Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont) Monday evening announced key Vermont highlights of the bipartisan agreement to fund the government for the remainder of fiscal year 2021, which includes the COVID relief package to provide relief to the thousands of Vermonters suffering during an unprecedented health and economic crisis. The overall bill – which includes the 12 annual Appropriations bills that fund the federal government – totals more than $2.3 trillion in funding for programs across the federal government and efforts to combat the pandemic and provide relief to the American people.

Vermont Business Magazine White River Junction VA Healthcare System began COVID-19 vaccination with the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine today, following the US Food and Drug Administration’s Emergency Use Authorization for this vaccine. White River Junction VA Healthcare System is one of 113 VA Medical Centers across the country to receive the first limited supply of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. Sites were identified based on need for the vaccine according to CDC’s 1A prioritization and capacity to store the vaccine at -20◦C.

Vermont Business Magazine Green Mountain Power (GMP) announced today that popular rebates that help customers save money and reduce carbon emissions by switching to electric vehicles, heat pumps and more will continue into 2021. The rebates were set to expire on December 31, 2020. The company also announced that for the first time, GMP will offer new rebates on yard and garden equipment and electric transportation like motorcycles.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Health today reported that four Vermonters have died of COVID-19 since last Friday for a total of 111 since the beginning of the pandemic. They reported 93 new COVID-19 cases today for a statewide total of 6,534. Cases have been averaging just under 100 per day. There are currently 25 Vermonters hospitalized for the novel coronavirus.

Senator Patrick Leahy After months of delay and painstaking negotiation, this afternoon we will have before us a spending package that includes all 12 appropriations bills for fiscal year 2021, and a vitally important COVID relief package. It provides funding for programs that are critically important to the American people, and I urge its swift passage. We are already 2 months and 20 days into the fiscal year. We cannot delay further.

Vermont Business Magazine Speaker Mitzi Johnson announced the appointment of Brian Gray, General Manager of the Energy Co-op of Vermont, to represent the fuel sector on the Vermont Climate Council. Gray brings a broad range of important experiences to the Council. He grew up in the Northeast Kingdom, worked for Vermont Gas for 30 years, and now manages a cooperative not for profit energy business that delivers heating oil, kerosene, and local Vermont wood pellets to rural and more developed regions of Northwest and central Vermont.

Vermont Business Magazine Attorney General TJ Donovan today announced a settlement of the Consumer Protection Act enforcement action brought to stop a price-gouging scheme involving surgical masks by Big Brother Security Programs, Inc and its owner Shelley Palmer. The settlement required the defendants to provide nearly 80,000 units of personal protective equipment (PPE) to Central Vermont Medical Center (CVMC) and 10,000 units of PPE to the State of Vermont for distribution throughout the state. The distribution of PPE will serve as restitution for charging exorbitant prices for critically needed surgical masks during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Vermont Business Magazine The United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that Jeremy Fairbanks, 44, formerly of St Albans, Vermont, was sentenced on December 18, 2020 upon his guilty plea to two counts of wire fraud: one stemming from his conduct in Vermont, and one relating to a subsequent fraud in Tennessee. Fairbanks was sentenced to 10 months of imprisonment to be followed by three years of supervised release, to run concurrently on both counts.

Vermont Business Magazine CVS Health (NYSE: CVS) has formally launched its COVID-19 vaccination program for long-term care facilities, whose residents have been disproportionally impacted by the pandemic. CVS Pharmacy teams will administer the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine in facilities across 12 states this week, including Vermont, and the company expects to vaccinate up to four million residents and staff at over 40,000 long-term care facilities through the program.

Vermont Business Magazine People’s United Community Foundation, the philanthropic arm of People’s United Bank, NA, announced the awards of $314,500 in grants to 54 nonprofit organizations throughout Vermont during 2020. This year’s grant donations were focused on COVID-19 relief and recovery efforts. Organizations working with communities that are disproportionately impacted by the pandemic were provided with flexible funding to use however it was needed.

Vermont Business Magazine The Paramount Theatre Board of Directors has promoted long-time Paramount staff member Eric Mallette to the position of Executive Director. Mallette had been serving as Interim Executive Director since July 1, 2020 following the announcement that long-serving Executive Director Bruce Bouchard would be retiring at the end of the calendar year. Bouchard has been serving in the role of fundraising and development since Mallette’s interim appointment. Prior to the promotion, Mallette had been the theatre’s Programming Director.

Bruce Edwards, Vermont Business Magazine At the Northeastern Vermont Development Association, David Snedeker has spent much of his time this year helping businesses get the financial help they need to survive a year like no other. Those efforts include hiring someone specifically tasked with helping companies through the COVID-19 pandemic, connecting them with Restart Vermont and its technical assistance program, said Snedeker, NVDA executive director.