Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Ski Vermont donated a record breaking $19,050 to the Keep Local Farms Fund at Nea-Tocht Farm in Ferrisburgh on Saturday, June 25, 2016. The donation comes from the proceeds of Ski Vermont’s Fifth Grade Passport program, which enabled nearly 3,000 children to ski and snowboard for free in Vermont during the 2015-16 season.

Vermont Business Magazine US Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) Tuesday welcomed action by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) late Monday to finalize a rule on a long-delayed extractive industries transparency provision of the Wall Street reform law enacted in 2010.  The transparency provision was authored by Leahy and became Section 1504 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.

Vermont Business Magazine Green Mountain Power is preparing for a strong wind and rainstorm that is forecasted to hit Tuesday afternoon and could cause outages across the state. The storm could blow trees onto power lines and also snap power poles at the base. As we head into July, which is the worst month for storms and storm related damage causing outages, safety is critical. GMP reminds customers to be safe by staying away from any downed power lines and by being extra careful on the roads. 

“Our crews are preparing now and are ready to respond quickly to any outages from this strong wind storm,” said Kristin Carlson, GMP’s Chief Communications Executive. “Early preparation is key to making sure we can get the lights on quickly and safely for customers.”

Vermont Business Magazine Effective June 27, the organization formerly known as Women Helping Battered Women has changed its name to Steps to End Domestic Violence. The rationale for the change was to be more inclusive and welcoming to those who don’t identify as women or as “battered.”

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Peter Shumlin and Health Commissioner Harry Chen, MD have announced that BAART Behavioral Health Services will open a new medication-assisted treatment center – or Hub – in the St Albans area, expanding the Care Alliance for Opioid Addiction's Hub & Spoke system of care. The new Hub will open by January 1, 2017, offering comprehensive addiction and co-occurring mental health treatment services for residents of Franklin and Grand Isle counties with opioid use disorders. The exact location was not announced. It is expected to serve at least 250 Vermonters in its first year of operation.

Vermont Business Magazine The University of Vermont Health Network announced today that Moody’s Investors Service, one of the major New York City-based bond rating services, has revised upward  the institution’s bond rating outlook from  “Stable” to “Positive.” Moody’s based its decision not only on the UVM Health Network’s strong financial performance but also on the way that the network has continued to respond to the health care reform environment by successfully integrating regional hospitals and providers into the system.

John Brumsted, MD, president and chief executive officer, UVM Health Network. VBM file photo

Vermont Business Magazine Heat illnesses can be deadly. In extreme heat situations, sometimes your body's temperature control systems can't keep up. When that happens, your body temperature gets dangerously high. As a result, you are at greater risk of serious heat illness, such as heat stroke, heat exhaustion, heat cramps and sunburn.

Vermont Business Magazine The Stowe Area Association presented the Stowe Business Person of the Year award at their Annual Membership Dinner, which was held on June 15th at the Commodores Inn. The Annual Stowe Business Person of the Year 2016 honor was awarded to David Wolfgang, owner of Pinnacle Ski & Sports, SkiEssentials.com, and Inner Bootworks. Wolfgang has a long and eclectic history in the Stowe business community, and has proven to be an influential player in the development of Stowe as a tourist destination. 

Wolfgang began his career in the ski industry over thirty years ago.  He grew up in Great Neck, New York, but he could not ignore the call of the mountains. As a young ski bum in the 70’s, Wolfgang worked various odd-jobs around the town of Stowe (none of them for very long) and helped with his brother’s ski tour operation. In 1984, Wolfgang’s then-girlfriend and now-wife, Katrine, said, “You know, it would be nice if you got a job.”

Vermont Business Magazine Employees of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont (BCBSVT) worked more than 2,000 hours at community events and BCBSVT devoted nearly $200,000 to community health and wellness initiatives in the last year. The company’s efforts included engaging 201 schools and 85 businesses on its 10th Annual National Walk@Lunch day on April 27, giving more than 50,000 Vermonters incentives to jumpstart their fitness routines in the spring.

Students at Crossett Brook School in Waterbury walk during National Walk@Lunch Day. Courtesy photo.

Vermont Business Magazine Jennifer Newsome, age 50, of Ludlow, Vermont, was convicted on June 23, 2016, in Vermont Superior Court for Windsor County on a felony count of Medicaid Fraud and a misdemeanor count of False Pretenses. The convictions arose from Newsome’s submission of claims, as the employer of record, for payments from the Vermont Medicaid’s Children’s Personal Care Services Program, for services purportedly rendered to two recipients by an acquaintance of Newsome when those services were not actually rendered. The acquaintance was not aware that the claims were filed, and Newsome received and deposited the checks for payment of those services herself.

Vermont Business Magazine E4H MorrisSwitzer Environments for Health, an architecture firm exclusively focused on the healthcare industry, joined its client Dartmouth-Hitchcock health system for a groundbreaking June 22 of the Jack Byrne Center for Palliative and Hospice Care. The new $22 million, 30,000-square-foot facility will incorporate special amenities designed to increase support for patients’ and families’ physical, emotional, and spiritual comfort. The Center, located on the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center (DHMC) campus in Lebanon, NH, will include education spaces for regional providers and caregivers to train in palliative and hospice care.

The main entrance is pictured here at sunset. The windows and chimney of the great room are visible on the left. Artist renderings.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Student Assistance Corp, based in Winooski, has been selected to receive two grants from the J. Warren and Lois McClure Foundation. A $15,000 grant will allow VSAC to launch a new pilot program in Franklin County to encourage low-income students or those who are the first in their family to pursue higher education (“first generation”) to participate in dual enrollment courses and early college. VSAC will provide personalized counseling and other social support that has proven successful with first-year college students with similar backgrounds. VSAC also will partner with Franklin County businesses and organizations to offer the opportunity for $1,000 scholarships for students who successfully complete the courses and enroll in college.