Current News

Vermont Business Magazine The Visiting Nurse Association of Chittenden and Grand Isle Counties (VNA) opened the doors to the new McClure Miller VNA Respite House on Monday. The ribbon cutting celebrates completion of the 21-room Respite House which will replace the current 13-room Vermont Respite House located in Williston. Construction of the state-of-the-art building, named in honor of local benefactors and long-time hospice advocates Holly and Bob Miller and Lois McClure, began in the fall of 2015. All costs associated with the project are being funded through an $8.6 million capital campaign which is on-going. Through the generous support of the community, $5.5 million has been raised to date.

by Carolyn Shapiro A number of common conditions are mistaken for multiple sclerosis (MS), a disabling central nervous system disease, say researchers at four academic medical centers across the US in a study published online August 31 in the journal Neurology. While it has been known for decades that MS misdiagnosis is a problem, there have been no large studies to help better understand the disorders mistaken for MS and the possible reasons for why they are misdiagnosed. The research involved 24 MS specialist neurologists at the University of Vermont, Mayo Clinic, Washington University, and Oregon Health & Science University, who identified an incorrect diagnosis of MS in 110 patients.

by John Goodrich For nearly 38 years I had the privilege to work for one of the most important companies in the St. Johnsbury area. Weidmann puts bread on the table for 300 families. It was, and is, a mainstay of our local economy. Thus I was alarmed at the urgent call by Scott Campbell, a Democratic candidate for the House, for the legislature to impose a new “carbon tax” on gasoline, diesel fuel, natural gas, heating oil, and propane. Campbell’s proposed tax is designed to raise $500 million a year when fully in place in 2028.

Vermont Business Magazine National Life Group and the Vermont Historical Society announced a partnership on Monday that will preserve and protect a significant painting that for 55 years has greeted visitors to the company’s Montpelier headquarters. The mural, “Tribute to Vermont” by prominent artist and Dartmouth College instructor Paul Sample, was installed in 1961 in the lobby of National Life’s then-new headquarters building in Montpelier.

Vermont Business Magazine For the sixth year in a row, Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel, Darn Tough Vermont and Smartwool are teaming up to help provide warm, Merino wool socks and much-needed support to Vermont’s homeless population in preparation for the state’s colder months. This Thursday through Saturday, Lenny’s is offering 25% off socks during the 6th Annual Charity Sock Sale. With every pair of Darn Tough and Smartwool socks sold during the sale, a pair will be donated to local homeless shelters. In addition, Lenny’s will make a monetary donation for each pair sold. The organizations receiving the donations include the Committee on Temporary Shelter (COTS) in Williston, the Samaritan House in St. Albans, and the Good Samaritan Haven in Barre, and JCEO Community Outreach Emergency Services Program in Plattsburgh.

To date, Lenny’s has donated over $69,000 worth of socks and support to these shelters.  

Vermont Business Magazine The federal receiver who has been appointed to the Jay Peak EB-5 foreign investor fraud case, Michael Goldberg, has issued the following Q&A about the $15 million settlement with Citibank. Goldberg is effectively running the Jay Peak and Burke Mountain resorts and overseeing the assets involved with those developments and others related to the alleged fraud. The Securities & Exchange Commission and the state of Vermont is alleging $200 million in fraud in the EB-5 case, which also includes the proposed AnC Bio research facility in Newport.

Michael Goldberg, right, with Governor Shumlin, at the grand opening of the Lodge at Burke Mountain. VBM photo.

Vermont Business Magazine US Senate Candidate Scott Milne on Saturday formally launched his U.S. Senate bid in his hometown of Washington, VT.  Milne made his case to voters that career politicians in Washington, D.C., and the big money that fuels them are ruining our futures. Over one hundred supporters descended on the small town in Orange County, where Milne grew up, for  a morning of optimism.  “Scott Milne makes me believe that things can start to function again in Washington.  I’ve known him since he was a kid over at the school and he’s the man for the job,” said Joy Driscoll.

Scott Milne campaign photo.

by Mike Smith There are occasions when an event can change our lives. The birth of a child, for example, is life changing. But certain transformative events can be shared collectively as a nation. Sept. 11, 2001, was a transformative event for all of us as we witnessed the horrors of that day and the aftermath. We had no way of knowing how our lives would change, but we instinctively knew when 19 terrorists hijacked four commercial passenger jets and then crashed them into the twin towers at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and into the ground just outside Shanksville, Pennsylvania, change was coming.

Vermont Business Magazine People's United Financial, Inc (NASDAQ: PBCT) announced today that Jack Barnes, President and Chief Executive Officer, and David Rosato, Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, will speak at the Barclays 2016 Global Financial Services Conference in New York City on Tuesday, September 13, 2016 at 9:00 am EDT. A link to the live audio-only webcast will be available on the People's United website at www.peoples.com – Investor Relations – News & Events – Investor Presentations. A replay will be available on the same site for 90 days.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont PBS today announced a new emphasis on locally produced content as the cornerstone of its groundbreaking new fall season. “Made Here” defines a broad range of content from local filmmakers, allowing Vermont PBS to share a wider range of local stories as seen through many different eyes. Vermont PBS continues to produce excellent in-house series this fall including the second season of InnoVaTe, which will move from being an online only series to be shown on television also; the third season of Discover Jazz; a new series about the local food system called The Local Motive; and many other productions such as our live coverage of political debates leading up to the November elections.

Vermont Business Magazine Join Keybank and Vermont Business Magazine as we celebrate the achievements of the five fastest growing businesses in five categories over the last five years in Vermont. The 2016 Vermont Business Growth Awards event is Monday, September 12 starting at 4:30 pm at the Hilton Burlington. The evening features Oz Pearlman. Oz amazed the country last year on TV’s #1 rated show, America’s Got Talent. Week after week, he performed mindblowing mentalism routines never seen before and quickly became a fan favorite, finishing in third place out of thousands of acts. His client list reads like a who's who of politicians, professional athletes, A-list celebrities, and Fortune 500 companies. 

Vermont Business Magazine Miss Vermont, Rylee Field, is in Atlantic City, New Jersey this week representing Vermont at the Miss America competition. She has spent the last several months perfecting her spoken word poetry talent and has been grilled by panels of "mock" interview judges. Since becoming Miss Vermont at the end of May, Rylee has travelled across the state promoting her platform, Find a Happy Place: Positive  Mental Health and Wellness.