Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott presented his state budget to the state legislature last Thursday. In his budget address, Governor Scott proposed to tax e-cigarettes at the same rate as on other tobacco products, which is 92 percent of the wholesale price. The 2017 Youth Risk Behavior Survey points out that one in eight Vermont high school students and one in 25 Vermont middle school students report using e-cigarettes, and this was before the boom of Juul, a popular e-cigarette brand among youth. From 2017 to 2018, e-cigarette use by U.S high school students rose 78 percent. This is the biggest one-year spike of any substance in nearly 50 years.

Vermont Business Magazine On the 46th anniversary of the Roe v Wade decision the Population Institute is releasing its seventh annual 50 State Report Card on Reproductive Health and Rights. The most comprehensive assessment of its kind, it tracks multiple indicators of reproductive health and rights, including access to family planning and abortion services. While Vermont and a handful of states received an "A," the new report card gives the US a national grade of  "D-" for 2018. That's unchanged from the previous year, but with new threats emerging, and reproductive rights coming under intensified assault, the Institute warns that the grade for 2019 could be even lower.

Vermont Business Magazine The year was 1976. Americans celebrated our nation’s bicentennial and saw the election of a new president, Jimmy Carter. Our pants were bell-bottoms, our sideburns long, and our music disco—or Peter Frampton—depending on whom you ask. We watched “Happy Days,” “Laverne & Shirley,” and “M*A*S*H.” And we paid on average 59 cents for a gallon of gas. Here in Randolph, 1976 saw the arrival of a new doctor to our small-town hospital.

by John McClaughry Last September the Legislature underwrote a $120,000 contract to a Washington, DC, firm named "Resources for the Future" that specializes in analyzing the economic impact of various policies aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions caused by consumption of fossil fuels. The 114-page “Decarbonization Study” has now been delivered.

Before summarizing its findings, let’s recall why certain organizations are so intent on driving Vermonters away from using gasoline, diesel fuel, natural gas, heating oil, and propane.

They believe that Planet Earth is approaching a climate catastrophe caused by the humans burning these energy-rich fuels. By far the most dominant greenhouse gas is water vapor, but that can’t be controlled by driving up the price of water. So the climate alarmists – for want of a better description – are determined to defeat the menace of climate change by making humans stop burning fossil fuels.

Vermont Business Magazine The Southwestern Vermont Medical Center (SVMC) community and other parts of the country are experiencing a significant increase in influenza and flu-like viral infections. To help protect the community, patients and staff, SVMC has temporarily restricted its Visitor Policy, requesting that people who have the flu or flu-like symptoms not visit patients. These symptoms include cough, fever, diarrhea, rash, or known exposure to a contagious illness in the past 14 days. Additionally, no visitors under the age of 18 will be allowed in the hospital until further notice.

Anyone who has these symptoms and due to extenuating circumstances must visit a patient, will be required to obtain a mask on entry to the hospital and to follow these recommendations:

• Wash or sanitize your hands before and after visiting.

• Stay in the patient’s hospital room. Do not visit other patients.

Vermont Business Magazine Four member agencies of Vermont Care Partners (VCP) have come together to reshape the delivery and coordination of care through a partnership with Netsmart to deploy a unified technology platform. As value-based care quickly becomes reality, Lamoille County Mental Health Services, Northwestern Counseling and Support Services, United Counseling Services of Bennington and Washington County Mental Health Services will leverage the full suite of solutions from Netsmart to integrate with Vermont’s other care providers, establish common clinical workflows and ensure their outcomes-focused mission can continue to thrive as the healthcare landscape evolves.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Agency of Education today recognized the state’s 2019 Presidential Scholar nominees in a ceremony at the Vermont Statehouse. The Vermont Presidential Scholars Program recognizes graduating high school seniors who show outstanding scholarship, leadership and service to their communities. Twenty scholars are nominated in the general category, and five scholars are nominated in the Career Technical Education (CTE) category. For the first time this year, Vermont will award five scholars in the Arts.

Vermont Business Magazine A Vermont court has ruled that a “receiver” is needed to run the Pillsbury residential care homes in South Burlington and St. Albans. On Friday, January 25th, the court ruled that the current owner-manager had caused the Pillsbury residents to experience food shortages, inadequate nursing care, and related mental stress, among other harms. Attorney General TJ Donovan had requested the receiver on behalf of the VT Department of Disabilities, Aging & Independent Living (DAIL). DAIL licenses and oversees long-term care facilities in the state.

Vermont Business Magazine Weekly unemployment claims continued to edge down last week, as the holiday layoff spike subsided. For the week of January 19, 2019, there were 576 claims, 98 fewer than they were the previous week, but 65 more than they were a year ago. The holiday season usually sees wild swings in claims, as retailers in particular hire and layoff workers in spikes in November and December and then levels off in January.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott and members of his Cabinet will be in Essex County on Tuesday, January 29 for their eleventh Capitol for a Day visit. The initiative has brought the Governor and members of his Cabinet and Extended Cabinet to Rutland, Caledonia, Windsor, Franklin, Bennington, Addison, Chittenden, Orleans, Windham and Lamoille counties over the last several months.

Vermont Business Magazine Casella Waste Systems, Inc (NASDAQ:CWST), a regional solid waste, recycling and resource management services company, has announced the closing on January 25, 2019, of its previously announced underwritten public offering of shares of its Class A common stock, including the full exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase an additional 465,000 shares at a public offering price of $29.50 per share, before offering discounts. The exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase additional shares brought the total number of shares of Class A common stock sold by Casella in the offering to 3,565,000 and increased the aggregate gross proceeds from the offering to $105.2 million, before deducting underwriting discounts and offering expenses.

Vermont Business Magazine At its 32^nd Annual Membership Meeting held January 17^th at The Essex Resort and Spa, the Vermont Business Roundtable elected new officers: Chair Mark Foley, Foley Services; Vice-Chair Judith O’Connell, Champlain Investment Partners; Treasurer Scott Giles, Vermont Student Assistance Corporation; Secretary Stephanie Mapes, Paul Frank + Collins; Immediate Past Chair Michael Seaver, Peoples United Bank; and, President Lisa Ventriss.  

Also, at the meeting, members elected new directors to their first three-year term: David Bradbury, Vermont Center for Emerging Technologies; Sara Byers, Leonardo’s Pizza; Meg Fleming, SymQuest Group; and, Holly Groschner, VermontPBS.