Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Burlington-based PieMatrix Inc has announced a free executable process to help employers prepare for a Coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic or pandemic. The process content is from the CDC website and is now organized in a better way for step-by-step execution. This weekend’s news headlines include warnings such as, “Coronavirus likely to spread in weeks in Washington State” and “Rhode Island reports first case.”

Vermont Business Magazine In accordance with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO), Brattleboro Memorial Hospital (BMH) continues to actively adopt the most up-to-date recommendations for preventing and containing the spread of the novel coronavirus, known as COVID-19.

The virus is believed to have originated in Wuhan, the capital city of China’s Hubei province, and has since spread to several countries, including the US. People who have traveled recently to countries known to be affected by the spread of this virus, such as China, Italy, and Iran, are asked to monitor their health closely, as people may be asymptomatic (showing no signs of illness) for up to 14 days following exposure to the virus. If they do begin to show symptoms, they should contact their healthcare provider immediately.

Vermont Business Magazine Today, the Vermont Community Foundation announced that it has updated its Socially Responsible Investment (SRI) pool to align more closely with the organization’s mission and values.

Vermont Business Magazine If you have visited the Rock Point Property in Burlington in the last year, you may have noticed that changes are afoot at this nonprofit natural area and conference center owned by the Episcopal Diocese of Vermont. New signage around the property is the first clue to visitors – newly branded logos and directional indicators welcome you to this property that has long been a “hidden gem” on Burlington’s waterfront.

Vermont Business Magazine Mitico, based in St Johnsbury, has announced that a new improved version of its complete decontamination kit is now available. MITI’s DeCon Spray Hoop Wash provides for a quick deployment and portable means for decontamination at virtually any site or location. It is designed especially for biological, chemical and nuclear applications and can be hand carried to the site.

Both DeCon Spray Hoop Wash and DeCon Portable “U” Shower Wash is available for quick decontamination applications.

MITI produces and provides portable DeCon Berms, Tents, Pools, Pumps, Hoses, Manifolds and manually operated High Pressure Soap Injectors as well as Portable Inline Flow Regulators.

by Madeline Brumberg “Home Outside, the app, was born from Home Outside, the book. I wrote the book in an effort to explain in the simplest of terms, how to landscape your own property. Once I had written it, I realized it would make a great app:” Julie Moir Messervy, founder of Home Outside. Julie Moir Messervy is perhaps an unlikely tech entrepreneur. She lives near Bellows Falls, Vermont. She’s a woman and the founder and principal of an award-winning landscape design studio. She studied in Japan and at MIT, collaborated with Yo-Yo Ma, and has written multiple books. Messervy is both a successful landscape designer and a tech entrepreneur whose app, Home Outside, has over 500,000 downloads.

Vermont Business Magazine Wells Fargo announced today that it donated $263,667 to organizations throughout Vermont. Our overall giving includes grants for the National Well Home Network and $145,000 to support their affordable housing programs for low-income senior citizens to keep them safely and securely housed. Other grants went to Mentor Connector, Capstone Community Action, NeighborWorks of Western Vermont, Boys & Girls Clubs of Burlington and many more.

Vermont Business Magazine The University of Vermont Board of Trustees has elected Ron Lumbra as its new chair, and Cindy Barnhart will serve as vice chair. Born and raised in Vermont, in St. Albans and Montgomery respectively, Lumbra completed his undergraduate studies at UVM, and earned a master of business administration degree from Harvard University.

Vermont Business Magazine Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) and the F-35 Joint Program Office delivered the 500th F-35. In February, the F-35 enterprise surpassed 250,000 flight hours. The 500th production aircraft is a US Air Force F-35A, to be delivered to the Burlington Air National Guard Base in Vermont.

Vermont Business Magazine This week marked VHFA’s offering of the lowest interest rates in the agency’s history for Vermont homebuyers. Rates as low as 3.0% became available on 30-year mortgages made through VHFA’s programs, available exclusively through its statewide network of participating lenders. The rate reduction follows last month’s successful sale of $24.5 million in multiple purpose bonds for mortgages to qualified Vermont home buyers. VHFA’s bonds received a Fitch rating upgrade to AA+ in January. Higher ratings reduce the cost of issuing bonds and ultimately helps VHFA borrowers through lower interest rates.

Vermont State Police Following continued investigation, the Vermont State Police is identifying the victim as Michael Haines, 39, who was a resident of the home on Hillside Drive in Cambridge.

Investigators are pursuing multiple leads, while the Crime Scene Search Team is processing the location where the homicide occurred. An autopsy on the victim is expected to occur Wednesday, March 4, at the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office in Burlington to determine the cause and manner of Mr. Haines’ death.

The state police continues to ask that anyone with information that could be relevant to the investigation call the Williston Barracks at 802-878-7111.

***Initial news release, 9:55 a.m. Tuesday, March 3, 2020***

by Dr Lewis First Since becoming chief of the University of Vermont Children’s Hospital 25 years ago, I, along with the pediatricians and staff at our hospital have dedicated our professional lives to keeping children healthy. Doing so means not just providing the highest quality state-of-the art evidence-based care to treat pediatric illness, but also to prevent illness from occurring by encouraging healthy behaviors. Unfortunately, the most recent findings in the Vermont Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) suggest that our efforts to prevent middle and high school students from the adverse consequences of nicotine addiction are being hampered by the pervasive use of e-cigarettes and vaping devices by youth in our state.