Current News

Vermont Business Magazine The Center for Agriculture and Food Systems (CAFS) at Vermont Law School and the Harvard Law School Food Law and Policy Clinic (FLPC) on Monday announced the release of their "Blueprint for a National Food Strategy," a collaborative project that calls for a national food strategy in the United States to strengthen and support the nation's current and future food system needs.

Vermont Business Magazine Kids inVermontwill unite against tobacco use onMarch 15as they join thousands of young people nationwide to mark Kick Butts Day. More than 1,000 events are planned acrossthe United Statesand around the world for this annual day of youth activism, sponsored by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. (See below for a list of local events.)

On Kick Butts Day, kids encourage their peers to be tobacco-free, reject tobacco companies' devious marketing and urge elected officials to help make the next generation tobacco-free.

by John McClaughry Last year the intense efforts of the “Energy Independent Vermont” coalition to sell Vermonters on the merits of a carbon tax ran onto the rocks. But the friends of the carbon tax in the Vermont House and Senate aren’t giving up. Three years ago the EIV coalition burst upon the scene. Spearheaded by the Vermont Public Interest Research Group (VPIRG), EIV included the usual organizations eager to defeat the Menace of Climate Change: the Conservation Law Foundation, Vermont Natural Resources Council, and Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility.

Their plan was to persuade Vermonters to clamor for a new tax on gasoline, diesel fuel, natural gas, heating oil and propane, in order to prevent (somehow) a planetary climate catastrophe a hundred years down the road. When the tax reached its projected final level ($100/metric ton of carbon dioxide) in ten years, it would bring in about $500 million a year.

Vermont Business MagazineThe University of Vermont – Central Vermont Medical Center (CVMC) this week launches the American Orthopaedic Association (AOA)’s Own the Boneprogram, aimed at better identifying, evaluating and treating patients with osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is a medical condition in which the bones become brittle and fragile, and can contribute to low bone density-related fragility fractures, specifically those resulting from standing-height or lower falls.

Own the Bone brings focus to the severe health implications of fragility fractures and the multi-faceted approaches hospitals can employ in ensuring patients receive the most comprehensive care.

Vermont Business Magazine Grace Cottage Hospital (Townshend) Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) Louise McDevitt is the author of a new book for clinical practitioners. Orthopedic Physical Assessment, published by Fitzgerald Health Education Associates and co-authored by McDevitt and FNP Monica Tombasco, is a reference guide to help Nurse Practitioners (NPs), Physician Assistants, medical students, and seasoned clinicians alike with orthopedic diagnosis and treatment.

The guide is a spiral-bound book in cue-card format, making it easy to find information quickly. It provides a comprehensive compendium, with diagrams, glossary, and references for further information.

Vermont Business Magazine The annual “Big Change Roundup for Kids” raised $314,667.17to support specialized care provided at The University of Vermont Children’s Hospital. The Roundup is the largest fundraiser each year for Vermont Children’s. The three-month long coin collecting campaign is a joint project of the hospital and 98.9 WOKO-FM with support from hundreds of local businesses and community groups, and thousands of volunteers from throughout the region. Key sponsors this year include Maplefields, New England Federal Credit Union, Walmart and TC’s RV’s.

Vermont Business Magazine Southwestern Vermont Health Care (SVHC) has recently received two distinctions as a superior employer. The health system was named one of 2017’s Best Places to Work in Vermont for the third year in a row. In addition, SVHC was named to the Becker’s Hospital Review 2017 list of “150 Top Places to Work in Healthcare.”

Best Places to Work in Vermont is a statewide program operated by Vermont Business Magazine and the Vermont Chamber of Commerce in partnership with the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), the Vermont Department of Labor, and the Vermont Department of Economic Development. SVHC received the honor for the first time in 2015. It is the first and only hospital or health system to be recognized by the program.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today announced the State of Vermont has been selected as one of five states to participate in a national criminal justice effort aimed at improving law enforcement practices and policies. The National Criminal Justice Reform Project (NCJRP) is a joint venture of the National Criminal Justice Association (NCJA) and the National Governors Association (NGA).

The project will support Vermont in the planning and implementation of more data-driven, evidence-based reforms. This scientific approach is designed to allow Vermont to improve public safety by making criminal justice systems smarter, more fair and more cost effective.

by Patrick Leahy This is the first Sunshine Week, since it began in 2005, when the public’s right to know has been under direct assault, and on several fronts. “Fake news,” “alternative facts,” retaliatory restrictions of press access by the White House, and demonizing attacks on the working press are eroding the public’s access to real facts and real information about what their government is doing.

Next week the Senate Judiciary Committee will convene for crucial hearings to consider the nomination of Judge Neil Gorsuch to serve on the United States Supreme Court. These hearings are a unique moment when all three branches of government converge as senators consider a presidentially appointed nominee to serve on the highest court in the land. I plan to use these public hearings to ask Judge Gorsuch about vital matters affecting millions of Americans, and about how he will approach those issues if he is confirmed.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today released his Administration’s plan to expedite public disclosure of records relating to EB-5 projects in the Northeast Kingdom in connection with alleged fraud case against Ariel Quiros and Bill Stenger. In February, Scott directed the Vermont Department of Financial Regulation (DFR) to develop a plan that would accelerate the release of documents, while protecting the State’s ability to enforce the law and maintaining the integrity of the State’s civil lawsuit against Quiros, Stenger and multiple corporations and partnerships.

Vermont Business Magazine The strange spring weather continues, with forecasters saying a Nor’easter will hit the Northeast Tuesday morning and continue through Thursday morning. In Vermont, up to two feet could blanket the region. Forecasters say the storm is not expected to create a lot of outages, as the snow will be light and fluffy with low water content. Wet heavy snow causes greater problems as it can weigh down trees and lines.

“Advanced planning is key. Our team is preparing for the forecast, and we will have our team ready to respond if there are outages,” said Kristin Carlson, Green Mountain Power’s vice president of external affairs. “We urge people to be safe on the roads, as the greatest impact from this storm is forecasted to be hazardous driving conditions from blowing and drifting snow, creating near whiteout conditions.”

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont unemployment rate was down one-tenth in January, another indicator, like last week's tax revenue report, showing economic improvement. The Vermont Department of Labor announced today that the seasonally-adjusted statewide unemployment rate for January was 3.1 percent. This reflects a decrease of one-tenth of one percentage point from the revised December rate (3.2 percent). The national rate in January was 4.8 percent, up one-tenth.