Current News

Vermont Business Magazine On the eve of a congressional hearing about the growing public health threat of measles outbreaks, Vermont Health Commissioner Mark Levine, MD, called for “a concerted effort to return measles to the ranks of obscure diseases.” In a letter to the members of Congress convening the hearing, Dr Levine said that recent outbreaks show that measles, a vaccine-preventable disease that just 20 years ago was declared eliminated from the U.S., is again becoming a grave concern. Dr. Levine attributes this, in part, to the spread of misinformation that has resulted in not enough people getting vaccinated to prevent its spread.

“Several of the outbreaks around the country started among communities with low rates of vaccinations,” said Dr. Levine. “The growing incidence we are seeing is often the result of the spread of inaccurate or misleading information about these safe and effective vaccines.”

Vermont Business Magazine A group of teacher leaders and founding partner, Vermont-based National Life Group, announced on Monday the launch of a new coalition to address and prevent school shootings and other acts of violence by providing teachers and all school employees with the knowledge, tools and resources they need to proactively keep schools safe.

Vermont Business Magazine The Flexible Capital Fund (Flex Fund) of Vermont, Coastal Enterprises (CEI) of Maine and New Hampshire Community Loan Fund (Community Loan Fund) today announced a joint investment of $1 million in Encore Renewable Energy, a Vermont-based clean energy company with a proven track record of reclaiming undervalued real estate for community-scale solar PV systems.

Vermont Business Magazine Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences is launching a new 3-year Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) program on its Colchester Campus; applications are now being accepted for Summer 2019 enrollment. The program, which was recently approved by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education, is scheduled to begin on June 3 following a four day orientation (May 28-31).

With students increasingly looking to fast-track their careers in order to begin earning income sooner and start gaining professional experience, the 3-year program helps address a growing need.

Of the more than 150 Pharm.D. programs in the country, there are only 21 who offer 3-year programs and just four in the Northeast (including ACPHS-Vermont).

Vermont Business Magazine If you want lose weight, research shows, the single best predictor of success is monitoring and recording your calorie and fat intake throughout the day – to “write it when you bite it.” But dietary self-monitoring is commonly viewed as so unpleasant and time-consuming, many would-be weight-losers can’t muster the will power to do it. New research to be published in the March issue of Obesity suggests that the reality of dietary self-monitoring may be far less disagreeable than the perception.

by John McClaughry Kudos to the Vermont Senate for passing a bill requiring that Senate districts “shall have a maximum of three members.” Interestingly, two of the three sponsors of S.11 (Sens. Ashe and Sirotkin) are elected from the Chittenden District, the only district with more than three members. The main reason Vermont has one 6-member Senate district, three 3-member districts, six 2-member districts, and 3-single member districts is historical. Because of dissatisfaction with the performance of the one-town, one-vote House, and growing population disparities between Burlington and tiny towns like Baltimore and Stannard, the voters in 1836 adopted a constitutional amendment creating a Senate.

Vermont Business Magazine Stone Valley Community Market, a natural- and organic-foods cooperative in Poultney, has decided to dissolve in view of operating losses and a heavy debt load, according to a press release dated February 22. At a meeting last Thursday evening, members of the cooperative voted to approve the co-op board's recommendation to dissolve and liquidate the co-op's remaining assets.

Vermont Business Magazine Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont), Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, in a victory following a two-year long dispute with the Trump administration, on Monday announced that approximately $2.3 million in Department of Justice grants to fund public safety needs and combat the opioid epidemic in Vermont will finally be released. 

In 2017, the Vermont State Police was awarded a $1.3 million COPS Anti-Heroin Task Force (AHTF) grant that, in addition to two-years’ worth of Byrne Justice Assistance formula grants totaling roughly $1 million, were withheld by the Department of Justice due to the Trump administration’s controversial and ill-founded immigration policies regarding so-called “sanctuary cities.” 

Leahy and the Vermont Department of Public Safety (VDPS) repeatedly pushed back against the administration and successfully argued that VDPS was in compliance with federal law.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott and members of his Cabinet will be in Orange County on Tuesday, February 26 for their Capitol for a Day initiative. This is the twelfth county the group has toured since last summer. Capitol for a Day gives local constituents, municipal governments and other partners the opportunity to connect directly with State leadership and staff. The Administration will visit each of the state’s 14 counties as part of this initiative.

The governor and members of his Cabinet and Extended Cabinet have previously toured Rutland, Caledonia, Windsor, Franklin, Bennington, Addison, Chittenden, Orleans, Windham, Lamoille and Essex counties as part of this initiative.

Follow along on social media using the #VTCapitol4aDay hashtag.

WHEN:                Tuesday, February 26

                             8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

(Details below)                              

Vermont Business Magazine Green Mountain Power is closely tracking multiple forecasts calling for strong winds through the day Monday. Meteorologists say gusts ramp up Monday potentially reaching 60 MPH and scattered outages are possible with greater risk for more along the eastern slopes of the Green Mountains. The strong winds are the second part of a storm that first brought wintry mixed precipitation to the area starting Saturday night.

“We follow any changes in the weather very closely so we can respond quickly and safely for our customers,” said Eric Lemery, from GMP’s operations division. “We have been tracking this storm for days and we’re prepared for the forecast.”

Vermont Busines Magazine The Vermont Republican Party announced Monday that its National Committeeman, Jay Shepard, was unanimously re-elected Chair of the Northeast Region, will continue to serve as Vice-Chair of the Republican National Committee and sit on the Executive Committee.

​Leonine Public Affairs This week action in the legislature was dominated by extended House floor debate on H57, which puts in statute a woman’s right to have an abortion. There were also elections by a Joint Assembly of the House and Senate to pick a new Adjutant General for the Vermont National Guard, the legislative members of UVM’s Board of Trustees and the statehouse Sergeant at Arms. As a result, the House Committees did not meet nearly as much this week as they otherwise would have.