Current News

by Greg Marchildon, AARP Vermont State Director Vermonters need to vote this year, but will it be safe to go to the polls with social distancing worries? Will older Vermonters and others shy away? How will that affect voter turnout…and election results? Fortunately, this is a problem we can fix with a little Vermont grit! With quick action by state officials we can safeguard our health, safety, and our right to vote in the upcoming August primary and November general election.

Vermont Business Magazine People’s United Bank announced it has awarded $5,000 to the Pipelines and Pathways Program, run by Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation. This donation will underwrite operating costs associated with training and activities for all four Windham County high schools.

Vermont Business Magazine There was one new case of COVID-19 reported today by the Vermont Department of Health for a total of 927. There have been 42 new cases reported in May. Total deaths held at 53. There have been no deaths reported since last Thursday and only one reported in May. Health officials are offering free COVID-19 testing at pop-up testing sites around the state for any Vermonters without symptoms. 256 people had specimens collected for testing at a pop-up site in Bennington today. VDH makes tests available to health care workers, first responders (EMS, fire, and law enforcement), child care providers, people returning to Vermont (on day 7 of their quarantine), and any other Vermonter without symptoms who wants to be tested.

Vermont Business Magazine Following laboratory analysis and continued investigation into the events of Oct. 8, 2019, in Rutland and Salisbury, the Vermont State Police has determined that Christopher G. Louras, 33, of Rutland is responsible for the fatal shooting of his cousin Nicholas Louras. Nicholas Louras, a 34-year-old Rutland resident, was found deceased along Vermont Route 53, also known as Lake Dunmore Road, in Salisbury. Police learned of the discovery of Nicholas Louras’ body while investigating the officer-involved shooting early Oct. 8, 2019, in Rutland in which Christopher Louras was killed after firing at the Rutland City Police Department building and later exchanging gunfire with officers during a motor-vehicle pursuit through the city.

by Dan Smith, President & CEO of the Vermont Community Foundation We were FaceTiming with Grammy Sal recently and my three-year-olds started asking her about masks and the “co-wohna-vywus.” It brought home yet again how much life will shift as this course of events plays out and how much the lives of succeeding generations will be informed by it and molded by the efficacy of our collective response. There is a lot to think about right now.

Vermont Business Magazine NEK Prosper, the Caledonia and southern Essex accountable health community, awarded the first-ever Healthy Cents Fund grant to Umbrella, Inc of St. Johnsbury as the lead organization representing a large group of community partners. The group will receive $58,000 annually for three years to create a community designed hub in St Johnsbury that connects community members to opportunities to build social and financial capital with the overall aim to increase financial security. Specifically, the grant will be used to engage the community to create a service hub and a pilot social enterprise, and develop a robust evaluation plan for both.

Vermont Business Magazine Brownfield clean-up will soon be underway at the former Montpelier Granite Works (MGW) site. This clean-up is made possible by the revolving loan funds (RLF) of the Agency of Commerce & Community Development (ACCD) and the Northwest Regional Planning Commission (NRPC). Each is contributing $200,000 in clean-up funding towards the $500,000 total remediation cost. These loans were underwritten by the Vermont Economic Development Authority (VEDA). Both RLFs were capitalized by the US Environmental Protection Agency.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Agency of Transportation (AOT) has been awarded a grant from the US Department of Transportation for more than $2 million for the reconstruction of the runway at the Franklin County State Airport. The $2,222,222 grant is part of the FY20 Supplemental Appropriation for the Airport Improvement Program administered by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The funds will enable AOT to reconstruct and widen the runway at the state airport in Highgate. The current infrastructure has reached its design life and requires reconstruction.

by Suresh Garimella, President, University of Vermont On April 16, I shared with you plans for the formation of the UVMStrong—Fall 2020 Advisory Committee to guide the university’s planning efforts for the fall semester. The committee, chaired by Vice President for Operations and Public Safety Gary Derr, was tasked with developing strategies and protocols to prepare UVM for a safe return to on-campus operations. Some measures being explored include: Ongoing testing protocols coupled with contact tracing and plans to support quarantine and isolation strategies; Updated vaccination requirements to include the flu vaccine; Residence options that reduce density and provide for quarantine facilities; Revised class schedules to accommodate smaller class sizes.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Specialty Food Association (VSFA) has announced its Spring Meeting will be held virtually on Wednesday, June 3rd from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Additionally, VSFA is launching an E-Commerce series will begin Wednesday, May 13th at 1:00pm to lead into the association’s spring meeting. The series is part of the association's ongoing effort to harness business education resources and develop and offer information and support through informational webinars for specialty food producers, retailers, and the small business community.

Agency of Commerce & Community Development Governor Phil Scott announced Monday that retail operations can begin reopening starting Monday, May 18th. In coordination with the Department of Public Safety and the Department of Health, ACCD will develop and release guidance this week on how the phased restart will work. Stores will be required to follow all health and safety guidelines and will need to limit the number of people in the store to 25 percent of a store’s maximum legal capacity. The administration also clarified that the new health guidelines that allow for some outpatient elective procedures do not include things like dentistry and physical therapy.

Vermont Business Magazine Ullico Benefit Solutions, LLC, announced an agreement to collaborate with Marathon Health, LLC, to provide access to near-site and on-site health centers to union members and their families. Drawing its history of serving the labor market, Ullico Benefit Solutions will promote the advantages of Marathon Health’s unique platform for providing primary and preventive care to multiemployer health and welfare plans. Winooski-based Marathon Health, a leader in operating workplace health centers nationwide, provides organizations with personalized and patient-centered medical services, including chronic condition management, health assessments and coaching, behavioral health and physical therapy.