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Vermont Business Magazine The annual “Big Change Roundup for Kids” to support The University of Vermont Children’s Hospital raised a total of $200,650.22 this year. The annual three-month long coin collecting campaign is the largest annual fundraiser for the hospital, and is a joint project of the UVM Children’s Hospital and 98.9 WOKO-FM. Local businesses and volunteers from throughout the region raised funds to help pay for medical equipment; Child Life activities that educate, entertain and improve the health care experience for pediatric patients; and many more initiatives that support high-quality, child-friendly, family centered care.

by Devon Green, VAHHS Vice President of Government Relations April is usually a make or break month at the legislature—as in, you try to make it through the month without it breaking you. This year feels particularly make or break not only at the legislature, but also with Vermont’s race to vaccinate against the emergence of new variants.

Vermont Business Magazine This past year dealing with COVID has emphasized the importance of financial well-being. April’s Financial Literacy Month highlights that everyone benefits from financial education. NEFCU has announced a unique digital solution to enhance personal finance - an app called Zogo. NEFCU has partnered with Zogo to provide free financial education for all Vermonters 13 years of age and older. This mobile app is a fun and engaging way to increase financial literacy.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today issued the following statement: There is no better, safer, or faster way to defeat this virus and revitalize our economy than to make vaccinations available to every Vermonter. Unfortunately, the legacy of racism in America, and in Vermont, still drives a lot of anger and fear. Recently, my office, the Health Department and those hardworking individuals getting us vaccinated, have been subjected to vitriolic and inappropriate comments in social media and other forums regarding this decision.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of health today is reporting 116 more cases of COVID-19 as cases exceeded 20,000 over the weekend. There have also been one more death since Friday for 229 total statewide. The state has also surpassed 40 percent of its adult population (or nearly 220,000 Vermonters) getting at least one dose of vaccine. More than 15,000 Vermonters age 40 and older had made appointments today for the COVID-19 vaccine on the first day of their eligibility.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott and First Lady Diana McTeague Scott today received their COVID-19 vaccinations at a clinic run by the Vermont Department of Health at Montpelier High School. Both the Governor and the First Lady received the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Johnson & Johnson.

Vermont Business Magazine Scott Giles, president and CEO, Vermont Student Assistance Corp commented today on the US Department of Education’s expanded ‘pause’ on federal student loan interest and collections for defaulted FFEL loans. On March 30, 2021, the US Department of Education (Department) announced an expansion of the pause on federal student loan interest and collections to all defaulted loans in the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program. This action will help more than one million additional borrowers burdened by debt during the COVID-19 emergency.

The Vermont State Police is investigating an incident in which a pedestrian was struck and killed by a vehicle on Interstate 91 southbound in the town of Hartland at about 5:50 am Monday, April 5, 2021. Investigators determined that a tractor trailer driven by Gary Starr, 66, of Jay was southbound on the interstate when it became disabled, and Starr pulled over into the breakdown lane. He had activated his four-way flashers and set up several traffic triangles behind his vehicle. For unknown reasons, Starr was walking in the southbound travel lane of I-91 when a 2013 Dodge Dart driven by Tristan Blanchard, 35, of North Springfield came around a bend in the highway and struck Starr.

Vermont Business Magazine Women Business Owners Network (WBON) announces a new annual partnership with Vermont Federal Credit Union. WBON board member, Pat Heffernan, said becoming an annual partner shows an organization is committed to supporting participation by current and aspiring women business owners in a gender-equal economy.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine Regular weekly unemployment claims nearly doubled last week as claimants were required to refile. Labor Commissioner Michael Harrington said on Friday that the pandemic hit one year ago. The annual refiling then triggered the increase. On March 28, 2020, the Labor Department reported 1,511 new weekly filings, an increase of 729. This week's filings, which are a recent high, are, however, 13,122 fewer than the same time last year.

Vermont Business Magazine The nonpartisan Campaign for Vermont on Friday released a list of bills in the Vermont Legislature that are still active. If a bill does not make crossover it will likely have to wait until next year for final passage. That being said, making the crossover deadline does not guarantee a bill will pass or that it won't change significantly before it does. So, now that that's out of the way. What bills have already made crossover you ask? Here is a breakdown (items in bold are new since the Campaign for Vermont's last update).

Passed by both chambers:

by Jen Kimmich I am a proud Vermonter. Born and raised in this state, my husband and I made Vermont our home because there is no place that we love more. We cherish the land, the people, even the muddy roads and drastic weather. My young parents moved here from Jersey City, NJ, where their life had been difficult. They had heard about this place called Vermont – a place with beautiful and affordable land, and even more important to them at the time, a safe place to raise their children. With very little money, two little boys, and a Volkswagen full of their belongings, they arrived in Brattleboro, Vermont in 1971; I was born the following year.