Current News

Vermont Business Magazine EverPresent, the company that thousands have entrusted to digitize and organize millions of precious photos and home videos, recently announced that its services are coming to Brattleboro and Burlington. Lotus Graphics of Brattleboro and The Frame Game of Burlington are EverPresents’ first Vermont businesses to join its partner network — making it more convenient for local Vermont families to have their aging photos and home movies digitally preserved.

EverPresent continues to offer its in-home consultations services throughout New England and the Tri-State area, but families now have the option of bringing their precious family memories to Lotus Graphics or The Frame Game and having them personally transported to EverPresent’s state-of-the-art lab right in Newton, Massachusetts.

Vermont Business Magazine Last weekend’s 10^th Annual Wine and Food Fest Benefit for the Food Shelf turned up a big bounty for the Chittenden Emergency organization that provides supplemental food supplies those in our community who are in need. For the event Shelburne Vineyard waived their usual Tasting Fee for attendees who brought non-perishable food donations or who made a cash contribution to the Food Shelf. In turn contributors were enrolled in an hourly raffle that netted a different gift each hour donated by the ten participating Vermont food and beverage vendors. The hourly clang of two wine bottles brought silence to the room as winners were drawn and there were whoops of surprise and delight as the raffle winners were announced.

Vermont State Police The Vermont Chief Medical Examiner's Office has positively identified the victim found at 715 Bliss Road as Carol Fradette and determined the cause of her death to be blunt impact and a gunshot wound. The manner of death is homicide. Positive identification for the victim found at 637 Bliss Road remains pending. On October 30, 2018 at approximately 11:10 pm a resident of Bliss Road in Woodbury called E911 to report that the residence across the road was fully engulfed in flames. The Woodbury Fire Department responded and the residence on fire was determined to be located at 715 Bliss Road. While fighting the fire, firefighters observed that the adjacent residence, at 637 Bliss Road, was also on fire. Both residences are approximately 150 feet apart. The Woodbury Fire Department was able to extinguish both structure fires. Inside the residence at 715, firefighters discovered human remains. Inside the residence at 637 they discovered human remains and pet remains.

Vermont Business Magazine Over 175 community and business leaders joined Rutland Economic Development Corporation (REDC) for their 81st Annual Meeting to celebrate the successes of the organization and community over the last year. In addition to electing officers and directors to the board and presenting on the state of the organization, the annual event is an opportunity for REDC to celebrate the region’s businesses and entrepreneurs. Awesome Graphics and Casella Construction were recognized as 2018 Business Members of the Year. Both businesses were given this award to recognize their robust growth, active community leadership, and dedication to their employees.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets (VAAFM) announced today reimbursement payments will be sent this week to Vermont Dairy Farmers under the milk Margin Protection Program (MPP). Governor Scott, the Legislature and the Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets secured funding in the fiscal year 2019 State budget to help dairy farmers pay premiums related to the MPP. These critical payments come during a difficult time for Vermont’s dairy farmers. The state appropriation totals $450,000. Payments made to farmers will vary but will not exceed $833 toward their premium expense.

Vermont Business Magazine Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital (NVRH) announced today that it will acquire Northern Physical Therapy (NPT) in Lyndonville, effective November 30. The therapy practice will retain its clinical and support staff, location, services and day-to-day operations as it partners with the St. Johnsbury-based health system.

“It is a privilege to welcome NPT to the NVRH organization,” NVRH Chief Human Resource Officer Betty Ann Gwatkin said. “Their engaged, caring and innovative vision and staff align with NVRH’s mission to improve the health of those in our local communities and the greater Northeast Kingdom.”

Vermont Business Magazine The Bennington Area Chamber of Commerce, as part of the Vermont Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (VACCE), announced that its organization will once again be offering a variety of health insurance plans to its over 430 members throughout the Bennington County for the first time since 2013. The statewide chamber organization, VACCE – Vermont Association for Chamber of Commerce Executives, will partner with BlueCross BlueShield of Vermont to provide three separate plans to businesses, ranging in size from 1 to 100 employees: the VACE Advantage 100% Health Savings Account, the VACE Advantage Copay and the VACE Advantage Copay HSA.

Vermont Business Magazine Central Vermont Medical Center (CVMC) offers in-person assistance to community members enrolling in Vermont Health Connect, the state’s health insurance marketplace. 2019 open enrollment began November 1 and ends December 15. This is the time when any Vermonter can sign up for 2019 health coverage or make changes to an existing plan. Enrolling members will have a coverage start date of January 1, 2019.

Current Vermont Health Connect members aren’t required to compare health plans or to take any action at all. As long as they continue paying their bills, they’re automatically renewed in the 2019 version of their 2018 plan. In past years, most members have gone this route.

Due to this year’s changes, however, officials strongly encourage members to invest the time needed to be sure they’re enrolled in the best plan for them.

by John McClaughry Two weeks ago President Trump unveiled his long-promised plan for lowering prescription drug prices. It has two main features, relating to Medicare Part B. The first part responds to a real problem and is a useful solution. The second part offers a Trump solution that promises to cripple the world’s leading pharmaceutical industry.

Under Part B, Medicare covers the cost of any approved drug delivered in a doctor’s office or clinic, as opposed to medications bought at a pharmacy. That cost is whatever the drug company charges. The prescribing doctor gets a six percent commission on each sale.

The Trump proposal would replace this commission with a flat fixed fee. That would take away the incentive to prescribe and buy the highest cost product for the patient. So far so good.

Vermont Business Magazine Physician's Computer Company (PCC), the leading pediatric-focused vendor for independent pediatricians nationwide, has announced their membership in and early implementation of Carequality. Carequality is a public-private, multi-stakeholder collaborative that provides a framework for the seamless exchange of data between healthcare entities.

In healthcare, the need for systems for be interoperable grows every day. PCC's membership in Carequality assures pediatricians that the EHR vendor is working at the cutting edge of data exchange technology.

Vermont Business Magazine Community members have an additional location to drop off unused and unwanted prescription medications year-round. Copley Hospital has installed a secure prescription medication drop box in the main hallway outside of the Laboratory Check-in. Secure prescription medication drop boxes are also located in the Lamoille County Sheriff’s office, in the Morristown Police Department, and in the Hardwick Police Department.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Community Loan Fund has announced the second round of SPROUT, a low-interest loan program for emerging working lands entrepreneurs. The financing program was created to meet the capital needs of Vermont farms, food producers & processors, foresters, forest products businesses and others in the start-up and early stages of operations. Loan applications are now being accepted.