Current News

Vermont Business Magazine EPA is making grant money available for New England communities to reduce environmental risks, protect and improve human health and improve the quality of life. EPA New England’s Healthy Communities Grant Program is currently accepting initial proposals for projects that will benefit one or more New England communities. EPA plans to award a total of approximately 10 cooperative agreements.

Eligible applicants include state and local governments, public nonprofit institutions or organizations, private nonprofit institutions or organizations, quasi-public nonprofit institutions or organizations, Federally Recognized Indian Tribal Governments, K-12 schools or school districts; and non-profit organizations (e.g. grassroots and/or community-based organizations).

Vermont Business Magazine The Burlington Electric Department and Green Mountain Power today are warning customers about an ongoing bill payment phone scam. In a new wave of calls today, Burlington Electric and Green Mountain Power customers have been receiving calls threatening disconnection if payment is not made immediately. These calls have been targeting primarily restaurants, but other customers have received similar calls.

These calls are not from Burlington Electric or Green Mountain Power, and customers should hang up if they receive a call with such demands. If customers have any questions about their account status, they should call the authorized phone number for GMP, 888.TEL.GMPC (888.835.4672), or for BED, 802.865.7300.

Vermont Business MagazineCalifornia is the toughest state for first-time homebuyers, according to a new Bankrate.com report, and Vermont is surprisinglyone of the best. Vermont is the highest ranked state East of the Mississippi at number nine.Hawaii and New York round out the three most difficult states to buy your first home. Iowa is best. The data study evaluated all 50 USstates based on several factors pertaining to young adults, including home affordability relative to median income, credit availability, unemployment, market tightness and homeownership percentage among under-35 households.

Vermont Business Magazine Keurig Green Mountain, Inc and Dunkin’ Donuts have announced an expanded partnership for the manufacturing, distribution and marketing of Dunkin’ K-Cup pods to workplace customers where coffee is provided as an amenity and to in-room hospitality clients. The initial brand roll-out will feature five K-Cup pod varieties in popular Dunkin’ Donuts flavors – Original Blend, Dunkin’ Dark, Hazelnut, French Vanilla, and Dunkin’ Decaf – and will be available through all Keurig Authorized Distributors serving selected workplace and hospitality clients later this month.

Brattleboro Memorial Hospital Clinical Ethics Committee“I’m 78 and have been given a terminal diagnosis. I also had a pacemaker implanted years ago to keep me alive — do I have the right to have it removed now?”“I’m16 and have a drug addiction. I developed a skin abscess from needle use and have just been admitted to the ER. My parents are not aware of my IV drug addiction and they asked the doctor the cause of my skin condition. I asked the doctor not to tell my parents.”“I’m 34 and have been diagnosed with a type of blood cancer. My oncologist informed me that by receiving a treatment which involves blood products, my chances of surviving rise by 50 percent. However, my religion forbids me to accept blood transfusions.What can I do?”

Vermont Business Magazine The University of Vermont Medical Center Board of Trustees has appointed two new trustees – Thomas Little, attorney and partner at Little & Cicchetti, PC, and Glen Wright, former partner with KMPG in Burlington and Washington, DC. These four-year appointments were made at the Board’s December meeting. At the same meeting the Board recognized Russ Tracy, Ph.D., UVM Robert Larner College of Medicine professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine who stepped down at the expiration of his term. Dr. Tracy joined the board in 2009. He has been recognized as a leading researcher advancing understanding in the areas of cardiovascular disease and stroke.

Thomas Little

Vermont Business Magazine The Brattleboro Retreat is pleased to announce the appointment of Mark McGee, MD, as the hospital’s new Chief Medical Officer (CMO). McGee takes over the job from Frederick “Fritz” Engstrom, MD, who has retired from his role as CMO but will remain on the Retreat’s medical staff. McGee joined the Retreat in 2012 after completing his residency in Psychiatry at the University of Vermont. Since that time he has served as a staff psychiatrist on the hospital’s Adult Intensive Unit and was appointed unit chief of the Adult Inpatient Unit. In 2013, became board certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology in Psychiatry. In 2016, he was appointed Medical Director of the Anna Marsh Clinic and later that year as Medical Director of Inpatient Services.

by John McClaughry Here’s a capsule history of the fitful advance of parental choice in education in Vermont. 1869: The landmark Act 9 allows towns without secondary schools to tuition pupils to public and independent schools. 1990: The 1869 tuition law is expanded to include grades 1-6. 1997: In debate over what becomes Act 60, the education finance law, Sen. Jeb Spaulding (D) offers an amendment for full public and non-sectarian independent school choice, with a state-specified tuition amount following the student. It passes 18-12 with the support of Senate President Peter Shumlin (D). The House rejects it in conference.

Vermont Business Magazine Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont) has joined Senator Bob Casey (D-PA), Ranking Member of the Senate Special Committee on Aging; Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine), Chair of the Senate Special Committee on Aging; and Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), in introducing the Protecting Older Workers Against Discrimination Act (POWADA). A Supreme Court ruling in 2009 held that age discrimination claims must prove that discrimination was not just a motivating factor but the sole or overriding factor in an adverse employment decision. This put a higher burden on older workers alleging age discrimination than on those alleging discrimination based on race, sex, national origin or religion.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont shoppers are familiar with the Vermont Sales Tax of 6 percent on most retail purchases. However, many Vermonters are less familiar with the corresponding use tax. Use tax is due if a shopper has not already paid sales tax at the time of purchase (except on exempt items such as food or clothing), according to the Vermont Department of Taxes.

If a taxpayer purchases a taxable item and the seller does not collect the Vermont Sales Tax due (as can occur online or in a tax-free state like New Hampshire), use tax is due on that purchase. Buying online or in a tax- free state does not mean a taxpayer can legally avoid the tax — it just means the tax gets paid differently.

Vermont Business Magazine Senators Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Bob Casey (D-Penn), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Angus King (I-Maine) and Reps Elijah Cummings (D-MD) and Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas) will unveil new legislation to allow the importation of prescription drugs into the US Tuesday, at 12:30 pm during a press conference. The members of Congress have come together on legislation that will allow for drug importation while maintaining important safety standards.

When: Tuesday, Feb. 28 at 12:30 pm
Where: Senate Radio/TV Gallery (S-325)
Who: Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Bob Casey (D-Penn.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Angus King (I-Maine)and Reps. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) and Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas)

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today announced the composition of his Government Modernization and Efficiency Team (GMET), with no shortage of big names, which he established via Executive Order 03-17 on his first day in office. The GMET team includes Biotek's Adam Alpert, Obama Administration official Allyson Laackman and BED GM and Douglas Administration official Neale Lunderville.