Current News

Public Assets Institute The House passed its fiscal 2017 budget along with tax and fee bills raising approximately $49 million in new revenue to support it. The House budget came in at $5.81 billion, approximately $1 million above the governor’s recommendation. Overall, the House made minor changes to the governor’s spending plan.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Peter Shumlin today invited PayPal to locate a planned expansion that would create 400 jobs in Vermont after the company announced it would cancel prior expansion plans in North Carolina over disagreements with that state’s anti-LGBT law. In a letter to PayPal CEO Dan Schulman, the Governor invited the company to locate in Vermont given the state’s proud history of non-discrimination and protecting the rights of all citizens. The Governor also cited Vermont’s burgeoning tech industry in his pitch. Shumlin has banned official travel to both North Carolina and Mississippi because of anti-LGBT laws recently enacted in those states.

Vermont Business Magazine A day after the Shumlin Administration said that the E911 board issued a false statement concerning E911 service, administration officials met today with the Chair and Vice Chair of the E911 Board as well as the Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner of Public Safety to discuss budgetary issues around 911 service raised by the Board and the Department yesterday. Participants in the meeting included Secretary of Administration Justin Johnson, Chief of Staff Darren Springer, Finance Commissioner Andy Pallito, E911 Board Chair Gary Taylor, E911 Vice Chair Roger Marcoux, Public Safety Commissioner Keith Flynn, and Deputy Commissioner Joe Flynn. The group collectively agreed to a further deliberative process before pursuing any changes to 911 service.

E911 Board Chair Gary Taylor and Vice Chair Roger Marcoux, and Secretary Johnson and Commissioner Flynn issued the following joint statement:

Vermont Business Magazine Norwich is honored to announce that former Army Chief of Staff General Raymond Odierno will deliver the university’s 2016 Commencement address to graduating seniors on Saturday, May 14. A decorated officer and distinguished leader, Odierno served as the 38th Chief of Staff of the United States Army from 2011 to 2015. His previous posts include assistant to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, where he served as the primary military advisor to US Secretaries of State Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice.

Vermont Business Magazine Ben & Jerry's fans around the world can mark April 12th on their calendars as the 2016 Ben & Jerriest day of the year; Free Cone Day! For the past 37 years, Ben & Jerry's has opened scoop shop doors to dish out free ice cream to fans, thanking them for being so uniquely awesome. The tradition has continued to grow, beginning in the small state of Vermont, USA, and now reaching across the globe. Fans are invited to their local scoop shop to join in on the company's long-time tradition of thanking fans for their commitment and ongoing support.

Vermont Business Magazine Mayor Miro Weinberger this evening delivered the State of the City Address in City Hall’s Contois Auditorium during which he reported that the State of the City is stronger than it has been in many years, and our future prospects are promising. The Mayor was joined by the City Council, City Department Directors, members of the City’s Boards and Commissions, other members of the dedicated City employee team, and community members.

Mayor Miro Weinberger

“As our next year together begins, we are poised to create substantial new housing, job, and recreational opportunities for all Burlingtonians,” said Mayor Weinberger. “After a period of careful planning and preparation, 2016 must and will be a year of action and implementation.”

by Jon Reidel Where do your eyes focus during a conversation? An innovative study by University of Vermont researchers reveals that for children with autism spectrum disorder, the answer depends on how emotional the conversation is. The study, published in Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, shows that children with the developmental disability fixate longer on a speaker’s mouth rather than the eyes when the conversation turns emotional. It's the first study of its kind to use eye tracker technology to monitor eye movement during an interactive conversation, and the results could affect the way speech therapists treat the estimated 1 in 68 children who struggle with the social, communication and behavioral challenges caused by autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Vermont Business Magazine Saving energy, saving money and being more comfortable with a GMP eHome can be really sweet – so Green Mountain Power and Wilcox Ice Cream are celebrating by partnering to produce a brand new flavor of Wilcox ice-cream – “eHome Sweet Home.” Green Mountain Power’s eHome program is a holistic energy home renovation program to help customers save money and increase comfort in cold and warm months. It can include weatherization, air source cooling and heating pumps, heat pump water heaters, solar, LED lighting and technology to track and control usage. It also includes innovative home automation controls to see energy use in real time and allow for control of thermostats, outlets, lights and heat pumps

Vermont Business Magazine On Wednesday April 6 at 11:15 am, Governor Peter Shumlin will join Health Commissioner Harry Chen, DMV Commissioner Robert Ide, a Vermont man who is alive today because of a heart transplant, Donate Life Vermont, and other individuals personally touched by organ donation, to celebrate organ and tissue donation and announce April as Donate Life Month in Vermont, encouraging citizens to register as organ and tissue donors. 

What: April as Donate Life Month in Vermont - Lives saved because of organ and tissue donation

-          Heart recipient shares his story

-          Governor awarded the Donate Life Award

Who:   Governor Shumlin

                        Commissioner Harry Chen – VT Department of Health

                        Commissioner Robert Ide – VT DMV

                        Heart recipient

                        UVM Medical Center

Vermont Business Magazine There’s no question that telehealth – using telecommunications and information technologies to provide healthcare at a distance – is changing the landscape of health care in America. But perhaps the most positive effects are being felt in rural communities, where the shortage of medical specialists and the long distances between hospitals and clinics present special challenges for patients seeking care. Telehealth contributes to local care, keeping patients in their own community where they can be surrounded by loved ones and local care teams.

In recent years, Dartmouth-Hitchcock (D-H), New Hampshire’s largest health system, has made a significant investment in its Center for TeleHealth Services. The goal, according to Sarah N. Pletcher, medical director of the Center for Telehealth is to “build new networks of care to deliver excellent and efficient health care where and when patients and providers need us.

Vermont Business Magazine Just So Pediatrics (JSP), a member of the BMH Medical Group, is now offering extended hours in order to accommodate patients who request evening and occasionally, weekend appointments. In addition to its regular hours of 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM on weekdays, JSP has extended their office hours from 8 AM until 8 PM on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, with additional appointments available on some Saturdays.

“Extended hours benefit working parents who cannot come during 8:30am to 5pm hours,” says Cynthia Howes, RN, a Certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner with JSP. “They also increase health care access to school aged children and decrease school absences.” Research from the University of Michigan shows children who have access to extended pediatric primary care appointments have half as many Emergency Department visits as those who do not.

Vermont Business Magazine Air Force officials announced today that the Burlington Air Guard Station located in South Burlington is expected to receive its first F-35A aircraft in Fall 2019, a year earlier than originally planned, according to a statement released by the Vermont National Guard. The advancement of the aircraft delivery to the Vermont Air National Guard will allow the Air Force more time to grow its active-duty maintenance force while capitalizing on the strengths of the Total Force.

"The Air Force is experiencing a shortage of experienced, active-duty fighter aircraft maintainers," said Lieutenant General John B Cooper, Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics, Installations and Mission Support. "Delivering F-35s to an Air National Guard base before standing up a new active duty unit will allow us to take advantage of Burlington's experienced fighter aircraft maintenance force as we transition from legacy aircraft to the F-35A."