Current News

Vermont Business Magazine On Friday, August 18, Fitch Ratings revised the Burlington International Airport’s (BTV) outlook to positive from stable and affirmed the Airport’s BBB- credit rating (lowest investment grade, complete ratings table below). In its report, Fitch states that “Positive Outlook reflects an improving fiscal profile demonstrated in recent years which should continue under a recently implemented airline agreement with strong cost recovery mechanisms…” The report also notes the strengthening liquidity position of the airport, the stable debt coverage, manageable four year $85.9 million infrastructure plan, and conservative debt structure.

Vermont Business Magazine August is National Immunization Awareness Month — and the latest immunization rates reported on the KIDS COUNT Data Center indicate that there’s cause to celebrate. That’s because 75 percent of 2-year-olds across the country were immunized in 2015. Vermont, which just in 2011 was slightly below the US average, now stands just above at 76.7 percent, up over 50 percent since 2009. This statistic, which represents the most recent full year of data available, is a drastic improvement from 2009, when just 48 percent of 2-year-olds in the US were immunized. Vermont was at only 25.3 percent. Vermont had by far the lowest rate in 2009 and was the only state under 30 percent.

Vermont Business Magazine The Southwestern Vermont Health Care (SVHC) recently received two regional awards for health care communications and marketing from the New England Society for Health Care Communications (NESHCo). SVHC received a Silver Lamplighter Award for Digital Strategy, including the integration of website, social media, and e-newsletter content. In the category for Community Relations Events, the health system’s Jump Rope Challenge was also honored with a Silver Lamplighter Award.

“We are deeply committed to sharing stories and developing content that helps patients live healthier lives,” said Ray Smith, director of Marketing and Communications. “The impact we are able to make and the recognitions we receive are really a testament to the skill and dedication of our marketing team, the valuable work of our clinical colleagues, and patients themselves, whose stories we are privileged to share.”

Vermont Business Magazine Barr Hill Gin by Caledonia Spirits is announcing Bee’s Knees Week in partnership with Liquor.com. Bee’s Knees Week is a week to celebrate, educate, and drive awareness of the importance of bees to agriculture, and our ecosystem as a whole, through the Bee’s Knees Cocktail. This event will be a week long celebration at participating bars from September 25 through October 1, 2017. Bee’s Knees Week will take place in all 30 US Markets where Barr Hill Gin is distributed.

Vermont Business Magazine The federal government on Friday informed the state that it will seek to close Vermont's foreign investment program, widely known as EB-5, because of the fraud allegations involving Jay Peak and related projects. Federal and state charges of a $200 million fraud against the developers were revealed in April 2016.

Middlebury College The telescope specialist at Middlebury College's Mittelman Observatory, Jonathan Kemp, has been photographing the eclipse through a 4-inch refracting telescope equipped with a Hydrogen-alpha (H-alpha) filter. Jonathan hasbeen photographing the solar eclipsesince it started and stitched together five images showing different phases of the eclipse. I will email that sequence to you at approximately 4 p.m., and we sincerelyhope you can use the content.

Credit: Mittelman Observatory/Middlebury College. 8.21.2017

Vermont Business MagazineThe Murray Howell Foundation presented a $100,000 gift to the Vermont Institute of Natural Science, in May 2017, in honor of Murray Howell. Howell, co-founder of Vermont Castings, Inc, worked to enhance and protect the natural environment and to encourage individual initiative and leadership in environmental awareness. He believed deeply that environmental education for children is the best way to nurture an awareness that would grow into a lifelong love for and commitment to the natural world.

A plaque in MrHowell’s honor will be placed at the VINS Nature Center.

Vermont Business Magazine At an event marking the start of a yearlong celebration of the 60th year since the founding of Sterling, the college announced a partnership with The Berry Center through which it plans to begin offering undergraduate and continuing education programs in Kentucky in rural, placed-based ecology and farming starting in the fall of 2018.

Vermont Business Magazine SKI MAGIC LLC hasobtaineda permit from NRB Act 250 authorizing multiple facilities projects contained in the ski area’s 5-year capital improvement plan. Key projects include: 1) Refurbishing and placing into service a base-to-mid-mountain novice/intermediate chairlift (Green Chair); 2) installing a beginner area “magic carpet”-style conveyor surface lift for the new “Nelson Family Learning Area”; 3) upgrading the snow tubing area lighting and replacing the lighting for the main entrance sign; 4) replacing the base lodge exterior deck with a new 30’ by 80’ deck; 5) installing a 12’ x 20’ prefabricated ski patrol building at the summit of the Red Chair; 6) installing a 24’ diameter guest services yurt at mid-mountain (Sunshine Corner); 7) installing and operating an 18-hole disc golf course; and, 8) replacing/upgrading approximately 1,500 linear feet of underground snowmaking pipeline (two segments) in the base area.

Vermont Business Magazine The US Small Business Administration announced today that certain Private NonProfit organizations in Vermont that do not provide critical services of a governmental nature may be eligible to apply for low-interest rate disaster loans. These loans are available following a Presidential disaster declaration for Public Assistance resulting from damages caused by the severe storms and flooding on June 29 through July 1, 2017.

PNPs located in Addison, Bennington, Caledonia, Orange, Rutland, Washington and Windsor counties in Vermont are eligible to apply. Examples of eligible non-critical PNP organizations include, but are not limited to, food kitchens, homeless shelters, museums, libraries, community centers, schools and colleges.

Vermont Business MagazineVermont Electric Cooperative (VEC) is encouraging members to conserve electricity onTuesday, August 22between the hours of3:00 p.m. and 9:00p.m.This is when demand for electricity is expected to spike as a result of high temperatures throughout New England.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Attorney General’s Office has concluded its investigation into the invoices and billing practices of Dr Jonathan Gruber, an economic consultant, who contracted with the State of Vermont in July 2014 to provide policy expertise, research and economic modeling relating to the implementation of Vermont’s single-payer healthcare system, Green Mountain Care. The Office’s investigation was opened following a referral by State Auditor Doug Hoffer.

The Attorney General’s Office and Gruber have reached an agreement to settle the State’s potential legal claim that Gruber submitted false claims to the State under Vermont’s Civil False Claims Act.