Current News

by Timothy McQuiston Vermont Business Magazine The Scott Administration is bristling at a suggestion made earlier this week by Vermont's largest union that the state implement a single statewide health insurance contract for all public school employees. A year ago, Governor Phil Scott advocated for a statewide teacher health insurance plan to save money and equalize benefits. The teachers' union rebuffed such a plan and Democratic leadership opposed it. The standoff led to a budget veto and ultimately a compromise that did not include a statewide plan. Today Susanne Young, Secretary of Administration, issued the following statement on the Vermont NEA’s proposal to move to a statewide health benefit.

Vermont Business Magazine The Bennington Area Chamber of Commerce, serving the Shires of Vermont region, had some of its key people speak at this year’s Vermont Tourism Summit. The Summit, attended by over 300 tourism-based agencies, businesses and stakeholders, was held on Wednesday, April 11 and Thursday, April 12 in Manchester, Vermont at the historic Equinox Resort.

Matt Harrington, the executive director of the Chamber, opened the summit on Wednesday as part of a 4-person panel discussing the evolving Vermont brand. Michael Jager of Solidarity of Unbridled Labour, Sas Stewart of Stonecutter Spirits, and Hans van Wees of Hotel Vermont joined Harrington on stage. The panel discussed the ongoing efforts of the Vermont brand to be relevant and modern in an age of ever evolving marketing and branding strategies and tools.

Vermont Business Magazine Runamok Maple, the Cambridge, Vermont-based company, which produces organic, infused, barrel-aged, and smoked maple syrups, took home a 2018 sofi (specialty outstanding food innovation) Award, winning Best New Product in the Dessert Sauce or Topping Category. Regarded as the “Oscars of Specialty Food” in the culinary industry, the sofi Awards have been presented by the Specialty Food Association (SFA) since 1972. This year, Runamok’s Ginger Root-Infused Maple Syrup stood out among 2,650 product entries, wowing a panel of 58 culinary experts during a blind taste test in March.

Vermont Business Magazine The law firms of Levy Konigsberg LLP and Kazan, McClain, Satterley & Greenwood, PC announced Wednesday a victory in the case of Stephen and Kendra Lanzo v Johnson & Johnson Consumer, Inc and Imerys Talc America, Inc. The talc in question was sourced from Windsor, Vermont, which the plaintiffs maintain contained asbestos.

Vermont Business Magazine Vernier Software & Technology and the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) have announced the seven winners of the 2018 Vernier/NSTA Technology Awards, including one from Southern Vermont College. A panel of NSTA-appointed experts chose the winning educators—one elementary teacher, two middle school teachers, three high school teachers, and one college-level educator—for their innovative use of data-collection technology in the science classroom.

Each winner was recognized at the 2018 NSTA National Conference in Atlanta, GA, on March 16, 2018, and received $1,000 in cash, $3,000 in Vernier products, and up to $1,500 toward expenses to attend the conference.

Vermont Business Magazine Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) issued the following statement Thursday after President Donald Trump said Thursday morning that he was directing his advisers to look into rejoining the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a deal he pulled out of immediately after becoming president.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont State Police has completed its review of policies and procedures related to critical incidents, such as officer-involved shootings, and issued a report and recommendations that include a number of policy changes. The report emanates from an officer-involved shooting in Richmond in February, when an apparently suicidal individual was confronted and shot by police on Interstate 89 as traffic passed by. The individual later died and it was learned that the trooper at the scene was also present at other officer-involved shootings, including another fatal confrontation at Montpelier High School in January.

Vermont Business Magazine Canadian electric vehicle charging station installer FLO is partnering with Green Mountain Power (GMP), Vermont's largest electric utility, to participate in a pilot project aiming to deploy residential electric vehicle charging infrastructure while finding ways to lower the cost of the grid for all customers. Through this project, FLO will provide GMP with 50 FLO Home EV charging stations that will be distributed to Vermont home owners to test automated demand response systems.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott and members of his Administration, the Opioid Coordination Council and the Legislature on Wednesday welcomed family members of Vermonters who’ve died as a result of an opioid overdose to commemorate Vermont’s second annual Opioid Overdose Awareness Day. Addressing the families at Wednesday’s event, Scott said, “Opioid addition affects so many lives, and I cannot tell you how much I appreciate the courage and leadership of those joining us here today to share their stories in an effort to help others and make a difference. You demonstrate why we must continue this battle against an epidemic that’s impacted every corner of our state.”

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Attorney General TJ Donovan, joined by 16 attorneys general, Monday moved to intervene in Texas et al. v. United States et al., a lawsuit filed in federal district court in Texas which seeks to dismantle the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The Texas lawsuit imperils health care coverage and funding for all Americans, particularly more vulnerable groups like seniors, children, and people with chronic medical conditions or disabilities. The Texas lawsuit jeopardizes Medicaid funding and federal subsidies for individuals to buy private health insurance, which could lead to Vermont losing almost $3 billion in federal money over the next decade.

Green Mountain Club The Green Mountain Club (GMC), maintainer and protector of Vermont’s Long Trail and Vermont’s hiking trails advocate, along with the Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation (FPR), manager of Vermont State Forests and Parks, and the Green Mountain National Forest (GMNF), has announced the return of mud season to the Green Mountains. The wet soils on and around hiking trails are very susceptible to erosion at this critical time of year. To protect fragile soil and surrounding vegetation, some trails may be closed by the land manager during this time. Please respect the signage you see. Hikers walking on saturated soils or on the sides of trails cause damage to surrounding vegetation, widen trails, and inhibit natural drainage of our beloved hiking trails.

Vermont Business Magazine Community Bank NA recently presented Vermont Community Garden Network with a $2,500 donation to support the organization’s Gardens for Learning program. The funds will help cover the cost of ongoing training and technical assistance, curriculum resources, and garden and cooking equipment and supplies.

A grant and technical assistance program, Gardens for Learning provides summer gardening, nutrition and cooking programs for children at risk of summertime hunger.

Photo (left to right): Community Bank N.A. New England Regional Manager Anita Bourgeois, Vermont Community Garden Network Executive Director Michelle Gates and Community Bank N.A. District Manager Erika Baldasaro.