Current News

Vermont Business Magazine An amazing superhero without a cape will be in Sheldon to show students and educators how they can spread HOPE (Hold On, Possibilities Exist) in their classrooms — and beyond. Pat Fish, of Sweethearts & Heroes, will work at Sheldon Elementary School on Thursday, Jan. 18 and Friday, Jan. 19. Champlain Chevrolet, of Enosburg Falls, is sponsoring these events. Sweethearts and Heroes is a student empowerment and empathy activation team that aims to prevent bullying and suicide with a focus on the basic components of social-emotional learning (SEL). 

Vermont Business Magazine Following a push from the Vermont Congressional Delegation, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is increasing pay for federal employees in Vermont who support Vermonters through their work at places like the White River Junction VA Medical Center. The locality pay increase applies to federal employees in Addison, Lamoille, and Washington Counties in Vermont who will now receive the same locality pay as federal employees living in the Burlington Locality Pay area – and to Orange and Windsor counties in Vermont who will now receive the same locality pay as employees living in the Boston area. The classification changes will mean that more than 1,000 federal employees will now receive more competitive pay rates that took effect on January 1, 2024.

Vermont Business Magazine Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Senator Mike Braun (R-Ind.), and Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) today introduced bipartisan, bicameral legislation to streamline drug patent litigation, encourage fair market competition, and lower prescription drug prices by making it easier for generic and biosimilar companies to enter the market. Rep. Jodey Arrington (TX-19) introduced companion legislation in the House. “This bipartisan legislation will be a step forward in the fight to stop pharmaceutical companies from abusing the patent system. That will lead to fair competition and lower prescription drug prices. Congress needs to keep working together to cut drug costs for families and streamline access to care.” 

Vermont State Police The victim in Wednesday’s structure collapse in Dummerston is identified as June Howe, 70, who lived in a home on the property where the incident occurred. She died of her injuries on Thursday afternoon, Jan. 11, at Elliot Hospital in Manchester, New Hampshire. This incident remains under investigation by the Vermont State Police but is not considered suspicious. 

Vermont Business Magazine House Democrats introduced H.721, a bill that will make health insurance more affordable by expanding Dr. Dynasaur and would support Vermonters of all ages who are struggling to pay for and access health care. The bill would expand Medicaid eligibility, especially in regard to income, while extending the traditional age limit to 26, like the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare). The bill is sponsored by more than 80 members of the House of Representatives, including Democrats, Progressives, Republicans, and Independents. The House Committee on Health Care is scheduled to start testimony on the bill on January 12. Senators Ruth Hardy and Virginia Lyons introduced a companion bill in the Senate (S.240). 

Vermont Business Magazine Susan G. Komen, the world's leading breast cancer organization, commends Representative Melanie Carpenter (D-Hyde Park) and Representative Laura Sibilia (I-Dover) for working with Komen to eliminate financial barriers to earlier breast cancer detection by ensuring that everyone has equitable access to diagnostic and supplemental breast imaging. In 2024, more than 630 people will be diagnosed with breast cancer and more than 80 will die of the disease in Vermont alone. The exorbitant out-of-pocket costs associated with essential breast imaging procedures ranging from hundreds-to-thousands of dollars, often force individuals into the difficult decision of skipping these tests or making significant financial sacrifices.

Vermont Business Magazine Responding to growing patient demand for care, a national workforce shortage, and persistent cost and budgetary pressures facing rural health care providers, The University of Vermont Health Network is focused on four strategic pillars to guide its work in the 2024 fiscal year, which began in October. Prioritize patient access to surgical services at UVM Medical Center, Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital and Central Vermont Medical Center – to both address long-standing patient wait times and generate a positive margin. And reduce $20 million in expenses for administrative services that support operations for all health care partners in the Network, including the elimination of 130 open positions.

Vermont Business Magazine Scam reports to the Attorney General’s Consumer Assistance Program (CAP) totaled 3,212 in 2023. The “computer tech support” scam took the number one spot on the list, totaling almost 25 percent of the top scams reported. Phishing scams involving financial institutions, where a scammer tries to lure victims into clicking malicious links or tricking them into providing sensitive information which can be used to steal money, took the number two spot, accounting for a little more than 11 percent of the top scam reports in 2023.

Vermont Business Magazine Average gasoline prices in Vermont are $3.21/g, down 6 cents per gallon from last week. Prices are down 20 cents/g from a month ago and down 20 cents/g from a year ago. The lowest price in the state yesterday was $2.89/g in Brattleboro, while the highest was $3.99/g in Wolcott. The national average price of gasoline has fallen 2 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.06/g today. "Sluggish gasoline demand has led to the national average easing again, and brings back the potential for the national average to drift under $3 per gallon for the first time since 2021."

Vermont Business Magazine Green Mountain Power (GMP) is alerting customers that forecasters are calling for accumulating wet snow, with higher amounts along the eastern slopes of the Green Mountains, and damaging winds to arrive back in Vermont starting Friday evening. Forecasters say gusts to 60 MPH are possible, especially along the western slopes of the Green Mountains which saw a damaging storm Tuesday night. In advance of that storm, GMP had more than doubled its field force with external crews to supplement its internal crews, and GMP is keeping those extra crews here to help.

Vermont Business Magazine VEC crews continue to tackle outages resulting from storm Finn. As of Thursday morning, just under 13,500 members have been restored since the beginning of this major storm event.  Restorations due to storm Finn have been particularly time and labor intensive due to the nature of the damage. 34 broken poles have been identified on the system so far. The VEC team has been joined by external line crews, almost tripling the number of crews in the field. As of 9:00 am on Thursday, less than 5,000 VEC members remain without power. Progress will continue Thursday with some members in locations with significant damage remaining without power into Friday.

Vermont Business Magazine The Radio Vermont Group has announced the sale of its radio assets WDEV AM 550 and FM 96.1; WLVB FM 93.9; WCVT FM 101.7; W243AT-FM 96.5; W252CU-FM 98.3; and W273AM-FM 102.5 to Mermel & McLain Management LLC of Manchester, Vermont. The radio stations broadcast to Central Vermont, Burlington, and most of the NEK. The sale was announced to employees this morning. Ashley Jane Squier joined GM Steve Cormier, Myers Mermel, and Scott Milne publicly announced the transition live on WDEV Thursday afternoon.