Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Fitch Ratings has assigned a 'AA+' rating to the following Vermont Housing Finance Agency (VHFA) multiple purpose bonds: --$15.0 million 2023 series E (Non-AMT) (Social Bonds); --$7.5 million 2023 series F (Federally Taxable); --$8.945 million 2023 series G (Non-AMT) (Social Bonds). Fitch has also affirmed the 'AA+' rating on approximately $241.2 million (as of July 31, 2023) in multiple purpose bonds outstanding parity debt. The Rating Outlook is Stable. The 'AA+' rating reflects the continued strengthening of the program's asset quality, as indicated in the growing percentage of the mortgage-backed securities (MBS) portion of the portfolio; the program's continued financial strength demonstrated by the FY 2022 results and cash flow asset parity levels; and the low percentage (3%) of variable rate debt exposure. VHFA expects to finance single-family new issuance through the purchase of MBS going forward, which will lead to a continued increase in the portfolio's MBS composition.

Vermont Business Magazine Calling all advocates for worker power! The Vermont AFL-CIO is thrilled to announce its annual State Labor Council Convention, set to take place on September 9th and 10th, 2023, at Jay Peak Resort in Jay, Vermont. This convention promises to be the largest Labor Council Convention yet, bringing together union members, labor leaders, and worker advocates from across the state to address vital labor issues and strengthen the bonds of solidarity.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today announced the appointment of Colin L. Seaman as state’s attorney for Orange County, replacing H. Dickson Corbett, who was appointed as a superior judge earlier this year. Seaman has served as acting state’s attorney since Corbett’s departure, and as deputy state’s attorney since February of this year. He has over 20 years of experience serving as a defense attorney, including running a private practice from 2014 to 2023, where he contracted with the Defender General’s office and was assigned criminal and juvenile cases primarily in Chittenden and Washington Counties. Seaman received a J.D. and M.S.L. from Vermont Law school in 1997.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Agency of Human Services (AHS) is pleased to announce the launch of the Vermont Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Grant Opportunity, a significant step toward enhancing, expanding, and strengthening Medicaid HCBS services in Vermont. The Vermont HCBS Grant Opportunity is funded through Section 9817 of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 and is aimed at bolstering the quality, accessibility, and sustainability of Vermont’s system of care for individuals and their families who rely on HCBS to lead independent and fulfilling lives. This grant opportunity, totaling $20.9 million, is designed to support HCBS providers, community-based organizations, and other entities that support the HCBS landscape in Vermont. 

Vermont Business Magazine The University of Vermont Medical Center and the Vaccine Testing Center at UVM’s Larner College of Medicine will operate as a study site for a worldwide Phase 3 clinical study to investigate the efficacy, safety and immunogenicity of an investigational Lyme disease vaccine candidate. The study, known as the Vaccine Against Lyme for Outdoor Recreationists (VALOR) trial, is sponsored by Pfizer and is enrolling participants five years of age and older. There are currently no approved vaccines available to prevent Lyme disease in humans. The VALOR research study is evaluating if an investigational vaccine is safe and effective for preventing Lyme disease in people who have been exposed through tick bites.

Vermont Business Magazine QUEL Imaging, a small business focusing on developing innovative specialty tools to support the rapidly growing field of fluorescence guided surgery (FGS), has announced it has received a Phase II SBIR contract from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This highly competitive award provides nearly $2 million in funding over two years to develop Biomimicking optical phantoms for advancing FGS. Phantoms are a widely used tool in the field of biomedical imaging, which help demonstrate and test system capabilities. The phantoms developed by QUEL Imaging are highly customizable and help imaging system developers and pharmaceutical companies accelerate their research and development cycles, while reducing costs during their pathway to regulatory approval. 

The Green Mountain Care Board The GMCB Hospital Budget Deliberations scheduled for Friday, September 8, 2023, is cancelled. A notice is on our GMCB Meeting Information page and in our press release. Friday, September 8, 2023: Hospital Budget Deliberation (9-11am).

THIS MEETING IS CANCELLED.

Vermont Business Magazine In a remarkable display of community giving, 7,852 pounds of food were collected at the Vermont Foodbank Day event held on August 31 at the Champlain Valley Fair. The event, sponsored and supported by Vermont Federal Credit Union since 2018, saw an outpouring of donations from fair attendees. The Vermont Foodbank Day at the Champlain Valley Fair has become a cherished tradition for both the fairgoers and the organizations involved. Attendees were encouraged to bring non-perishable food items to donate in exchange for admittance tickets to the fair. This year, a total of 2,486 tickets were distributed in return for the kind contributions.

Vermont Business Magazine Senator Peter Welch (D-VT), member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science & Transportation, today released the following statement in response to President Biden’s nomination of Michael G. Whitaker, a Vermonter, to lead the Federal Aviation Administration: “Michael Whitaker has an impressive career in aviation leadership, and his decades spent in the skies will be an asset to the Federal Aviation Administration–which needs the steady hand only experience can provide. As a fellow Vermonter, I know that he has the forward-thinking vision to bring us into the next generation of air travel–and he’ll do it safely, with a mind for sustainability and a passion for innovation within the aviation workforce. With Mike in the cockpit of the FAA, the agency will be on the right course.”   

Vermont Business Magazine Agri-Mark, the dairy cooperative that owns the Cabot Creamery and McCadam brands based in Waitsfield, received high marks at the New York State Fair in Syracuse, New York, and The Big E Gold Medal Cheese Competition in Massachusetts.  At the NY State Fair, only products made in New York state were eligible to compete across 25 categories. Cheese classes were judged by local experts in the agricultural industry at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY.  

Vermont State Police Early this afternoon, troopers with the Vermont State Police and game wardens with the Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife apprehended 52-year-old Eric Edson following a foot chase through the woods in the town of Georgia. The arrest occurred after troopers and wardens, responding to a tip, saw Edson at about 1 pm in a kayak on the Lamoille River. Edson landed the kayak, which is believed to have been stolen, on the northern riverbank near Vermont Route 104A. He then fled from law enforcement on foot, jumped into the river and swam to the southern shore near Georgia Mountain Road. Troopers and wardens arrested him at that time.

Vermont Business Magazine Average gasoline prices in Vermont rose 1 cent in the last week to $3.79 per gallon. Gas is down 1 cent/g from last month and 12 cents/g from a year ago. The lowest price in the state yesterday was $3.55/g in Middlebury and Ludlow, while the highest was $3.89/g at several stations in the north and northwest part of the state. The national average price of gasoline has fallen 2 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.77/g today.