Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital (NVRH) has announced that the DiaSorin Simplexa Analyzer, which analyzes lab specimens for COVID-19, is now up and running. This analyzer helps patients who are receiving care within the hospital and those who have scheduled appointments by decreasing their wait times to as little as three hours.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont National Guard will expand the state's vaccination capacity by providing vaccines starting today through March 7. Task Force Coyote, a unit that has served Vermont from the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic nearly one year ago will administer the vaccines at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in Burlington. Locations in Barre, White River Junction and Springfield will be added over the next two weeks.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Department of Corrections (Vermont DOC) reported Tuesday night that 100 new cases of Covid-19 among incarcerated individuals and eight new staff cases in the outbreak at Northern State Correctional Facility (NSCF) in Newport. The cases were detected in testing conducted March 1. The outbreak began after one staff member and 21 incarcerated individuals tested positive for the virus. The 22 total cases were detected in testing conducted February 23, 2021. There are currently 127 positive incarcerated cases and ten positive staff cases at the facility.

Vermont Business Magazine Is your home or business ready for a heating update in 2021? Ready to opt out of oil and do your part to help the state meet its goal of 90 percent renewable energy by 2050? Many rebates and incentives are available to Vermonters interested in switching to wood heat this year. Heating homes or businesses with locally sourced wood fuel displaces fossil fuels, keeps dollars in Vermont, and keeps woodlands intact through sustainable local forest markets and management.

Vermont Business Magazine The Small Business Administration has some key changes to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) which will be available for a limited amount of time to ensure America’s smallest businesses get exclusive access. If you are a small business owner with 20 employees or less, or are self-employed; there is new information for you. Please join us for a series of webinars hosted by the U.S. Small Business Administration, Public Private Strategies Institute, & other stakeholders to hear about:

• What steps you can take now to take advantage of this special opportunity, which closes at 5:00 P.M. EST, Tuesday, March 9th, 2021.

• Additional changes and recent policy announcements made by Biden-Harris Administration

• Have your questions answered by SBA Leadership

Schedule

Vermont Manufacturing Extension Center In this free, hour-long forum, we will look at how three Vermont-based manufacturing leaders have actively and continuously stayed connected to their employees. This includes making significant adjustments to everyday life in their work environments, supporting local eating establishments, giving credit for well-being initiatives, donating to local charities and ongoing employee communications, just a few examples of the positive changes embraced in our “new world.”

Vermont Business Magazine The 21st Century Business Forum shares critical strategic insights for planning your company's future in March, featuring Blue Ocean Shift and Blue Ocean Strategy co-author Renée Mauborgne. This webcast, hosted by best-selling author Jon Gordon, will broadcast at noon Wednesday, March 10. Registration is free.

Vermont Business Magazine New England Federal Credit Union (NEFCU) is accepting applications for its 2021 Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Scholarships. Three scholarships of $3,000 each will be awarded. To be eligible for NEFCU STEM Scholarships, applicants must be New England Federal Credit Union members.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott announced today that Phase 5 of the state's COVID-19 vaccination effort will begin March 8 with those with serious medical conditions allowed to make an appointment. Because of the size of the group, it will be split into a Phase 5A of 5B. The 5A group will be comprised of those 55 and older (starting March 8) and a Phase 5B (starting March 15) for those 16 years or older. He also announced that school staff and teachers, as well as an expanded group of first responders will be able to sign up starting the week of March 8.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today signed H138, An act relating to fiscal year 2021 budget adjustments. This annual budget adjustment includes technical mid-year adjustments to the current fiscal year (FY21) budget, but also includes important funding for ongoing Coronavirus response and relief needs as well as other priorities, including education and modernization of policing. It also includes support for the Everyone Eats Program; $3.5 million from ESSER II federal funds to provide a Burlington High School facility renovation grant; and $2.8 million from the Coronavirus Relief Fund to pay the 1,500 applications from landlords waiting for back rent from November and early December.

Vermont Business Magazine The union representing school employees today applauds the decision to vaccinate educators beginning next week, saying the move validates pleas from front-line educators and administrators. Governor Scott today announced that along with those with severe chronic health conditions, in-school staff and teachers and those in emergency services will be able to receive the new Johnson & Johnson one-shot vaccine at school or some local clinics or can sign up for the two-shot vaccines available through Walgreens (federal pharmacy program). They will be able to sign-up starting March 15. Vermonters with high-risk medical conditions who are over 55 can begin signing up starting March 8 and those over 16 with medical conditions can begin March 15.