Current News

Vermont Business Magazine The following is a statement issued Friday morning by Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont), Ranking Member, Senate Judiciary Committee, on reports that Senator Jeff Sessions (R-Alabama) will be nominated to be the Attorney General of the United States. Leahy has opposed Sessions on many fronts over the years, including immigration and civil rights, but vows to give him a fair hearing, something, he said, that Republicans have not done with many nominees offered by President Obama.

Vermont Business Magazine The State of Vermont and Mousetrap Pediatrics PC, have reached an agreement settling an investigation into whether Mousetrap submitted false claims or received overpayments from the Vermont Medicaid Program. Mousetrap operated as a pediatric physician group for over 25 years in the Franklin County area, until its dissolution in January 2016. The settlement resolves an investigation into Mousetrap’s Medicaid claims related to after-hours office visits. Mousetrap will pay $66,553.65 to settle potential claims under the Vermont False Claims Act. Under the settlement agreement, Mousetrap will repay the Medicaid Program the $51,553.65 it improperly received and a $15,000 civil penalty. 

Vermont Business Magazine Infiswift, an enterprise Internet of Things (IoT) platform leader from California, has acquired Smart Resource Labs (SRL), a provider of technical asset management tools and performance solutions for complex power systems located in Burlington. Financial terms were not disclosed.

The acquisition rounds out infiswift’s end-to-end IoT platform solution by accelerating development of key analytics and visualization capabilities that make collected data truly actionable.

“Infiswift has invested in building a very powerful IoT platform that, coupled with SRL’s experience in building highly effective visualization and analytics tools, allows us to provide a unique, full-service solution,” said Kannan Dorairaj, CEO at infiswift. “It is critical to go beyond seamless connectivity and real-time data to obtain true insight that can be a catalyst for action, and SRL will help us do just that.”

Vermont Business Magazine A major international ski race is indeed heading for Vermont the weekend after Thanksgiving, despite concerns of the early date and unseasonably warm weather. Killington Resort, the largest four-season resort in Eastern North America, received a positive snow control announcement from FIS (International Ski Federation), the governing body of the Audi FIS Ski World Cup. According to FIS: “This is to inform you that the Audi FIS Ski World Cup races in Killington (USA) are confirmed following the official snow control from today 17th November 2016. As scheduled, the races will take place on 26th – 27th November 2016.”

Vermont Business Magazine Today, Lisa Ventriss, President of Vermont Business Roundtable (VBR) and Jeffrey Carr, President, Economic & Policy Resources (EPR), announced the Q4 2016 outlook results of their joint initiative, the VBR-EPR Business Conditions Survey. While the data are slightly more positive, especially in the hospitality industry, Vermont businesses are still concerned about labor shortages. Housing and health care costs also are seen as drags on the local economy.

Methodology
The quarterly survey is a tool for tracking business conditions and forecasting the future of Vermont’s economy, by providing insight into business sentiments and trends. Specifically, the survey provides both a look back at the previous quarter and a predictive index going forward.
The data for both the backward and forward-looking questions are weighted to the Vermont economy by sector employment and turned into “diffusion indices”.1

Vermont Business Magazine A national rating firm has determined that the Burlington ares is on of the best places in America for working women. SmartAsset has ranked the Burlington metro area as number five in the US. The Upper Valley area of New Hampshire ranked number 4. Those were the top two regions in the Northeast.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Peter Shumlin and Governor-elect Phil Scott today issued the following statement on concerns raised by Vermonters following the presidential election and recent events across the state: "At this time of national discord, Vermont can present a united voice urging compassion, commitment to community, and fierce dedication to equal rights and justice. The example we set for the nation can help guide us forward through this turbulent time.

by Libby Weiland, Vermont Community Garden Network Washington Electric Co-op (WEC) employees have been growing a garden at work since 2015. In conjunction with other employee wellness efforts, they use produce from the garden for shared lunches, at work tastings, and seminars on cooking and nutrition. Employees say the garden encourages healthy habits.

Vermont Business Magazine Secretary of State Jim Condos chaired the statewide canvassing committee for the General Election at 128 State Street, Montpelier on Tuesday. This Canvass is to certify the votes for the November 8 General Election as reported to the Secretary of State. The statewide canvassing committee is set by state law and is composed of the Secretary of State and the chair of the state committee of each major political party or his/her designee. Although the Canvass only requires statewide results, the committee is provided town by town vote counts as well as county and statewide total vote counts.

"Voting is at the very basis of our democracy and every vote counts," Condos said.

In attendance this morning were Condos; Conor Casey, designee for Dottie Deans, Democratic Party Chair; Josh Wronski, designee for Emma Mulvaney Stanak, Progressive Party Chair; and Jeff Bartley, designee for David Sunderland, Republican Party Chair.

Vermont Business Magazine A multifaceted approach to sustainability including environmentally friendlier laundry facilities and controlling pests with beneficial insects has earned Wake Robin, nonprofit life care community in Shelburne, a prestigious environmental wellness award. The International Council on Active Aging (ICAA) is pleased to announce that the 2016 winner of the ICAA Innovators Green Award is the older-adult community of Wake Robin. The community received the award for its Energy Use and Consumption Plan. 

Vermont Business Magazine Today is national Utilities United Against Scams Day, when utilities across the country warn customers about bill payment phone scams. Vermont’s three largest utilities are joining together to alert customers that scammers regularly make calls threatening disconnection if payment is not made immediately, and those calls have increased recently. One customer ran into GMP’s office today after receiving such a call, alarmed that his restaurant might be disconnected while serving lunch.

“We would never make a call threatening immediate disconnection if credit card information is not given immediately,” said Dorothy Schnure, spokesperson for Green Mountain Power. “We work with customers who are having difficulty paying a bill. If a customer has any doubt about the legitimacy of a call, we encourage them to hang up and call our listed number for any questions about their account status.”

Vermont Business Magazine The Rutland Region Chamber of Commerce announced on November 15, 2016 at their Annual Meeting (sponsored by GE-Aviation) that Greg Cox of Boardman Hill Farm, Vermont Farmers Food Center and Vermont Farmers Market is the Chamber's 2016 Business Person of the Year. Cox has been a farmer for 40 years and in 2007 helped to transform the Vermont Farmer’s Market to a year round market.  He is one of the visionaries behind the Vermont Farmers Food Center, which he says “it’s not just because of me; I can’t do this by myself”.  Cox also mentors new farmers at his Boardman Hill Farm, giving them space (free of charge) to learn how to produce food and guides them in the process. He feels we need to “own our own food future”.