Current News

Vermont Business Magazine We are proud to announce the formation and launch of the first association for Emergency Management in the state of Vermont. The association will provide a network for everyone involved in emergency management within the state to connect, find resources, share experiences and lessons and have a voice in the concerns addressing the state and our communities.
Emergency Management is the discipline that connects public and private sectors, families and businesses, corporations and communities with the common need and goal of mitigating, preparing for, responding to, and recovering from large scale emergencies and disasters. Vermont law requires each municipality to have an Emergency Management Director (EMD) most of which are volunteer. Other partners in Emergency Management include private companies, schools, community groups and religious organizations and Vermont Emergency Management.

Vermont Business Magazine Good News Garage, the car donation nonprofit based in Burlington, Vermont, is the recipient of a 2019 Governor’s Excellence in Worksite Wellness Silver-Level Award. The Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports presented the award to Good News Garage’s assistant director of operations, Amy Barcomb, at the 2019 Worksite Wellness Conference on March 21, 2019. 

Amy Barcomb with Health Commissioner Mark Levine and Governor Phil Scott.

Vermont Business Magazine The Brattleboro Memorial Hospital LGBTQ+ Leadership Council and Green Mountain Crossroads are co-sponsoring two free screenings of GenSilent, a critically acclaimed documentary about the issues facing older LGBT people towards the end of life. This film follows the stories of several LGBT seniors in the Boston area as they navigate healthcare challenges and assisted living concerns. The screenings are free and open to the public, and will include a feedback session at the end of the film. Light refreshments will also be provided.

The screenings will take place in the Brew Barry Conference Rooms at Brattleboro Memorial Hospital at 5:30pm on Wednesday, April 3 and at 1:00pm on Sunday, April 7. 

RSVP is appreciated but not required.  Contact Johanna Staveley with RSVP information or any questions at 802-257-8314 or [email protected].

Vermont Business Magazine The Thrift Shop located at the Manchester office of the VNA & Hospice of the Southwest Region (formerly Manchester Health Services) on 5468 Main Street Manchester Center, VT will open on the second Saturday of the month beginning April 13 and ending October 13. The Thrift Shop, run by volunteers and stocked with donated items, is an important source of revenue for the VNA & Hospice of the Southwest Region, which serves thousands of patients in Bennington and Rutland Counties.

“We are excited to offer Saturday hours monthly,” said Christine Hoard, Director of Philanthropy at the VNA & Hospice of the Southwest Region. “The shop is such an important part of the community, we wanted to expand our hours so that all who wish to shop and support home health and hospice care can.”

The Thrift Shop is open Monday –Friday from 11am-4pm and from 10am-3pm on the second Saturday of the month.

Vermont Business Magazine In response to President Trump’s proposal to eliminate funding for the Low Income Heating Assistance Program (LIHEAP), Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) has rallied a bipartisan coalition in support of fully funding this vital program. 174 Members of the House of Representatives signed a letter to the House Appropriations Committee expressing the importance of this safety net program to struggling families.

“LIHEAP helps low-income households and seniors with their energy bills, providing vital assistance during both the cold winter months and the hot summer months,” wrote the Members. “LIHEAP households are among the most vulnerable in the country. For these households, LIHEAP funding has been a lifeline during challenging economic times. Access to affordable home energy is not a luxury—it is a matter of health and safety.”

Seeks 225 donors to unlock $350,000 in challenge funds

Vermont Business Magazine Marlboro College has announced Sugar Rush 2019, an Annual Fund challenge celebrating the sugaring season and culminating with a sugar-on-snow event on April 3. With a total goal of reaching 225 donors, the college stands to unlock $350,000 in challenge funds donated by generous trustees and friends.

Vermont Business Magazine Attorney General TJ Donovan has joined 38 state attorneys general to send a letter to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) criticizing the Pain Management Best Practices Inter-Agency Task Force Draft Report. The letter was addressed to Dr Vanila Singh, chief medical officer for the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health.

Farmers Encouraged to Review Spreading Rules Going Forward

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont’s winter manure spreading ban ends today, April 1st, but with another cold and wet March having brought adverse field conditions to most of Vermont, the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets (VAAFM) is issuing a spring stewardship reminder to Vermont farmers and Custom Manure Applicators. VAAFM advises farmers and Custom Operators that water quality rules will restrict manure spreading activities until individual field conditions improve. The Required Agricultural Practices (RAPs) prohibit the application of manure to frozen or snow-covered fields, as well as on saturated ground where field conditions are conducive to runoff into Vermont’s waters.

Vermont Business Magazine Eight Main Street Grants will be awarded to six Vermont communities from the National Life Group Foundation. This is the second year of the Main Street Grants program that was created to help build community throughout Vermont where National Life is headquartered. The grants include funding for repositioning a community to take advantage of its emerging outdoor recreational opportunities to upgrading heating and lighting systems in an arts center to a mural designed to enhance a downtown streetscape. In all, $85,300 in grants will be awarded to Barre, Brandon, Newport, Poultney, Randolph, and Rutland.

Vermont Business Magazine The Department of Financial Regulation (DFR) has entered into a Stipulation and Consent Order with The Lafayette Life Insurance Company for its failure to properly supervise its Vermont insurance agents. Under the terms of the settlement, Lafayette will pay a $300,000 administrative penalty and make several improvements to its supervisory procedures, including annual training and enhanced reporting.

by Representative Pattie McCoy (Rutland-1) The Vermont Senate recently passed a bill that will mandate a $15 minimum wage for Vermont by 2024, with incremental increases from today’s $10.78. This sounds nice, giving low-income workers a raise; however, there are some significant consequences to this that the proponents of the bill and the media are not telling Vermonters.

Vermont Business Magazine The City of Burlington, Champlain College and Park Burlington have announced a free parking promotion through August during the Great Streets project on Saint Paul Street. Beginning on April 1st, the new covered lots at 194 St Paul Street - with entrances on King or Maple - will offer a first hour of free parking and a rate reduction to $1/Hr for every hour thereafter. See the attached map for the location of the parking lots. You must still use Parkmobile or the kiosk machine to set up your parking session, even for the hour of free parking.