Current News

VTel today introduced 10 Gigabits per second (Gbps) Internet available to every VTel home. VTel’s new 10 Gig residential Internet has been made possible by an $85 million VTel telephone network award from the US Department of Agriculture’s Rural Utilities Service (RUS). This RUS project is expected to be complete by June 30, 2015, on budget and on schedule, VTel said in a statement.

“We were proud four years ago to initiate first-in-Vermont 1 Gigabit Internet, at a billion-bits-per-second, at $35 a month” said VTel Chief Technology Officer Justin Robinson. “We’re even more delighted today to announce first-in-Vermont 10 Gbps Internet.”

Governor Peter Shumlin today signed into law consumer protection legislation to crack down on rent-to-own enterprises that target lower and middle income Vermonters. Rent-to-own stores market to lower and middle income individuals with troubled credit histories by promising a no-interest, hassle-free way to own consumer electronics, furniture, and other household items. The rent-to-own model works by giving consumers products upfront in exchange for a small monthly rental fee, which, if paid for the duration of the contract period can result in ownership. That small monthly rental fee can add up, however, inflating the cost of some products by 300 to 400 percent. And with only 25 percent of rent-to-own transactions actually leading to ownership, many consumers may find themselves paying full price or more for a product they won’t own.

Representative Peter Welch (D-Vermont) has joined 21 House colleagues in urging the US Food and Drug Administration to compel manufacturers to more clearly convey the serious risks associated with the use of opioid pain relievers. Currently, only extended-release and long-acting opioids have prominently displayed warnings, known as “black box warnings,” that indicate the significant potential for abuse, overdose, addiction, and neonatal abstinence syndrome. Welch and his colleagues asked that these same warnings be placed on immediate release opioids, which have the same risks and accounted for over 90 percent of the opioids prescribed in the United States in 2009, according to FDA.

Perk Perkins, CEO of The Orvis Company Inc, today announced the selection of William R McLaughlin as the outdoor retailer's new president, to succeed Raymond G McCready who will retire later this year. A former PepsiCo executive and CEO of Select Comfort Corporation of Minneapolis, McLaughlin will assume the post July 27.

"Bill is a proven leader with a passion for brand-building and customer-centric retail experiences," Perkins said. "He fits our company culture like a glove. Bill's leadership style, personal connection to the outdoors, and commitment to innovation and customer service all beautifully align to our company's purpose, personality and guiding beliefs."

by Governor Peter Shumlin Dear Friends, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for the support you have shown me. It has been the greatest privilege of my life to serve as governor of Vermont.

When we started on this journey four and a half years ago, this state was a much different place. Unemployment was on the rise, businesses were shedding jobs, and Vermonters were struggling. With your help, I was elected on the promise that together we would get tough things done to turn this economy around and make it work for every single Vermonter.

STORY: Governor Shumlin will not seek re-election

Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) on Wednesday introduced bipartisan legislation to extend and significantly improve the job-creating immigrant investor visa program, known as EB-5, which is set to expire in September. Leahy introduced the bill with Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa).

The American Job Creation and Investment Promotion Reform Act would reauthorize the EB-5 Regional Center program for five years and provide an overhaul of reforms to improve the program’s integrity. Since launching in 1993, the EB-5 Regional Center program has generated billions of dollars in capital investment and created tens of thousands of jobs across the country. Leahy said that although certain projects have experienced problems in recent years, it is worth fixing the EB-5 program as it has transformed local economies in impoverished areas as well as in rural states like Vermont.

Vermont was recently approved by the New England Board of Higher Education to join the New England State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (N-SARA). Vermont joins 23 other states nationally (Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New Mexico, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, South Dakota, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia and Wyoming) as a member of SARA.

SARA is an initiative that will make distance-education courses more accessible to students across state lines and make it easier for states to regulate and institutions to participate in interstate distance education.

"Vermont will be a critical part of an expanding network of proactive states that are working together to benefit students, to strengthen institutions' online program provision and support quality assurance and consumer protection," said NEBHE President and CEO Michael K. Thomas.

Lisaius Marketing and Northwestern Medical Center recently attended the New England Society for Healthcare Communications (NESHCO) annual conference, where two of their collaborated works had been nominated for NESCHO’s 2015 Lamplighter Award. NESHCO, New England’s premier professional society for healthcare communications and marketing, established the Lamplighter Awards to recognize achievement of the highest professional standards in healthcare communications.

The team was proud to bring home gold honors in two categories, Special Events and Community Relations Events.

See the depth of all Lisaius Marketing’s design work and capabilities at Lisaius.com

Based in Burlington, Vermont, Lisaius Marketing is a brand development and full-service marketing agency that works with a range of national and regional clients in a variety of industries.

Southwestern Vermont Medical Center (SVMC) Renal Dialysis has received the Nephrology Nursing Certification Commission (NNCC) for outstanding performance in advancing the nephrology nursing certification. “Because of the frequency patients visit and the relationships they develop with staff, SVMC Renal Dialysis is a really special place at the hospital,” said Thomas A. Dee, FACHE, president and CEO of Southwestern Vermont Health Care. “We are proud that the entire staff there is certified and received this national recognition.”

The Vermont Small Business Development Center, a program of Vermont Technical College, in Randolph is receiving a $100,000 grant through the Small Business Administration’s Federal and State Technology partnership program. “The center is ecstatic it was awarded this FAST Grant,” said Linda Rossi, VtSBDC state director. “With this grant, we are ensuring Vermont small businesses remain on the cutting edge of research and development in when it comes to science and technology.”

FAST is a competitive grants program supporting small business innovation research and small business technology.

As part of the Winooski Valley Long Trail Relocation opening celebration, the Green Mountain Club will have a ribbon cutting ceremony at the site of the new 224-foot Long Trail suspension bridge at 3 pm, Friday, June 12 in Bolton. In 1912, legislation was introduced to build a bridge over the Winooski River. In 1913, $500 was appropriated to the project, but subsequent trail rerouting limited plans and a bridge was never built. Since then, 25 cent ferry rides from a local farmer and long road walks have been the only options for crossing the River.

“I am profoundly humbled by the determination, hard work, and financial support that, after 100 years, turned this vision into a reality,” said Green Mountain Club President Jean Haigh. “This is a major milestone in the history of the Club and it is my hope that folks will continue to support our work as we move forward. There is a lot more to be done.”

Keurig Green Mountain, Inc, (NASDAQ: GMCR), a leader in specialty coffee, coffee makers, teas and other beverages with its innovative brewing technology, is proud to report it has been ranked 14th among the 500 largest publicly-traded US companies on environmental performance in a study done for Newsweek magazine. Keurig jumped to #14 from its #132 ranking in 2014.