Current News

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Housing & Conservation Board, Vermont Land Trust and theIntervale Center received a three-year, $546,000 grant from the USDA’sBeginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program to help Vermont’s nextgeneration of agricultural entrepreneurs access land and grow viablebusinesses.VHCB’s Viability Program is a nationally-recognized provider ofcomprehensive, one-on-one business and transfer planning services forestablished farm, food and forestry sector businesses. The Vermont LandTrust’s Farmland Access Program connects farmers with affordable farmland,helping 62 new and beginning farmers make the transition to farm ownershipsince 2009.The Intervale Center provides one-on-one business planning andtechnical assistance to about 80 farms throughout Vermont each year as wellas specialized assistance in the areas of land access.

Vermont Business Magazine America's strength depends on workforce-ready, law abiding men and women who are able to defend our nation. Unfortunately, a new report shows the majority of America's young adults fail to meet at least one of these indicators. More than three-fourths of the states (37 states) earned a grade of C or worsebased on the percentage of young adults who miss the mark. Vermont was one of only three states to make an "A."

Nationwide:

Vermont Business Magazine State officials reported that nearly 23,000 Vermonters had confirmed a 2018 health plan and qualified for financial help to make the plan more affordable. Total enrollment in qualified health plans, which typically includes 46,000 small business employees and 11,000 individuals who don’t qualify for financial help, is expected to surpass 80,000. While enrollment will be similar to past years, this year’s earlier deadline means fewer members will experience gaps in coverage. In past years, nearly 2,000 members missed out on January coverage.

Senator Patrick LeahyLittle more than a month ago, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act was unveiled in the Senate. Just a few short weeks later, we are on the verge of passing a colossal bill, publicly available for just four days, that makes sweeping changes to every aspect of our economy. We are moving so fast that the American people would be forgiven for thinking we were addressing a national emergency. And yet, fires are still blazing in California, power in Puerto Rico is still not fully restored, and victims around the Gulf of Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria are still struggling to pick up the pieces and rebuild. There are indeed national emergencies we should be addressing, but instead of doing so, Republicans in Congress are focused first on passing tax cuts for corporations and billionaires – tax cuts that will add an estimated $1.5 trillion to the deficit.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Veterans Outreach Team worked in conjunction with the Ocean State Job Lot Charitable Foundation and Massachusetts Military Support Foundation. Locally, the Vermont Veterans Outreach Team worked with several organizationsto organize and distribute winter jackets to include; VA Homeless Teams, WestCanal Street Transitional Housing, Veteran's Place, Bradford House, Open DoorMission, Dodge House, and the Veterans of Foreign Wars and American Legion.

The distribution of winter jackets will occur over the next several weeks andas the need arises.

by Timothy McQuiston Vermont Business Magazine Granite State Power Link (GSPL) and the Northeastern Vermont Development Association (NVDA) today announced a partnership and benefits package to support economic growth and opportunities to the Northeast Kingdom. The proposal to transmit power to Massachusetts faces fierce competition, however, from at least one other project in New Hampshire and another in Vermont. That other Vermont project is favored by Governor Phil Scott.

Vermont Business Magazine A statewide teacher health plan first proposed last spring and which ultimately led to a budget veto has now received the blessing of a statewide commission that was formed as a compromise resolution last summer. In April, Governor Phil Scott presented a proposal for a statewide health benefit for school employees designed to save taxpayers up to $26 million a year while investing nearly $50 million to keep school employees out-of-pocket healthcare costs level. The governor said his proposal would have also introduced equity and sustainability in healthcare coverage for school employees across all districts, and simplified negotiations for school board members.

Vermont Business Magazine The Northeast Kingdom Fund at the Vermont Community Foundation made $63,668 in grants to 21 organizations in Orleans, Essex, and Caledonia Counties this year. The Fund was established in 2011 by the Community Foundation and local partners as a permanent philanthropic resource to support the people and communities in the region. This year’s grantmaking was supported in part by donors from across Vermont. The support of these donors demonstrates the importance of philanthropic collaboration and partnership in advancing the good work in communities in the Northeast Kingdom.

Vermont Business MagazineInReady or Not? Protecting the Public's Health from Diseases, Disasters and Bioterrorism, 25 states scored a 5 or lower on 10 key indicators of public health preparedness.Alaskascored lowest at 2 out of 10, andMassachusettsandRhode Islandscored the highest at 9 out of 10. Vermont, along with several other states, received a 6 out of 10. New Hampshire received a 4.

Vermont Business MagazineHonoring ski resorts fromVermonttoWest VirginiaandColoradotoCalifornia, Liftopia -- the largest online and mobile marketplace for lift tickets and mountain activities -- has unveiled the2017-18 Best in Snow Awards, Powered By Liftopia, recognizing the most beloved ski areas inNorth America. Unlike other ski awards, the Best in Snow Awards is the only ranking that calculates survey feedback from thousands of skiers and snowboarders and incorporates the largest dataset in the industry to determine the ski areas consumers are most passionate about. The Best in Snow Awards bring uber-local, relevant and must-know intel to beginning skiers as well as ski and snowboard aficionados.

Vermont Business MagazineGifford Health Care’s Community Health Team is partnering with Vermont Blueprint for Health to offerthe CDC-approved PreventT2 diabetes prevention program, which can prevent or delay type 2 diabetes. Prediabetes (when blood sugar levels are higher than normal) puts people at risk for developing serious health conditions, including Type 2 diabetes, stroke, and heart disease.

Vermont Business Magazine The UVM Medical Center has earned reverification as a Level I Adult Trauma Center, the highest category of trauma services, by the American College of Surgeons (ACS). The hospital has also been reverified as a Level II Pediatric Trauma Center. The UVM Medical Center is the only Level I Trauma Center in Vermont, and shares this status with just 102 of the 5,000 hospitals in the United States.

Studies show that being treated at a Level I Trauma Center increases a seriously injured patient’s chances of survival by an estimated 20 to 25 percent. The UVM Medical Center admits approximately1,300 trauma patients per year. It has been designated a Level I Trauma Center since 1994.

Verified Level I Trauma Centers must provide: