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Vermont Business Magazine The March of Dimes, in collaboration with the USCenters for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), has awarded grants to conduct one year of surveillanceon neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) in three states with high rates of NAS:Vermont,Illinois, andNew Mexico. NASis a group of problems that occur in newborns who were exposed to addictive opiate drugs while in the mother's womb. The project will enable each state to conduct enhanced identification of babies born with NAS and evaluate the health services needed by these babies through one year of age.

Vermont Business Magazine The University of Vermont Board of Trustees today passed the lowest tuition percentage increase in 40 years at its Commencement weekend meeting.Under the resolution approved by the Board, in-state tuition increased$408 or 2.7 percent (from $15,096 to $15,504 per year); and out-of-state tuition increased$960 or 2.5 percent (from $38,160 to $39,120 per year).

by Mike SmithRace fans at Talladega Superspeedway call it “the big one.” It usually happens toward the end of a NASCAR race when drivers are tense, emotions are high, and the cars are tightly bunched vying for a win. And then: a wrong move by one driver starts a massive chain reaction crash that eliminates many of the cars from the race.

There was a political wreck last week when Democratic leaders failed to reach an agreement with Republican GovernorPhil Scott over how to reap savings when teachers have to change to new health care plans at the beginning of next year. And depending how events play out, this could result in “the big one,” where a political pileup could alter fortunes.

The Affordable Care Act means Vermont teachers will switch to lower-cost plans in January. This will present a unique opportunity to capture savings.

University of VermontBefore Bethany Kelly graduates in May she will have helped young adults train for the Special Olympics, worked with psychiatry patients at the UVM Medical Center, and taught strengthening exercises to individuals with multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease. The exercise and movement science major is currently training local athletes in a Special Olympics Unified Fitness Program launched in 2016 by Associate Professor Susan Kasser. Kelly and six of her classmates are working with young adults to develop a workout regime that supports their personal and Olympic goals. In the process, they are writing a manual for future exercise science majors who will expand the program next year.

Senior care leader, Home Care Assistance, will be hosting a Grand Opening Event in cooperation with the Lake Champlain Regional Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday, May 24th from 5 pm to 7pm

Greg Cox, President of the Vermont Farmers Food Center (VFFC) Board of Directors, todayhosted a site visit and discussion with Lieutenant Governor David Zuckerman. The Board was alsorepresented by Ryan Yoder, Vice President; Jody Condon, Treasurer; Kathleen Krevetski, Secretary; andJoshua MacDuff.

"I thoroughly enjoyed my site tour of the Vermont Farmers Food Center in Rutland. Farmer and BoardPresident, Greg Cox, and his team are on the cutting edge of developing market opportunities for localfarmers. Their facility is an outstanding example of an incubator for many innovative farm value-addedprojects. As a farmer, I can really appreciate how the Vermont Farmers Food Center is bringing local farmerstogether to find successful ventures to save and expand small Vermont farms and create new jobopportunities," said Lt. Governor Zuckerman.

Two University of Vermont spin-off companies, Majorwise and Packetized Energy, finished first and second in the 2017 LaunchVT competition, Vermont’s oldest and largest business pitch contest.

Majorwise, an on-line job platform that connects college students with local employers, was launched by UVM seniors Peter Silverman and Max Robbins in 2015 when the business majors were sophomores. It also has application for state departments of labor, businesses and non-profits.

It is the first student-led company to win LaunchVT. NBC News.com recently profiled the start-up:http://www.nbcnews.com/feature/college-game-plan/vermont-startup-pairs-students-employers-seeking-flexible-labor-n762116

The Vermont State Archives and Records Administration (VSARA), a division of the Office of the Secretary of State, is hosting two evening events at the State Archives in Middlesex to provide history and insight into the sometimes challenging history of State of Vermont institutions.

“Eugenics and the Vermont State Hospital are subjects with which we, as a state, continue to wrestle,” says Secretary of State Jim Condos. “Archival records provide context for these chapters of our government’s past, some of which are dark. We are pleased to have the opportunity to host two presentations that illustrate how these and other historical records help shed light on these matters.”

The Vermont General Assembly adjourned at12:22 amon Friday, May 19th. After four long weeks of debate between legislative leaders and Governor Scott over a proposal that would shift bargaining for teachers’ health benefit contracts from local school boards to a statewide process, lawmakers and the Governor reached an impasse in their negotiationsThursdaynight. Lawmakers elected to adjourn earlyFridaymorning expecting that Governor Scott will veto the budget bill (H.518) and an education property tax bill that attempts to address the statewide teacher health insurance contract issue (H.509). Before wrapping up their work for the session, lawmakers also passed an economic development bill (S.135) and the miscellaneous tax bill (H.516). Interestingly, many sections of S.135, the economic development bill, will not go into effect until the FY18 budget bill is enacted into law, a last minute amendment by lawmakers.

Vermont Business MagazineJames Fallows, national correspondent for “The Atlantic” and one of the country's leading journalists across more than three decades, delivered the address at the University of Vermont’s 216^thcommencement ceremony Saturday with a call for the graduates to be active participants in American democracy. Vote, run for office, be informed, be engaged, Fallows told the UVM Class of 2017. And Fallows offered some more personal advice, including, “Exercise. Get in the habit of being happy. Get in the habit of being excited.”

Vermont Business Magazine Last week the staff of Worthy Kitchen, a craft beer and farm diner in Woodstock, presented the Vermont Foodbank with a check for $8,200 to fight hunger. This donation is the result of their annual Night Before The Night event. For five consecutive years, Worthy Kitchen has brought people together to share a meal, enjoy an exceptional beer list, and bid on silent and live auction items to benefit the Foodbank. The silent auction features an array of 60 artistic, creative local items, products and services from local businesses committed to ending hunger. The $8,200 raised this year marks a record-setting donation for the event.

Vermont Business Magazine Farm and forest companies are ready to grow the Vermont economy thanks in part to a jump start from the Working Lands Enterprise Initiative. Governor Phil Scott, Agriculture, Food & Markets Secretary Anson Tebbetts, Deputy Commerce & Community Development Secretary Ted Brady, Forests, Parks & Recreation Commissioner Michael Snyder, and the Working Lands Enterprise Board awarded $680,000 in grants to 19 agriculture and forest sector businesses and service providers yesterday. The Working Lands Enterprise Initiative has distributed over $3.8 Million in grants since its inception in 2012, leading to an additional 428 jobs and $18.1 million in sales.

Governor Scott voiced his support for the Working Lands Enterprise Initiative's and its value to Vermont's economy.