Current News

Vermont Business Magazine A new resource center for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) students on the Northern Vermont University Johnson Campus will be named in honor of NVU-Johnson student Mamadou N’Diaye who passed away in July of 2020. The Coalition of Minority Students at Northern Vermont University’s Johnson campus, in collaboration with the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee and the Student Government Association, is hosting a celebration of Mamadou N’Diaye’s life in conjunction with the naming of this new dedicated space in Dewey Hall (Room 149) as the Mamadou N’Diaye Resource Center on Tuesday, March 15 from noon to 1 p.m.

USDA-NASS, Northeastern Regional Field Office The results of the 2021 Hemp Acreage and Production Survey were released on February 17 in a National Hemp Report. The survey collected data for hemp grown in the open and hemp under protection. In 2021, the value of hemp production in the open and under protection for the United States totaled $824 million. Milk production was down in New England, with Vermont the largest producer. Vermont is just behind Maine in total farmland with 1.2 million acres.

The Vermont State Police investigation into Monday morning’s shooting in Westminster is continuing. The man who was shot is identified as Daniel J. King, 40, of Westminster. His condition is reported to be stable at Dartmouth-Hitchcock. The other parties involved are Nathaniel Keefe, 37, of Westminster, the owner of the home where the incident occurred; and Jacquelyn Fougere, 29, of Springfield.

Vermont Business Magazine The 34th Annual Chez Henri Cup Timed Racing & Raffle Fundraiser - held Saturday, March 5th at Sugarbush Resort in Warren, Vermont - raised over $13,000 to support programs and services at CVHHH. Over 50 skiers participated in two timed racing runs, and over 40 individuals purchased raffle tickets for a chance to win items donated by local businesses. Race results and raffle winners are posted on CVHHH’s website.

Vermont Business Magazine Washington County Mental Health Services was recently recertified as a Center of Excellence (COE), a certification that lasts three years until the next review process. The recertification is a first in the history of recognition as a Center of Excellence. While not all 16 Designated and Specialized Services Agency seek this recognition, which is separate from the recognition as a state designated agency, (nine) agencies within the Vermont Care Partners (VCP) network have decided to participate in the intensive review process conducted by VCP and the prestigious Jeffords Institute for Quality, a part of the University of Vermont Medical Center.

​Vermont Business Magazine The University of Vermont Health Network Medical Group Board of Directors has added Helen Labun, long-time health care policy advocate, to its members, and elected Amit Lodha, AVP of manufacturing with Agilent Technologies, to serve a second term on the Board. Helen Labun, a resident of Montpelier, brings a wealth of health care policy experience and a passion for food security to the Board. She served as director of Vermont public policy for the Bi-State Primary Care Association, where she was instrumental in building a program that integrates food access and health care in rural Vermont, which she now manages.

​Vermont Business Magazine A new statewide group, Developmental Disabilities Housing Initiative, a parent group dedicated to providing options for permanent housing for developmentally disabled adults has been selected to participate in the upcoming AIAVT Affordable Housing Charrette to be held in Randolph on March 25. The DDHI will be able to collect input on design and demonstrate to agencies and state Dept of Aging and Independent Living, the feasibility of development of new options for people with Developmental Disabilities who need supported housing.

Vermont Business Magazine This March, the Department of Disabilities, Aging, and Independent Living (DAIL) joins the Administration for Community Living (ACL), Vermont’s five Area Agencies on Aging and nutrition service providers across the country in celebrating the 50th anniversary of the national Senior Nutrition Program. Since 1972, the Senior Nutrition Program has supported nutrition services for older adults. Funded by the Older Americans Act, local senior nutrition programs, often senior centers, serve as hubs for adults age 60 and older to access nutritious meals and other vital services that strengthen social connections and promote good health.

Vermont Business Magazine Listen Up is kicking off the next phase of the teen-focused social-emotional resilience project as it offers screenings and pop-up workshops in schools and community programs. For the past three years Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont has been involved in the project, an original musical inspired, created and performed by Vermont teens that addresses the many challenges they face, while celebrating their resilience and hope for change. The show digs deep into the heart of issues Vermont youth are navigating today, including mental health, resilience, racial justice, sexual identity, friendship, love, family, community, social justice and current issues including COVID, climate change and the future of Vermont for young people.

Vermont Business Magazine Vail Resorts, Inc (NYSE: MTN) today reported a net income boost of over $75 million for the second quarter of fiscal 2022 as the impacts of COVID-19 restrictions subsided. In addition, Vail is providing ski season-to-date metrics through March 6, 2022. The owner of Okemo, Mount Snow and Stowe Mountain resorts in Vermont also announced that it will increase the minimum hourly wage offered across all 37 North American resorts to $20 per hour and increase wage rates for hourly employees as they maintain all leadership and career stage differentials. Roles that have specific experiences or certification as prerequisites, such as entry-level patrol, commercial drivers, and maintenance technicians will start at $21 per hour. Tipped employees will be guaranteed a minimum of $20 per hour. Here in the Northeast, the wage hike represents a $5 per hour increase (33%) at Stowe, Okemo, Mount Snow and Hunter and a $7 per hour increase (54%) at Attitash, Crotched, Sunapee and Wildcat.

Vermont Business Magazine With low levels of severe disease and effective tools to prevent COVID-19, Vermont health officials announced that starting today, March 14, COVID-19 public health recommendations have been updated. The new prevention guidance focuses on recommending Vermonters consider their own circumstances and risk in deciding what precautions to take – including wearing a mask around others – to protect themselves, loved ones and those at higher risk from COVID-19. The guidance had previously recommended wearing a mask in all indoor public spaces.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Health today is reporting 23 cases of COVID-19 for Sunday, down from 79 on Saturday and 153 on Friday, as cases continue to fall. There have been no deaths since March 3 and hospitalizations have also come down. The new statewide COVID health guidance begins today (March 14), meaning for the general public and in school, mask wearing will be up to individual discretion. Businesses, etc, could still decide to require them, as hospitals still do.