Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Newly released data from the Department of Health show that cigarette use among Vermonters is decreasing, but the number of adults who use e-cigarettes, also known as vaping, continues to rise. The 2022 Adult Tobacco Survey found that nearly one-quarter of adults in Vermont use tobacco products. Of those, 13% use cigarettes, down from 17% in 2016. A smaller proportion of adults use e-cigarettes, but that rate has doubled to 6% since 2016. The Vermont Adult Tobacco Survey is a periodic survey of Vermont adults 18 years and older. The data are used to help evaluate the effectiveness of state tobacco control efforts to reduce smoking and increase awareness and knowledge of smoking-related issues.

Vermont Business Magazine This week Gifford announced two recipients of the 2024 Philip D. Levesque Memorial Community Award as well as the recipient of the Dr. Richard J. Barrett Scholarship. Lil Sunshine Child Care Center in Randolph and the Middle Branch Grange in Bethel each will receive $2,500 grants in memory of Levesque’s personal commitment to the White River Valley. Lil Sunshine plans to use the funds to help achieve its fundraising goal for necessary construction upgrades to a facility it will lease from Bethany Church for the new center. The award to Middle Branch will support construction of a new outdoor pavilion for the 112-year-old grange, which was severely damaged by fire in January. The Gifford Board of Trustees established the Levesque Award in 1994 in memory of Philip D. Levesque, Gifford’s president and chief executive officer from 1973-1994. A committee of hospital staff and Levesque’s family reviewed applications to select a winner.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today issued the following statement: “At the beginning of the legislative session, I said that our top priorities must be affordability, housing, and public safety. Today, the Senate took important steps towards strengthening our public safety tools with the passage of S.58. I want to thank the Senate Judiciary Committee, in particular Senator Sears, for his leadership and collaboration on this bill. “S.58 takes steps to update current law to ensure accountability for those selling and trafficking deadly fentanyl and xylazine, which can be found as components of most drug sales. It also strengthens our ability to prosecute and enhances the penalty when death results from these sales."

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott on Monday issued the following statement: “As we all know, we have a housing crisis in all parts of Vermont, and we desperately need to make it easier, faster, and less expensive to build the housing we urgently need. Yet this week, the House of Representatives will vote on a bill that will move us backward by further complicating our regulatory and appeals systems. If passed into law, this land use bill will make it harder to build housing units in most parts of the state, which could make our housing crisis permanent in many communities. In fact, 100 members of the House represent towns that will likely never benefit from the Tier 1A designation in the bill. H.687 would take four years to implement, doing nothing to address the housing shortage we are facing today."

Vermont Business Magazine Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) announced today that his office has secured an additional $15.3 million in federal funding on behalf of 13 Vermont projects that address significant needs across the state, including in health care, emergency operations, youth programming, and substance abuse prevention. This funding brings the total amount of Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) secured by Sanders in Fiscal Year 2024 to $57.951 million – following his announcement of $42.5 million in the previous appropriations package, which was signed by President Biden earlier this month.

Vermont Business Magazine Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) on Monday released the following statement regarding the State Department’s statement that Israel is in compliance with U.S. law, international humanitarian law, and the Biden Administration’s recent National Security Memorandum. The State Department today stated: “We have found them not to be in violation, either when it comes to conduct of the war or the provision of humanitarian assistance.” Sanders said: "To pretend that Israel is not violating international law or interfering with U.S. humanitarian aid is absurd on its face. The State Department’s position makes a mockery of U.S. law and assurances provided to Congress."

by Dr. Erin Forbes, VVMA Communications Committee Chair Mountain View Animal Hospital Dog bite prevention week is April 7 to 13 this year. Dog bites pose a serious health risk to communities as more than 4.5 million people are bitten in the US each year. It is estimated about half of those bitten are children, and of those bitten 1 in 5 require medication attention. Also, children are more likely to be severely injured by a dog bite. Bites typically happen during everyday interactions with dogs. It is important to know that any dog can bite, and bite risk is not based on the dogs age, sex, or size. Any breed may bite. Fortunately, most dog bites are preventable and there are things you can do in your house/community to help prevent them.

by Norah White, Community News Service Lawmakers are trying again to pass a bill to replace the state’s expungement system with a more expansive process of sealing records — after Gov. Phil Scott vetoed a similar effort almost two years ago. Vermont currently has a dual-track system for people looking to clear up their criminal histories: for certain offenses and with certain caveats, people can have their criminal records sealed or expunged. The new bill, H.655, would switch the process almost entirely over to sealing, with certain rare exceptions, while expanding the list of crimes that qualify for clearance. In exchange for increasing the number of crimes that can be cleared, lawmakers are shifting to sealing as a compromise. Expungement entirely wipes someone’s conviction from the official record — the goal being to see them treated as if they had never been convicted. Sealing a record is meant to have the same effect; however, the record is still maintained and accessible to courts and law enforcement, among others. 

Vermont Business Magazine The Made in Vermont Marketplace is an extraordinary opportunity for Vermont companies to showcase their Made in Vermont products to an audience of thousands of prospective customers in one weekend. The trade show is dedicated to promoting the great variety of Vermont-made products . . . from furniture, specialty foods, clothing, wines and so much more! Only Vermont based companies that make their products in Vermont are eligible to exhibit.

Vermont Business Magazine Howard Center announces the return of its annual Spring Community Education Series, beginning with an important session led by Dr. Simha Ravven, Howard Center's Chief Medical Officer. This first session, scheduled for March 27, will explore the nuances of mental health treatment and the legal framework surrounding it, emphasizing Vermont's approach to psychiatric care. Dr. Ravven will utilize a case study to navigate through the complexities of Vermont mental health law, addressing both voluntary and involuntary psychiatric treatment protocols in various settings, the complexities of mandated community treatment, and exploring the limits of voluntary treatment. 

Vermont Business Magazine Mississippi has the highest percentage of preterm births across the US, according to new research, with 14.79% or 5,119 out of a total 34,609 births in 2022, based on CDC data. Louisiana and West Virginia rounded out the top three. The state with the lowest number of preterm births is New Hampshire, with only 8.17% or 985 preterm births out of the total 12,062. Vermont ranked fifth lowest at 8.86%, or 467 births out of 5,275 total births. Across the United States, there were approximately 3,661,220 reported births in 2022, and approximately 380,035 of these were preterm. That is equal to 10.38% of all births across the country being babies that are born prematurely. 

by Mike Del Trecco, VAHHA, CEO This weekend’s epic snow, just as spring officially “arrives,” feels about par for the course for this year so far. Doesn’t it just feel like everything is a bit “off”? Although I am happy to see the snow, I have to say it feels like it is coming at the wrong time. We get through these dark, long Vermont winters by having enough snow to make skiing, snowmobiling, snowshoeing and just being outdoors enjoyable and that really did not happen this year. I don’t think I’m alone in thinking these days have been particularly hard. When we look at the issues facing our state there are no simple solutions or easy answers. I feel this way when I think about our health care work and the major challenges we face. Vermonters are older and sicker.