Current News

by C.B. Hall, Vermont Business Magazine The saga of troubles that followed Marlboro College's 2019 announcement that it was closing may have reached its denouement, and a happy one at that. On September 24, Democracy Builders Fund (DBF), which purchased the 533-acre campus and its 52 buildings in 2020 for a pittance in cash, conveyed the property to Potash Hill, Inc, an entity under the control of the Marlboro School of Music (MSM), popularly known as the Marlboro Music Festival. MSM, which has staged its summer festivals on the campus since 1951, paid DBF $2.74 million for the real estate.

Vermont Business Magazine is proud to announce the winners of its Rising Stars recognition award. The list is comprised of 40 winners under the age of 40. Award recipients were selected by a panel of judges for their commitment to business growth, professional excellence, and involvement in their communities. For these young professionals, it’s not just about business. It’s about them making a difference in their communities. These honorees over the years have stepped up as leaders, not only at their place of employment but also in their communities

Vermont Business Magazine Nearly four years ago, a family nurse practitioner in northern Vermont approached Blue Cross Blue Shield of Vermont with a problem: how to track food insecurity through the healthcare system. Food insecurity is considered one of the social determinants of health and all too often, problem solving issues like food security, racism, and stable housing, are siloed away from health care. Blue Cross worked with the provider to pursue a request for the implementation of new medical codes pertaining to food insecurity to the CMS and the CDC.

Vermont Business Magazine The Agency of Natural Resources Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) announced today that The Old Mill Marketplace Owners Association of Bridgewater and Woodstock was fined $15,000 for operating a public water system out of compliance with the Vermont Water Supply Rules. The Old Mill Marketplace Owners Association owns the Bridgewater Mill drinking water system, which regularly serves at least 25 year-round residents with drinking water.

​Vermont Business Magazine The City of Burlington Board of Finance and City Council each advanced the Administration’s proposals to bring forward two landmark bonds for a Citywide vote this December. The first bond is a $20 million Net Zero Energy Revenue Bond for Burlington Electric Department (BED) to accelerate progress toward the City's climate goals while reducing upward rate pressure for BED customers. The second bond is a $40 million General Obligation (GO) bond to fund the City’s continued Capital Plan investments in streets, sidewalks, bridges, civic assets, information technology and public safety infrastructure, and deferred maintenance at Memorial Auditorium. On average, they will cost homeowners about $160 a year.

Vermont Business Magazine Southwestern Vermont Health Care’s (SVHC) Medical Matters Weekly with Dr. Trey Dobson—a weekly interactive, multiplatform medical-themed talk show—will feature Rebecca Graystone, MS, MBA, RN, NE-BC, the vice president of the Magnet Recognition and Pathway to Excellence Programs, on its September 29 program. The show will air at 1 p.m.

Vermont Business Magazine The University of Vermont’s supercomputer array will gain a massive new database cluster, dubbed DataMountain, that will allow researchers to find solutions that improve the health of societies and the environment. DataMountain will allow for near real-time access to enormous data files, supporting projects that require such speed to effectively analyze, describe, and explain rapidly growing datasets. The cluster will be available to the more than 500 Vermont researchers who have access to the university’s Vermont Advanced Computing Core (VACC) high performance computing environment.

Vermont Business Magazine Presenters and Green Mountain Care Board Members will be participating remotely through Microsoft Teams tentatively through November 1, 2021. Members of the public can attend all meetings at the physical location 144 State St, Montpelier, VT 05602, through the Microsoft Teams application, or via the call-in number.

Vermont Business Magazine Southwestern Vermont Medical Center (SVMC) Cardiology has again achieved the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission’s (IAC) accreditation for adult transthoracic and adult stress echocardiography. SVMC, which includes SVMC Cardiology, is one of only two facilities in the state that is accredited in adult stress echocardiography.

Accreditation by the IAC means that SVMC Cardiology has undergone a thorough review of its operational and technical process by a panel of experts. The accreditation is granted only to those facilities that are found to be providing quality patient care in compliance with national standards through a comprehensive application process, which includes a detailed case study review.

Vermont Business Magazine The flu season will soon be here, so Mt Ascutney Hospital and Health Center (MAHHC) in Windsor, Vermont and Ottauquechee Health Center in Woodstock will offer flu vaccinations clinics this fall, with multiple dates in Windsor and Woodstock, Vermont to help Upper Valley residents avoid the physical discomfort of flu season, and to help the Hospital preserve resources by minimizing flu hospitalizations as it fights both the flu virus and COVID-19.

Vermont Business Magazine Affinity Empowering, Inc has announced that the Lake Champlain Waldorf School (LCWS) has been enrolled in Operation Expanded Testing (OET) and has been conducting no-cost weekly COVID-19 testing for its students and faculty since early September. LCWS is the first school in the state of Vermont to enroll in OET. Through OET, LCWS is providing weekly testing for its 185 students and all faculty and staff as one of many COVID-19 safety measures, with the goal of maintaining in-person learning for the 2021-22 school year.

Vermont Business Magazine The Agency of Commerce and Community Development (ACCD) is now accepting applications for more than $10,580,000 for the Capital Investment Grant Program. This new program, proposed by the Scott Administration and passed by the Legislature through Act 74, is funded through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to support capital investment projects that will assist Vermont’s economic recovery effort. The funding is intended for transformational projects that create opportunity to retain existing businesses, attract more businesses, create jobs and strengthen communities by encouraging capital investments and economic growth.