Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Joining many other Vermont politicians, both Democratic and Republican, US Senate candidate Scott Milne issued a statement over the weekend condemning remarks made by presidential nominee Donald Trump.

Vermont Business Magazine Pride Center of Vermont received its largest grant at the end of September when the Department of Justice's Office of Violence against Women (OVW) announced it had awarded the Center $300,000 to work with Underserved Populations through 2018.

This extremely competitive grant was written by former Executive Director Kim Fountain. The grant is a collaboration with Migrant Justice, H.O.P.E Works, WomenSafe, and Voices Against Violence to reach LGBTQ migrant farmworkers in Addison, Chittenden and Franklin counties who have limited access to services. The goal of this grant is to provide greater connection to all grant partners for LGBTQ migrant farm workers who may be experiencing sexual, domestic and/or intimate partner violence and need support.

by Mike Smith Sometimes politicians will say or do something that makes you shake your head in disbelief. Often it relates to overstating their importance, or understating their flaws; but occasionally there’s a fumbled attempt by a politician to highlight their courage. Here’s an example of a wayward attempt at bravado: In describing why he dismisses concerns about his use of the state’s aging airplane, Gov. Peter Shumlin boasted, “I was born without a fear gene.” 

Vermont Business Magazine Valley Vista, an 80-bed inpatient alcohol and chemical dependency treatment center is hiring for a number of openings on its clinical services team. The facility will holding a job fair this coming Friday, October 14, 2016 from 10:30 – 11:30 am and then again from 1:30 – 3:30 pm at the Turning Point Center of the Upper Valley, located at 200 Olcott Drive, White River Junction. There is no fee to attend and the job fair is open to the public.

This is a great opportunity to help individuals from our community, many of who are suffering from addiction, often complicated by co-occurring mental issues, find enduring recovery. Valley Vista, Vermont’s leading dual diagnosis inpatient recovery treatment program, is seeking to fill full-time, part-time and per diem positions for all shifts in the following areas:

Vermont State Police This is a further update to the press release, identifying Operators, Occupants and Vehicle information involved in the secondary crashes that occurred on the evening of October 08, 2016. Information related to Case 15A105171, in which five high school students died on Interstate 89, is further below. Updated 1:10 am October 10, 2016. 

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Shumlin today ordered flags around Vermont to fly at half-staff in honor of the young Vermonters who lost their lives this past weekend.

Vermont Business Magazine The Porter Medical Center Board of Directors and the University of Vermont Health Network Board of Trustees voted unanimously on October 5^th to sign a non-binding “Letter of Intent” to formally negotiate terms under which Middlebury's Porter Medical Center would join the University of Vermont Health Network. 

Although not a binding contract, the Letter of Intent clearly sets in motion a more formal process of negotiations that is expected to last approximately six months, during which time Porter and the UVM Health Network will endeavor to agree upon the specific terms that would lead to Porter becoming an affiliate of the UVM Health Network as early as the spring of 2017. During the negotiation process, Porter will retain the option of choosing independence.

by Emma Lamberton Vermont Watchdog Certificate of need laws decrease the quality of care and increase costs, say two newly released studies from George Mason University. The finding has implications for Vermont, which has the most extensive CON laws of any state. CON laws restrict entry for new practices to enter a state’s health care network by mandating that applicants prove the community need that their proposed service would fill.

Vermont Business Magazine A panel discussion focused on early childhood issues with gubernatorial candidates Sue Minter and Phil Scott will take place on October 14 from 5:30 to 6:30 PM in the Davis Center at the University of Vermont in Burlington. The panel discussion, hosted by Let’s Grow Kids and the Vermont Association for the Education of Young Children (VAEYC) with co-presenting sponsor The Media Factory, will be moderated by WCAX News Anchor Darren Perron. The event is being sponsored by more than a dozen regional and statewide organizations.

This is the only gubernatorial candidate event devoted exclusively to early childhood. The candidates will be asked to answer five questions in three categories: child and family policies; economic development and early childhood; and the state budget. This event is free and open to the public.

Vermont Business Magazine Encore Renewable Energy has commissioned of two separate 1.4 MW solar arrays for the Town of Stowe Electric Department and Village of Hyde Park Electric Department, respectively. Both projects were financed with low interest debt under the US Treasury Department’s Clean Renewable Energy Bonds (CREBs) program. The low cost of capital associated with the CREBs financing, along with cost savings afforded by the concurrent development and construction of the two projects, will allow both municipal electric departments to own these assets at generation costs well below market rates for Purchase Power Agreements for similarly sized third-party owned projects.

Vermont Business Magazine The 7th Annual Champlain Valley Buddy Walk will take place at Burlington's Battery Park on Sunday, October 9, starting at noon. More than 200 people are expected to attend the event, which is one of over 250 Walks across the country this fall to raise awareness and funds for programs that benefit people with Down syndrome and their families. It’s a wonderful, heartwarming event that celebrates the many abilities and accomplishments of people with Down syndrome. This year’s Walk is made possible with the generous support of the People's United Bank Foundation. WCAX-TV news anchor Keith McGilvery will once again emcee the event.

vermont Business Magazine Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont) on Friday announced that grants will be coming to Vermont to support the purchase of lifesaving protective vests for Vermont law enforcement officers, under the Leahy-authored Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant Program. The funding includes $68,400 to help 29 local police and sheriff departments buy more than 175 new bulletproof vests for their officers.

Leahy is the ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and the author of the Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant Program.  He successfully fought for its reauthorization earlier this year.  As a result, over the next five years more than 200,000 officers across the country will receive lifesaving vests.