Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Bar Harbor Bank & Trust is donating the proceeds collected in Q1 2020 from its employee-driven charitable giving program, Casual for a Cause, to ten non-profits providing assistance to those impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. More than $11,000 is being donated through the program, which pools employee contributions collected each quarter and distributes them to non-profits selected by and voted on by the employees.

Vermont Business Magazine At Governor Scott's Monday’s press conference, Health Commissioner Mark Levine, MD, emphasized that as the state takes its deliberate steps toward reopening, it does not mean an end to the actions we all must continue to take to slow the spread of the virus. Physical distancing from others “is here to stay,” he said, until an anti-viral treatment or a vaccine is developed. He added that there is no guarantee when or if a vaccine will be developed.

Vermont Business Magazine Chittenden Superior Court Judge Helen Toor today granted a preliminary injunction to stop a price-gouging scheme involving surgical masks. Attorney General TJ Donovan filed a lawsuit and motion for preliminary injunction against Big Brother Security Programs and its owner Shelley Palmer of Williston on April 13, 2020. The lawsuit alleged that Big Brother Security Programs, whose primary business is to own and operate public and private transportation, imported surgical masks that cost 10 cents each and re-sold them to Central Vermont Medical Center for $2.50 each. With today’s ruling, Big Brother Security Programs and Palmer are now enjoined from selling surgical masks or any other personal protective medical equipment at inflated prices.

by Dr Karen M Scolforo You may have seen the recent news coverage regarding the challenges faced by the Vermont State Colleges System (VSCS), many of which were highlighted last summer in the VSCS White Paper, Securing the Future of the Vermont State Colleges, and exacerbated by the novel coronavirus global pandemic this spring. While Castleton University is not immune to the challenges faced by institutions in the VSCS and around the country, our long-standing reputation as a historic, liberal arts university with a strong commitment to pre-professional studies holds firm.

by Jack Hoffman, Public Assets Institute It’s too early to have a clear picture of how Vermont should allocate the $1.25 billion it received last week from the federal Coronavirus Relief Fund. But a fully funded, fully functioning public education system has to be a top priority.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont House of Representatives launched a tool this week to assist Vermonters unable to get through to the Department of Labor to resolve issues surrounding Unemployment Insurance and Pandemic Unemployment Assistance claims.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is asking Vermonters to take 10 key steps to protect essential trash and recycling workers. Following these steps can help reduce unnecessary person-to-person contact and possible virus transmission as well as ensure these essential workers are able to continue to collect and sort our trash and recyclables.

For Vermonters who have curbside trash and recycling pickup:

Vermont Business Magazine Home is the one constant during these times of uncertainty and change. It is a place intrinsically connected to feelings of safety and familiarity, and now, perhaps more than ever before, we all need that. This spring we have heard from many Vermonters interested in coming home for college, and we are pleased to extend our first-year and transfer application deadlines to June 1 for Vermonters.

Vermont Business Magazine More University of Vermont students and alumni received Fulbright US Student Awards this year than ever before. One of the most prestigious international exchange programs in the world, Fulbrights are designed to foster international partnership and enable graduates and recent alumni to conduct original research or teach English abroad in more than 125 countries.

Eight UVM students and alumni are set to travel the world over from the lush Apennine forests of Italy and islands of Taiwan, to the dense cities of southern Malawi and sprawling steppe of Mongolia as 2020 – 2021 Fulbright U.S. Students. An additional three have been selected as alternates to both teach and conduct research abroad. This year’s eight recipients hold the university record for most Fulbright U.S. Student Awards received in a single year, followed by seven recipients in 2013.

Vermont Business Magazine As detailed in Governor Phil Scotts recent order, signed on Friday, the Vermont Occupational Safety and Health Agency (VOSHA) has developed training and other materials to inform Vermonters on appropriate safety measures necessary to return to work amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Training and other materials were developed in conjunction with the Vermont Department of Health and the Agency of Commerce and Community Development.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Health is reporting today that there are eight new cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in Vermont for a statewide total of 851. There were no deaths since Saturday's report, leaving the total at 46. Total hospitalizations were down three to 34. There are over 300 hospital beds set aside for COVID-19 statewide, with over 800 available in case of a surge. New modeling presented Friday indicates that Vermont will not reach even the previous best case scenarios for hospitalizations, ICU or ventilation needs.

Vermont Business Magazine People's United Financial, Inc (NASDAQ: PBCT) thas reported results for the first quarter 2020: Operating Earnings of $0.33 per Common Share; Announced initiatives to support individuals, businesses and communities affected by COVID-19, including $3.5 million in charitable support; Accepted approximately 11,000 applications as part of the CARES Act Paycheck Protection Program, of which over 9,600 loans totaling more than $2.1 billion have been submitted to the SBA and approved as of April 21st; Sustained excellent asset quality as evidenced by net loan charge-offs to average total loans of 10 basis points and a provision of $33.5 million, which reflects the application of CECL and the impact of COVID-19; Successfully completed the core system conversion and full integration for United Bank at the beginning of April.