Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today announced the appointments of a chair and two members to the Green Mountain Care Board. Owen Foster, of Jericho, has been appointed chair, and Dr David Murman, of Waterbury, and Robin Lunge, of Berlin, will serve as members on the five-member board. Among its duties, the GMCB is the regulatory body for hospitals and health insurers. The GMCB is expected to release hospital budget approvals this month.

Vermont Business Magazine VEDA (Vermont Economic Development Authority) will open up applications for their Short Term Forgivable Loan Program on September 15, 2022. The VEDA Short Term Forgivable Program will provide financial assistance to businesses that continue to experience current and ongoing harm due to COVID-19 pandemic. Similar to the PPP loans of 2020, this program will offer 100% forgiveness of loans for funds used towards approved expenses which include but are not limited to payroll, utilities, loan interest, and rent.

Vermont Business Magazine Average gasoline prices in Vermont have fallen 10 cents to back under $4 per gallon, according to GasBuddy. The average price today is $3.90, which is 50 cents less than a month ago and 83 cents more than last year. The lowest price in the state is in Troy ($3.47/g) and the highest price is in Killington ($4.59). Gasoline prices in Vermont have also started to close the gap with the average national price, which has fallen 8 cents in the last week to $3.72/g. State and national prices had been running about the same until the beginning of summer.

Vermont Business Magazine US Senators Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) Thursday introduced the Nulhegan River and Paul Stream Wild and Scenic River Study Act to begin the process of possibly designating segments of these waterways as part of the National Wild and Scenic River system. Vermont Congressman Peter Welch (D-Vermont) introduced companion legislation in the US House of Representatives. Nulhegan River emanates from Nulhegan Pond in Brighton in Essex County and is a tributary of the Connecticut River.

Vermont Business Magazine Following a national search, The University of Vermont Health Network today named Sunil “Sunny” Eappen, MD, MBA, as the health system’s next President and Chief Executive Officer. Dr Eappen, who comes from Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, part of the Mass General Brigham network, will lead the organization forward in the next phase of its evolution into a more integrated and equitable health system. He will be responsible for oversight of all operations, including the flagship academic medical center, five community hospitals, children’s hospital, multi-specialty physicians group, and home health and hospice agency. His appointment will be effective November 28, 2022, and he will succeed John R Brumsted, MD, who is retiring after leading the health system for more than 10 years.

Vermont Business Magazine Michael Goldberg, the court-appointed receiver for Jay Peak Resort, announced September 8 that the original bidder, Pacific Group Resorts, Inc (PGRI), has made the highest and best final bid of $76 million to buy Jay Peak following an auction with multiple bidders on September 7. PGRI’s initial stalking horse bid was $58 million. The other bidders were not named. The prevailing bid remains subject to approval by the United States District Court in Southern Florida during a final hearing tentatively scheduled for September 16, 2022.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Natural Resources Council (VNRC) is thrilled to present the 2022 Arthur Gibb Award for Individual Leadership to Zoe Richards, Chair of the Burlington Conservation Board and Director of Burlington Wildways, in recognition of her dedication to preserving and expanding access to Burlington’s natural resources and wild spaces. VNRC and Jens Hilke of the Vermont Department of Fish & Wildlife will co-present the award to Zoe at VNRC’s Annual Meeting at Hula in Burlington, on Thursday, September 22nd.

Vermont Business Magazine Letenda, a company that is reinventing public transit with clean and sustainable energy technologies, is pleased to announce its first order of electric buses to date in the United States. The Vermont Agency of Transportation will award a contract for 4 Electrip buses, a 30-foot (9-meter) 100% electric bus. These vehicles will be delivered to Green Mountain Transit (GMT) and Marble Valley Regional Transit District (MVRTD) and will be in service in the cities of Burlington and Rutland. These 4 vehicles are added to the 22 electric buses already in circulation or in the process of being supplied by pursuing the objective of reducing pollution.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Parks Forever has completed its 8th season of funding a student internship at Mt Philo State Park, the oldest state park in Vermont. This internship program memorializes Will Hagedorn, who grew up hiking and sledding on Mt Philo. During college he worked at Mt Philo State Park as an intern, a job he loved. Will died unexpectedly in 2013, at the age of 24. In Will’s memory, his family created the William Cameron Hagedorn Mt Philo Forever Fund at Vermont Parks Forever. Supported by family, friends, and generous donors, the fund offers an opportunity every year for a young person to connect with nature, practice environmental stewardship, develop teamwork and collaboration skills, and experience working with the public.

Vermont Business Magazine Drivers need to be alert and cautious because moose are on the move, according to the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department. Moose are more likely to be crossing roadways at this time of year, especially after dark or early in the morning because this is breeding season for moose. “Motorists hit 49 moose on Vermont highways during 2021 and 23 so far this year,” said State Game Warden Major Justin Stedman. “We are asking drivers to be especially careful and for people to enjoy watching moose from a distance. Moose can be unpredictable and dangerous if you get too close and they feel cornered or get irritated.”

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Community Foundation and the organizing committee for the Con Hogan Award for Creative, Entrepreneurial Community Leadership are pleased to announce that Joe Wiah will be honored with this year’s award. Wiah is Director of the Ethiopian Community Development Council’s (ECDC) Multicultural Community Center in Brattleboro. The annual award, established by a group of Con Hogan’s colleagues in 2015, celebrates his life’s work by recognizing a community leader who shares his vision of a better Vermont and seizes the responsibility for making that vision real. The awardee shows deep community involvement, generosity, enthusiasm, a collaborative approach, and a focus on data and measurable outcomes in their work.

Vermont Business Magazine A new report from the non-profit Energy Action Network finds that Vermont is not on track to meet its legally mandated emissions reduction requirements under the Global Warming Solutions Act. For the electricity sector, Vermont has already adopted an emissions cap policy (the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative) and a performance standard (the Renewable Energy Standard), which together have helped to drive down emissions from Vermont’s electricity portfolio. However, Vermont’s largely fossil-free electricity portfolio produces only 2 percent of Vermont’s overall greenhouse gas emissions. Meanwhile, the transportation and thermal (heating) sectors together account for nearly three quarters of statewide greenhouse gas emissions.