Current News

by Olga Peters, Vermont Business Magazine The Green Mountain Care Board released a comprehensive report in September aimed at transforming the state’s healthcare system. The report, prepared by the management consulting firm Oliver Wyman, has generated strong reactions from communities whose local hospitals were advised to restructure or reduce services. The report revealed that many of Vermont’s hospitals operate at a financial loss and recommended consolidating services to improve profitability. It also proposed sweeping changes for four specific hospitals: North Country Hospital, Gifford Medical Center, Springfield Hospital and Grace Cottage Hospital. While there is widespread agreement that healthcare in Vermont is expensive, many strongly disagree with the report’s findings. Specifically, Newport’s North Country Hospital and Randolph’s Gifford Health Care have identified inaccuracies within the report.

by Amy Spear, President of the Vermont Chamber of Commerce and Megan Sullivan, Vice President of Government Affairs for the Vermont Chamber of Commerce Each year, the Vermont Chamber of Commerce outlines our legislative priorities with one focus in mind: creating the conditions to advance the Vermont economy. This year, our goals align closely with those voiced by Vermonters at the polls: addressing affordability, fostering economic growth, and doing the hard work to solve Vermont’s toughest challenges. 

by Mike Pieciak, Treasurer As we welcome the New Year, many Vermonters are setting resolutions to build new skills, improve their health, or spend more time with loved ones. This year, let's add a resolution that really pays off: saving for retirement. Saving for retirement can be daunting, especially for Vermonters living paycheck to paycheck and struggling to make ends meet. While it can be difficult to know where or how to begin, it’s crucial to start saving as early as possible, and saving a small amount regularly can add up significantly over time. Studies show that individuals with access to a workplace retirement plan are fifteen times more likely to save for their future, but nearly half of working-age Vermonters aren’t offered a retirement plan through their employer. These rates are even higher among women, BIPOC Vermonters, and residents of our rural communities. Unfortunately, many of these workers aren’t saving anything for retirement. 

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Chamber of Commerce has announced a new programmatic partnership with NBT Bank, aimed at providing businesses across the state with the valuable, data-driven economic insights needed to succeed in today’s dynamic marketplace. The new Economic Insights webinar series will launch on January 14 at 1 PM and will feature insights and analysis from Kenneth J. Entenmann, CFA®, Chief Investment Officer & Economist at NBT Wealth Management. Ken has more than 33 years of investment experience. Prior to joining NBT Bank, he served as Director of Investment Management at Alliance Bank. In his current role, he oversees more than $6 billion in assets under management and administration in trust, custody, retirement, institutional, and individual accounts.

Vermont Business Magazine Soulmate Brewing Company is raising a toast to an extraordinary achievement: receiving 12 medals at the 2024 Denver International Beer Competition. Soulmate Brewing’s prestigious wins included 3 gold, 3 silver, and 6 bronze medals, further cementing Soulmate Brewing's reputation as a top-tier craft brewery. This marks a total of 17 medals in just 12 months for the company! Soulmate Brewing was founded by Jonathan and Carol Mogor, whose shared passion and love for each other and craft beer led them to open the brewery’s doors in July 2023 with a mission to bring the diverse flavors of the world to the craft beer community. Joining them in their journey are Head Brewer Hideki Arao and his wife Harumi Arao, who manages the brewery’s kitchen, creating a unique synergy between exceptional beer and delicious food. 

Vermont Business Magazine WhistlePig Whiskey, the ringleader of independent craft whiskey and rye rebel, is bringing degeneracy to non-alcoholic cocktails with the help of Alice Cooper this January. WhistlePig rejects whiskey tradition and is disabusing the establishment of Dry January’s morals with the new, limited edition Sex, Drugs, Rock & Dry Old Fashioned. A cocktail of non-psychoactive ingredients incites sober fans to go ham on other vices, all for a good cause: 100% of profits will benefit the bartending community. Get ready to burn the barn down with this trip of a cocktail. Crafted with 100% Rye Non-Whiskey, Barrel-Aged Maple Syrup, adaptogenic Cordyceps and Schisandra Berry, and aphrodisiac Damiana, WhistlePig’s Sex, Drugs, Rock & Dry cocktail melts in your mind, not your glass. WhistlePig has always played the record backwards, and the far out, flavorful experience of the non-alcoholic Maple Old Fashioned channels the raw spirit of rock without a drop of the usual Dry January decorum.

Vermont Business Magazine NVDA Board of Directors Approve Three Town Plans: Congratulations to Danville, Guildhall and Granby for the successful completion and regional approval of their Town Plans. NVDA staff members worked with each community to develop plans that reflect their goals and priorities. On December 12, the Board of Directors also held a public hearing to confirm the municipal planning efforts of Burke, Ryegate and Sutton.

Vermont Business Magazine As McDonald’s and Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) celebrate the 50th anniversary of the nonprofit and their enduring partnership, New England McDonald’s Owner Operators are excited to announce their customers have helped raise $1.26M for the organization year-to-date by rounding up their purchases at restaurants across the region, with $144,200 of that coming directly from Vermont restaurants.  Local McDonald’s owner operator and one of New England’s top contributors, Peter Napoli, has helped raise more than $140,000 for RMHCVT this year across his restaurants.

Vermont State Police Following completion of autopsies at the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office in Burlington, the two deceased victims in this incident are identified as Nicole Grogan, 22, and her 12-day-old son, Oliver Stratton. A determination of the cause and manner of their deaths remains pending. The two surviving victims of the fire remain hospitalized in New York.

Vermont Business Magazine Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), current Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), released the following statement Thursday on H-1B guest worker visas and recent debate concerning the program: There has been a lot of discussion lately about the H-1B guest worker program. Elon Musk and a number of other billionaire tech company owners have argued that this federal program is vital to our economy because of the scarcity of highly skilled American engineers and other tech workers. I disagree. The main function of the H-1B visa program and other guest worker initiatives is not to hire "the best and the brightest," but rather to replace good-paying American jobs with low-wage indentured servants from abroad. The cheaper the labor they hire, the more money the billionaires make.

Vermont Business Magazine Dairy farmers across the Northeast can now apply for the Dairy Farm Improvement & Modernization Grant through the Northeast Dairy Business Innovation Center (NE-DBIC). With a total of $950,000 in funding, this grant will support a wide range of projects aimed at improving farm viability, economic sustainability, and climate resilience. Grants will range from $15,000 to $100,000 with a 25% in-kind and/or cash match contribution. This grant will support projects that modernize outdated systems or try new and innovative solutions, with the goal of enhancing farm viability, reducing climate impacts, improving milk quality or value, improving worker conditions, and strengthening the farm’s ability to respond to challenges. 

Vermont Business Magazine Today, the Vermont Department of Corrections released the following statement from Commissioner Nick Deml: “Recently, the Department of Corrections conducted a routine case review of Harley Breer, a currently incarcerated individual, to determine the appropriateness of his release on Community Supervision Furlough. This process initially resulted in a recommendation for release. As part of our standard procedure, the Department notified the Essex County State’s Attorney of this initial recommendation on November 19, 2024.