Current News

by CEO Mike Del Trecco, VAHHS It has been about three weeks since the Green Mountain Care Board’s (GMCB) consultant, Oliver Wyman (OW), issued its report on the restructuring of our health care system. A lot has happened since then, as communities have read and digested the report’s recommendations and what they would mean for our state if this report were deemed credible and its findings implemented. What has become crystal clear is this report is not just about hospitals. It’s about the future of Vermont and the viability of all of our communities. I’ll try in this piece to break down the report by outlining the flaws, opportunities and what we view as next steps to not let this distract us from the real and urgent work needed in our state.

by Kevin Coburn Providing leadership, managing budgets and navigating the thicket of local and state regulations is just the beginning for town and city managers in Vermont. Town leaders are also facing novel challenges like coping with increasingly challenging climate and housing crises. Thanks to funding from UVM’s Leahy Institute for Rural Partnerships, current and aspiring town managers in the state are getting new training and support through the new Vermont Local Government Institute, an eight-course certificate program that is imparting tangible skills, best practices, and sound advice from instructors, many of whom are, or have been, town managers themselves. The course was developed through a partnership with the Vermont League of Cities and Towns (VLCT), the Vermont Town and City Management Association (VTCMA), and UVM Professional and Continuing Education (PACE).

Vermont Business Magazine In coordination with state and local partners, FEMA permanently closed the Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) in Island Pond at 6 p.m. on Saturday, October 12, 2024. The closures of these temporary centers are coordinated with state and local partners generally based on the volume of visitors and needs of the community. A new DRC in Newport is set to open Wednesday, October 16, 2024. Effective October 16, this new center will be open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturdays at: Newport City Municipal Building - 222 Main Street, Newport, VT 05855.

Vermont Business Magazine October is designated Health Care Career Awareness Month in Vermont (1 V.S.A. § 376), an opportunity to highlight the importance of health careers in our state. Annually, schools, hospitals, clinics, and an array of organizations and individuals are all encouraged to give special attention to health workforce development and promotion during the month of October. Participating in October Health Care Career Awareness Month amplifies a shared message about job opportunities in Vermont and cultivates the workforce needed now and into the future. The Vermont Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) Network invites you to join us in this important work.

Vermont Business Magazine Howard Center Arts Collective, in partnership with the Fleming Museum of Art at the University of Vermont, presents the exhibition Let the Fabric Speak! on display from September 3, 2024, through May 17, 2025. The opening reception will be held on Saturday, October 19, from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Fleming Museum. One of the featured works is Tied, a collaborative piece by Lydia Littwin, created from donated fabrics like baby clothing, dresses, and curtains, symbolizing shared community experiences. This exhibition showcases art made from repurposed materials that tell both personal and collective stories. 

Vermont Business Magazine Northeast Delta Dental announced it has been awarded the esteemed national Baldrige Performance Excellence Award, recognizing the company's unwavering commitment to quality, service, and innovation. One of only five companies in the United States to receive this national award this year, and the first ever in New Hampshire, the organization impressed examiners with its outstanding 99% account retention, Guarantee of Service Excellence program, and March to Million initiative.

Vermont Business Magazine Price Chopper/Market 32 is raising funds for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. During the month of October, customers can round up their change at the checkout, 100% of which will go directly to local Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. Price Chopper will match all donations, up to $10,000. Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals helps fund life-saving treatments, innovative research, vital medical equipment, and comforting child life services at 170 children’s hospitals across the U.S. and Canada. This includes The University of Vermont Children’s Hospital in Burlington, VT, and Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital in Syracuse, NY.

Vermont Business Magazine Suburban Propane Partners, L.P. (NYSE: SPH), a nationwide distributor of propane, renewable propane, renewable natural gas, fuel oil and related products and services volunteered at Rutland Community Cupboard in Rutland October 10 to unload, sort, and stock its shelves with pallets of food and pantry items, while also donating funds to purchase 2,778 fresh half gallons of milk for families in the local community.

Vermont Business Magazine “2014 was a good year for milk,” Kate Leach says from the kitchen table at her family’s seventh generation farm. Kate and her husband Seth Leach track such things. His ancestors started Woodlawn Holsteins Farm in Pawlet nearly 200 years ago, where the family has been producing and selling premium quality milk and beef ever since. Kate explains that 2014 was the year Vermont’s commodity milk market paid a relatively higher price to the state’s dairy farmers for their product. Woodlawn, like many Vermont dairy farms, has struggled with smaller payouts, potentially affecting their long-term sustainability. But in 2014, Seth could at last take a breath and feel optimistic about the family farm’s future. “Then he calculated the costs of feed for our cows, and all our other farm expenses,” Kate adds, “and he realized that even with that higher payment, it still wasn’t great.” All costs considered, the struggle would go on. Until they said, cheese.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont State Police is investigating a shooting in Waterbury that left one man dead and a second with critical injuries. The investigation began at about 12:45 a.m. Monday, Oct. 14, 2024, when the state police received a call reporting a shooting at a home in the Kneeland Flats Trailer Park. Responding troopers located the victims on scene. The man with critical injuries was brought by ambulance to the University of Vermont Medical Center in Burlington for treatment. Preliminary investigation by detectives indicates this shooting was an isolated, targeted event. No one is currently in custody.

Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets Funding is available through the Northeast Dairy Business Innovation Center for research and development projects that support dairy processing innovation across the Northeast. Projects funded through this grant must address at least one of the following primary goals: packaging initiatives, novel processing solutions, and/or increased collaboration. Projects may include innovation in sourcing, alternative production solutions, distribution and supply chain logistics, operations, and marketing. Awards will range from $75,000 to $350,000, with a 25% match requirement. Total program funding is $1,500,000.

Vermont Business Magazine Average gasoline prices in Vermont are $3.16 per gallon, down 1.2 cents per gallon from last week's $3.17/g. The national average price of gasoline has risen 3.3 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.16/g today. The national average is unchanged from a month ago and stands 41.8 cents per gallon lower than a year ago. The national average price of diesel has declined 3.4 cents in the last week and stands at $3.57 per gallon- the lowest level since January, 2022, over 900 days ago.