Current News

Vermont Business Magazine The State of Vermont has received a decision from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) terminating regional center designation for the Vermont Regional Center (VRC). The July 3, 2018 decision was received by the VRC on July 6, 2018 and will be available on DFR’s website.

UPDATE: Late Monday night UVM Medical Center President Eileen Whalen sent the following statement: “We negotiated face-to-face with the nurses’ union tonight for several hours. The discussions were productive and we will resume negotiations Tuesday at 4pm. We will do our best to reach a fair agreement and avert a strike.”

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont State Treasurer’s Office announced today that a record 17,665 unclaimed properties totaling $6.7 million were returned to their rightful owners in the fiscal year ending June 30. The number of dollars paid out rose 24 percent over the previous year, setting a new record. With a growing list of Vermonters claiming their missing money, Treasurer Beth Pearce reminded residents that it only takes moments to visit MissingMoney.Vermont.gov to check to see if you or a loved one have unclaimed property.

Vermont Business Magazine Secretary of State Jim Condos announced today that the United States Department of Labor has awarded the Vermont Office of Professional Regulation (OPR) $450,000 to support occupational licensing reform. OPR, a Division of the Secretary of State’s Office, protects the public by regulating 50 professions and approximately 60,000 licensees.

Secretary Condos stated, “Vermont has been at the forefront of national efforts to modernize and streamline occupational licensing. With bipartisan support from the Legislature and Administration, we have undertaken ambitious efforts to cut red tape, making it more convenient and less expensive for qualified professionals—from the beauty professions to the medical sciences—to live and work in Vermont. Federal funding for these efforts will be a huge help.”

Vermont Business Magazine Richard Cowart, President of the VEIC Board of Directors, announced today the appointment of three new board members. Colin Owyang, Ellen Zuckerman, and Nick Richardson, will begin their terms as VEIC board members in July 2018.

The VEIC Board provides independent, continuous, and permanent leadership for the organization. The members establish strategies, policies, and priorities in the context of the VEIC mission to enhance the economic, environmental, and societal benefits of clean and efficient energy use for all people.

Colin Owyang has served as Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary at the Vermont Electric Power Company (VELCO) since February 2016. Colin previously served as Deputy Attorney General in Massachusetts and worked for nearly eleven years at National Grid. Along with his strong legal and regulatory background, Owyang brings deep public service experience to the VEIC Board.

Vermont Business Magazine Southwestern Vermont Health Care (SVHC) hosted a sold-out crowd of more than 420 people at Centennial Gala on June 9 at the Hubbell Homestead in Bennington. The date was chosen to correspond with the eve of the hospital’s 100^th birthday.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Arts Council, in partnership with the Vermont Folklife Center, presents “New American Artists: Celebrating Tradition and Culture” opening July 10 in the Spotlight Gallery. The exhibit is a tribute to the work of Gregory Sharrow, who established the Vermont Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program during his 30-year tenure at the Vermont Folklife Center. The program ensures the cultural retention of Vermont’s traditional arts — including those of new Americans — by providing support to master artists working with apprentices in their communities.

by Timothy McQuiston Vermont Business Magazine The University of Vermont Medical Center and the union representing the Burlington hospital's nurses are back at the bargaining table Friday evening. They hope to avert a 48-hour nurses strike that is planned to start at 7 am July 12. Beyond that, the nurses said they would work without a contract, at least for the time being. While much of their contention is with staffing levels which have left about 170 positions vacant, much of the discussion has been about wage increases. UVMMC has proposed an overall 13 percent wage increase over a three-year contract while the union has proposed a 24 percent increase. US Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) also weighed in on behalf of the nurses in a rare press conference.

Vermont Business Magazine According to a statement from the White River Junction VA Medical Center, crews continue to work around the clock to complete all necessary repairs to ensure the operating rooms (OR) are fully operational as soon as safely possible. A repair is required for parts controlling the temperature and humidity in the OR suite and thus, surgical cases requiring the use of the OR through Friday, July 13^th are the in process of being rescheduled. Facility and contracted staff are working diligently to reopen the surgical suite for the week of July 16.

Vermont Business Magazine During this year’s special legislative session, the Vermont General Assembly passed legislation requiring that all short-term rental operators post a Vermont Meals and Rooms Tax account number on any advertisement for the short-term rental beginning July 1, 2018. Operators who advertise through an online platform that has an agreement with the Vermont Department of Taxes to collect and remit tax, like Airbnb, may post the tax account number used by that platform. If they use the platform’s tax account number, they are not required to open a meals and rooms tax account for locations where the platform is collecting tax on their behalf.

Vermont Business Magazine Weekly unemployment claims fell last week after a spike, but remain relatively high. The spike was precipitated by the seasonal reduction in school bus drivers. For the week of June 30, 2018, there were 610 claims, 189 fewer than than they were the previous week, and 53 more than they were a year ago. For most weeks of 2017 and 2018 claims have been below the year before.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott and members of his Administration will bring their “Capitol for a Day” initiative to Caledonia County on today, July 6. The governor, along with members of his cabinet and extended cabinet, will spend the day in Caledonia County, celebrating the region’s outdoor recreation economy and meeting with area constituents, lawmakers, local partners and state employees.