Current News

by Amy Spear, Vermont Chamber of Commerce Vice President of Tourism Vermont’s mountains and countrysides will soon be ablaze with vibrant reds, oranges, and yellows. Our hospitality businesses and attractions have implemented thorough safety measures so Vermonters and visitors can enjoy the state in both new and familiar ways. While Vermont is known as a visitor paradise, many Vermonters also look forward to this time of year when our state shows off its colorful splendor.

Vermont Business Magazine In July of 2020, Terje Anderson announced that he would be stepping down from his position as Party Chair due to health issues. Anderson served as chair from 2017 to 2020. The Vermont Democratic Party is honored to announce the election of the new Party Chair, Bruce Olsson, who was elected unanimously by the Vermont Democratic State Committee on September 10th. Olsson is a resident of Elmore, Vermont and is currently the Chair of the Lamoille County Democratic Committee.

A member of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers for over forty years, Olsson worked on critical legislative issues in Washington, DC, and on political campaigns across America for his union. Most recently, Olsson served as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention for Senator Bernie Sanders.

Vermont Business Magazine As US employers and healthcare providers continue to struggle with the disruption and fallout from COVID-19, a majority of patients with chronic conditions have faced significantly reduced access to care. Marathon Health, a leader in creating best-in-class onsite, near site and virtual healthcare options for US employers, has developed a way to reverse this trend with its proactive primary care model.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets and Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing, along with several partners, are bringing together the maple industry, specialty products, and maple-inspired activities all across the state in a campaign that will run throughout the month of October.

Vermont Business Magazine Some 180,000 rapid response antigen tests are coming to Vermont. They are intended to screen for people with symptoms. The Health Department today issued updating guidance to the state’s health care providers and facilities regarding the use of COVID-19 antigen testing in Vermont. Meanwhile, The VDH reported today that there were three new cases of COVID-19 in Vermont.

Public Assets Institute is partnering with the Center for Research on Vermont at UVM to conduct a survey about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the lives of Vermonters. The purpose of this survey is to hear from everyday Vermonters about the challenges and opportunities of living and working in Vermont in 2020. Please help us understand your experiences in Vermont during the last year, and the impacts of COVID-19 on your daily life.

Vermont Business Magazine Rutland Regional Medical Center today announced its Housing for Health fundraising campaign in partnership with the Rutland Housing Authority, and its non-profit affiliate, Housing Initiatives Inc., to raise $150,000 to establish safe, secure and supportive transitional housing in our local region by year-end. Specifically, funds raised will support multifamily bridge housing units at 101 Woodstock Avenue in Rutland.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont’s Clean Water Board is asking the public to weigh in on how they would like to see approximately $30 million, available in 2022, put to use to clean up water pollution across the state. Public input will help the Board prioritize funding for projects that improve water quality in Vermont’s lakes, streams, and wetlands. Vermont’s water quality funding helps municipalities, farmers, and others implement projects that reduce pollution washing into Vermont’s waterways.

Vermont Business Magazine The White River Junction VA Medical Center Homeless Veteran team is celebrating the end of Veteran homelessness in Chittenden County, Vermont. Chittenden County becomes the 79th community in the United States to declare an end to Veteran Homelessness. As part of a relentless effort to end homelessness among Vermont Veterans, the White River Junction VA Homeless team partnered with the Vermont Veterans Committee on Homelessness, Chittenden County Continuum of Care (CoC), and asked Vermont mayors to join the “Mayors Challenge to End Veteran Homelessness.”

Vermont Business Magazine The microchip manufacture AMD has made a $1 million gift to the University of Vermont to boost its high performance computing capacity and enhance the university’s COVID-19 research efforts. UVM is among the first 21 schools the company has supported through its AMD HPC Fund for COVID-19 Research program, designed to accelerate COVID research at universities around the country.

Vermont Business Magazine The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has awarded $1.72 million in grant funding to farmers and producers in Vermont, and $500,000 to those in New Hampshire, under the Value Added Producers Grant program (VAPG). Funds will be used to help agricultural producers in rural communities develop and market their products, and widen their areas of distribution.

Vermont Business Magazine The Killington World Cup Foundation (KWCF) recently awarded 21 grants totaling $228,000 to Northeast area nonprofits in eight states through a competitive grant opportunity. Combined with matching funds and multi-year grant commitments, the KWCF’s effort will contribute more than $400,000 in resources to winter sports infrastructure in the region. These grants were made possible as a result of the 2019 HomeLight Killington Cup event.