Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Charlie Moore, a railroad executive with more than 40 years of experience in the railroad industry, has been named president of AllEarth Rail, LLC. This is the next step for the firm that has acquired self-propelled passenger rail cars from Texas in order bring commuter rail back to Vermont. The commuter line is still in the planning stages, but the concept is to provide commuter rail in the northwestern part of the state initially. A demonstration of the service could happen before the end of this year.

Vermont Business Magazine The Stowe Area Association (SAA) has named RepresentativeHeidi Scheuermann, Vermont State Representative (R-Stowe) and owner of AllegroProperties, as Stowe Business Person of the Year at its Annual Meeting andDinner member event held at Stowe Bowl on June 28.The Stowe Business Person of the Year recognizes an SAA member in goodstanding who is involved in the community, with town projects or sits on atown board; an ambassador of Stowe; and involved in the tourism industry.Scheuermann exemplifies each of these characteristics and was unanimouslyselected by the Stowe Business Person of the Year Nomination Committee.

Vermont Business Magazine Hubbardton Battlefield will come alive with the sights and sounds of the American Revolution on July 8 and 9, 2017. This celebration marks the 240th anniversary of the July 7 battle, the most significant Revolutionary War battle fought on what would become Vermont soil. With nearly 400 reenactors from all over the Northeast, this is the largest Revolutionary War living history weekend in northern New England. Reenactors portray the American, British, and German forces who fought here and participated in the American Revolution's important Northern Campaign. Narrated military tactics on the slope of Monument Hill will be held weather-permitting on Saturday at 2 p.m., and Sunday morning at 8 a.m. and 12:45 p.m. The weekend's highlight is the Sunday morning battle formation starting at 7:30 a.m. Muskets will sound in the distance, just before the soldiers emerge over Monument Hill.

Vermont Business Magazine The Green Mountain Care Board has released the time and place for meetings in July. The GMCB regulates hospitals and insurance plans. All Board meeting presentations are available on the GMCB website: gmcboard.vermont.gov/board/meetings. Also, all topics and times listed on this agenda are approximate and subject to change during the meeting. The Board will take up each item at the conclusion of the preceding item and not necessarily at the time listed, unless the agenda specifically states that an item will commence at a time certain.

Vermont Business Magazine Attorney General TJ Donovan joined a coalition of nine states and the District of Columbia urging the US Department of Veterans Affairs to provide transgender veterans access to medically necessary health care. In the amicus (“friend of the court”) brief filed today in Fulcher v. Secretary of Veterans Affairs, the 10 Attorneys General, led by Bob Ferguson of Washington, ask the US Court of Appeals for The Federal Circuit to order the VA to amend or repeal a rule that prevents transgender veterans from using their medical benefits to cover sex reassignment surgery.

Attorney General Donovan said: "Gender identity should not dictate whether a veteran is eligible for care. All veterans must get the care they need. I am committed to standing up to this kind of discrimination, for our veterans and for all our citizens.”

Vermont Business Magazine Patients whose hearts have a faulty mitral valve and are considered high risk for open-heart surgery now have a treatment option offered by cardiologists at the University of Vermont Medical Center. Called Transcatheter Mitral Valve Repair (TMVR), the procedure uses a catheter inserted through a vein in the leg to reach the heart and make the repair.

Vermont Business MagazineGeneral Surgeon DrOvleto Ciccarelli is offering skin cancer screenings at Gifford’s Community Health Centers throughout the summer. These private screenings are free and open to everyone, not just Gifford patients. Ciccarelli notes that early skin cancer warning signs can appear on hard-to-see areas of the body, or in areas that might be difficult to find for the elderly or people living alone. He is concerned about an increase in the number of patients he sees with basal cell carcinomas, squamous cell carcinomas, and malignant melanomas.

“Melanoma is curable if caught early, and other skin cancers are more treatable if caught early,” he said. “Vermonters, who are largely fair-skinned and exposed to short intervals of intense sun, are especially vulnerable to skin cancers.”

by John McClaughry The smoke has cleared from the legislative battlefield of 2017, and it’s a good time to review the outcome to see who got what – and what lies ahead. In January Governor Phil Scott strongly urged a budget with no tax rate increases. To their credit, the Democrats in the legislature obliged, ending six years of annual scrambling to find taxes to pay for the eternally ambitious agenda of Scott’s predecessor. That’s a big plus.

The big battle was over the use of “up to $26 million a year savings” from switching teachers health insurance plans from exorbitant “Cadillac” plans favored by the Vermont-NEA teachers’ union to less expensive plans offered through the Vermont Educational Health Initiative (VEHI).

Vermont Business Magazine Attorney General TJ Donovan has settled litigation alleging consumer protection act violations against Literati Creative Group, which published the wedding magazines Vermont Vows and Well Wed. Literati went out of business in early 2016. The Attorney General sought reimbursement for advertisers who purchased ads in magazines that were not published or were published much later than anticipated.

The owner of Literati lacked sufficient funds to provide reimbursement, but must reimburse $17,000 if she demonstrates ability to pay within the next five years. The owner is prohibited from starting a new publication for the next five years without posting a bond.

According to the Secretary of State's database, Krista Washburn is named as the president of Literati Creative Group Inc, located at 18 Morse Drive in Essex. The registration for the business has been "terminated."

Vermont Business MagazineIn response to a letter sent by Election Integrity Commission Co-Chair Kris Kobach requesting sensitive voter data, including social security numbers, driver’s license numbers and dates of birth, Vermont Secretary of State JimCondos has issued the following statement refusing to comply with this request: “Over the weekend I have heard from many Vermonters who have contacted me with their concerns about sending their personal information to President Trump’s so-called Election Integrity Commission. I want to make one thing perfectly clear: Vermont will NOT be complying with the Commission’s request for Vermont voters’ private and sensitive information. Social security numbers, dates of birth and driver’s license numbers are all off limits.

Vermont Business MagazineFeaturing a flurry of share buying just before the final early bell on the eveof Independence Day,Consolidated CommunicationsHoldings, Inc(NASDAQ:CNSL) announced today it has completed its acquisition of FairPoint Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ:FRP), an all-stock transaction valued at approximately $1.3 billion including debt and based on present equity value. The merger further positions the company as a leading broadband and business service provider across a 24-state service area.

Vermont Business Magazine The recent storms in Vermont were not kind to many of our farmers. The Agency of Agriculture is urging farmers to document any losses from the flash floods. It’s helpful to take pictures and keep detailed records. This information could be valuable for farmers, state and federal officials as they calculate the economic impact of the wet weather this spring and summer.

“This has challenging start to the growing season for our farmers. The torrential rains just added another layer of difficulty for our farmers. It’s important our farmers track their losses,” said Anson Tebbetts.

If you have specific questions, please call the Agency of Agriculture (802) 828-2430 or contact the Farm Service Agency at (802) 658-2803.