Current News

Vermont Business Magazine A total of 48 Soldiers and Airmen are now on state active duty (SAD) to support the states response to COVID-19. The National Guard Quick Reaction Force is supporting the state Medical Surge Task Force in the establishment of medical surge facilities at Gutterson Fieldhouse, the Barre Municipal Auditorium and at the Collins Perley Sports and Fitness Center over the next three days.

Vermont Business Magazine US Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont) Tuesday announced that Vermont Law School will receive a $3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to establish the nation’s first National Center on Restorative Justice. Leahy, the Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, has led a several-year effort to establish and fund the Center. Leahy also has been a leader on criminal justice reform as a leading member of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Vermont Business Magazine Southwestern Vermont Medical Center (SVMC), part of Southwestern Vermont Health Care (SVHC), had four additional patients test positive for COVID-19 Monday. Preparations for an increase in COVID-19 cases include transforming the ambulance bay and other locations into Respiratory Evaluation Centers (REC). Additional work has increased the number of negative-pressure isolation rooms available at SVMC.

Vermont Business Magazine In an initiative launched on Saturday, March 21, 2020, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Health (D-HH) is raising funds to support social service organizations responding to the increasingly urgent needs across the Upper Valley spanning both New Hampshire and Vermont as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. In its first 24 hours, the appeal for the DH-H COVID-19 Community Relief Fund and the Dartmouth-Hitchcock (D-H) employee-focused HOPE (Helping Our People in Emergencies) Fund raised a total of $217,965 from more than 140 donors.

​by John McClaughry The final chapter in the coronavirus pandemic story won’t be written for a distressingly long time, but it’s worth leaping ahead in time and looking back at what Americans and Vermonters will hopefully have learned.

by Rachel Feldman, Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Governor Phil Scott, Congressman Peter Welch, and Vermont leaders Monday outlined further COVID-19 response measures the state will take. The key messages to Vermonters: prepare for fast-moving changes, don’t clear the grocery store shelves, maintain personal contact through safe means, and provide help for others.

Vermont Business Magazine This means taxpayers can file and pay these taxes on or before July 15, 2020 without any penalty or interest. This includes any tax year 2020 estimated payments that were due for these taxes on April 15th, 2020. Although the filing deadline has moved, Vermonters can file their returns and claims any time before July 15. Anyone expecting a refund is encouraged to do so.

Vermont Business Magazine According to the Vermont Department of Health, there were three new deaths among previously reported positive cases since Sunday's report. All three were residents of Burlington Health and Rehab. Altogether, there are 75 reported cases, up 23 from Sunday's VDH report.

Vermont Business Magazine Attorney General TJ Donovan today announced that the US District Court for the District of Columbia has enjoined the Trump administration from unlawfully cutting Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, known in Vermont as 3SquaresVT. In the lawsuit, a coalition of 20 states and New York City challenged a new US Department of Agriculture rule that would have pushed nearly 700,000 struggling Americans, including 200 Vermont families, out of the SNAP program.

Vermont Business Magazine The University of Vermont Health Network is taking steps to protect our patients and staff as we respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, including changing our visitor policy to discourage all visitors with few exceptions, and suspending all non-urgent procedures and encounters to conserve needed resources.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility (VBSR) announces a series of webinars connecting businesses dealing with the impacts of the novel coronavirus to resources and best practices relating to available funding, childcare options, employee support resources and virtual workplaces. These webinars are free for VBSR members, and $20 for non-members.

Vermont Business Magazine Following the Governor’s State of Emergency declaration on March 14, 2020, Vermont Legal Aid will continue to serve its clients via telephonic and electronic means. While we have discontinued in-person access to our offices, clients may still contact our intake helpline at 1-800-889-2047 to receive assistance. Clients with a legal or benefits problem related to the COVID-19 Coronavirus outbreak also may receive assistance by going to vtlawhelp.org.