Current News

​by John McClaughry This year and the ensuing biennium are likely to be landmark years for the future of parental choice in education in Vermont. In June 2020 the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Espinoza v. Montana that if a State offers education tax credits, it must offer them to students choosing sectarian schools as well as public schools. The Court said that excluding sectarian schools burdened the plaintiffs’ right to the free exercise of their religion. That ruling triggered at least three similar cases by Vermont plaintiffs seeking to use state tax dollars to benefit their children in independent and sectarian schools.

Vermont Business Magazine Southwestern Vermont Health Care’s (SVHC) Medical Matters Weekly with Dr Trey Dobson is pleased to welcome Adam Pruett, MD, MPH, at noon on Wednesday, March 9. He is a psychiatrist at Taconic Psychiatry in Manchester, VT, which offers treatment for ADHD, anxiety, bipolar disorder, depression, and trauma. It is among the first practices to offer ketamine-assisted therapy.

Vermont Business Magazine Recovery Vermont is proud to announce that we will be holding a Recovery Leadership Conference on April 4, 2022. The conference’s theme is: “It Takes a Village: New Approaches to Vermont’s Addiction Epidemic” This is an all-day event and will be held in-person for up to 128 guests at Jenna’s House in Johnson, Vermont. The event will simulcast via a Zoom Webinar for any and all who would like to join us for this very special day. You can learn more about the agenda and purchase tickets at https://recoveryvermont.org/leadership-conference/. The day will feature three renowned speakers as well as a special presentation by Recovery Vermont and Jenna’s Promise about the Recovery Village that is being created in the Lamoille Valley.

Vermont Business Magazine KeyBank on Monday announced several steps it is taking to support humanitarian efforts currently underway for the people of Ukraine. In a message to employees, Chris Gorman, KeyCorp Chairman and CEO, including: KeyBank Foundation will give a $100,000 grant to the American Red Cross to support its efforts to provide food, water, and other essential items and services to the people of Ukraine. The Red Cross has teams on the ground in Ukraine and neighboring countries helping families and working to repair vital infrastructure, support health facilities with medicines and equipment, and support families with food and hygiene items. KeyBank Foundation will also make a $50,000 grant to UNICEF for its work supporting children and families impacted by the war in Ukraine.

Vermont Business Magazine The University of Vermont Health Network shared details Monday regarding the national search process to select a new President and Chief Executive Officer to replace John R Brumsted, MD, who retires in September 2022. A range of people from across the UVM Health Network has provided input that contributed to the development of a comprehensive job description to help identify and attract the best possible candidates. A 12-member search committee will work with the national executive recruiting firm, Spencer Stuart, to begin interviews this spring and narrow down finalists in the following months, with the goal of naming a new President and CEO prior to Dr Brumsted’s retirement.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Health today is reporting 57 cases of COVID-19 for Sunday, down from Saturday's 95 and Friday's 131. The 7-day case average is 163. Hospitalizations and ICU stays have fallen dramatically the last few weeks. The CDC and Vermont are emphasizing serious health outcomes, such as hospitalizations and fatalities, and not overall cases, as the best measure of COVID's health impact at this time. There were no additional COVID-related deaths in Vermont since Thursday, for 607 statewide.

Vermont Business Magazine Commissioner of Financial Regulation Michael S Pieciak today ordered insolvent long-term care insurer Senior Health Insurance Company of Pennsylvania (SHIP) to immediately stop soliciting Vermont consumers to choose between unapproved benefit and rate changes. The Department is aware of more than twenty Vermont consumers with SHIP policies – some of whom may have purchased the policies from entities called Transport Life Insurance Company or American Travelers Life Insurance Company.

Vermont Business Magazine Framed by the Green Mountains blanketed in winter snow and the maple wood of Underhill, Vermont Governor Phil Scott kicked off the 2022 Vermont Maple Season by tapping the unofficial “first” maple tree at the University of Vermont Proctor Maple Research Center (PMRC). While Vermont’s maple industry is celebrated for its world-renowned quality, taste and nationwide leading annual production, the event also celebrated the important contributions of the Underhill facility to Vermont’s maple producers over the past 75 years. Research has allowed for greater yield per tap as the state faces reduced output from warmer weather. Still, in 2021, total maple syrup production was down 21 percent from 2020.

Vermont Business Magazine On March 3, Vermont State Game Wardens and collaborating agencies seized seven firearms and approximately 3,000 rounds of ammunition alleged to have been illegally possessed, as well as approximately 880 bags of suspected heroin and fentanyl and a large amount of US currency. The seizures took place during execution of a search warrant for evidence of deer taken illegally and for the illegal possession of firearms in Athens, Vermont.

Related Company: Comcast CableComcast announced Thursday it has increased the speeds of two of its Xfinity Internet tiers in the Northeast, at no additional cost to customers. The increase marks the 13th time in the past 12 years that Comcast has increased its speeds.
“There is a barrage of devices coming online every day and we are staying ahead of demand through faster speeds and best-in-class wireless gateways,” said Marcien Jenckes, Executive Vice President of Consumer Services for Comcast Cable. “We’re making it easier for families to get more value from the Internet, across more devices, and will continue to make our service a fast and reliable experience for customers.”
In the Northeast, the Xfinity Internet Blast tier now offers speeds of up to 105 Mbps (formerly 50 Mbps), and the Xfinity Extreme 105 tier offers speeds up to 150 Mbps (formerly 105 Mbps). This is the second time in two years that Comcast has doubled its Blast tier.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today announced his appointment of John Kascenska, PhD, of Burke, to the Vermont House of Representatives, representing House District Caledonia-4. Kascenska replaces former Representative Patrick Seymour (R-Sutton) who recently resigned. Kascenska is the founder and owner of Kingdom Adventures Mountain Guides, LLC in East Burke. His primary work incudes teaching urban first aid, wilderness first aid, and wilderness first responder training and certification courses through the SOLO Wilderness Medical School. During the winter months, he teaches courses in avalanche safety and rescue on Mt. Washington.

by Darren Springer, General Manager, Burlington Electric Department At key moments in Vermont’s history when we’ve been on the cusp of advancing critical renewable energy technologies and policies, there have always been tensions between the desire to make positive change, and the fears raised by critics who support the status quo. For example, when Burlington Electric was building the renewable McNeil Generating Station in the 1980’s to replace the Moran coal plant, there were posters warning that there would be no more trees once the new plant was operating. Instead, even as McNeil provides renewable energy from local wood that reduces New England’s reliance on fossil fuels, Vermont has maintained its forest cover through sustainable harvesting. The fears were not realized, and McNeil is now a critical resource for the region.