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Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Technical College hosted its first of two commencement ceremonies this weekend. The event was a virtual celebration broadcast as a Premier event on the college's YouTube channel, where it is still available for viewing. Vermont Tech conferred certificates and degrees for 437 students from 36 programs. The Practical Nursing (PN) students, whose semester ends in June, will celebrate with a virtual commencement ceremony on June 19.

Vermont Business Magazine As a way to give back to the team that has gone a long way to help in the treatment of his Type I Diabetes, Northfield resident Brad Johnson and his wife Emily Levan, will be running more than 210 miles along VT RT 100 to raise money for Gifford Health Care’s diabetes clinic at the Kingwood Health Center in Randolph. Their hope is the contributions of others will help fund access to the same medical equipment that is enabling Brad to take on such a challenge as this.

Vermont Business Magazine The one-day Dunkin’ event in Vermont and northern New York that has raised more than $70,000 for The University of Vermont Children’s Hospital is set for Wednesday, May 26.

Dunkin’ Iced Coffee Day will donate $1 for every Iced Coffee and Cold Brew sold on May 26 to The University of Vermont Children’s Hospital (UVMCH), a full-service children’s hospital serving thousands of families from throughout Vermont and northern New York every year.

The Iced Coffee Day fundraiser began in 2015 and has been the largest source of support from local Dunkin’ franchisees to UVMCH.

by Devon Green, VAHHS Vice President of Government Relations …and, that’s a wrap! Despite its unprecedented nature, this session ended much like other sessions in the past—slowly, and then all at once. Legislators may come back in June to address the Governor’s veto of S.107, a bill concerning the confidentiality of certain juvenile records, and legislative leaders have reserved the right to bring back legislators in October. Otherwise, the next time we see the full legislative body, we will see actual bodies, real people instead of Zoom squares, as the legislature prepares to meet in person for the 2022 session.

Vermont Business Magazine Bar Harbor Bank & Trust recently presented donations totaling more than $10,000 to six Northern New England nonprofit organizations from its employee-driven charitable giving program, Casual for A Cause. The recipients of the contributions collected in Q1 2021 are: Bangor Area Homeless Shelter, Coastal Washington County Institute of Technology, Girls Inc, Mid-Maine Homeless Shelter, and in Vermont: NewStory Center, and Safeline Inc.

Vermont Business Magazine The VDH is reporting today only 21 new cases of COVID-19 in Vermont. Deaths are holding at 255. And more than 725 people took advantage of EMS sites over the weekend to get vaccinated. With a goal of 80 percent, over 76 percent of eligible Vermonters have now got their shot. Employers can consider offering an incentive to employees, giving time off so they can get their vaccines, or by asking us to bring the vaccine to your worksite

Vermont Business Magazine 20 Southern Vermont Emerging Leaders were recognized on May 12th during day one of the Southern Vermont Economy Summit. Southern Vermont Young Professionals and the Shires Young Professionals sponsor the annual recognition event which celebrates young people from the Bennington and Windham regions. Individuals were nominated based on their work as community leaders and volunteers, and for their professional accomplishments and commitment to serving the region.

Vermont Business Magazine New England should have the resources necessary to meet consumer demand for electricity under both average and above average temperatures this summer, according to ISO New England Inc, the operator of the region’s bulk power system and wholesale electricity markets. This summer, under typical weather conditions, electricity demand is forecasted to peak at 24,810 megawatts (MW). Above-average summer weather, such as an extended heat wave, could push demand up to 26,711 MW. More than 31,000 MW of capacity is expected to be available.

by C.B. Hall, Vermont Business Magazine Democracy Builders Fund, which purchased the campus of Marlboro College last July, has received almost $1 million in federal COVID relief funds on the basis of information publicly available that persons familiar with the matter have called into question. On May 1, 2020, under the COVID-related Paycheck Protection Program, the federal Small Business Administration approved a loan of $943,365 to Democracy Builders Fund, Inc, according to data published on the SBA website.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Women’s Fund has awarded $331,000 in grants to 29 nonprofit organizations that further the Fund’s mission to support the advancement, self-sufficiency, and economic and social equality of Vermont’s women and girls. A component fund of the Vermont Community Foundation, the Women’s Fund began fulfilling its philanthropic mission in 1994.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont State Treasurer Beth Pearce today announced that $153.3 million in State General Obligation bonds were successfully sold last week in three separate series, generating proceeds of $183.1 million, including a premium of $29.8 million. The bonds were issued to fund new capital projects and to refinance existing debt with lower interest rates. The refinancing portion of the transaction saved the taxpayer over $7.6 million in borrowing costs on a net present value basis.

Leonine Public Affairs The Vermont legislature completed the 2021 session on Friday, May 21, 2021, on time and on schedule. They passed a $7.35 billion budget and Governor Phil Scott offered the traditional closing message. Both bodies signed off on an adjournment resolution that would allow, but not require, the legislature to return in October if Congress passes an infrastructure stimulus bill. This would allow the legislature to return in order to allocate those funds before the start of the 2022 legislative session. A veto session has been scheduled for June 23-24, when the legislature could attempt to override the governor’s action on any bills he vetoes. With the governor agreeing to the budget, a veto session seems unlikely.