Current News

Vermont Business Magazine A local fire chief, an Assistant State Fire Marshall, an emergency response team, and a non-profit have been recognized for their contributions to emergency preparedness and response in Vermont.  The awards were presented during the Vermont Emergency Preparedness Conference this past weekend.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont State Colleges are proud to honor our nation’s veterans over the Veteran’s Day holiday. We invite community members to join us in thanking veterans for their service and remembering the sacrifices they have made on behalf of our nation.

Vermont Business Magazine The owner of the Vermont Yankee nuclear power station announced today that it intends to sell the closed power station to a third party, which, if approved, could move up the ultimate decommissioning date by 45 years to 2030. That decommissioning, however, would likely not include moving the radioactive spent fuel from the Vernon site.

Vermont Business Magazine EPA has awarded 12 grants across New England under its 2016 Healthy Communities Grant Program, totaling approximately $270,566, to fund community projects addressing environmental and public health issues.  The projects will reduce environmental risks, protect and improve human health, and improve the quality of life for communities and residents across New England.

by Mike Smith Most anticipate the state of Vermont will soon sign a waiver with the federal government that will fundamentally change the way health care is delivered in Vermont. The all-payer model changes the way doctors and other providers are paid from the current fee-for-service system — where providers are reimbursed for each service they provide — to one where they would be given a global budget and be required to manage the health of their population to that budget number. The all-payer model has three advantages: It makes the payment structure to providers less complex; it focuses on preventative health care; and it attempts to ease the administrative burden on providers. Governor Peter Shumlin has said the all-payer model could save the state $10 billion over the next 10 years.

Vermont Business Magazine Another positive performance by the Personal Income Tax has pushed annual revenues ahead of projections for the year. Secretary of Administration Trey Martin released Vermont’s “preliminary” revenue results today for October. Preliminary data reflects a good month for the General Fund but a down month for Transportation and Education Funds. October is the fourth month of Fiscal Year 2017.

Vermont Secretary of State The 2016 Election will be held on Tuesday, November 8. All polls in Vermont open between 5 and 10 am and close at 7 pm.

Vermont Business Magazine On Saturday, October 22, locals shopped till they dropped – and raised more than $17,000 to fight hunger. During the 7^th annual Charity Sale, Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel and its customers collectively raised $17,800 for the Vermont Foodbank and JCEO Plattsburgh Foodshelf. Today, Lenny’s owners Mark and Todd McCarthy presented a check for $14,550 the Vermont Foodbank.  Last week, Lenny’s presented a check for $3,250 to the JCEO Plattsburgh Foodshelf.

Vermont Business Magazine Bernie Isabelle, Vermont Federal Credit Union’s President & CEO since October, 2008, has retired, effective November 1, 2016. Isabelle said that he and his wife appreciate and will miss the friendships that they have developed in their years at the Credit Union with the employees, the Board of Directors, and the Supervisory Committee. VFCU is based in Burlington.

Vermont Business Magazine This fall, through the 2016-2017 Vermont Mentoring Grants, Mobius has awarded 32 grants, totaling more than $307,000, to support adult-to-youth mentoring programs throughout the state. This funding will support 101 new and existing program sites, and more than 1,800 adult-to-youth mentor pairs in communities across Vermont. Additionally, there is $45,000 in remaining grant funding available that Mobius plans to award to agencies planning or launching new mentoring programs during the 2016-2017 grant year. 

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont departments of Fish & Wildlife, and Forests, Parks, & Recreation are holding a public meeting to discuss future management and use of a group of conserved lands in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom. The meeting will discuss the proposed long-range management plan for Victory Basin Wildlife Management Area, Victory State Forest, and Darling State Park. The meeting will take place on Thursday, November 10 from 6 to 8 pm at the St Johnsbury regional office for the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources, located at 1229 Portland St. This is a routine update of the management plan for these lands. 

Fish & Wildlife, and Forests, Parks, & Recreation photo.

Vermont Business Magazine Over 250 local and national farm to school leaders gathered last week at the 2016 Vermont Farm to School Conference to learn about the positive impacts of Farm to School programming, sample local cuisine, and help shape the future of farm to school in Vermont.  Held over the course of two days at Lake Morey Resort in Fairlee, the conference featured talks by US Senator Patrick Leahy, USDA Farm to School and Community Food Systems Director Deborah Kane, and Executive Director of Child Nutrition of Detroit Public Schools Betti Wiggins. 

Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food, and Markets photo.