Current News

Vermont Business Magazine A new state report of a pilot program to test school drinking water for lead recommends that all Vermont school water systems be tested for the toxic metal. Sixteen schools from across the state participated in the voluntary initiative to help determine whether a comprehensive state-wide testing program should be considered.

“There is no safe level of lead in the human body,” said Vermont Health Commissioner Mark Levine, MD. “We have an obligation to ensure that students and school staff have safe drinking water, and one thing this project made clear is that you have to test the water to know if there is lead in it,” said Dr. Levine.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine The nurses union and the University of Vermont Medical Center have reached a tentative agreement on a new contract. After many months of often vitriolic accusations from the union and despite a line in the stand drawn by the Burlington hospital just last week that it had offered "a last, best and final" offer to the union, the two sides tweaked that offer which could now end the labor dispute, pending a vote by the 1,800 nurses. Both sides issued press releases announcing the deal about 10:30 pm Wednesday.

by Ski Vermont Skiing and snowboarding in Vermont are experiences that can’t be beat – but they can be improved. Green Mountain State ski areas have had their noses to the grindstone this off-season, revamping everything from their facilities, terrain and ticket/pass options to off-slope activities and amenities. There are a myriad ways in which Vermont areas have made the state’s official sports even more enjoyable for visitors and their families for the 2018-19 season.

Vermont Business Magazine The 18th Annual Renewable Energy Vermont Conference and Expo today announced its lineup of speakers for REV2018, themed REVitalize: Transforming Energy Further, Faster, Together. REV2018, northern New England’s premier event exploring clean energy innovation and climate solutions, convenes Thursday, October 18th through Friday, October 19th at the Hilton Hotel and Conference Center in South Burlington. The event typically hosts more than 500 attendees and is already on track to exceed previous years’ attendance.

The two-day conference will feature keynote speaker Gordon van Welie, President and CEO of ISO New England on its first day and Katherine Hamilton, known for her podcast The Energy Gang from Green Tech Media, on the second day.

Vermont Business Magazine In a petition to the Second Circuit Court of Appeals, Vermont Attorney General TJ Donovan challenged a decision by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to exempt several large categories of mercury products from inventory reporting. Mercury exposures at high levels can harm the brain, heart, kidneys, lungs and immune systems of people of all ages, and mercury in the bloodstream of developing babies and young children may harm their nervous systems and ability to think and learn.

Vermont Business Magazine Hunting can be a valuable tool for private land conservation but managing hunters can be intimidating, particularly if you are not familiar with hunting. To help, the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department is holding a free seminar in Manchester for landowners interested in learning more about hunting and managing hunter access.

Vermont Business Magazine The US Small Business Administration announced that $18 million in funding has been awarded to 47 State international trade agencies through SBA's competitive State Trade Expansion Program (STEP), to support export growth among US small businesses. The Vermont Agency of Commerce & Community Development will receive just over $400,000.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont’s congressional delegation announced on Wednesday that firefighters throughout Vermont have received $991,958 through nine federal grants. The awards are part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) program, which helps fire departments and fire academies purchase critically needed equipment to better protect the public and first responders. This year’s grants will help buy a range of equipment, including air packs, vehicle extrication tools and a pumper truck.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Futures Project today announced its first set of policy and initiative recommendations to address Vermont’s annual need for 10,000 more workers. The Vermont Futures Project, established two years ago, looks to develop a long-term, statewide effort to provide sustainable prosperity for everyone in Vermont.

Vermont Business Magazine On Tuesday, Governor Phil Scott, along with other governors and private employers around the nation, joined the White House in its initiative to support America’s workers through workforce development and training opportunities. On July 19, President Trump established the President’s National Council for the American Worker to “foster an environment of lifelong learning and skills-based training, and cultivate a demand-driven approach to workforce development."

“I’m pleased to join leaders across the country in committing to our workforce, providing for the skills and training needed for Vermonters and all Americans to succeed in the 21^st Century economy,” Scott said.

Vermont Business Magazine An innovative initiative that will use a public health approach to inform opioid prescribing policies will be launched in northern New England thanks to a new $339,000 grant to the Northern New England Clinical and Translational Research (NNE-CTR) Network from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The program, titled “Hospital Utilization for Opioid Overdose: A Community-Engaged Multidisciplinary Approach to Measure the Impact of Policy Change and Inform Interventions,” will help address a critical health crisis in the region and nation.

by Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) Social Security is one of the most popular and successful government programs in the history of our country. For more than 80 years, through good times and bad, Social Security has paid out every benefit owed to every eligible American on time and without delay. Not once over more than eight decades of operation - not even during our worst economic downturns - has anyone received a letter or phone call from the Social Security Administration saying: “Sorry, we’re going to have to cut your benefits.” At a time of massive economic instability, this is a record that should make every American very proud.