Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Comprehensive guide to online MBA programs, Online MBA Today (http://www.onlinembatoday.com/) has published a new ranking of the 50 best online MBA programs in Human Resource Management (http://www.onlinembatoday.com/rankings/best-online-human-resource-management-mba/) and Champlain College in Burlington was one of the top.

Vermont Business Magazine Weekly unemployment claims jumped last week after falling the week before. This suggests that the winter tourism season is winding down just as the best snowfall of the year covered the state with deep powder. Claims were also higher than a year ago. As expected, by industry, Services reported the most claims with 597 (67 percent of the total), all the other sectors were similar to the previous week's totals. Services typically report the most claims. The spikes in the graph below reveal the previous volatility in hiring and firing in Service positions around the 2016 holidays.

Vermont Business Magazine The University of Vermont Health Network – Central Vermont Medical Center (CVMC) in Berlin has been named one of the nation’s Top 20 Rural Community Hospitals by the National Rural Health Association (NRHA). This follows the Top 100 Rural and Community Hospital honors awarded in February by iVantage Health Analytics and The Chartis Center for Rural Health.

Top 20 Rural Community Hospitals are those achieving success in overall performance based on a composite ratingfrom eight indicators of strength — inpatient market share, outpatient market share, quality, outcomes, patient perspectives, costs, charges and financial stability.

“Our results as a top health care provider mean our community can count on us to deliver the services they need now and in the future,” said Nancy Lothian, CVMC’s Interim President and Chief Operating Officer.

Vermont Business Magazine The scheduled vote on House Republican leadership’s American Health Care Act was just postponed and will no longer be taking place this evening as previously scheduled. Representative Peter Welch (D-VT) this morning spoke during the House debate on the legislation that would replace the Affordable Care Act. In his remarks, he said the bill would result in the GOP turning its back on the people who did the most to elect them.

Representative Peter Welch Remarks March 23, 2017:

“Mr. Speaker and my friends on the Republican side:

You’ve got the perfect bill. It cuts taxes $800 billion, largely at the high end. It cuts 24 million people off of healthcare. And, it ends the Medicaid entitlement. What’s the problem? Bring your bill up here!

Vermont Business MagazineCampaign for Vermont Prosperity (CFV), a non-partisan advocacy and policy development group, today released a plan that could save property taxpayers as much as $350 million per year.CFV is encouraging lawmakers to further investigate attracting international students to Vermont’s secondary public education systems. It says Vermont is uniquely positioned to take advantage of the increased demand for American education internationally and that the state can be on the leading edge of public education systems serving international students.

Vermont Business Magazine Merchants Bancshares, Inc (NASDAQ: MBVT) today announced that its stockholders have voted to approve the previously announced merger of the Company with Community Bank System, Inc of Syracuse, NY. Consummation of the merger is subject to regulatory approval and the satisfaction of other customary closing conditions. On October 24, 2016, Merchants and Community Bank System announced that they had entered into a definitive merger agreement under which Community Bank System will acquire Merchants in a cash and stock transaction for total consideration valued at approximately $304 million.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont House today unanimously passed what the lead sponsor calls important legislation designed to provide social media privacy protection measures for Vermont workers. The bill, H462, prohibits employers from requiring or requesting that an employee or job applicant share their social media account information. This stipulation applies to the employees’ personal accounts, not accounts that are provided by or used for an employer.

“I'm very pleased the House passed H462. It provides social media privacy for employees and provides guidance on how to handle a sensitive situation for employers. This bill is a very small, but important, step in bringing Vermont into the 21st century.” Said the lead sponsor of the bill, Representative Matthew Hill of Wolcott.

Vermont Business Magazine Comcast Business today announced the availability of SmartOffice, a video surveillance solution designed to improve efficiency for small and medium sized businesses (SMBs) through advanced monitoring. With SmartOffice, SMBs can record, store, access, and share surveillance video on a 24x7 basis to oversee their organization. It provides secure cloud storage and instant access via mobile devices, and is professionally installed by Comcast Business and backed with 24x7 customer support.

Vermont Business Magazine Maple technology company Lapierre Equipment and the University of Vermont Proctor Maple Research Center have announced a research collaboration to investigate new methods of maple sap processing that could dramatically increase productivity. The research partnership will focus on developing and testing a newly developed piece of equipment developed by Lapierre called a HYPERBRIX RO (reverse osmosis) and evaporator.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott has selected Karen Russell Carroll of Vernon to serve on the Vermont Supreme Court. Carroll will be appointed on April 1 to replace retiring Justice John Dooley. Carroll must be confirmed by the Vermont State Senate. In December 2000, Judge Carroll was appointed a Superior Court Judge and has since presided in the Family, Criminal and Civil Divisions of the Superior Courts in Windham, Windsor and Bennington Counties.Prior to that, she worked for six years with the Vermont Attorney General's Office as the prosecutor for the Southern Vermont Drug Task Force.During this time, she was also cross-designated as a Special Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Vermont and prosecuted serious drug cases in the US District Court.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Business Magazine and the Vermont Chamber of Commerce announced today the ranking of the top 45 Best Places to Work in Vermont 2017. All the companies were honored Wednesday evening at a sold-out awards ceremony at the DoubleTree Conference Center with over 400 attendees. All the companies represented have the honor of saying they are a Best Place to Work in Vermont. The 45 winners set a record at the 11th annual event, surpassing last year's 38 winners.

The awards program was created in 2006 and is presented in partnership with the Society for Human Resource Management, Vermont State Council, (SHRM), the Vermont Department of Labor and the Vermont Department of Economic Development and Best Companies Group.

This statewide survey and awards program was designed to identify, recognize and honor the best places of employment in Vermont, benefiting the state's economy, its workforce and businesses.

Vermont Business Magazine The University of Vermont is launching a new program aimed at helping incarcerated men and women take coursework towards a college degree while serving their sentences. The UVM Liberal Arts in Prison Program (LAPP), administered by the university’s College of Arts and Sciences, will begin offering courses to qualified prisoners in cooperation with the Vermont Department of Corrections beginning in the spring 2018 semester.