Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Attorney General TJ Donovan and members of the Attorney General’s Office will co-host an expungement clinic with Vermont Legal Aid and the Chittenden County State’s Attorneys Office this Friday December 14, in Winooski. This is the first in a series of expungement clinics that Attorney General Donovan and Vermont Legal Aid will host around the state.

Expungements erase an individual’s criminal record after they have lived without further criminal involvement for a period of time. Most misdemeanors and some felonies are eligible for expungement. As of July 1, 2018, all dismissed charges are eligible for expungement. Attorney General Donovan has been an outspoken advocate to lower barriers to expungement by decreasing the fees necessary to file a petition for expungement with the courts.

Vermont Business Magazine Wintertime has arrived in Vermont, and so has flu season. With cases already reported in the state, health officials are urging Vermonters to get their annual flu vaccine. “Getting a flu shot is the best way to protect ourselves from the flu,” said Health Commissioner Mark Levine, MD. “When we all take this one simple step, we do more than just protect ourselves – we help keep the people around us healthy and safe from potentially deadly flu complications.”

Vermont Business Magazine A partnership between Let’s Grow Kids, Vermont Birth to Five and Casella Waste Systems was recently recognized in a national report from Child Care Aware of America, one of the country’s leading voices advocating for a child care system that effectively serves all children and families. The report, called “The US and the High Cost of Child Care: A Review of Prices and Proposed Solutions for a Broken System,” references Vermont’s child care crisis and how it impacts the employees of Casella Waste Systems, located in Rutland County.

According to statewide advocacy campaign Let’s Grow Kids, in Rutland, 63 percent of infants likely to need care do not have access to any regulated child care programs and 87 percent don’t have access to high-quality child care programs. The fact that most programs in the area are not open before 7 AM or after 6 PM exacerbates the problem for some Casella employees.

Vermont Business Magazine A new scholarship advancing addiction recovery in Vermont has been established to support the Vermont Foundation of Recovery (VFOR) by Dominion Diagnostics, a leading national medical laboratory with a two-decade long history in the state and deep roots in its treatment and recovery community. The Dominion Diagnostics VFOR Scholarship, which will be initially established with $9000, will begin in January 2019 and offers VFOR the opportunity to provide accessible recovery housing for individuals transitioning from addiction treatment, to recovery, to independent living.

Dominion's scholarship addresses a recommendation of the Vermont Governor's Opioid Coordination Council (OCC) to expand access to quality, affordable recovery housing, which supports the company's long-time commitment to discovering and developing new ways to enhance the treatment community at varying stages in care.

​Vermont Business Magazine A new three-year study by Dartmouth-Hitchcock physician Timothy Fisher, MD, will seek to understand why nine rural New Hampshire hospitals have closed their maternity wards since 2000, outline the impacts of these closures, and provide policy makers and hospital leaders with recommendations to better serve women in these communities and others that may be at risk.

Vermont Business Magazine People’s United Community Foundation, the philanthropic arm of People’s United Bank, NA, today announced that it awarded $92,000 to Vermont non-profits during its third grant cycle of 2018. Funding was allocated to 19 non-profit organizations in support of activities that ranged from basic needs services and affordable housing initiatives, to education and workforce development programs.

Some of the grant recipients included:

• Lake Champlain Maritime Museum at the Basin Harbor
• King street Center
• Cathedral Square Corporation
• Habitat for Humanity of Rutland County
• Capstone Community Action
• Windham & Windsor Housing Trust
• Twin Pines Housing

“We are proud to partner with a number of non-profit organizations that are creating positive change for individuals and strengthening our communities,” said Karen Galbo, Executive Director of the Foundation.

Vermont Business Magazine During the most recent quarter, the Vermont Economic Development Authority (VEDA) approved $5.1 million in financing to support commercial, agricultural, small business and energy development projects throughout Vermont. "Several exciting commercial, small business and energy projects were approved for loan assistance," said Jo Bradley, VEDA's Chief Executive Officer. "In addition, VEDA's Farm Operating Loan Program continues to provide cash flow relief to Vermont's dairy farmers to help them withstand the pressures of several years of low milk prices."

Included among the commercial financing approvals was:

by Bill Schubart The nation was appalled by televised scenes on America’s southern border of ICE forcibly separating children from their parents after a Justice Department ruling that to do so was legal and would deter further migration. Americans reacted quickly and the separations ended after a few days, although some several hundred families still have yet to be reunited.

by Louis Josephson, PhD It’s hard to turn on the radio or visit your favorite online news source these days without coming across a feature story or in-depth series about the state of mental health treatment here in Vermont and nationwide. More often than not, the media pays a good deal of attention to system inadequacies, regulatory and/or clinical missteps, perceived waste, and poorly coordinated care. Fair enough.

At the same time we’re seeing a lot more coverage of the steadily rising need for quality psychiatric and addiction services as increasing numbers of citizens from all walks of life struggle with serious mental illness and substance abuse. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention just issued a report indicating that suicide rates are up 33 percent since 1999, and that more than 47,000 Americans killed themselves in 2017.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Center for Independent Living, a statewide disability rights organization, recognized a Burlington restaurant on Nov. 29 for its commitment to accessibility. Butch & Babe’s owner Kortnee Bush received the Rosemary J. Miller Dining for All Award. Bush opened the Old North End eatery in 2015. Butch & Babe’s serves up good American food and a welcoming family and neighborhood atmosphere.

Cleary Buckley, a local architect who nominated the restaurant for the award, commented on the eatery’s accessible bar seating. “I especially think they did a great job creating a seated height bar that feels comfortable and welcoming to all — and not just a mandatory three-foot section like I see at so many other bars.”

Vermont Business Magazine Threshold 360 has announced that Vermont’s long-serving Deputy Commissioner of Tourism and Marketing, Steven Cook, will join their team as Director of Marketing. Cook will serve as a resource for domestic and international tourism destinations as they apply Threshold 360’s immersive experiences within their cities, towns, and communities.

Vermont Business Magazine Lake Champlain Chocolates Organic Bar line is the real deal in gourmet chocolate bars, crafted from fair trade certified chocolate and only the highest quality ingredients to create irresistible and award-winning flavors. With the busy holiday season upon us, Lake Champlain Chocolates (LCC) said in a press release that it is ready to bring joy to the season with irresistible chocolate gifts. The landscape of the chocolate industry has transformed over the past 35 years – with LCC continuing to be a leader in the marketplace. Premium chocolate is a sweet spot in the industry, showing double digit growth (+10.5% in $ and +16.7% units) over the last 52 weeks, according to the National Confectioners Association (NCA).