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They claim the Public Service Board chooses utilities over customers

Vermont Business Magazine Some of Vermont's leading environmental organizations issued a blistering response today to the Public Service Board's draft rule for the state's net metering program, most of which is solar. The groups feel that the rules will stifle future renewable energy projects in the state, which will hurt farmers, towns, residential customers and, ultimately, efforts to reduce climate change. They also objected to the "bait and switch" nature of the rules for existing "grandfathered" projects, which eventually will lose their net metering benefit. They said the proposed rules, which if accepted would go into effect next January, threaten "to crater this important Vermont-grown sector of our clean energy economy." Their statement, the PSB Letter and PSB Proposed Rule issued June 30, are below.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Health has confirmed the year's first case of human illness due to West Nile virus. The Windsor County resident became ill in mid-June, and was diagnosed with West Nile neuroinvasive disease, a more serious form of the illness that affects the nervous system. West Nile virus is spread through the bite of an infected mosquito. Mosquitos that carry West Nile virus can be found throughout the state. The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets began conducting mosquito surveillance throughout the state in June. So far this season no mosquito pools have tested positive for West Nile virus or Eastern Equine Encephalitis.

by Mike Faher/The Commons The state has lost a long-running battle over emergency planning at Vermont Yankee in Vernon. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission on June 23 denied Vermont’s appeals of federal rulings that had allowed the shut-down plant’s emergency operations to shrink dramatically as of mid-April. Regardless of federal action, state officials may have found their own way to continue enhanced emergency operations in the towns around the Vernon plant, having announced last month their intention to bill Entergy for such activities.

But the NRC’s rulings again show that federal regulators won’t force plant owner Entergy to reinstate more-rigorous emergency standards at Vermont Yankee. NRC commissioners also reiterated that federal scrutiny of the plant continues.

Vermont Business Magazine Overall, long term care costs across all care settings in Vermont, including home care, adult day services, assisted living and nursing facilities, are up from 2015. The current monthly average for a private nursing home room, for instance, is $8,897 ($106,764 per year), up 1.56 percent. But assisted living care in Vermont is up 20.9 percent from last year to $4,860 per month ($58,320), or $1,200 more a month than the national average.

Vermont Business Magazine In a startling report released in late June, National Safety Council research shows 28 states are failing their residents by lacking a comprehensive, proven plan to eliminate prescription opioid overdoses. Prescription Nation, a definitive ranking of how states are tackling the worst drug crisis in recorded US history, assigned a "Making Progress" rating to only four states – Kentucky, New Mexico, Tennessee and Vermont. Of the 28 failing states, three – Michigan, Missouri, and Nebraska – do not have a single strategy in place to save lives. The report comes during National Safety Month and on the heels of the Council's analysis showing preventable deaths are at an all-time high, and the increase is being driven by opioid overdoses.

by Priyanka Prakash FitSmallBusiness.com Fit Small Business recently published a list a the best and worst states to get an SBA loan based on data we acquired directly from the Small Business Administration freedom of information act. Through its research it discovered that Vermont is the best overall place to receive an SBA loan. "It was difficult for us to rank the best state to get and repay SBA loans because there was no state that wowed us across all three measures: access to sba loans, average loan size, and repayment rate. However, Vermont performed the best out of all the states on these three counts," Fit SMall Business wrote in its analysis.

Vermont Business Magazine Gifford Health Care in Randolph is partnering with Vermont Blueprint for Health, the Vermont Department for Health, and the Greater Burlington YMCA to offer an evening session of the YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program. Offered free of charge, this program offers education and support to help adults at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes adopt healthier eating and exercise habits that can lead to weight loss and reduced risk. You have a greater risk of getting diabetes if you are overweight or obese; don’t get enough exercise; have high blood pressure; have abnormal cholesterol; or have a parent, brother, or sister with diabetes.

Vermont Business Magazine An Open House and Community Celebration to commemorate the renovation of the Southwestern Vermont Medical Center’s Northshire Campus is scheduled for 12 - 2 p.m. Sunday, July 24 at the practice, 5957 Main Street—Route 7A in Manchester. The event will include a healthy barbecue and family fun, including kids’ activities, games and prizes. Attendees will have an opportunity to meet providers and tour the building. The event is free and open to the public.

The renovated building includes a comfortable new waiting room, the addition of consultation rooms on the second floor, a new telemedicine-enabled room, and five new exam rooms, which allowed the addition of another provider. The renovation is part of broader, SVHC strategy to boost access to primary care in the areas it serves.

Vermont Business Magazine USDA Rural Development has launched a Two-Tiered Income Limit Pilot for the Single Family Housing Programs in Vermont.  The pilot bands together the income limits of households with 1-4 members and with 5-8 members.  This banding significantly increases the range of households eligible for Rural Development's Direct Home Loan Program and the Home Repair Loan and Grant Program.​ More households are now able to apply for Rural Development's affordable home financing.

504 Home Repair Loan and Grant- Vermont Family Income Limits

Vermont Business Magazine The third annual FreshTracks Road Pitch, a five day motorcycle tour of Vermont in which a gang of “business bikers” (comprised of investors, entrepreneurs and business advisors) ride around the state and stop in various towns to listen to entrepreneurs pitch their business concepts, will be held August 1 through August 5, 2016. The tour will stop in Essex Junction, Rutland, Bennington, Brattleboro, Barre, Randolph, St Johnsbury, Lowell, Hyde Park and North Hero. At each of the 10 stops the riders will award a “Riders Choice Prize” of $500 and a special edition “Vermont Biker Bear” contributed by Vermont Teddy Bear. Each stop is open to public viewing.

Entrepreneurs interested in pitching their concept or business to the riders should visit www.roadpitch.co, review the schedule and contact a local organizer to apply for a pitch slot.

by Mike Smith It’s a stunning transformation to witness. In restaurants, airports and other public places, often our companion is not the person sitting with us, but rather the electronic device we are clinging to. More and more our heads are pointed down, our eyes are glued to phones, tablets or computers, and we are focused solely on what is being transmitted over that device, oblivious to what is happening around us. And although we have the capacity to communicate more broadly and expand our knowledge and horizons, the question is: do we?

Ironically, the vastness of the information age has also given us the option to isolate ourselves in a bubble with others of like minds. Our knowledge of the world doesn’t expand, rather it constricts ,and all information that doesn’t conform to our point of view can be blocked, disregarded or mocked.

Vermont Business Magazine July is national ice cream month, and there is no better way to celebrate than with your two favorite guys. Why pick just one flavor, when you can have them all? Ben & Jerry's has a variety of new flavors this ice cream season, and we can't think of a better time for fans to pick up their spoons and unite in a euphoric, ice cream eating journey. What better way to ring in National Ice Cream Month than to celebrate Independence day with a scoop of Empower Mint, a Peppermint Ice Cream with Fudge Brownies and Fudge Swirls. Empower Mint was recently launched with the goal to support Ben & Jerry's long time commitment in advocating for a fair Democracy.