Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Brattleboro Memorial Hospital (BMH) has recently been awarded a Small Rural Hospital Improvement Grant (SHIP) of $19,000 over the next two years. This grant will provide support for the College to Career Program, BMH and Community College of Vermont’s accelerated Medical Assistant training program, and will strengthen the variety of population health services and programs in the Brattleboro area.

For the past three years, BMH and Community College of Vermont (CCV) have joined forces to create and implement an accelerated program to prepare qualified candidates for jobs as Certified Medical Assistants. This program was created in response to challenges filling positions within the local healthcare workforce, and has become a critical resource for both BMH and for people in the Brattleboro area who are looking to increase their skills and to obtain jobs in the medical profession.

Vermont Business Magazine Southwestern Vermont Council on Aging will again host its popular “Powerful Tools for Caregivers” course this fall, a six-week class that is free and open to caregivers in the community. The course is offered to individuals who are caring for family members, friends and neighbors, among others, and is designed to give participants the tools to be a highly effective caregiver while also ensuring that they are taking care of themselves as well.

The class is not intended for career caregivers who are employed by a health care, home care or hospice service.

by Philip Smith Today, over 54 percent of the world’s population resides in urban areas. By 2050, this number is estimated to rise to nearly 70 percent, with 1.4 million people added to the urban population every week. While this shift is poised to create immense opportunity for communities and businesses alike, it will also bring about new considerations in urban planning.

by Joyce Marcel, Vermont Business Magazine First of all, his name's not really “Jeb.” George B “Jeb” Spaulding is 65 but looks 45. He's originally from Massachusetts, but at an early age his heart adopted Vermont. Since then he has built an impressive resume in Vermont state government without ever seeking the limelight. It seems as if we've known him forever without knowing him at all.

Vermont Business Magazine Crop losses for critical food grains will increase substantially with global warming, as rising temperatures boost the metabolism and population growth of insect pests, new research says. The research team looked at how the insect pests that attack three staple crops – rice, maize and wheat – would respond under a variety of climate scenarios. They found that rising global temperatures would lead to an increase in crop losses from insects, especially in temperate regions. Losses are projected to rise by 10 to 25% per degree of warming.

Vermont Business Magazine Former Castleton University President Dave Wolk was on hand September 1 as current President Karen M Scolforo officially unveiled new signage for the Dave Wolk Stadium. Wolk, who was the architect of more than a decade of growth at Castleton University was credited in remarks from Dr Scolforo with providing the "vision and determination" that brought football to Castleton.

by Bruce Edwards, Vermont Business Magazine Windsor County and the Upper Valley don’t have much to complain about. The county posted a June unemployment rate of 2.6 percent (not seasonally adjusted), one-tenth better from the prior year, and slightly better than the state’s rate of 3.0 percent (Vermont’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate is 2.8 percent; county rates are not adjusted.)

Vermont Business Magazine The University of Vermont’s free, weekly historic tour of campus will extend into the fall season. The tours, which began in July, will take place every Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon through October 13. The tour begins at the statue of Ira Allen, just to the south of the fountain on the UVM green. There is no tour on September 29.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont National Guard newsletter below includes a joint statement from Maj Gen Cray, Ken Gragg, Deputy Adjutant General, and Col Greg Knight, Human Resources Officer, a fact sheet and a question and answer page. The newsletter that includes details about the new Vermont National Guard Tuition Benefit Program. Vermont recently passed a law that provides members of the Vermont National Guard a tuition entitlement to Vermont colleges and certification programs with a service obligation.

Vermont Business Magazine City and State officials celebrated a decision by the Vermont Economic Progress Council board to approve Montpelier’s application for a TIF district that includes the Capital City’s core downtown and Barre Street corridor. The VEPC board voted unanimously on Thursday to approve Montpelier’s application, opening the door for the City to focus on improving infrastructure to support and encourage private development, including affordable and market-priced housing, business development and expansion, and more.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Electric Cooperative will receive $1,743,876 from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for the repair of 54 transformers and 2,887 miles of transmission and distribution electric conductor line poles damaged in the October 2017 severe storm and flooding. The grant represents the federal share of the total project cost of $2,325,168. The remainder will come from non-federal sources.

This grant is funded through FEMA’s Public Assistance program which provides grant reimbursement to communities for expenses incurred in the immediate response and the recovery from a disaster. Eligible applicants include states, federally-recognized tribal governments, U.S. territories, local governments, and certain private nonprofit organizations. The grant applications are submitted by the state, which coordinates the process with local governments.

Vermont Business Magazine On Tuesday, August 21, 2018, the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets (VAAFM) filed the final proposed rule amendment to the Required Agricultural Practices (RAPs) with the Legislative Committee on Administrative Rules (LCAR) and the Secretary of State (SOS). The amendment includes requirements for reducing nutrient contribution to waters of the State from subsurface tile drainage on agricultural fields.