Current News

Leonine Public Affairs The Vermont Legislature convened in person this week for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Sort of… The House of Representatives returned to the State House for a hybrid in-person/remote format after almost two years of Zoom legislating. In some ways it was like little had changed, with lawmakers and staff roaming around the building, meeting in committee rooms and talking in the cafeteria. But for the most part the pandemic’s impact on safety and social protocols was evident. The Senate remained remote.

​Vermont Business Magazine This Sunday, the physicians and nurses of Southwestern Vermont Medical Center (SVMC) OB/GYN and the nurses of SVMC Women’s and Children’s Services will celebrate Maternal Health Awareness Day, which is observed every year on January 23. The aim is to raise awareness of issues that have led to increased rates of maternal mortality and launch two major projects focused on addressing the issue of maternal mortality locally.

Intake quarantine testing returns positive cases at two additional facilities

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Corrections is announcing 10 incarcerated individuals tested positive for COVID-19 at the Northeast Correctional Complex (NECC) in St. Johnsbury during testing conducted January 20. Nine of the incarcerated individuals reside in the work camp building where the outbreak was first detected on January 8. The tenth case was detected in general population at the facility’s second building.

Vermont Business Magazine Hopzilla, a legendary double IPA from Lawson’s Finest Liquids, is making its debut for the first time outside the state of Vermont beginning this week. The brew, made with monstrous quantities of high-alpha US-grown hops, is available through the end of February at retailers across Lawson’s Finest’s full nine-state distribution area. Notorious for its fiercely delicious bite and brawny character, the craft beer is known to delight fans’ taste buds, with a punch of hop flavor and enough malt backbone to offset its mighty beginnings. First brewed in 2009, this monster of an India Pale Ale has patiently awaited an opportunity to make itself known across the Northeast.

Vermont Business Magazine Applications are being accepted to compete to become the next Miss Vermont and Miss Vermont’s Outstanding Teen. The competition will be held on Sunday, April 24^th, 2022 at the Chandler Center for the Arts in Randolph, VT. The program is an official preliminary in the Miss America Organization.

Miss Vermont and Miss Vermont’s Outstanding Teen 2022 will receive scholarship packages, represent the state at the Miss America and Miss America’s Outstanding Teen competitions and spend the year making appearances throughout Vermont.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Health today is reporting 1,766 cases of COVID-19 for Thursday (1,115 Wednesday; 1,344 Tuesday and 715 Monday). As of Thursday, COVID-related deaths increased seven to 514, which makes for 21 fatalities in the last week.

by C.B. Hall, Vermont Business Magazine The depot that has stood beside the railroad tracks in New Haven Junction since the mid-1800s has a new home – almost. At the cost of about $1 million, a contractor has moved the handsome Italianate structure to the parking lot of New Haven's municipal building. Over three days, the contractor, East Montpelier's Messier House Moving & Construction, hauled the brick structure across the mile and a half of fields intervening between the junction and New Haven village, culminating in its arrival at the municipal building, on North Street, Thursday afternoon.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today announced his appointment of Matthew E. Walker, of Swanton, to the Vermont House of Representatives, representing House District Franklin-4. Walker replaces former Representative Brian Savage (R-Swanton) who resigned last month. Walker and his wife PattiJo own and operate Vermont Clothing Company & JC Image, a screenprinting, embroidery and graphic design business of nine employees. Prior to that, he was director of international transportation for AN Deringer, Inc.

Vermont Business Magazine The Northeast Dairy Business Innovation Center (NE-DBIC) hosted by the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets (VAAFM) announces the availability of funds through the Dairy Packaging Innovation Grant program, which will provide grants to projects that decrease environmental impacts of dairy product and supply chain packaging and increase marketability of dairy products. Grant funds are available to projects along the spectrum of research, development, and implementation and for projects at a variety of scales.

Vermont Business Magazine Attorney General TJ Donovan announced today that Navient, one of the nation’s largest student loan servicers, will provide $1,680,523 in debt relief to Vermont borrowers and reform its loan-servicing practices. The consent judgment, filed last week, is part of a $1.85 billion, multistate settlement joined by a coalition of 39 attorneys general resolving allegations of Navient’s unfair and deceptive student loan servicing practices and abuses in originating predatory student loans. If approved by the court, 65 qualified Vermont borrowers will receive private loan debt cancellation from Navient.

Vermont Business Magazine Today, Mayor Miro Weinberger and the City of Burlington Department of Public Works announced that a Record of Decision (ROD) for Champlain Parkway Project has been issued by the Federal Highway Administration on January 20, 2022. The issuance of the ROD signals the completion of the National Environmental Policy Act process for environmental clearance. The Record of Decision allows work to move forward on the project to improve traffic circulation in the overburdened Southwest section of the city. Construction is estimated to cost $37 million and could begin this year.

Vermont Business Magazine This morning, the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum unveiled two limited-edition bobbleheads of United States Senator Bernie Sanders, commemorating a pair of Senator Sanders’ memorable moments. The new bobbleheads are being released to celebrate the first anniversary of the viral Bernie Sanders Inauguration Day Mittens moment. The National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum released a bobblehead commemorating the moment within hours of Bernie going viral at the inauguration on January 20, 2021.