Current News

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine At Governor Phil Scott's press conference this morning he announced that he has amended his executive order on mass gatherings to a maximum of 50 people or 50 percent of occupancy of the facility, whichever is smaller. This excludes places like airports, bus or train stations. Meanwhile, the Vermont Department of Health Laboratory also today reported another four cases of the new coronavirus COVID-19. All are Vermont residents. To date, the lab has reported eight positive cases among Vermonters, and four cases among non-Vermonters. These Vermont lab results are considered confirmed. Scott also further explained his mandate that all public schools close by the end of Tuesday.

Vermont Business Magazine In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Governor Phil Scott has announced a Continuity of Education Plan for the orderly dismissal of all schools, and cancellation of all school related activities, no later than Wednesday, March 18. This directive, which will be distributed to schools later today, will last through April 6 -- but may very well be extended for a longer period.

Governor Scott’s directive will task local districts with three key components to support the state response:

· Food and special needs services for children;

· Collaborating with the state to provide childcare options for healthcare workers and others essential to the response; and

· Systems for ensuring maintenance of education during the initial dismissal; and a continuing education plan if schools are dismissed for an extended period.

Vermont Business Magazine One of the new positive cases of novel coronavirus, or COVID-19, announced today by the Vermont Department of Health, is a patient who was referred for testing to the University of Vermont Medical Center. The patient is self-quarantining at home.

Leonine Public Affairs It was a surreal week for the world, the nation and the state. Inside the golden dome was no exception. On Saturday, March 7, Health Department Officials announced Vermont’s first presumptive positive case of COVID-19. Public gatherings and events began to shut down in an effort to limit the spread of the virus, and Vermont officials immediately began holding press conferences and addressing protocols, contingency plans and trying to alleviate public fears while keeping citizens safe. On Sunday, Governor Scott ordered the schools to close.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Education Secretary French sent a letter to Vermont school board members, superintendents, principals and independent school heads of school Saturday regarding school closures related to COVID-19. Governor Scott in his state emergency declaration on Friday evening did not order the public schools to close and recommended instead that they stay open because of the impact it would have on health care providers and on the children. Scott however left that final decision to parents and the districts themselves. Superintendents across the state are meeting today.

Vermont Business Magazine Most Vermont ski resorts have suspended operations because of the novel coronavirus COVID-19. Some have just suspended operations for this week through March 22 while others have cancelled the rest of the ski season. In Governor Scott's state emergency declaration Friday, he did not order the ski resorts to close. As of Sunday morning, Smugglers' Notch is still open.

Vermont Business Magazine As of Saturday afternoon the Vermont Department of Health reported three new presumptive positive cases in Vermont of the new coronavirus COVID-19. To date, there are now four presumptive positive cases and one case that has been confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The first is a Windsor County male over the age of 80. He is hospitalized at the Veteran’s Administration Hospital in White River Junction, Vermont. The second is a Washington County male in his 50’s. He was initially treated at Central Vermont Medical Center in Berlin, Vermont. He is currently in home isolation, following CVMC’s home care protocols. The third new presumptive positive case is also a male in his 50’s. He is a resident of Westchester County, New York. He was evaluated and tested at Springfield Hospital in Springfield, Vermont, and is self-isolating.

by Secretary of State Jim Condos Trust in government is at an all-time low. As you can see playing out before our eyes in the news today, integrity is at a premium in times of crisis. Truth and transparency are necessary to effective leadership. In Vermont, we take great pride in having a government that is more accessible and more trusted than those in other states, but over the years I have seen Americans, including Vermonters, grow increasingly frustrated with those times when they feel like their government is not operating openly and transparently.

by Melinda Moulton I first met Joyce Marcel when she interviewed me for a profile article in Vermont Business Magazine. She arrived with her husband of 20 years, Randolph T Holhut, the cover photographer for Vermont Business Magazine. Joyce pulled up a chair to the front of my desk leaned in and unabashedly stated, “I was once a topless dancer.” I knew we were going to hit it off. She is a little woman with a strong stature and a head of greying curly hair that frames her face full of laugh lines and sad lines. Her eyes twinkled with curiosity. It did not take long for me to know that I wanted to write a story about Joyce Marcel – Vermont’s Biographer.

Vermont Business Magazine The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will conduct a comprehensive review of previously completed site cleanup work at the Burgess Brothers Landfill in Woodford this year. The site, listed as a National Priorities List (NPL) Superfund site, will undergo a legally-required Five-Year Review to ensure that previous remediation efforts at the site continue to protect public health and the environment.

“It is a major EPA priority to make continued progress cleaning up Superfund sites across New England. Once cleanup work at all or a portion of a site is completed, EPA conducts regular periodic reviews of our previous work to ensure that it is continuing to protect human health and the environment,” said EPA New England Regional Administrator Dennis Deziel.

Vermont Business Magazine New England Federal Credit Union (NEFCU) is accepting applications for its 2020 Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Scholarships. Three scholarships of $3,000 each will be awarded.

To be eligible for NEFCU STEM Scholarships, applicants must be New England Federal Credit Union members.

In addition to NEFCU membership, applicants must be pursuing one of these fields of study: