Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger and Aviation Director Gene Richards today announced that Moody’s Investors Service has upgraded the Burlington International Airport credit rating to Baa2 from Baa3 (ratings table below), and revised the Airport’s credit outlook from positive to stable. This is the second credit rating upgrade BTV has earned since 2014 and represents its highest rating since prior to the multiple downgrades of the airport in 2010 due to revelations of serious financial mismanagement involving a separate city division, Burlington Telecom. The airport already in 2009 suffered from AirTran and its popular direct flight to Baltimore (BWI) cutting service. BTV's credit rating has not completely recovered from those events despite a better financial situation and additional flights. It previously had a rating of Baa1.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Attorney General TJ Donovan announced that Moretown Landfill, Inc (MLI), has agreed to pay the State of Vermont $180,000 in civil penalties and an additional $20,000 to fund a supplemental environmental project (SEP) to resolve environmental claims brought against it by the State.

Vermont Business Magazine Secretary of State Jim Condos and State Archivist Tanya Marshall announced today that early Vermont newspapers have been added to Newspapers.com and can be researched online for free by residents. Through a partnership with Ancestry.com, and its subsidiary Newspapers.com, the Vermont State Archives and Records Administration (VSARA), a division within the Office of the Vermont Secretary of State, continues to improve access to many of the state’s most valuable records. The Vermont Department of Libraries, which has microfilmed hundreds of Vermont newspapers over the past several decades, transferred its newspapers microfilm reels to VSARA in 2017.

Vermont Business Magazine RE/MAX INTEGRA, New England today released its 2018 Spring Market Trends Report that shows New England is largely a sellers' market, with few exceptions. Low inventory coupled with strong economic factors has led to intense competition, driving up prices and pushing buyers to expand their horizons and think outside of the box. The annual report evaluated data from most regions across Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont, looking at pricing, volume, and general trends in residential real estate and luxury markets.

Vermont Business Magazine Mt Ascutney Hospital and Health Center (MAHHC) has recognized 34 employees who have collectively served the Hospital for more than 535 years. Staff members were honored at a special Employee Service Awards dinner in the Hospital’s newly renovated café, where MAHHC President, CEO and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Joseph Perras personally thanked them for their contributions and commitment to the Hospital, its patients and the community.

“The quality of care we provide to our patients is only as good as the quality of the staff who are here to serve them everyday.” said Perras. “We thank you for your service, your dedication, and your commitment to always making our mission and vision a reality for our patients every day.

Perras was joined by several department heads and other MAHHC staffers who added to his praise for MAHHC employees.

Vermont Business Magazine The University of Vermont Medical Center is one of only twenty-five hospitals in the country being recognized for “Environmental Excellence” by Practice Greenhealth, a leading national advocate for sustainable practices in health care. UVM Medical Center and other winners were lauded for addressing the links between the environment and human health, using data to demonstrate successes, and showing leadership in their local communities and across the health care sector. In addition, the UVM Medical Center’s Fanny Allen campus was given the “Emerald Award” for its outstanding sustainability programs.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott will be joined Tuesday morning by Commissioner of Health Mark Levine, MD and Dr Keith Robinson, pediatric pulmonologist with Vermont Children’s Hospital and board member of the American Lung Association in Vermont, to recognize local school districts for making asthma-friendly school policies and practices a priority in their buildings. The presentations will take place today at 11:15 am in the Governor’s ceremonial office at the State House in Montpelier. The awards will be presented to the Twin Valley School District, Addison Northwest School District and Colchester School District. Each winning school district will also receive a cash award from the American Lung Association and Department of Health to further advance asthma-friendly school policies.

Vermont Business Magazine Julia Crane, 22, of Colchester was crowned Miss Vermont 2018 at the Chandler Center for the Arts on Saturday evening in Randolph. Crane is a graduate of the University of Vermont with a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and Food Sciences, a degree she earned Cum Laude. She is currently pursuing a Masters in Public Health, also from the University of Vermont, and expects to graduate in the fall. She performed a tap dance to Hey Momma/Hit the Road Jack by Pentatonix in the talent portion of the competition.

Julia Crane Miss Vermont 2018. Photos courtesy of Jon Adams Photography.

Vermont Business Magazine On May 31, World No Tobacco Day, the public is invited to a presentation and panel discussion on the use of JUUL — the e-cigarette brand — among youth in Vermont schools. Hear from students, school faculty members and health officials, including Health Commissioner Mark Levine, MD, about the popularity of e-cigarettes and vaping among students, and strategies for protecting our youth from addiction and harm caused by nicotine.

WHEN: Thursday, May 31, 2018
3:00 – 4:00 P.M.

Due to building security, please arrive 15 minutes before the presentation.

Vermont Business Magazine Ed Pelz of Brookdale Filmore Pond in Bennington was born on May 26, 1918. It wasn’t until recently that he discovered that he shared his birth year with Southwestern Vermont Health Care (SVHC), the hospital he has supported for more than two decades.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott on Friday vetoed the budget (H924) and the tax (H911) bills, as expected. The Legislature will resume its Special Session Tuesday. The vetoes were promised because they included a property tax increase. The vetoes also buy the process of finding a compromise a little more time, because a bill not acted upon will become law even without a signature. But the ultimate deadline is June 30. Without a budget, state government will shut down on July 1. Scott vetoed the budget last year also, which also sent the Legislature into overtime. However, back then he promised that he would not let the state shut down; he has not made such a promise this year.

In vetoing the budget, H924 (the language is similar in the veto message of H911, see full message below), Scott said in part:

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott on Friday signed H.897, bipartisan legislation intended to improve the administration, effectiveness, availability and equity of services provided to students who require additional services.