Current News

by Rob Roper Due to the COVID-19 shutdown, Vermont has gone from one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country to one of the highest. According to the Vermont Commissioner on Labor, 90,000 Vermonters have applied for unemployment insurance. That’s out of a total workforce of about 340,000. As we come out the other side of this, putting policies into place that encourage rapid employment, capital investment in new and old businesses, and entrepreneurial creativity must be our number one priority. Policies that present obstacles to this must be set aside or removed.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Ski Areas Association (Ski Vermont) has announced that the recipients of the 2020 Ski Vermont Grant, awarded annually through the Vermont Working Lands Enterprise Fund, are Vine Ripe Greenhouse Construction in Roxbury and Walden Heights Nursery Orchard in Walden. The two grants, totaling just over $15,500, will help these two participants in Vermont’s “small farm revolution” improve their infrastructure and expand their capabilities with improved efficiency. To date, Ski Vermont has awarded nearly $51,500 in grants through the Vermont Working Lands Enterprise Fund to a wide variety of in-state businesses.

Vermont Business Magazine If the pandemic is teaching us anything, it’s how each of our personal decisions and actions can make a difference. There’s a reason we are flattening the curve, and the Vermont Department of Health encourages Vermonters to take a moment to reflect and recommit -- how did things go this past holiday weekend? What worked well for any gatherings and outdoor activities, and what needs some tweaking to better keep yourself and others safe from the virus? As of today, there were five new cases of COVID-19 statewide for a total of 967; there were no deaths which held at 54; and there is only one person hospitalized.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Agency of Education (AOE) and Vermont PBS announced today a partnership with DISH Network to distribute PBS educational content to Vermont families through the course of the COVID-19 pandemic emergency. This partnership expands access to the educational content jointly developed by Vermont PBS and the AOE to more families across most of Vermont. The channels will be available to DISH subscribers in the Burlington-Plattsburgh media market.

Vermont Business Magazine The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced today that Korey Stewart, aka “Skip,” “Dash,” “Slim,” “Gutta,” and “Corey Adams,” 37 years old, was sentenced last week to 110 months of imprisonment for conspiring to distribute heroin, fentanyl, cocaine, and cocaine base, and conspiring to launder the proceeds of drug trafficking.

​Vermont Business Magazine A broadly successful year which included timely adaptation to the COVID-19 pandemic, was among the themes highlighted VEC’s 82nd Annual Meeting of the Membership, held via video conference and telephone today. “Here we are, meeting remotely in midst of COVID-19 – and life is not the same as it was just a few short months ago,” Rich Goggin, President of the VEC Board of Directors, told members who attended virtually. “But we as individuals have adapted, and I’d like to commend the senior leadership team for creating a comprehensive plan during this situation and VEC employees for being willing to change the way they do things to assure that people are safe and we keep the lights on.”

Vermont Business Magazine The Community Health Centers of Burlington (CHCB) has expanded their telehealth services. Beginning the week of March 16, 2020, CHCB took swift action to more broadly provide telehealth visits for medical, behavioral health and psychiatric services in response to COVID-19. By mid-May, telehealth visits are now accounting for almost 85 percent of total scheduled visits.

The enhanced use of telehealth is critical to increasing access to assessment and treatment of medical and behavioral health conditions while serving to reduce transmission of infectious disease such as COVID-19.

Vermont State Police The Windsor County State’s Attorney’s Office has completed its review of the state police investigation and has informed the state police that no charges will be filed in connection with the Royalton incident. The investigation determined the shooting was a justified use of force in self-defense.

Vermont State Police On May 24, 2020 at approximately 4:00 AM Robert Withington, a nearby neighbor, saw the exterior of the house at 32 Lincoln Avenue on fire. Withington ran to the house and alerted the occupants about the fire. A 911 call was also received regarding the fire at about the same time. The Rutland City Fire Fighters arrived on scene within a few minutes and began fighting the blaze.

Vermont Business Magazine Do You Smoke or Vape? Because the novel coronavirus attacks the lungs, people who smoke or vape have a harder time fighting off the virus. There has never been a better time to quit, and Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital (NVRH) has the resources to help. Last year, 18% of our population smoked. In 2020, it’s down to 15%. The national benchmark we’re trying to hit is 14%.

Vermont Business Magazine COVID-19 has caused much uncertainty and anxiety for patients in our community especially around travel and viral exposure. The Aspenti Mobile Unit offers clients an option to support their patients' treatment plans through accessible and convenient testing services. The mobile unit offers support at your doorstep for patients that are sheltering in place during the pandemic. Serving as an innovative solution for collection on wheels, it will make access to collections easier for patients who would otherwise struggle accessing patient centers.