Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Peter Shumlin today applauded approval of Vermont's new rules placing the strictest limits in the nation on the number of addictive painkillers that can be dispensed by medical professionals. The new limits give guidance to prescribers and set legal limits on the dosage and number of opioid painkillers that may be prescribed. For some minor procedures, the proposal calls for a limit of between nine and 12 pills. 

"In 2015, enough painkillers were handed out in Vermont to give every man, woman, and child a bottle of 100 pills," Gov. Shumlin said. "That needs to change, and I am proud that medical professionals and others are working to make progress here in Vermont. These new rules will solidify that progress, helping to ensure that fewer Vermonters are sent home with enough painkillers to set off a lifetime of horrible addiction. I want to thank Health Commissioner Harry Chen for his great work on this issue."

Vermont Business Magazine Québec Premier Philippe Couillard on Wednesday gave the insignia of Officer of the Ordre national du Québec to Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin during a ceremony in Québec City.

Vermont Business Magazine Here is a video of the arching fuse at Vermnt Electric Cooperative's Underhill substation that was the cause of the power outage last night for 3,000 VEC members in Cambridge, Jeffersonville, Johnson, Morristown, Fletcher, Underhill, Stowe, and Bakersfield. VEC reports that crews are working hard to restore some additional weather related outages this morning.

VECAN’s Annual Community Energy & Climate Action Conference Saturday
Vermont Business Magazine 2016 is on track to beat 2015 as the hottest year on record, according the World Meteorological Organization, the United Nations agency specializing in weather and climate. This would mean 16 of the 17 hottest years on record have come since 2000. In Vermont, global warming is already affecting the state, as we experienced with one of the worst winters in the state’s history last year and with current drought conditions persisting throughout the state.

Vermont Business Magazine Exploring Vermont’s outdoors by trail has always been part of the Green Mountain state’s culture, but now there is strong evidence to support how those activities bolster the state’s economy, too. The popularity of growing member-based trail networks for mountain biking, backcountry skiing, all-terrain riding and more are blazing new pathways for economic growth in the State.  

Representatives from Federal, State, and local trail organizations came together Tuesday to recognize the growing “outdoor recreation economy” and to showcase efforts to start measuring its economic contributions in dollars.

by Michael Bielawski  Vermont Watchdog Natural gas prices are hitting an all-time low and it’s changing the dynamic of the New England energy markets. It also may be highlighting some infrastructure shortcomings for Vermont. “Natural gas is really inexpensive in the New England region (and) it is producing about half of the energy needs in the entire region,” Patricia Richards, general manager of Washington Electric Co-op, told Vermont Watchdog.

“Basically, the natural gas plants set the wholesale market price,” she said.

Vermont Business Magazine Rutland’s oldest ‘sleep shop,’ Vermont Bedrooms, has joined the city’s rooftop revolution by going solar. Business owners Bill and Rob Beanland worked with SunCommon of Waterbury to install a 73-panel solar array on the roof of their 32-year-old business. Vermont Bedrooms chose solar as a means to cut costs and strengthen their business by generating clean energy on-site.

“Going solar is a conversation starter with our customers,” said Bill Beanland, co-owner of Vermont Bedrooms. “Vermonters that are excited or curious about solar will be more likely to walk into our business. Our rooftop array is very visible and shows our commitment to producing our own local, clean energy. That sort of exposure is tremendous.”

Vermont Business Magazine Applications are now being accepted for the 2017 Governor's Awards for Environmental Excellence. The annual award honors the actions taken by Vermonters to conserve and protect natural resources, prevent pollution and promote sustainability.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor-elect Phil Scott today issued the following statement in response to the news that Senator William “Bill” Doyle will not seek a recount against Senator-elect Francis Brooks in the Washington County Senate race.

Vermont Business Magazine Today the VSCS Board of Trustees voted to name the unified Johnson State College and Lyndon State College “Northern Vermont University” - NVU - with campuses at both Johnson and Lyndon. The two colleges will officially unify and adopt the new name July 1, 2018.  At that point each campus will be known as either “Northern Vermont University-Lyndon” or “Northern Vermont University-Johnson.” 

“Unification will retain our campuses and open new doors of opportunity for students in a larger, stronger university.  The unified university will have an important impact on the regional economy and communities.  The name ‘Northern Vermont University-Johnson and Northern Vermont University-Lyndon’ reflects those aspirations,” said Board Chair Martha O’Connor.

Statement by Washington County Senator Bill Doyle: For the last 48 years, it has been my great privilege to serve the residents of the State of Vermont as one of the State Senators from Washington County.  I worked closely with seven governors and hundreds of fellow legislators as we tried as best we could to steer our government to meet the ever changing needs of Vermonters and the state we love.  

Senator Bill Doyle in 2015.

On election night this year, the initial results indicated that I had fallen short in my effort to return to the Senate for another term, which would have rounded out a half century of service.   

Vermont Business Magazine The American Lung Association of the Northeast stood with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for its announcement today that will require all public housing agencies to go smokefree. This rule will protect two million Americans, across the country, from exposure to secondhand smoke in their homes. This includes those most vulnerable to the effects of secondhand smoke, including 760,000 children and more than 300,000 adults over the age of 62. The policies apply to residential units as well as common areas.