Current News

Vermont Business Magazine A candidate forum for the Vermont Lieutenant Governor's forum is being held on Wednesday, Oct.19 at 6:30 p.m. at the Paramount Theater in downtown Rutland, VT. Confirmed candidates for this forum are David Zuckerman (D) and Joe Benning (R). This forum is sponsored by the Castleton University Political Science program in coordination with the Chamber and Economic Development of the Rutland Region (CEDRR).

Vermont Business Magazine Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) on Wednesday will hold town meetings with students at Rutland High School and Mount Anthony Union High School. At the town meetings, Sanders will hold a question and answer session to hear directly from students about the issues that matter most to them and to discuss how the federal government can address the needs of young people.

Vermont Business Magazine Thanks to the communities’ support, Brattleboro’s The Richards Group has officially awarded a $10,000 donation to Rotary Club of Deerfield Valley, a local organization dedicated to providing service to others, promoting integrity and peace through a fellowship of business, professional, and community leaders. The $10,000 award will help fund the Rotary Club of Deerfield Valley’s annual commitments such as supporting school youth programs, trade school scholarships, adaptive sports programs and the local Humane Society.

Vermont business Magazine After serving for more than 40 years as the Executive Director of the Vermont Vehicle and Automotive Distributors Association (VADA), Marilyn Miller has announced that she will retire at the end of the year. ”Marilyn Miller's dedication to Vermont’s vehicle distributors is unparalleled.” said Jack Castellaneta, VADA President. “In an industry that keeps Vermont moving, she has been a steady presence supporting VADA member companies and their employees. While Marilyn will be greatly missed, her retirement is well deserved.”

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets (VAAFM) announces grants totaling $292,268 for eight projects to benefit Vermont fruit, vegetable, and value-added producers and increase consumer access to locally produced food. These grants, funded through the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP), were awarded to five organizations to undertake a range of research, development, outreach, and marketing projects. The grants will leverage an additional $148,907 in matching funds.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today announced three key executive branch appointments: Dr. Harry Chen as interim commissioner of the Department for Children and Families (DCF) in the Agency of Human Services (AHS); Sean Brown as chief operating officer of the Agency of Administration (AOA); and Daniel Batsie as the deputy commissioner of the Department of Public Safety (DPS).

Vermont Business Magazine To celebrate National Manufacturing Day (October 7th) and the one-year anniversary of Mamava’s acquisition of its manufacturing operations based in Springfield, Vermont, Mamava Manufacturing hosted an open house. Attendees were invited to interact with Mamava’s line of lactation space solutions and to tour the facility’s operations to see how Mamava pods are made. Among those in attendance were Dan Smith, CEO of Vermont Community Foundation; Will Stevens, Business Outreach for Senator Sanders; and Mickey Wiles, CEO of Working Fields, who each spoke about the importance of manufacturing in Vermont.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott and leadership from Efficiency Vermont and VGS today held a press conference in Montpelier to promote the Button Up Vermont campaign, an effort to help Vermonters prepare their homes to maximize energy efficiency. The governor also announced a new online resource, which shares a comprehensive inventory of programs and tools to help Vermonters navigate winter heating needs, including financial assistance for low- and moderate-income households, weatherization and home improvement incentives and more. Vermonters can access this online inventory at www.vermont.gov/buttonupvt.

Vermont Business Magazine Hannaford Supermarkets and the Hannaford Charitable Foundation today announced a $100,000 donation to Age Well in support of its healthy meal delivery program, which prioritizes wholesome, fresh and nutritious foods as part of a comprehensive health care plan for older adults with chronic health conditions. The donation is one component of a more than $1.5 million commitment from Hannaford to support healthy meal programs in New England and New York through its new “Eat Well, Be Well – A Path to Better Health” initiative. The program highlights the importance of nutritious food in achieving long-term wellness for food insecure individuals with a history of chronic illness.

Vermont Business Magazine When many think of home health, it brings to mind hospice care or acute post-hospital care. But our members also concentrate on preventive services. Shortly, they will begin delivering this year’s flu shots to their clients. And some agencies even offer them to the public. Ashley Lafirira, the Long-Term Care Nurse Coordinator for Central Vermont Home Health and Hospice (CVHHH), is also manager of CVHHH’s public health clinics.

Vermont Business Magazine The American Red Cross now invites those who spent time in the UK, Ireland or France and have never tried to give blood due to concerns over variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD) – related to mad cow disease – to give blood and help save lives. Recently, the US FDA updated its blood donor eligibility guidance on vCJD, eliminating the deferral for those who spent time in the UK, Ireland and France between 1980 and 2001. In alignment with FDA changes, the Red Cross began accepting donations October 3 from individuals who have not tried giving blood before due to the prior donation criteria. This new change effectively eliminates the deferral related to vCJD for all donors. More blood donors – especially type O donors – are urged to donate now. As a thank-you, all who come to give October 16-31, 2022, will receive a $10 e-Gift Card by email to a merchant of choice.

Vermont Business Magazine The next guest on Medical Matters Weekly is Kara Richardson Whitely, an author, advisor, and influencer who inspires people of all sizes and abilities to get outside and live in the now. The show airs on Facebook at 12 p.m. on Wednesday, October 12. Richardson Whitely wrote the memoir Gorge: My Journey Up Kilimanjaro at 300 Pounds, which is being made into a movie produced by and starring ‘This Is Us’ actress, Chrissy Metz. She also wrote, Fat Woman on the Mountain and The Weight of Being. She has partnered with brands like L.L. Bean, Columbia, Keen and Discover Puerto Rico to showcase diversity and inclusion and build positive brand sentiment in the plus-sized community. She contributes to Backpacker magazine, presents to such companies as Pfizer, Google and Uber; and serves on Come Alive Outside’s Board of Directors.