Current News

Vermont Business Magazine At Monday night’s meeting, the City Council failed to confirm Mayor Weinberger's appointment of Jon Murad as Burlington Police Chief by a 6-6 vote. Councilors had previously stated that the vote would likely fail. Some of those opposed wanted more time for the process of selecting a new chief. Weinberger issued the following statement: “Tonight, the Council missed an important opportunity to confirm a highly-qualified and committed permanent chief, strengthen our Police Department, and move forward on some of our community’s most pressing issues, and instead dealt another needless blow to public safety in our City."

Vermont Business Magazine The Shires Young Professionals is proud to announce Beth Wallace as the new chair of the organization’s board. Wallace currently serves as the Family and Community Partnership Manager of United Counseling Service in Bennington, as well as the Bennington County Head Start/Early Head Start. She was recently named Vermont Business Magazine’s 40 Under 40 Rising Star’s Class of 2021. Wallace has also served as president of the Bennington Rotary Club.

Beth Wallace, new advisory board chair of SYP, was named a VermontBiz Rising Star last November. (provided photo)

​Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Mutual Insurance Group, one of the oldest and most successful property and casualty insurers in the Northeast, has partnered with University of Vermont Athletics in a multi-year sponsorship of National Girls and Women in Sports Day. Recognizing the importance that athletics can have in both the personal and professional development of students and youth, the initiative is designed to recognize the accomplishments and contributions of female athletes, enhance the influence of women and girls in the sports world, and promote the continued growth of women in all aspects of sports. In addition, the UVM and Vermont Mutual initiative will provide promotional opportunities to further expose young females to sports at UVM and encourage fans to show-up to support the female student-athletes

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness & Sports presents the Vermont Business Wellness Leader award annually to a community member who goes beyond their occupational duties to foster wellbeing in the community. This person leads by example with motivational role modeling and generous service to the community. This person exhibits strong leadership in sustaining a culture of wellbeing. This person’s zeal for worksite wellness raises the bar for other employers.

by Devon Green, VAHHS VP of Government Relations I get it. No one wants to talk about COVID anymore. Let’s put this thing in the rearview mirror and move on with our lives, but a lot of the health care workers I’m talking to are more demoralized than ever as we continue to deal with capacity issues and various shortages from COVID therapeutics to blood. If you encounter someone in the health care field, please give them a kind word.

Vermont Business Magazine MVP Health Care and Galileo announced an expansion of their partnership to offer all MVP members access to digital primary and multispecialty care. For the first time, MVP's entire membership, including those with employer plans (self-insured and fully insured), individual insurance, student health plans, and Medicare Advantage, will be able to connect with a bilingual primary or specialty care provider at any time, day or night, using Galileo's mobile app.

​Vermont Business Magazine Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont and Evergreen Family Health are partnering to provide collaborative primary care programs. This arrangement allows for additional integrative primary care monitoring and care management that are anticipated to result in higher levels of success for Blue Cross members who are Evergreen patients. In recognition of Evergreen Family Health’s commitment to excellent care and reform collaboration, the practice is the inaugural recipient of the Blue Cross Provider Innovation Award.

Vermont Business Magazine Southwestern Vermont Health Care’s (SVHC) Medical Matters Weekly with Dr Trey Dobson is pleased to welcome Michaelia St Jacques, OTR/L, CWCE, CHT, at noon on Wednesday, February 2. St Jacques is an occupational therapist at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center (SVMC) Outpatient Rehabilitation. The show is produced with cooperation from Catamount Access Television (CAT-TV).

Vermont Business Magazine Bennington College’s Prison Education Initiative (PEI) has been awarded a grant of $60,000 from the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation. Now in its seventh year, PEI brings Bennington College faculty to Great Meadow Correctional Facility, a maximum-security men’s prison in Comstock, NY, to provide a quality liberal arts education to incarcerated students.

Vermont Business Magazine Randy Crossman, a 62-year-old woodworker and 7th-generation Vermonter, has crossed the halfway mark in his goal to summit Pico Mountain 365 times in 365 days, a project he calls “PicoSummit365.” He began the project in summer 2021 and just recently exceeded 200 hikes. Crossman is an avid outdoorsman who committed to this goal to raise awareness and funds for Building Bright Futures (BBF), where his daughter Dr. Morgan Crossman serves as executive director.

Vermont Business Magazine Nearly a dozen Vermont businesses are partnering with the Alzheimer’s Association Vermont Chapter to support the 2022 Camel’s Hump Challenge set for Saturday, February 5. The Challenge offers a rigorous wilderness ski touring experience where backcountry Nordic skiers traverse around the perimeter of Camel’s Hump, the third highest peak in Vermont’s Green Mountains, to raise funds and awareness for Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. Proceeds from the event support the educational programs and services offered free of charge by the Vermont Chapter.

Among the businesses supporting the 2022 CHC, Burlington-based Switchback Brewing Co. will be donating a portion of proceeds from its Tap Room sales during the month of February. The cause hits home for the employee-owned brewery, as one of their staff members has lost family members to Alzheimer’s disease.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Health today is reporting 317 cases of COVID-19 for Saturday. Cases the last week were down 27 percent and for the last two weeks were down 37 percent. At Governor Scott's media briefing tomorrow, the numbers are expected to be substantially lower over the last two weeks. However, the VDH today reported three additional deaths reported for 536.