Current News

by Bruce Edwards, Vermont Business Magazine For Dan Groberg of Montpelier Alive, if there is one word that comes to mind that sums up this year it’s resiliency. “I would say businesses are hanging in there and they’re certainly demonstrating resiliency and I credit that to the community really stepping up and supporting local businesses right now,” said Groberg, executive director of the downtown organization. But Groberg also didn’t sugar coat the difficulties businesses are facing.

by Bruce Edwards, Vermont Business Magazine A sober indication of how the pandemic has affected residents of Washington County is the assistance rendered by Capstone Community Action.

Capstone, one of five community action agencies in the state, provides food, housing and fuel assistance to disadvantaged Vermonters. It also operates a small business development program.

Capstone Executive Director Sue Minter said her agency has seen a dramatic demand for its services, especially in the area of food and housing.

“We created a whole command center and did a very significant provision of food,” Minter said. “At Capstone we’re actually preparing the food at our community kitchen academy.”

by Bruce Edwards, Vermont Business Magazine Seven months after its initial response to COVID-19, Central Vermont Medical Center has made the necessary adjustments and daily life at the county’s largest employer and health care provider has returned to normal.

The hospital, part of the UVM Health Network, also appears to have weathered a cyberattack that hit the UVMHN at the end of October.

Since May, the hospital is back performing elective surgeries, a significant revenue stream, to pre-COVID levels, said CVMC President Anna Noonan. Patient volumes at the hospital’s clinics have returned to normal as well, she said.

by Bruce Edwards, Vermont Business Magazine Green Mountain United Way and a consortium of economic development officials, social service providers, educational institutions and private employers are on a mission to develop a stable workforce and in so doing lift people out of poverty.

by Joyce Marcel, Vermont Business Magazine There aren't many people in Vermont who have accomplished as much and been publicly recognized so little as Roger Allbee. His life has been defined by being the quiet insider, not seeking glory but working hard to preserve the agricultural heritage of his beloved Vermont. He's been a cranberry exporter, an agricultural banker, a congressional staffer in Washington, DC, Secretary of the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets, and CEO of the Grace Cottage Family Healthcare and Hospital in Townshend. And that's just for starters.

Vermont Business Magazine Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) has launched his eleventh annual State of the Union essay contest. Each January, the President of the United States delivers the “State of the Union” address to a joint session of Congress, which outlines priorities for the coming year. Because Senator Sanders knows that great ideas can come from everyone – not just those in power – and wants to encourage young people to become engaged in the political process, he created the State of the Union Essay Contest. The contest is an opportunity for Vermont high school students to describe a major issue facing our country and propose what they would do to solve it.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today issued the following statement: “As we pause to give thanks this year, a once-in-a-century pandemic weighs heavily on each of us. It has added stress to our lives and strained our patience. But from the very beginning, Vermonters have stepped up to face this battle with service and sacrifice, digging deep to maintain discipline as the crisis grinds on. Make no mistake: Your willingness to meet this challenge head on has helped make our response the best in the nation. You are why we are positioned to emerge faster, stronger and with fewer lives lost than any other state.

Vermont Business Magazine The Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) invites Vermonters to attend the upcoming Clean Water series focused on water quality. The series highlights efforts to improve water quality while also protecting public health, outdoor recreation, and critical wildlife habitat. Each talk will feature scientists and state officials from the DEC, the Agency of Agriculture Food and Markets, and the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department. Each talk is free and open to the public.

Vermont Business Magazine Jericho residents Gail and Tim McKenna recently made a contribution of $5,555 to Howard Center from their CATCH 22 Flag Football fundraiser. 2020 marks the sixth year the McKenna’s have made a donation in an amount that signifies important dates in their lives. The donation will support Howard Center’s critical work in the community that helps individuals and families with mental health, substance use, and developmental services.

Vermont Business Magazine The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission today approved the application to transfer the licenses for Indian Point Energy Center's nuclear power plants Unit 1, Unit 2 and Unit 3, from Entergy Corporation (NYSE: ETR) subsidiaries to a Holtec International subsidiary for prompt decommissioning. The transfer of Indian Point to Holtec, currently targeted for May 2021, would occur following the satisfaction of all closing conditions, including the permanent shutdown and reactor defueling of Unit 3, which is the last operating power plant at Indian Point. Unit 3 will shut down by April 30, 2021.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Arts Council, in partnership with the Vermont Department of Buildings and General Services and the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department, announce the installation of a sculpture by Vermont sculptor Sean Hunter Williams at Vermont’s oldest fish hatchery, the Roxbury Fish Culture Station.​

Vermont Business Magazine Today Vermont Secretary of State Jim Condos announced the 2020 post-Election audit will be temporarily postponed until such time that it can be held safely due to COVID-19 and the associated health risks posed by gathering staff and members of the public from multiple communities and households in one room for multiple hours to conduct the audit.