Current News
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Public Assets Institute While Washington and the rest of the nation sort out the meaning of a Donald Trump presidency, new leaders in Montpelier have an opportunity to address the needs of low- and moderate-income Vermonters for whom a secure middle-class life seems unaffordable and out of reach. A higher minimum wage, access to high-quality child care, an expanded public education system including at least two years of college, and a program to help workers save for retirement can address the affordability problem for Vermonters struggling to make ends meet.
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Vermont Business Magazine With Governor Phil Scott, SunCommon will unveil a week from Monday its latest innovation, the Solar Canopy. This timber frame solar structure is a first for Vermont and expands solar access beyond the traditional rooftop and backyard. The Solar Canopy allows all Vermont households and businesses to go solar over their driveway, parking lot, patio, woodpile, or create a functional, new, outdoor space.
“Vermont is a beautiful place, and we want solar to fit into our built environment and working landscape. I designed SunCommon's new Solar Canopy to be both beautiful and functional, embracing Vermont’s classic heritage and its clean energy future,” said James Moore, co-founder of SunCommon.
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Vermont Business Magazine Ski Vermont is working with partners in Vermont and across the country to provide programs and incentives to get on the slopes this season. Long time skiers and riders, as well as those looking to learn a snowsport for the first time can win great prizes like lift tickets to Vermont resorts, skis from Rossignol and snowboards from Burton, among many other prizes this season.
Ski Vermont image.
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Vermont Business Magazine The Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission is trying to prepare for the worst, or at least something worse than usual. The CCRPC has completed the Final Draft of the 2017 update to the Chittenden County Multi-Jurisdictional All Hazards Mitigation Plan. The purpose of mitigation planning is to identify policies and actions that can be implemented over the long term to reduce damages to lives, property, the environment and the economy from future disasters.
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Vermont Business Magazine Forecasters are calling for the season’s first nor’easter on Thursday, and Green Mountain Power is prepared to ensure customer safety and reliability throughout the storm. “Our hope is that the light and fluffy snow forecasted only causes minimal outages, but we are prepared for more significant effects if the snow turns out to be heavier and brings down trees and branches,” said Dorothy Schnure, Green Mountain Power spokesperson. “Crews are prepared to respond to restore power as quickly and safely as possible.”
Due to the wintery weather, Green Mountain Power is rescheduling a brief power outage that had been planned for late Thursday, affecting parts of Underhill, Westford, Essex and Jericho to safely repair damaged equipment. That one-hour interruption has been rescheduled for 11 pm on Wednesday, January 4. In case of inclement weather, the outage will be postponed until the following day, January 5, at the same time.
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Vermont Business Magazine Patrick Morse, 64, Ellie May Morse, 43, and Donald Morse, 23, of Bennington, Vermont, were convicted in Vermont Superior Court, Windsor Criminal Division, of multiple felony counts of Medicaid Fraud arising out of their scheme to defraud the Vermont Medicaid Children’s Personal Care Services (“PCS”) Program. Patrick Morse was convicted on nine counts, Ellie May Morse was convicted on six counts, and Donald Morse was convicted on three counts.
Patrick Morse and Ellie May Morse submitted claims, as the employers of record, for payments from the PCS Program, for services purportedly rendered to three recipients when those services were not actually rendered. For over five years, Patrick and Ellie May Morse falsified timesheets to document the purported services and submitted the timesheets to the PCS Program for payment.
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Vermont Business Magazine Sugarbush Resort is the place to be to welcome in 2018. The resort hosts a number of fun events for the family throughout the day and night. Returning for a seventh New Year’s Eve, the Annual Dog Parade and Canine Couture Contest invites dog owners to strut their mutt through the Gate House Courtyard at 3:30 PM, with proceeds benefitting PAWSitive Pantry.
In the evening, guests can enjoy a Family Italian Buffet at 6:00 PM with live music in Gate House Lodge. Timbers Restaurant will be serving dinner and cocktails throughout the evening. The Wünderbar is the hot spot to view the New Year’s Eve Torchlight Parade and Fireworks kick off at 7:00 PM on Spring Fling. The party then continues at Castlerock Pub with the Detonators performing live from 9:00 PM – midnight.
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Vermont Business Magazine Gifford Health Care performed better than 85 percent of similar facilities nationwide in a 2015 survey on infant feeding practices in maternity care settings, according to the most recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC).
Gifford scored 92 of 100 points on the Maternity Practices in the Infant Nutrition and Care (mPINC) survey. Across Vermont the average score was 88, and the national average mPINC score was 79. Nationally 2,582 facilities providing maternity services responded to the 2015 mPINC survey (82 percent).
“Gifford has always been a leader in providing women’s and obstetrics services and supporting moms and babies,” said Gifford’s Chief Operating Officer Barbara Quealy. “This report reflects the excellent quality embedded in our pregnancy and maternity programs, which create an environment that promotes and supports health and nutrition practices.”
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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.
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Vermont Business Magazine Norwich University has been named Organization of the Year by Special Olympics Vermont. The university was recognized at an annual awards luncheon held on Sunday, December 11, at the Killington Resort. “Norwich University has been an important partner of Special Olympics Vermont for many years, hosting two annual sports events and providing volunteer support at numerous other events including the well-known Penguin Plunge,” said Lisa DeNatale, President and CEO of Special Olympics Vermont. “The support that faculty, staff and students at Norwich University provide advances our mission by enhancing the lives of Special Olympics athletes all across the state.”
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Vermont Business Magazine Common Senses, a therapeutic bodywork studio, is now open for business in Craftsbury Common. Common Senses is owned and operated by Emily Kniffin, a nationally certified massage therapist and certified craniosacral therapist. Kniffin has 18 years experience practicing therapeutic bodywork.
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Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont DMV has announced that DMV Express, Vermont’s online vehicle registration service, recently surpassed a total of 2 million online registration renewals since its launch in 2005. With nearly 700,000 vehicle registration renewals processed annually through the Vermont DMV over all channels, over 30 percent are now processed through the convenient online service.