Current News

Health Commissioner Mark Levine, MD It is with sadness that I report an additional death associated with COVID-19. This is the first Vermont death in 43 days, and we at the Health Department express our deepest condolences to the patients’ loved ones, friends and family. To protect the individual’s privacy, we will not be providing information about the person or the circumstances of their passing. Anyone who may be affected by their illness will have been contacted and given appropriate guidance for their health and safety.

Vermont Business Magazine Northern New England Housing Investment Fund (NNEHIF) and Housing Vermont (HV) announced they were uniting as a single entity to serve the low and moderate income people of Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont with affordable housing and community investments. The new regional organization, now named Evernorth, will build on the track record of its two nonprofit organizations by bringing together experienced professional staff to raise capital, invest in and build affordable housing, and improve our environment through energy efficiency.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont-NEA is proposing a return to in-person instruction in four phases, in combination with distance and hybrid learning models, expanded social and mental health services, local safety-and-health committees, instructional planning to address racial and social inequities, expanded staffing to provide essential services, facility preparations, and more guidance and assistance to special educators.

by James Maroney The new model was really a no-brainer and for early adopters, conventional farming was delivering as advertised. But predictably the model was also bringing a few unwanted side effects, chief among them over production, which would depress farm prices, which would in turn drive farm attrition, which would then drive rural economic decay. These conditions were beginning to hurt even the early adopters, known as ‘progressive’ farmers, driving them to expand and consolidate their neighbors, to acquire more land and machinery on which to apply the model. And if these side effects weren’t bad enough, the application of more toxic fertilizers and the stocking of more cows on increasingly fewer, increasingly larger farms would drive lake pollution, which the federal government was urging Vermont to control.

Vermont Business Magazine The Clean Air Act, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, is responsible for reducing air pollution in much of the nation and saving hundreds of thousands of lives each year. Despite this public health success, climate change poses new challenges to protecting the nation’s air quality because it makes air pollution worse, placing the health of Vermont residents at risk. Through the Stand Up For Clean Air initiative, the Lung Association asks Vermont residents to pledge to take action on climate change and air pollution, including raising awareness about the need for clean air. Today, the Lung Association is announcing a new effort to encourage everyone to share why clean air matters to them through the #MyCleanAirStory social media campaign.

Vermont Business Magazine Although the COVID-19 pandemic is the immediate crisis unfolding at the moment, mitigating climate change is also an urgent issue. Solar PV installation is one way to help reduce greenhouse gases from fossil fuels. Solar Power World has recognized the efforts of solar contractors across the United States in its 2020 Top Solar Contractors list, where local Vermont company Green Lantern Solar was highlighted as one of the nation’s top 20 solar developers, achieving a national rank of 17, and a top commercial solar contractor achieving a national rank of 42.

Vermont Business Magazine Entrepreneurs from nine start-ups focused on reducing fossil fuel use and greenhouse gas emissions in buildings graduated from the DeltaClimeVT Energy 2020 climate economy business accelerator during a virtual awards ceremony July 16. During the event, three companies received cash awards and five companies were selected for pilot projects with DeltaClimeVT sponsors Burlington Electric Department (BED), Green Mountain Power (GMP) and Vermont Public Power Supply Authority (VPPSA).

Vermont Business Magazine Consolidated Communications (NASDAQ: CNSL), a leading broadband and business communications provider, announced the expansion of CCiTV to small and medium sized businesses throughout Northern New England. CCiTV is flexible, easy-to-use and delivers an all HD channel lineup that gives businesses the edge in creating a more comfortable customer experience. Business owners have a choice of CCiTV packages, including regional and national sports options, and can save on equipment costs by using their own streaming device, such as Amazon Fire or Apple TV.

The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department is holding a virtual public meeting at 6:30 pm on Wednesday, August 5, to answer questions and record public comment on the draft 2020-2030 Vermont Big Game Plan.

by David Hirsch, Dartmouth College A citizen science program that began over a decade ago has confirmed the use of dragonflies to measure mercury pollution, according to a study co-authored by Celia Chen, director of Dartmouth's Toxic Metals Superfund Research Program. Dartmouth's Toxic Metals Superfund Research Program developed a regional effort in New Hampshire and Vermont in 2010. The project was expanded nationally by the National Park Service and the U.S. Geological Survey.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Health today is reporting one new case of COVID-19 statewide. There is one person hospitalized and there have been no deaths since June 16, which are holding at 56. The best way to know when it’s safe for someone who tested positive for COVID-19 to return to work is to follow guidance based on the presence of symptoms, or the amount of time that has passed since the person was tested. This can be found in the employer guidance, under “When can employees with COVID-19 return to work?”

Vermont Business Magazine AARP Vermont has selected seven small organizations with big plans to receive Community Action Grants in support of their efforts to make their communities more livable as they respond to the many impacts of COVID-19. This year’s awards totaling some $10,000 are focused on a wide range of projects to enhance the community and promote livability. The initiative is part of an AARP Vermont program aimed at preparing Vermont cities and towns for the rapidly aging demographic shift that recognize the assets and opportunities in the areas of housing, mobility and community engagement.