Current News

Vermont Business Magazine With many in-person events canceled through 2021, the Vermont Specialty Food Association (VSFA) and the Vermont Retail and Grocers Association (VRGA) are working together to bring specialty food producers and wholesale buyers together virtually. The 2021 Virtual Tasting Series will invite some of Vermont’s best specialty food producers (think maple, chocolate, jams, coffee, pickles, snacks, and everything in between) to pitch to wholesale buyers of all shapes and sizes.

GMP Alerting Customers as Meteorologists Say Regionwide Christmas Eve Storm Has Potential for Outages

Vermont Business Magazine Green Mountain Power (GMP) is reminding customers to be alert to the forecast, as meteorologist predict a regionwide warm, wet weather system bringing the possibility of strong winds that could take down trees and power lines, along with one to two inches of rain and the potential for localized flooding Thursday into Friday. GMP has been tracking this storm for days and is urging customers to be safe.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Health reported a continued easing of new COVID-19 cases in Vermont, in the region and across most of the nation. There were 66 new cases reported today and one death for a total of 112. VDH also said that while there are more hospitalizations and ICU stays, there is plenty of capacity at the state's hospitals. With that relatively good news, Governor Phil Scott today announced a small, temporary modification to restrictions on multi-household gatherings during the holidays, a phased restart of youth sports and restoration of earlier guidance allowing outdoor activities. Between December 23 and January 2, households may gather with one other trusted household. State officials stress that, while gathering with one other household is allowed, anyone over the age of 65, those with pre-existing conditions and those who work with vulnerable populations should avoid gatherings.

The UVM Health Network has made good progress recovering from a cyberattack nearly two months ago, with some work remaining to complete. Today, we shared more information about the attack and our response, and confirmed that it was ransomware. Our IT staff did find a note, which did not request money, but included instructions to contact the criminals responsible for the attack. UVM Health Network leaders did not follow those instructions and instead contacted the FBI. Based upon a thorough assessment by IT security experts, we have concluded that no Personally Identifiable Information (PII), Protected Health Information (PHI), or employee information was accessed or taken.

Vermont Business Magazine Burlington-based newsweekly Seven Days is restarting its Fair Game column. Longtime Vermont journalist Dave Gram will author the weekly take on Vermont politics, sharing his observations about the maneuvering in Montpelier and life in the Green Mountain State. His inaugural column will appear on January 13, 2021. Gram was an award-winning reporter for the Associated Press for more than three decades. More recently, he hosted “The Dave Gram Show” on WDEV radio, examining a variety of topics on the air for 10 hours each week.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Public Safety is continuing to accept public and stakeholder feedback on Vermont’s initiative to modernize policing across Vermont. The latest document available for public review is a draft Statewide Policy on Police Use of Force. This fall, the Department of Public Safety shared multiple draft proposals for public consideration and feedback, including policies related to body-worn cameras, citizen oversight, hiring and promotion, and internal affairs.

Vermont Business Magazine In order to save lives from the opioid crisis affecting Windsor County, Mt Ascutney Hospital and Health Care Center (MAHHC) is offering rapid access to Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) for people who arrive in the Emergency Department after an overdose or simply seeking help for an opioid use disorder. To provide this care—a process known as MAT Induction—MAHHC is working with Connecticut Valley Addiction Recovery (CVAR), an addiction treatment center in Windsor. In addition, MAHHC and CVAR are collaborating with the Vermont Department of Health to distribute the nasal-spray naloxone (Narcan) for free to the public.

Vermont Business Magazine Representative Peter Welch (D-Vermont) voted on Monday to pass a $900 billion bipartisan bill to deliver immediate relief to Americans suffering because of the coronavirus pandemic. The bill includes significant relief for families, individuals, small businesses, schools, and healthcare providers. It also includes robust funding for vaccine distribution and COVID testing and tracing.

Senator Bernie Sanders While we did not get as much as we wanted, because of opposition from the Republican leadership and too many Democrats, the bill does include a $600 direct payment for every working-class American earning less than $75,000 a year, and a $1,200 direct payment for couples making less than $150,000 a year, plus $600 for each child. That means that the average family of four will receive a direct payment of $2400.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Network has launched a new community engagement campaign, Uplift VT, to raise awareness around domestic and sexual violence (DSV) in Vermont, its costs to our communities, and the ways in which Vermont can do more to prevent it from occurring. Although it is often unseen, domestic and sexual violence happens in every corner of Vermont. Research indicates that one in three women and one in four men will experience sexual violence in their lifetime and that one in four women and one in nine men will experience domestic violence in their lifetime.

Vermont Business Magazine Southwestern Vermont Medical Center (SVMC), part of Southwestern Vermont Health Care (SVHC), will conduct a digital information session regarding the COVID-19 vaccine in cooperation with CAT-TV and the Southwestern Vermont Chamber of Commerce at 1 pm on Tuesday, December 22.