Current News

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.

by Ann Steele, PhD Medical outcomes and the quality of healthcare are incredibly difficult to measure in America. However, a new study shows Vermont has the Number 20 highest-rated hospitals in America. PsyDPrograms.org has released a study on the Best and Worst Hospitals in America using data from Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services through January 2020.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Manufacturing Extension Center (VMEC) is pleased to announce the addition of Phil Chadderdon and Chris Paulk to its team as VMEC Professional Manufacturing & Business Growth Advisors.

Vermont Business Magazine Community Bank N.A. recently presented Pathways Vermont with a $5,000 donation to support its various programs and services. Pathways Vermont transforms the lives of Vermonters experiencing mental health and other life challenges by supporting self-directed roads to recovery and wellness in an atmosphere of dignity, respect, choice and hope.

Task Force Leading Long-Term Mitigation Planning Effort in Supplement to State’s Current Response Work

Vermont Business Magazine At the direction of Governor Phil Scott, Vermont Emergency Management has assembled an interagency task force to support the overall public health response being led by the Vermont Department of Health and further prepare for the likelihood of COVID-19 cases in Vermont.

The task force is charged with ensuring a coordinated statewide response to COVID-19, including for communicating potential community mitigation measures to slow or minimize the spread of the virus if cases occur and accelerate in the state. The group will also work to ensure communications and continuity planning occurs in a coordinated fashion across state government.

Vermont Business Magazine Rally Cat’s Cupboard, an on-campus food pantry serving graduate and undergraduate students at the University of Vermont, officially opened on February 24. The food pantry is a joint effort between the Student Government Association, the Graduate Student Senate, the Division of Student Affairs and the Food Insecurity Working Group. It is located in room 016 Hills Building. The mission of the food pantry is to alleviate food insecurity among UVM graduate and undergraduate students by supplying them with healthy food.

Vermont Business Magazine A research team funded by the National Institutes of Health has updated an online tool to provide information for clinicians and parents on outcomes for extremely preterm infants. The revised tool, developed using data from the Neonatal Research Network and later validated using data from the Burlington-based Vermont Oxford Network (VON) of over 900 hospitals nationwide, is based on outcomes for extremely preterm births in the United States.

Vermont Business Magazine Windham Grows, a food and agriculture business accelerator that connects entrepreneurs with mentoring, industry connections and support, is accepting applications for its spring/summer 2020 program. Windham Grows is part of Strolling of the Heifers, whose mission is connecting people with healthy local food, encouraging and facilitating innovation and entrepreneurship in the farm/food sector, and supporting the development of stronger local food systems and healthy, sharing, connected and resilient communities.