Current News

Vermont Business Magazine On March 1, 2017, the Board of Directors of Northwestern Counseling & Support Services, Inc(NCSS) selected Todd Bauman as the agency’s next executive director. Starting in July, Bauman will follow in the footsteps of Ted Mable, who has served as the agency’s leader since 1998. Bauman was recommended to the Board of Directors by the hiring committee after a nationwide search and vigorous review of 68 applications. Bauman’s 28-year career in mental health and government—12 of which have been at NCSS as the director of Children, Youth & Family Services—has more than prepared Bauman to lead the organization.

Vermont Business MagazineGifford Medical Center’s Nuclear Medicine and Mammography Departments have each received a three-year accreditation renewal after reviews by the American College of Radiology (ACR). These accreditations are awarded to confirm for patients that a facility meets quality assurance and safety guidelines, meets nationally accepted standards of care, and that the staff is well qualified.

Vermont Business MagazineSugarbush Resort has received both the Governor’s Wellness Award and the Vermont Leadership Award from the Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. Sugarbush wins its third Governor’s Wellness Award in recognition of the resort’s Safety, Environment, Wellness Committee (SEW). The award highlights worksites around the state and their efforts to promote the health and wellness of employees. Initiatives undertaken by the SEW Committee include having staff complete Personal Safety Plans, educating staff and guests on recycling and composting, creating fitness opportunities for staff, implementing an Employee Wellness Meal Program, and introducing a staff hydration plan with reusable water bottles and filling stations.

Vermont Business Magazine Capstone Community Action in Barre has announced the results of its first-ever winter fundraising campaign, Fuel Your Neighbors, designed to raise critical funds for fuel and food assistance for Central Vermonters in need. The campaign, launched on Giving Tuesday in November 2016, set a lofty fundraising goal of $50,000. With the support of general community donations, including a $10,000 initial matching donation from VSECU, the organization surpassed its fundraising goal and raised $65,000.

Children and seniors are the most vulnerable to the high costs of winter, and are the most adversely affected this time of year. One in five central Vermont children goes to school hungry and many retired seniors struggle with high heating costs and faulty furnaces that need repair.

Vermont Business MagazineBlue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont (BCBSVT) and Terry Bicycles (Terry) are back with the fourth running of Wellness Revolution, a program designed to promote healthier lifestyles for Vermont women through cycling. Registration for the eight-week program begins on March 20 and ends onApril 7.

Vermont Business MagazineOn Wednesday, April 5, Northwestern Medical Center and local veterans are unveiling a new valet program, assisting patients and visitors around the hospital campus. NMC’s Veterans Sponsored Valet Service will be staffed by local veterans and will offer transportation in a six-passenger enclosed electric vehicle, as well as parking of personal vehicles. Visitors who park in NMC lots can get a ride to the main entrance, or to other on-campus buildings such as the Cobblestone Health Commons.

The new service officially launches on April 5 with a 4 pmceremonial “christening” of the valet vehicle, and the community is invited to attend.

Vermont Business MagazineThe 25th Annual Vermont Sports Medicine Center’s (VSMC) 5K Run/Walk will be held this year onSaturday, May 6 in Rutland. All proceeds from the event will benefit Kids on the Move and Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports. The annual event has become a staple among the “first 5Ks of the season,” where all ages and abilities are welcome to walk or run for two local causes.

The 5K course starts and finishes at VSMC located at 5 Albert Cree Drive, across from Rutland Regional Medical Center. Pre-registration is suggested. The first 100 to pre-register will receive an event T-shirt. The pre-registration entry fee is $20 for adults ages 18 and older and $15 for kids ages 10-17. The day of registration entry fee is $25 for adults ages 18 and older and $20 for kids ages 10-17. Kids under 10 are $5 and adaptive athletes participate for free.

Vermont Business Magazine As announced by The Federal Reserve Board onMarch 16, 2017, People's United Financial, Inc(NASDAQ: PBCT) has received approval by the Board of Governors of The Federal Reserve for the merger of Suffolk Bancorp, ofRiverhead, NY(NYSE: SCNB) with and into People's United Financial. The transaction, announcedJune 27, 2016and approved by the shareholders of Suffolk Bancorp onOctober 13, 2016, also received approval by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency ("OCC") onFebruary 6, 2017.

Senator Patrick Leahy Today marks the first time that the Senate Judiciary Committee has met publicly to take action on the Supreme Court vacancy that resulted from Justice Scalia’s death 13 months ago. Just hours after we learned of Justice Scalia’s sudden passing, the Majority Leader declared that the Senate would not provide any process to any nominee selected by President Obama, despite the President having nearly a year left in his term. This was an extraordinary blockade, and one backed by then-candidate Donald Trump. Committee Republicans met behind closed doors and declared that they would surrender the independence of this Committee to do the Majority Leader’s bidding, and they ignored the Constitution in the process. This unprecedented obstruction is one of the greatest stains on the two-hundred-year history of this Committee.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont’s congressional delegation announced Monday that a joint town meeting will be held by U.S. Sens. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and U.S. Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) on Saturday at Hazen Union School in Hardwick. In a joint statement, they said: “There is no shortage of issues of major consequence being discussed in Washington these days. Massive budget cuts, the gutting of environmental enforcement and Republican efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act are just some of the crucial issues that affect people in Vermont and throughout the United States. We wanted to provide Vermonters with the opportunity to address the delegation in one forum through a joint town meeting to discuss these and other important issues.”

Vermont Business Magazine A prominent former Republican legislator is among two named to Vermont’s State Board of Education. Governor Phil Scott today announced the appointments of John Carroll of Norwich and John O’Keefe of Manchester Center to the Board. The Board is responsible for the establishment, advancement and evaluation of public education policy, including regulations governing attendance, student performance standards, adult basic education programs, independent school approvals, and disbursement of funds and equal access to education. Carroll and O’Keefe will replace former Chair Stephan Morse (Windham County) and Sean-Marie Oller (Bennington County), whose terms expired February 28.

Vermont Business MagazineThe Burlington School District notified the Burlington Education Association (BEA) Friday, March 17, that a state of impasse exists in contract talks for the 2017-2018 school year. That said, the Board has notified the union that it is willing to continue meeting in the weeks leading up to mediation and fact-finding. The union, meanwhile, said in a statement thatBurlington’s teachers are striving to settle a contract that ensures the district attracts and retains quality teachers who can provide the city’s students with the quality education they deserve. The union said it hopes that a respectful and fair contract can be hammered out without the Board again pushing the parties to the level of crisis experienced last October,which nearly led to a teacher strike.A sizablegap exists on a wage increase.