Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Oregon is considered the ‘greenest state’ in America, new research has revealed. Vermont is in fifth and has scored a total Green Score of 30.08. Despite its prominent position in the ranking, the state scores particularly poorly in the ‘Water Quality’ factor, ranking 45th out of 50 for its water. The study by sleep experts Eachnight examined five factors in each of the 50 states, air quality, water quality, soil quality, motor gasoline consumption in barrel, and renewable energy consumption to establish which one has the best environmental credentials, giving each one a Green Score out of 60.  

Vermont Business Magazine Lund is the recipient of a $15,000 grant from NorthCountry Federal Credit Union to support Lund’s Early Childhood Education Program (LECP). NorthCountry’s grant program offers funding to non-profit organizations in northern Vermont that align with their community giving mission: providing individuals with the tools and opportunities to thrive and experience safe, enriched lives. LECP is a 5-STAR rated, trauma-informed childcare center that provides high-quality care and education for 40 children aged two weeks to five years.

Vermont Department of Fish & Wildlife It’s chilly outside and ice fishing is heating up! This Saturday, January 29, 2022 anyone can fish Vermont for free. It’s the perfect time to get out on the ice and give it a try, or introduce someone new to a past time you cherish with no license required.

Vermont Business Magazine On Wednesday, the Vermont Senate passed H.157, a consumer protection bill that creates a "light-touch" registration system for home contractors who contract with a homeowner for a project costing $3,500 or more. Vermont homeowners will now have a registry to check to make sure the home contractor they plan to do business with is registered with the state and in good standing (that is, they haven’t engaged in unprofessional conduct, such as defrauding other customers).

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Health today is reporting 523 cases of COVID-19 for Tuesday. Cases the last week were down 27 percent and for the last two weeks were down 37 percent. There were four additional deaths reported today for 527 statewide. The deaths are attributed to the Delta variant, even as nearly all the new COVID cases are the result of exposure to the Omicron variant.

Vermont Business Magazine As deliberations continue around a Medicare premium increase that would hike health care costs for millions of seniors across the country – largely triggered by an expensive new Alzheimer’s drug that has raised serious doubts in the scientific community – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) Tuesday sent a letter to David Dolan, MBA, Lead Analyst for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), urging CMS to finalize its decision to limit Medicare coverage for Aduhelm and for CMS to reject calls by the pharmaceutical industry to expand coverage of the drug.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont National Guard announced today that its members will increase staffing support to local hospitals struggling to meet demand in the face of the Omicron COVID-19 surge.

The Vermont Department of Health has asked the Vermont National Guard to shift support from vaccination clinics to provide wrap-around services for local hospitals because Vermont leads the nation in vaccination rate among all eligible groups age 5 and older.

Vermont Business Magazine United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Deputy Secretary Dr Jewel Bronaugh today announced that USDA is investing $1 billion to build and improve critical community facilities in 48 states, Puerto Rico and Guam. This infrastructure funding will increase access to health care, education and public safety while spurring community development and building sound infrastructure for people living in rural communities. Included in the funding is $1,575,270 for Vermont infrastructure projects and $2,676,410 for those in New Hampshire.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott and Department of Financial Regulation (DFR) Commissioner Michael Pieciak today announced that Vermont businesses will see another rate decrease in workers’ compensation insurance in 2022. This is the sixth straight year workers’ compensation rates have decreased, and when combined with decreases from 2017-2021, Vermont employers will pay an average of 41% less in premiums than they did in 2016. The rate reduction will be effective on April 1, 2022, which is estimated to save Vermont employers over $8 million in premiums during the upcoming year.

Vermont Business Magazine After more than four decades as a physician, innovator and national leader in health care, John R. Brumsted, MD, President and CEO of The University of Vermont Health Network, will retire in September from the position he has held since the Network was founded. Over the course of his career, Dr. Brumsted served as a physician specializing in Obstetrics and Gynecology in rural Northern New York and at the University of Vermont Medical Center, brought individual health care organizations together as a health system to preserve access to high quality care in the region, and served as a respected voice and driver of what has become a national model for health care payment reform efforts here in Vermont.

Spike is now nuwave Agency (nwA)

Vermont Business Magazine 2022 marks the dawn of a new age for Spike Advertising and Vermont’s marketing scene, as owner Ken Millman donates the company’s shares and assets to Emiliano Void and Jacques Void. The new entity is nuwave Agency (nwA), a division of nuwave Equity Corporation (nwEC)—providing framework, processes, and consulting to help companies and organizations develop and sustain solutions towards an equitable, inclusive and diverse workplace.

The Vermont State College System is hosting a Winter/Spring 21/22 Virtual Job and Internship Fair. It won’t be held on a set day or time, but the information that you provide will be used to let students and community members know about your opportunities. If you’ll be recruiting for internships, full- or part-time jobs, seasonal jobs, continuing education, community engagement and volunteer opportunities, or would be willing to do informational interviews with students, please register. It’s free! And there’s no obligation whatsoever. We would like to get employer information as soon as possible to pass on to our students.