Current News

Vermont Business Magazine On October 24, Vermont’s State Advisory Council (SAC) formally endorsed the Policy Recommendations of the Vermont Early Childhood State Advisory Council Network for 2023. These recommendations represent the most pressing priorities and challenges identified by early childhood stakeholders and are part of the SAC’s state and federal charge to advise the Governor, Administration, and legislature. The recommendations seek to identify the current gaps and needs in policy, promote and monitor action in strategic areas for the coming year, and move Vermont toward a more equitable early childhood system.

Vermont Business Magazine Bennington College announced today its new “No-Loan Initiative” for Vermont residents. The No-Loan Initiative builds on Bennington’s established merit- and need-based aid programs and its interest in supporting college access and affordability for Vermont residents. Under “The No-Loan Initiative,” Bennington will meet up to 100% of demonstrated need, covering any remaining direct costs of tuition, fees, room and board for first year and transfer students whose families live in Vermont and are eligible to receive need-based financial aid.

Vermont Business Magazine Rootstock Publishing, a Vermont-based book publisher, announces the transfer of ownership from founding co-publishers Stephen McArthur and Rickey Gard Diamond, to Samantha Kolber of Montpelier. Kolber is the company’s former marketing director and poetry editor, and has previously worked for Bear Pond Books of Montpelier, Goddard College in Plainfield, and Tupelo Press in North Adams, Massachusetts. She has extensive experience in book publicity, editing, sales and marketing, customer relations, and publishing.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott, the Vermont Department of Labor (VDOL) and the McClure Foundation announced the release of Vermont’s Most Promising Jobs, a list assembled by VDOL and McClure that includes more than 50 occupations expected to pay above the state median wage of $22.55/hour and have at least 500 openings over the next decade. The Department of Labor and the McClure Foundation, an affiliate of the Vermont Community Foundation, have partnered since 2014 to produce the Vermont’s Most Promising Jobs list, providing the brochure as a career exploration resource for students and jobseekers across Vermont and for those interested in moving to the state.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Community Broadband Board (VCBB) approved three grants totaling $26.45 Million to bring broadband to more than 4,000 underserved Vermont addresses. The VCBB has awarded $90.25 million in construction grants to date.

Vermont Business Magazine Today, Mayor Miro Weinberger announced the City of Burlington is launching a grant program to support the work being done by non-profit organizations in the City of Burlington to support individuals, households, and industries that were disproportionally impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The grant program uses up to $1 million of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, and grants will range in size from $10,000 to $150,000. Applicants must be registered with the State of Vermont as a non-profit organization and must use the funds for work within the City of Burlington to address public health and economic impacts on households, populations, or groups that experienced or continue to experience pandemic impacts.

Vermont Business Magazine The national Citizens Business Conditions Index (CBCI) from Citizens Bank rose to 56.1 in the third quarter, regaining momentum after a drop in second quarter economic sentiment prompted by inflation concerns. The index increased 1.7% this quarter in Vermont, which is an increase of 1.2% from the previous quarter and down 6.8% from last year. This quarter’s score extends the index’s streak to eight straight quarters above 50, indicating continued growth conditions for businesses. Job strength was a key factor in the Index’s rebound, as the employment market withstood the dual headwinds of continued inflation and aggressive interest-rate increases from the Federal Reserve.

Vermont Business Magazine Lung health research is more important than ever. Never have we faced so many challenges to our lung health, including COVID-19, vaping and smoke from increased wildfires. Today, the American Lung Association in Vermont announced that Yvonne Janssen-Heininger, Ph.D. from the University of Vermont was awarded the Lung Cancer Discovery Award. Yvonne Janssen-Heininger, PhD, is an expert in the fields of pulmonary fibrosis and redox medicine. Growing up in the south of Holland, she witnessed abundant chronic lung diseases in her community, including her family. Coal mining was prevalent in the Netherlands through the 1970s, and air pollution and tobacco smoking remain the leading causes of diseases including pneumoconiosis, silicosis, pulmonary fibrosis and lung cancer.

Vermont Business Magazine A study of nearly 2,000 children found that those who reported playing video games for three hours per day or more performed better on cognitive skills tests involving impulse control and working memory compared to children who had never played video games. Published October 24 in JAMA Network Open, this study analyzed data from the ongoing Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study, which is supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and other entities of the National Institutes of Health. Although a number of studies have investigated the relationship between video gaming and cognitive behavior, the neurobiological mechanisms underlying the associations are not well understood. Only a handful of neuroimaging studies have addressed this topic, and the sample sizes for those studies have been small, with fewer than 80 participants.

Vermont Business Magazine Each November the home care and hospice community honors the millions of nurses, home care aides, therapists, and social workers who make a remarkable difference for the patients and families they serve. These heroic caregivers play a central role in our health care system and in homes across the nation. To recognize their efforts, we call upon all Americans to commemorate the power of caring, both at the home and in their local communities and join with the VNA & Hospice of the Southwest Region and the National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) by celebrating November as National Home Care & Hospice Month.

Vermont Business Magazine Gifford staff members are wearing pink on Friday, October 21 to remind women about the importance of getting their annual mammogram during Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The American Cancer Society estimates there will be 630 new female breast cancer cases and 80 deaths from breast cancer in Vermont this year. While it is the most common cancer diagnosis for women in the state, it can be treated very well if found early. Gifford General Surgeon Dr. Dawn Holman, who has a clinical interest in breast surgery, encourages women to get their mammograms, starting at the age of 40, and annually, continuing until much later in life.