive a $10,000 donation. These gifts are being given on “Giving Tuesday” with the hope that it will inspire others to help their neighbors.