Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Consolidated Communications, Inc, (NASDAQ: CNSL) announced on Monday that more than 365,000 residents and businesses across Northern New England now have faster broadband speeds as the company works to upgrade 500,000 total customer locations this year. “We made a commitment to increase broadband speeds throughout Northern New England and we’re on track to complete these upgrades to 500,000 homes and small businesses by the end of 2018,” said Bob Udell, president and chief executive officer of Consolidated Communications. “We’re working hard to bring faster speeds and new products and services to Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire, and we’re also making great strides to improve network reliability and stability.”

Vermont Business Magazine A pioneering program at the University of Vermont Medical Center to offer women the option of receiving care from certified nurse-midwives is marking its 50^th year, making it the second-oldest hospital-based midwifery program in the nation. Since 1968, the Midwifery Service has managed 13,000 births at the Burlington hospital and grown to the point of having certified nurse-midwives (CNMs) attend nearly 20 percent of deliveries, a rate more than double the national average.

“The high rate is meaningful because studies show better outcomes are associated with deliveries attended by nurse-midwives, including lower rates of emergency caesarean sections, fewer inductions and greater success with breastfeeding,” said Marti Churchill, CNM, who leads the hospital’s program.

Vermont Business Magazine KeyPoint Partners, LLC (KPP) the Burlington, MA-based commercial real estate service firm, has announced that Target and H&M have held grand openings at University Mall in South Burlington – the first in the state for both retailers. The new Target store occupies a prominent 60,000-square-foot anchor space formerly occupied by The Bon-Ton. KPP Vice President of Leasing Don Mace negotiated the leases. KPP manages and leases UMall on behalf of the owner. Target officially opened October 21.

Vermont Business Magazine The following is a statement issued by The University of Vermont on Monday: “It’s Ok to be White” signs once again appeared on the UVM campus and at Champlain College over the weekend. In the past the signs appear to have been posted as part of a national effort. They were removed because they were posted in violation of University posting policy. To the extent that the signs are intended to promote a white nationalist ideology, as news reports have suggested, we condemn the activity in the strongest possible terms, as it is completely antithetical to our core University values.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Attorney General TJ Donovan moderated a panel of experts at the business expo TechJam October 19 designed to walk the attendees through a data breach scenario. The workshop, called “Anatomy of a Data Breach,” demonstrated best practices and showed participants the different elements of a data breach – from the technology to governmental reporting requirements to FBI reporting to public relations approaches. The scenario involved spear-phishing and ransomware, as well as a reportable data breach. TechJam is presented by Seven Days.

Vermont Business Magazine Mount Snow, which was recently named Best Snow and Best Grooming in The East by Ski Magazine, officially opened this morning as lifts began spinning at 8:00 a.m., marking the earliest opening day in its 64-year history.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Attorney General TJ Donovan joined a coalition of 21 attorneys general and 5 cities, to oppose the federal government’s plan to roll back federal greenhouse gas (“GHG”) emission and fuel economy standards for cars and trucks. The federal plan also seeks to bar California and states which have adopted California’s standards, including Vermont, from using state standards to reduce GHG emissions. If adopted, the plan would weaken requirements to reduce GHG tailpipe emissions that are the most significant step the nation has taken to fight climate change, and weaken requirements to make fuel economy improvements that save drivers money on gas. The coalition includes every state attorney general from jurisdictions that have adopted California’s standards.

Vermont Business Magazine Burlington-based HIMSS Analytics has announced the newest maturity model to enter the market, the Infrastructure Adoption Model or INFRAM. The INFRAM measures the technical infrastructure used within in a health system. By identifying specific benchmarks for organizations to reach before they go live with Electronic Medical Records (EMR) systems, the INFRAM ensures that a health system’s infrastructure is stable, manageable and extensible. Through this, organizations can improve care delivery and create a pathway for infrastructure development tied to business and clinical outcomes.

Vermont Business Magazine A public meeting to consider issues relating to privacy protections for Vermonters will take place in Montpelier on Thursday, November 15, 2018 5:30 PM – 8:30 PM EST at the Pavilion Building, 109 State Street, 3rd Floor. Interested parties or members of the public should email [email protected] to confirm attendance. The meeting is part of a legislative mandate to determine whether additional privacy protections for Vermonters are warranted. The meetings are organized and hosted by the Attorney General and the Department of Public Service.

Thursday November 1, 2018, at the DoubleTree by Hilton (formerly the Sheraton), 4-7 pm.

Vermont Business Magazine Superior Technical Ceramics, based in St Albans, has been acquired by Artemis Capital Partners, a private equity firm founded in 2010 and based in Boston. STC, a privately held company with 162 employees, occupies a campus encompassing 135,000 square feet of manufacturing space. It will remain at this location. Financial terms were not released.

Artemis invests exclusively in differentiated industrial technology companies operating in the aerospace, automotive, defense, energy, industrial automation, scientific and research, and medical sectors.

Vermont Business Magazine Mayor Miro Weinberger on Thursday opened the first phase of the Oakledge for All playground at Oakledge Park. As the first universally accessible playground in the region, Oakledge for All features accessible play structures, surfaces, and pathways that allow people with a range of mobility, visual, sensory, and other needs to be able to play.

“Burlington’s history of investing in our recreational resources has given our community access to world-class parks and outdoor spaces,” said Mayor Miro Weinberger. “Today, I’m proud to announce the opening of the first phase of the Oakledge for All playground, which will extend those opportunities for play and recreation to more members of our community. This grassroots, community-driven project creates an important resource for our City, and highlights Burlingtonians’ commitment to diversity and inclusion.”