Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Attorney General TJ Donovan announced today that his office has reviewed the officer-involved-shooting incident that occurred on May 11, 2019, in Tunbridge, Vermont. The Attorney General’s Office said in a state that it is declining to prosecute Vermont State Police Troopers Neil Carey and Matthew Tarricone for charges related to the fatal shooting of Jeremy Potwin. In reaching this decision, the office said it reviewed all the materials provided by the Vermont State Police, who conducted the investigation.

On May 11, 2019, the Vermont State Police located Jeremy Potwin at a home in Tunbridge, Vermont to serve an arrest warrant for an alleged violation of probation. Mr. Potwin, despite repeated requests by the Vermont State Police to exit the home, refused to be taken into custody and fired several shots out of the house in the direction of members of the Vermont State Police Tactical Services Unit.

by John McClaughry Get ready for the Global Climate Strike. This will occur in Vermont, and around the world, on September 20 and continue with “actions” throughout the ensuing week to publicize a frightening “climate emergency.” The Climate Strike activists have been taught to believe that the Earth is relentlessly heading toward a climate disaster. This is said to proven by “science,” evidenced by whatever calamitous weather event just appeared on your television screen.

More than half of this trend since 1950 is said to be due to the emission of greenhouse gases by human activities, notably the combustion of carbon fuels to provide electricity, transportation, and home and industrial process heating.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets (VAAFM) is pleased to announce that $1 million dollars in funding is available for farmers, custom applicators, non-profit organizations and phosphorus separation equipment providers through the Capital Equipment Assistance Program (CEAP). Financial assistance is available for new or used innovative equipment that will aid in the reduction of surface runoff of agricultural wastes to State waters, improve water quality of State waters, reduce odors from manure application, separate phosphorus from manure, decrease greenhouse gas emissions, and reduce costs to farmers. The following equipment categories are eligible for funding:

Vermont Business Magazine Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger, joined by Burlington Electric Department (BED) General Manager Darren Springer, City Director of Sustainability Jennifer Green, and other stakeholders, on Sunday publicly released the City’s Net Zero Energy Roadmap. More than a year in the making, the Roadmap studies what it will take for Burlington to accomplish its goal to become a Net Zero Energy city by 2030, and identifies four key pathways to get there.

Vermont Business Magazine Army Veteran Shannon Blake, of Shelburne, VT, is participating in the 2019 National Disabled Veterans TEE (Train, Expose, Experience) Tournament being held in Iowa City, September 8-13. The 26th National Disabled Veterans TEE Tournament (NDVTEE) is an annual rehabilitative event sponsored by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Disabled American Veterans (DAV). The week-long event promotes rehabilitation by offering visually impaired veterans and those with other disabilities the opportunity to enjoy therapeutic adaptive golfing and other recreational sports.

Vermont Business Magazine More than 90 percent of people who died by suicide showed symptoms of mental health conditions, yet 59 percent of US adults with a mental health condition received no mental health services in the past year, according to a new report. States with a high rate of access to mental health care tend to have low prevalence of mental illness, Vermont was nearly opposite. The state has high incidence of mental health conditions (7) and also a high rate of access (2). Vermont also has a growing rate of suicide.

Vermont Business Magazine Brattleboro Memorial Hospital’s Chief Medical Officer, Kathleen McGraw, MD, was awarded the credential of Certified Physician Executive through the certifying body of the American Association for Physician Leadership on August 15. 2019. For more than 40 years, The American Association for Physician Leadership has “helped physicians develop their leadership skills through education, career development and thought leadership, by providing a supportive community of peers.” 

The Certified Physician Executive credential is CPE is awarded by the Certifying Commission in Medical Management, and signifies the completion of a rigorous course of study. 

Vermont Business Magazine Rutland Regional Medical Center is pleased to welcome anesthesiologist, Erika M Cyr MD to their team. Dr Cyr received her Doctor of Medicine from Boston University School of Medicine. She completed her residency in Anesthesiology at Walter Reed National Military Center and internship with Madigan Army Medical Center. Dr Cyr is board-certified in Anesthesiology. 

A practicing physician since 2015, Dr. Cyr pursued a career in anesthesiology because “I enjoy the fast pace and constantly changing environment of anesthesiology. It also allows me to interact with many different healthcare disciplines.”

Photo: A temporary hospital unit will be provided by the Vermont Department of Health for a joint emergency preparedness drill involving UVM Health Network Porter Medical Center, Middlebury College and the Vermont Department of Health on September 13-14.  The temporary hospital will be set-up in Kenyon Arena on the College campus.

From Friday, September 13, to Saturday, September 14, UVMHN Porter Medical Center, Middlebury College and the Vermont Department of Health will be conducting a joint emergency preparedness exercise to create a 40-bed temporary hospital unit within Chip Kenyon Arena on the College campus.

The Vermont Department of Health currently maintains two 20-Bed Portable Hospital units, each packaged in a 28’ tow-behind trailer readily available to medical facilities in need.  During an emergency, they can be activated independently or together as a 40-bed unit.

A new store featuring CBD and healthy living products has opened in Hanover. AroMed Essentials is located at 6 Allen Street and sells their own line of products containing CBD (cannabidiol) oil, essential oils, and other healthy lifestyle products. CBD oil is derived from the cannabis hemp plant and is widely reported to help those suffering from anxiety and pain.

Attorney General T.J. Donovan today announced joining 48 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico in a multistate, bipartisan investigation of Google’s business practices in accordance with state and federal antitrust laws. The bipartisan coalition announced plans to investigate Google’s overarching control of online advertising markets and search traffic that may have led to anticompetitive behavior that harms consumers. Legal experts from each state will work in cooperation with federal authorities to assess competitive conditions for online services and ensure that Americans have access to free digital markets.

“For the free market to work, there must be competition,” said Attorney General Donovan. “A healthy and fair marketplace provides consumers with choices, allows innovation to flourish, and maintains users’ privacy.” 

Plug-in electric vehicles (EVs) are making inroads with Vermont drivers; as of July there were 3,288 passenger EVs registered in the state. But with more than 40 percent of Vermont’s greenhouse gas emissions coming from the transportation sector, the push is on to encourage even more Vermonters to get charged up about EVs. 

A series of events across the state, organized in conjunction with National Drive Electric Week starting Sept. 14, aims to help Vermonters get a closer look at EVs – many of them driven by their neighbors who are lending their cars to the cause – and learn more about the many advantages EVs offer over conventional gasoline-powered cars, including cleaner air and thousands of dollars in potential savings on fuel and maintenance.