Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont will get over $6 million for airport infrastructure with Burlington International Airport (BTV) getting $6.3 million and the Newport airport getting nearly $170,000. US Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao announced today that the Vermont grants are part of the Trump Administration awards of more than $1.2 billion in airport safety and infrastructure grants through the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to 405 airports in 50 states and six US territories.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Agency of Transportation (AOT) is pleased to announce a funding opportunity to provide financial assistance to municipalities in an ongoing effort to improve the quality of water statewide. Grants funded through this program must have a transportation link. The enabling legislation that determines eligibility is as follows: “Any environmental mitigation activity, including pollution prevention and pollution abatement activities and mitigation to address stormwater management, control, and water pollution prevention or abatement related to highway construction or due to highway runoff.”

Vermont Business Magazine Friends of the Winooski River, working with local landowners Lisa and Jonathan Burr, removed a breached 100-foot long concrete dam that was posing safety hazards and causing property damage on a former summer camp in Northfield that is now The Woods Lodge, a local inn and retreat center. The crumbling structure blocked fish passage on Bull Run, a tributary to the Dog River, and its removal eliminates the last barrier to its headwaters, and opens up 26-miles of stream habitat, creating better cold-water conditions for fish, like brook trout.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont is fortunate to have abundant lakes and streams we can all enjoy. Many people are turning to water-based activities like swimming and boating to practice social distancing while staying cool. We can all safely swim, fish and boat in Vermont’s lakes and ponds if we know what to look for — and what to avoid.

When spending time in and near the water, it is important to know what you’re getting into. The most common water quality concerns for swimmers are E. coli and cyanobacteria. Waterborne pathogens like E. coli can be released into the water after heavy rainfall and can make people sick. Cyanobacteria blooms, sometimes called blue-green algae, are naturally found in freshwater in the U.S. including Lake Champlain and other Vermont waters.

Some types of cyanobacteria can release natural toxins or poisons (called cyanotoxins) into the water which can be harmful to people and pets.

by Jeff Tieman, President and CEO, Vermont Association of Hospitals & Health Systems Over the past two weeks, each of our non-profit hospitals presented its budget to the Green Mountain Care Board (GMCB) in a first-of-its-kind virtual hearing process. I want to thank Board members and staff for their time and attention. I also want to applaud our hospital leaders who, in a time of so much uncertainty, presented carefully planned and thoughtfully delivered “recovery budgets.”

Vermont Business Magazine In time for National Breastfeeding Month, Mascoma Bank has announced the installation of a Mamava lactation pod placed in the Mascoma Bank Operations Center in White River Junction, VT—underscoring its commitment to putting people’s needs first. Mascoma’s operations facility, housed approximately 110 employees pre-COVID-19, currently holds 30 employees, but that number is expected to rise as it becomes safer for people to return to the workplace.This is the second Mamava pod purchased by Mascoma—the first was installed at the bank's Pine Street branch in Burlington.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Association for the Blind & Visually Impaired welcomes you to The Great Brave Little State Challenge! The challenge is a blend of scavenger hunt, research, clue gathering and code cracking: a deep-dive into Vermontiana-new and old, online and outside, that one can do at home, camp or classroom, at your pace, solo, or with family or classmates, all within the current health guidelines. With contributions from a wide range of Vermonters from Senator Bernie Sanders to Grace Potter, guest appearances, twists and turns, time travel and a slice of pie, a splendid time is guaranteed for all.

by Bill Schubart A recent audit report by State Auditor Doug Hoffer lays bare the staggering cost of healthcare to Vermonters – $9,000 per year, almost $2,000 more than the national average. For a worker making Vermont’s minimum wage, that’s over 40% of their gross income of $22,500. The report details many of the drivers of this cost, but nowhere on the list is pharmaceuticals.

Vermont Business Magazine This September 2020 there is a full roster of events happening throughout the state of Vermont for Recovery Month. Come join the celebration! Stay tuned here and send us your events. This calendar will be updated regularly.

Vermont Business Magazine The Northern New England Region of the American Red Cross continues to deploy people to major disaster relief efforts, with an employee from Waterbury the latest assigned to the Hurricane Laura operation. Erica Fuller, a senior volunteer recruitment specialist, will report to Baton Rouge, LA, as a shelter worker Tuesday.

Vermont Business Magazine The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recognized Northern Counties Health Care (NCHC) in St Johnsbury for its outstanding commitment to quality care based on its performance last year. HHS grants quality awards to the highest performing Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) nationwide and health centers with significant quality improvement gains compared to the previous year. Northern Counties was designated as a National Quality Leader for being ranked in the top 1-2 percent of all health centers nationwide in clinical quality measures that promote diabetes health and behavioral health.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Health is investigating a community outbreak of COVID-19 cases in Rutland County. The outbreak is associated with people who attended a private party at the Summit Lodge in Killington on August 19, 2020. The VDH also has released the state’s first Social Autopsy Report, an in-depth look at how those who died of a drug-related overdose interacted with state agencies. The VDH reported today that there were eight new cases statewide of COVID-19, all of which were in Chittenden County.