Current News

More than 100 Gifford Medical Center employees raised $505 for the March of Dimes by wearing “Blue Jeans for Babies” to work on Friday, March 20, 2015. Each March the Randolph medical center and its outlying health clinics participate in the fund-raiser, which allows employees who donate $5 to the March of Dimes to wear jeans to work for the day. The March of Dimes is the nation’s leading non-profit organization for pregnancy and baby health. It raises funds through a variety of events to help prevent birth defects, premature births and infant mortality.

Berkshire Hills Bancorp, Inc (NYSE: BHLB) has completed the acquisition of Hampden Bancorp, Inc, and the merger of Hampden Bank in Springfield, MA, into Berkshire Bank, effective today. Shareholders of Hampden Bancorp as of the close of business on April 17, 2015 will receive 0.81 shares of Berkshire common stock for each share of Hampden stock. Based on Berkshire's $27.38 closing stock price as of April 17, 2015, the value of the merger to Hampden shareholders is $22.18 per Hampden share. Berkshirepays a quarterly shareholder dividend, which was increased to $0.19 per share in the first quarter of 2015.

Burlington-based 1% for the Planet, one of the world’s largest environmental networks, is excited to announce that Kate Williams, the network’s Director of Partnerships, will step into the role of CEO, effective May 1, 2015. Williams has been part of 1% for the Planet since early 2014, following her nearly decade-long tenure as Executive Director of the Northern Forest Canoe Trail, a 1% for the Planet nonprofit organization. Williams has dedicated her career to the stewardship of and advocacy for the outdoors, a commitment which is shown through her former role as Chair of the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) Board of Trustees. Since joining 1% for the Planet, her commitment has already led to the creation of new strategic and impact partnerships that have led to new opportunities for network engagement.

Champlain College today announced that it has formed an alliance with the US Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to bring its online programs to the Federal government's more than two million employees. Through truED, federal employees, their spouses and legal adult dependents will pay up to 70 percent less than standard tuition rates for the College's online programs and can make monthly tuition payments under Champlain College's unique payment model.

Under the alliance, Federal employees and their families worldwide will be able to affordably pursue more than 60 certificate, bachelor's and master's degree programs in high-growth, in-demand and mission-critical fields. This is Champlain College's 57th truED alliance in both public and private sectors. Organizations including Cisco, Seventh Generation, and AT&T already look to Champlain College to provide employees with career-relevant educational programming.

Norwich University’s College of Graduate and Continuing Studies has launched its third online degree completion program, the Bachelor of Science in Cyber Security. The program is set to begin its first trimester in the fall. “Norwich is a leader in information assurance and security education and has a nearly 200 year legacy of training leaders in the government, military, and private-sector,” said William Clements, dean of the College of Graduate and Continuing Studies.

“Adding the online cyber security bachelor’s degree program expands on this tradition and mission of providing innovative learning opportunities for working adults to effect change in their lives as well as to protect our nation and economy.”

The Vermont Attorney General’s Office has formally adopted the regulations implementing Act 120, the law requiring the labeling of food produced with genetic engineering (aka, genetically modified or GMO). The new rule is Consumer Protection Rule CP 121. After months of public outreach and comments from producers, retailers and consumers, and after approval by the Legislative Committee on Administrative Rules, the Attorney General formally filed the adopted rule with the Secretary of State’s Office on April 17, 2015. Act 120 and the rule take effect on July 1, 2016.

For the second year in a row, Efficiency Vermont is launching a grant program for non-profit organizations to help low-income Vermonters reduce their energy bills. The grant program was first launched in January 2014 with participation from the Committee on Temporary Shelter, Energy Coop of Vermont, Onion River Exchange, and Capstone Community Action.

The first year of the grant program resulted in a total of 35 megawatt hours of energy saved. In addition, the organizations conducted 185 home energy visits, which involved replacing inefficient light bulbs with more efficient compact fluorescent light bulbs, installing energy-saving low-flow water devices and advanced power strips, and identifying other opportunities to reduce energy use, such as replacing inefficient refrigerators and implementing weatherization projects.

Protesting a trade deal that he said would throw Americans out of work, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) today planned to march with leaders of the AFL-CIO and other labor organizations to a rally outside the US trade representative’s office. Sanders’ leading role in opposing the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership follows a long record of opposing the North American Free Trade Agreement, Permanent Normal Trade Relations with China and other job-killing trade deals. Partly because of those and other agreements, nearly 60,000 factories in the US have been shuttered since 2001 and more than 4.7 million manufacturing jobs have vanished.

“One of the key reasons why the middle class in America continues to decline and the gap between the very rich and everyone else is growing wider is because of disastrous trade agreements which have sent millions of decent-paying jobs to China and other low-wage countries,” Sanders said.

Patients choosing prostate cancer treatment at the Southern Vermont Regional Cancer Center (SVRCC) have some additional options. Patients began enrolling on two new clinical trials for radiological treatment of prostate cancer last month. Both of the newly available trials are in phase III, which is the last phase before a course of treatment becomes standardized, after phases I and II have shown the treatment in question is safe and effective. SVRCC participates in mostly phase III clinical trials.

“We always offer the standard of care, the best proven treatment medicine can offer,” said Dr. Matthew Vernon, radiation oncologist at SVRCC. “However, we are excited to offer clinical trials when we have reason to believe we can do better than the current standard. Sometimes the hope is to show a new treatment offers higher cure rates, and sometimes the goal is to maintain high cure rates while decreasing side effects of treatment.”

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont (BCBSVT) has been recognized as a Platinum-Level Fit-Friendly Worksite by the American Heart Association for helping employees eat better and move more. The Fit-Friendly Worksites program is a catalyst for positive change in the American workforce by helping worksites make their employees’ health and well-being a priority.

“Physical activity and employee wellness are important priorities at BCBSVT. We are honored and excited to be recognized by the American Heart Association as a Platinum-Level Fit-Friendly Worksite,” said Don George, President and CEO. “We’re committed to providing the best workplace environment possible to our employees. Offering our employees a robust, comprehensive worksite health and wellness program benefits not only their health but also the good work they do every day.”

Norwich University has received a grant for $55,675 from the National Science Foundation, with support from the National Security Agency, to lead a weeklong summer camp on cybersecurity for rising high school juniors and seniors. Dubbed GenCyber@NU, the comprehensive program is free to all participants and will be taught by standout Norwich faculty and alumni.

Students will dive into the fields of cyber security and cyber defense while building their own computers, which are theirs to take home at the end of the week. The pre-college program will be held June 21-27 and is designed for students interested in information security, digital forensics, cyberattack defense, and personal online protection.

Spring weather is here and there will be an increase in recreational hikers using hiking access points throughout Vermont. Last year there were numerous car breaks at various hiking access locations in Vermont. This is in part due to the ongoing heroin and opiate challenges the state currently faces. Vermont State Police are warning citizens to not leave valuable items in their vehicles at the trailheads. Some examples would include: purses, ipads, ipods, cash, credit cards, debit cards, social security cards, wallets, and jewelry. These crimes occur each summer and into the fall months in Vermont. Troopers are sending out a pro-active message to citizens to take their valuables with them on their hike or to simply leave valuables at home.