Current News

Vermont Business Magazine The US Small Business Administration has approved more than $853 million in loans to 4,896 Vermont businesses, Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont) announced on Wednesday. The assistance comes from the Paycheck Protection Program that was created as part of the CARES Act Congress passed in late March. Leahy, the Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, has had a leading role in crafting the three emergency COVID-19 bills.

“Help is finally on the way for many Vermont small businesses. One of our top priorities in the CARES Act was to ensure businesses would have access to capital to help them persevere through this crisis. Our banks, credit unions and other lenders have done an extraordinary job under very trying circumstances to process these applications. Thanks to their hard work and partnership with SBA many Vermont businesses now have access to a lifeline.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont airports have received more than $9 million from the federal government to deal with the faillout from decreased passenger service related to COVID-19. Burlington International Airport (BTV) received just over $8.7 million of that. Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont), Senator Bernie Sanders, (I-Vermont), and Representative Peter Welch (D-Vermont) Wednesday announced $9,020,115 in grants to support 10 Vermont airports during the crisis. The funds are part of $10 billion in federal assistance for airports included in the CARES Act that was passed by Congress and signed into law last month.

Vermont Business Magazine Getting COVID-19 test results as fast as possible ensures providers can make timely important clinical decisions for their patients – and patients can swiftly take steps for their health and the protection of people around them. When the daily commercial flights that transported COVID-19 specimens from Burlington to Mayo Clinic Laboratories in Rochester, MN, started to be cancelled, a group of fast-acting health care administrators and business leaders sprang into action to find a solution.

by Suresh Garimella, UVM President The current Coronavirus crisis has created much stress and uncertainty for many, including our employees. First, let me extend my enormous thanks to those of you whose job responsibilities enable you to telework, and who continue to work diligently to keep the University running. I understand that telework is not easy, and comes with its own unique set of challenges. Second, for those whose job responsibilities do not enable you to telework, or whose workload has been reduced as a result of telework, the University is committed to providing your full salary and benefits through the end of May, which hopefully will take us through this period of “Stay Home, Stay Safe.”

Vermont Business Magazine Accessing telemedicine has just become easier for people in Vermont thanks to a new website launched today by MVP Health Care and Media Logic. The website, trytelemedicinefirst.com, serves as a directory of available telemedicine services, and can be searched by health insurance company name or by zip code – the latter of which will provide information on hospitals and providers that offer telemedicine services.

by George Karabakakis, PhD The Coronavirus is a challenge like no other we have faced in our lifetime. It is an invisible threat that is impacting our communities and our world in ways we are only beginning to comprehend. At HCRS, we continue to provide our comprehensive mental health, substance abuse, and developmental disability supports for thousands of individuals across Windham and Windsor Counties. We’ve adapted to this public health crisis through the implementation of advanced technology which allows us to provide services remotely, careful protocols for social distancing, creative online ways to connect with our Kindle Farm School students, and many other new methods of supporting our communities.

Vermont Business Magazine To support artists facing unprecedented challenges to their creative practices, the BCA Foundation announces the BCA Artist Relief Fund, accessible to Burlington’s creative individuals at this critical time. The BCA Artist Relief Fund provides grants of up to $500 to Burlington-based individual artists in need of additional financial assistance and artists who have lost income due to a COVID-19-related cancellation of a specific, scheduled arts opportunity between March 16 and June 30.

Vermont Business Magazine Representative Peter Welch, co-founder of the Congressional Dairy Farmer Caucus, on Tuesday led a letter to Secretary Purdue, urging the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) to support dairy farmers facing an economic crisis due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Meausres include: Paying producers to reduce production and compensating producers for milk that must be dumped.

Vermont Business Magazine In a show of gratitude toward the Ikon Pass community in these uneasy and unprecedented times, Ikon Pass announces it is doubling renewal discounts and extending the spring promotion for skiers and riders across the globe for winter 20/21. The IKON ski pass is available in Vermont at Stratton, Sugarbush, and Killington/Pico resorts.

Senator Patrick Leahy Withholding funds for WHO in the midst of the worst pandemic in a century makes as much sense as cutting off ammunition to an ally as the enemy closes in. The White House knows that it grossly mishandled this crisis from the beginning, ignoring multiple warnings and squandering valuable time, dismissing medical science, comparing COVID 19 to the common cold, and saying ‘everything will be fine.’

Vermont Business Magazine Attorney General TJ Donovan announced that he filed a lawsuit and motion for preliminary injunction to stop a price-gouging scheme involving surgical masks. The State of Vermont alleges Big Brother Security Programs, whose primary business is to own and operate public and private transportation, and its owner Shelley Palmer of Williston, Vermont, imported surgical masks that cost 10 cents each and re-sold them to Central Vermont Medical Center for $2.50 each; for at least a 500 percent mark-up.

“Protecting hospitals and medical professionals from unfair practices involving medical equipment is a top priority,” said Attorney General Donovan. “These folks are on the front lines saving lives during a public health emergency. We need to do everything we can to protect them so that they can continue to protect us.”

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott and the Agency of Commerce and Community Development (ACCD) today announced the establishment of the State of Vermont Economic Mitigation & Recovery Task Force. Governor Scott directed the establishment of this task force, which is charged with providing technical assistance and expertise to mitigate the devastating short-term economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, and develop strategies designed to speed long-term business and community recovery.

Governor Scott said the task force is comprised of job creators, community leaders and business representatives from each region of the state.