Current News

by Matt Dunne, Founder and Executive Director, CORI A bit of news last month left me beaming with excitement and pride. So, you’re wondering, what’s this story? It’s the first round of funding announcements from the U.S. Treasury’s State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI), which will distribute $10 billion to states to expand access to capital for small businesses around the country. Reauthorized as part of the American Rescue Plan Act pandemic relief package, SSBCI aims to generate a further $10 in private investment for every $1 in initial funding.

Vermont Business Magazine Bennington College is now accepting submissions from high school students around the world for its 2022-2023 Young Writers Awards. This annual competition, which accepts entries in poetry, fiction, and nonfiction, is free to enter and open to all high school students in 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th grades. A first-, second-, and third-place winner is selected in each of the categories, with cash prizes up to $1,000 awarded. Young Writers Award finalists and winners are also eligible for undergraduate scholarships at Bennington. YWA finalists who enroll at Bennington will receive a $10,000 scholarship every year for four years, for a total of $40,000. YWA winners who enroll at Bennington will receive a $15,000 scholarship every year for four years, for a total of $60,000.

Vermont State Police Continued investigation into the fatal motor vehicle crash which transpired on August 27, 2022, at approximately 2217 hours, has revealed the operator of the motor vehicle crash, Benjamin Chambers (22) of Lowell, VT was traveling at a speed well in excess of the posted 50 MPH speed zone. A passenger of the motor vehicle, later identified as Shane Copp (24) of Newport, VT was ejected and subsequently declared deceased by responding rescue personnel.

Vermont Business Magazine Following its investigation, the Vermont Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud and Residential Abuse Unit (MFRAU) today announced a settlement with Our House Residential Care Homes. It is alleged that Our House, operator of four residential care homes in Rutland, Vermont, failed to properly train staff and adequately document and monitor the delivery of resident care services, resulting in abuse and neglect of residents. The settlement requires Our House to implement new training and compliance practices, including designating an internal compliance monitor that will evaluate Our House’s performance. Additionally, if Our House fails to meet certain standards at any point in the next three years, it will be required to pay $40,000 in damages and penalties.

Vermont Business Magazine At meetings in May and June, the Vermont Housing & Conservation Board awarded funding to create and rehabilitate 283 new homes in 12 communities statewide. One fifth of these homes will serve households that have experienced homelessness. A total of $38,130,642 in state and federal funding commitments will result in new construction 249 rental homes, rehabilitation of 34 existing apartments and shelter beds, and accessibility modifications to homes statewide. VHCB awarded $2,315,331 in state funding, which will leverage $35,815,311 in federal funds from the American Rescue Plan Act, the HOME Program, and the National Housing Trust Fund.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Speaker of the House Jill Krowinski and Senate President Pro Tem Becca Balint issued a joint statement today in regard to changes announced by the Vermont State Housing Authority for Vermont’s Emergency Rental Assistance Program (VERAP). The pandemic-era program supported by federal funding has paid out nearly $132.2 million and served 14,749 participants as of August 31. The rental program will stop taking new applications October 1 and funding will decrease until November 30 when they will cease. Utility-related assistance will continue until December 31, 2022, and then cease.

Vermont Business Magazine BHAKTA Spirits, a portfolio of luxury brands founded by entrepreneur and spirits mogul Raj Peter Bhakta, announced today that Sean O’Rourke has been appointed as the company’s Chief Executive Officer. O’Rourke will assume day-to-day leadership of the company and its operations across Vermont, France, and Florida. Additionally, he will oversee development of BHAKTA’s experiential spirits hospitality destination, Griswold, as its inaugural location on the former campus of Green Mountain College in Vermont advances into its launch phase.

by Dr Stephen Leffler, President and Chief Operating Officer, UVM Medical Center Vermont’s largest insurer, Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBSVT), recently submitted a letter to the Green Mountain Care Board questioning the value of The University of Vermont Medical Center (UVMMC), Vermont’s only academic medical center. BCBSVT said that the care we provide has too many “bells and whistles.” I am not aware of many “bells and whistles” we provide at UVMMC. We try to provide good food to patients and their families, and adequate parking and a clean facility. But mostly we are focused on excellent patient care that patients need, often to save their lives. I understand that our insurers can be far removed from the health care setting, and so the inherent value of high quality, close-to-home care might be lost on them.

Vermont Business Magazine Switzerland's Le Gruyère AOP names US-based firm Junapr as US PR agency of record. Junapr and its founder are well known for their work within the US specialty food and beverage industry. The consortium represents the producers, transformers and refiners of Le Gruyère AOP. The purpose of the Consortium (Interprofession du Gruyère) is to defend the interests of Le Gruyère AOP, manage Le Gruyère AOP Protected Designation of Origin label, promote and manage Le Gruyère AOP offering, define both the operating rules for Le Gruyère AOP market and their application, and all other actions related to Le Gruyère AOP interests

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Agricultural Hall of Fame is excited to announce the 2022 inductees! Over the past 20 years, over 90 contributors of Vermont agricultural have been celebrated with the Vermont Agricultural Hall of Fame honor. This year the nominations were thoughtfully crafted making for competive choices. A celebratory luncheon is scheduled during the Champlain Valley Fair on Wednesday, August 31, 2022 at 12pm.

Vermont Business Magazine Saint Michael’s College is hosting award-winning author Danielle Evans, who will speak about the histories and fictions of race in America during an event on August 31, 2022. Evans is the author of “The Office of Historical Corrections,” a collection of six short stories and a novella. The collection deals with topics such as race, culture, grief, apology and American history. It was named one of the best books of 2020 by Kirkus Reviews, The Washington Post, The New Yorker, Barnes & Noble, Library Journal, Buzzfeed, The Undefeated, Slate, Glamour, and O Magazine.

Vermont Business Magazine Rutland residents will soon be able to enjoy a new mural on Rutland City Hall thanks to a recently launched crowdfunding campaign. The campaign is sponsored by the Vermont Department of Housing and Community Development’s Better Places program and is led by the Chaffee Art Center. If the campaign reaches its $6,000 goal by September 30, 2022, the “New Beginnings Mural Project Rutland City Hall” will receive a matching grant of $12,000 from DHCD’s Better Places program.