Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont’s Legislature passed HCR337 designating October 6, 2020, as Vermont Mask Day. The initiative was led by Doug Altshuler, founder of Masks4Missions, a nonprofit organization that partners with Vermont nonprofits to design, make, distribute, and sell subsidized COVID-19 masks bearing images from its nonprofit partners .

Founded only two months ago, Masks4Missions is the proud organizer of Vermont Mask Day , a state-wide celebration of Vermonters coming together virtually and in mask-protected, socially-distant gatherings to celebrate our shared commitment to healthy communities. Vermont Mask Day will be celebrated as a week of events (October 5-9th), with varied creative activities across the state with nonprofit partners, including Burlington City Arts, Vermont Food Bank, and many others.

Vermont Business Magazine In recognition of its extraordinary community engagement initiatives, the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) today named the University of Vermont a regional winner of the 2020 W.K. Kellogg Foundation Community Engagement Scholarship Award. As a regional winner, UVM will compete for the national C. Peter Magrath Community Engagement Scholarship Award, which will be announced in November. Other finalists for the award are the University of Memphis, The Ohio State University and the University of Utah.

Vermont Business Magazine In his veto of House Bill 926 last night, Governor Scott missed an opportunity to advance important changes to Act 250, Vermont’s landmark development review law, that are needed to protect our forests, address climate change, and support rural communities. Development is fragmenting Vermont’s iconic forests, and for the first time in more than a century the amount of forestland in the state is declining. This is damaging wildlife habitat, reducing the clean water and climate benefits our forests provide, and limiting the ability of those forests to support outdoor recreational and forest products businesses.

Vermont Business Magazine Health Commissioner Mark Levine, MD, said on Tuesday that the latest outbreak of COVID-19 at Champlain Orchards in Shoreham is yet another reminder of the dynamic nature of the virus. As of last night, 27 workers have tested positive. He again emphasized that as of right now, the outbreak is contained to the site, and there is no known risk to the public. Nor is there a risk to anyone consuming their apples or other products. The department continues to work closely with the owner of the orchards and the Vermont Agency of Agriculture to implement isolation and quarantine.

Vermont Business Magazine The Department of Public Service today announced $4,055,920.50 in grant awards to Internet Service Providers to serve over 2,860 eligible locations with broadband connections in response to COVID-19. The goal of the COVID-19 Emergency Connectivity Initiative is to use Federal Coronavirus Relief Funds to build high-speed broadband service to unserved and underserved locations by December 30. About $12 million has been distributed in this program.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott’s press briefing today featured several data presentations, an update on the outbreak at Champlain Orchards in Shoreham and indicated that guidelines to increase indoor nursing home visitation should be available this week. At the briefing, Scott acknowledged “Vermont Mask Day” to encourage facial coverings to prevent transmission of COVID-19.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Disabilities, Aging, and Independent Living (DAIL) wants to learn about older Vermonters’ needs and aspirations. Two surveys: Vermonters 60+ and Family Caregiver will provide vital information to help DAIL develop Vermont's next State Plan on Aging, a guiding document that outlines how the State of Vermont and the network of Agencies on Aging and service providers will strive to meet the needs of older Vermonters over time.

Vermont Business Magazine Health Care and Rehabilitation Services (HCRS), southeastern Vermont’s non-profit community mental health agency, announced today that it has implemented an open access model for new clients, allowing the agency to offer same day access. This open access model will allow HCRS to improve the client experience by being able to offer same day assessment services at its clinical office locations in Hartford, Springfield [headquarters shown in photo], Bellows Falls, and Brattleboro.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott Monday evening vetoed H926, An act relating to changes to Act 250, and signed Executive Order 04-20 to provide regulatory certainty for recreation trails.

In his veto letter to the Legislature, Governor Scott said that at the start of the legislative session, there was broad support for a comprehensive, balanced modernization package, but the bill the Legislature delivered falls far short.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott announced Monday evening actions on the following bills, passed by the Legislature. These include the veto of the Act 250 and passage of several other, less controversial bills.

by Louis Josephson, PhD I often get asked, what does “recovery” from addiction actually mean? It may come as a surprise that attempts to define recovery from substance use issues are fairly recent. Just 15 years ago, stakeholders in attendance at the first National Recovery Summit took up the task of developing a definition of recovery along with associated principles. The definition they came up with is as follows:

“Recovery from alcohol and drug problems is a process of change through which an individual achieves abstinence and improved health, wellness and quality of life.”

In 2020, the website of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) describes recovery in similar, but slightly updated terms: “Recovery is a process of change through which people improve their health and wellness, live self-directed lives, and strive to reach their full potential.”

Vermont Business Magazine Mt Ascutney Hospital and Health Center (MAHHC) has confirmed that it is engaged in plans to establish a pharmacy within the Ottauquechee Health Center located at 32 Pleasant Street in Woodstock, Vermont. The plan would require renovations by the building owner, DEW Ottauquechee, LLC, to space under lease to MAHHC. The pharmacy would be operated by High Mountain Corporation d/b/a/ Rutland Pharmacy.