Current News

Vermont Business Magazine The snow guns stand at the ready, set to blast Vermont’s ski and snowboard season into full swing. According to Ski Vermont, the state is entering the prime date range for ski areas to open; most have a day circled on their calendars for spinning their first chairs of the season. Along with Killington and Mount Snow, which have already celebrated their first days, the other big resorts are expected to be opening by or around Thanksgiving.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Symphony Orchestra (VSO) has announced a partnership with the National Alliance for Audition Support (NAAS), a program led by The Sphinx Organization of Detroit. With a mission to transform lives through the power of diversity in the arts, NAAS provides mentoring, audition preparation, financial support, audition previews and more.

“Women and people of color have been mostly excluded from classical music throughout history because of a structure that favors white men,” says VSO Executive Director Ben Cadwallader. ”Our partnership with Sphinx continues the hard work of shifting long-held systemic structures and beliefs as the VSO creates new conditions throughout our organization where people from all different perspectives and identities are welcomed and musically celebrated.”

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Health and officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are working with the Wake Robin retirement community in Shelburne to respond to an outbreak of extensively drug resistant (XDR) Shigella sonnei infections. Shigella is a type of bacteria that can make people sick with diarrhea, stomach cramps, and sometimes a fever. As of November 6, 22 cases have been confirmed by testing at the Health Department Laboratory, and an additional 44 probable cases have been reported, all among Wake Robin staff, residents, and visitors.

Vermont Business Magazine As Tom Petty often sang, “The waiting is hardest part.” But when making whiskey, waiting isn't just part of the game, waiting is the game. For Northeastern whiskey and craft beer fanatics, that wait is almost over, as Mad River Distillers of Warren, Vermont and 14th Star Brewing Company of St. Albans, Vermont have teamed up for the third annual release of Mad River's Hopscotch Vermont Single Malt Whiskey.

Vermont Business Magazine Ledyard Financial Group (ticker symbol LFGP), holding company for Ledyard National Bank with a branch in Norwich, Vermont, has announced that Mark Beliveau has joined their Board of Directors effective October 23, 2018. Mark is a partner at South Burlington-based Gallagher, Flynn and Company, LLC, a regional tax, auditing, and consulting firm providing services to clients throughout the Northeast.

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.