Current News

Brattleboro Memorial Hospital, the Brattleboro Retreat, and Grace Cottage Hospital are launching a new community health needs assessment (CHNA) to engage the communities they serve and learn more about the most pressing health care concerns and needs. Based on the data that the hospitals gather, each hospital will develop an implementation strategy to address prioritized health care needs. This CHNA is also an opportunity for hospitals to maintain compliance with federal regulations.

The three health care organizations are working collaboratively to gather information by conducting focus groups, developing and disseminating a short survey to the general public, and collecting and analyzing quantitative data. The Vermont Department of Health is providing population based indicators as part of the process.

March 1-7 is National Consumer Protection Week. Use this week as a reminder to stay informed about current issues facing consumers and to share your knowledge with friends, family, and neighbors. Protect yourself from scams. Here is the list of the Top 10 Scams of 2014, as reported to the Vermont Attorney General’s Office Consumer Assistance Program:

TOP 10 SCAMS OF 2014 and TIPS FOR PREVENTION

1. IRS Debt Collection: A scam telephone call saying you owe “back taxes” or outstanding payments due to the government, typically from callers claiming to be “Internal Revenue Service”, “IRS”, and “US Treasury and Legal Affairs.” Don’t respond to these callers. If you think you may actually owe back taxes, hang up and contact the IRS directly at 1 (800) 829-1040.

New Competitive Option Offers Secure, Scalable Bandwidth for Cloud Computing, Mobility, Online Backup and More to Businesses Along the Connecticut River

Comcast Business today announced that its full portfolio of multi-gigabit Ethernet servicesis now available across three communities in Sullivan County, New Hampshire, and Windsor County, Vermont. Capable of up to 10 Gigabits-per-second (Gbps) of throughput, these services are specifically designed for businesses, hospitals, schools and other organizations requiring more capacity, looking to network multiple locations together, or planning to connect their offices to a third-party data center.

Blake Hill Preserves, specialist producer of chutneys, conserves, marmalades and preserves in Vermont is excited to announce its “Orange, Lime & Ginger” marmalade and “Seville Orange” marmalade have both won GOLD from over 2,000 entries at The World’s Original Marmalade Awards held at Dalemain Mansion, England. In 2014 Blake Hill became the 1st US producer to win Gold at the Awards, and to win another two Gold Medals in 2015 is a remarkable achievement for this young company.

Programs provide opportunities for education and guaranteed jobs

Burlington College and Vermont HITEC have partnered to create the Institute for American Apprenticeships. The partnership combines workforce education, an apprenticeship, and a liberal arts education. Programs in information technology, advanced manufacturing, allied health, and business services are the initial focus due to employer needs.

“The newly formed Institute for American Apprenticeships at Burlington College merges the accelerated workforce education and registered apprenticeship of Vermont HITEC programs with the individualized general education requirements of a Burlington College liberal arts degree,” said Gerry Ghazi, President of Vermont HITEC.

Debuting at the 2015 International Housewares Show in Chicago, the K200 Offers a More Compact Size and an Array of Color Options

Keurig Green Mountain, Inc. (Keurig) (NASDAQ: GMCR), a leader in specialty coffee, coffee makers, teas and other beverages with its innovative brewing technology, today announces the addition of the Keurig® 2.0 K200 series to its family of Keurig® 2.0 brewers. Offering a small countertop footprint and a suggested retail price of $119.99-$129.99, the new Keurig® 2.0 K200 has the ability to brew both a single cup and a four-cup carafe, and is available in a variety of classic and trend-forward colors.

Lake Champlain is frozen end to end for the second year in a row! It's a beautiful winter playground out there full of snow, ice and magic. We invite you to take a quick tour of the frozen wonderland with LCC Board Chair Gary Kjelleren. Just click here and go for a virtual ride with Gary as he snow kites over polished ice on the main lake. You'll see clouds reflected on the lake's surface, ski past Stave and Providence islands, and encounter other adventurers on enjoying wild ice. Once you're done, please read the articles below for important updates on lake issues and ways to stay involved in the work for clean water.

Lori Fisher, LCC Exec. Director

The U.S. Small Business Administration today announced two key partnerships to its “My Brother’s Keeper Initiative” to raise awareness around entrepreneurship among undeserved groups.

“Successful new businesses in underserved communities are a source of hope and economic growth, said Tameka Montgomery, SBA associate administrator for Entrepreneurial Development. “Small business ownership is often a path toward wealth creation. We must promote and encourage entrepreneurship for those who often are not aware of the vast resources available to support their entrepreneurial dreams.”

Gov. Peter Shumlin issued the following statement as the Legislature worked to wrap up early session efforts in advance of Town Meeting week.

March 1-7 is National Weights and Measures Week, a time to recognize the important role of weights and measures inspectors across the country.

The date of this year’s Weights and Measures Week is significant as it marks the signing of the first Weights and Measures law by John Adams on March 2, 1799. Throughout the country, thousands of weights and measures inspectors work diligently to enforce laws designed to not only protect consumers but to also develop a level playing field in commerce wherever a weight or measure is involved.

With continued uncertainty over whether or for how long Congress will approve funding for the Department of Homeland Security, Gov. Peter Shumlin and Vermont public safety officials today outlined impacts of a shutdown for Vermont. If funding is not approved bymidnight tonight most divisions of the federal agency will suspend operations. While Congress is considering a short-term fix, the administration seeks a long-term solution given the importance of the Department.

“What Vermonters expect is for Congress to do its job,” said Gov. Shumlin. Noting that Vermont’s Congressional Delegation has worked hard to urge Congress to pass a longer-term funding bill, the Governor continued, “Homeland security is the last place where Congress should be playing partisan games. This has gone on long enough. It’s time for Congress to pass a long-term bill to fund this important department.”

As the last week of February comes to a close, southern Vermont’s Mount Snow ticks off yet another highlight for its 60^thAnniversary Season: a new snowfall record.

“With 76 inches of snow in February alone, it’s safe to say that this is the year,” said Kelly Pawlak, Mount Snow General Manager. “We’ve had fresh snow almost every day this month. We – and our guests – couldn’t be happier. This is a real Vermont winter.”

Since the beginning of January, Mount Snow has logged ten feet of snow, and more snow days than clear; natural snow has blanketed the slopes more than half the days in February. The storm pacing is not only the most snow recorded in February since 1977, but ranks as one of the highest totals for a single month in the mountain’s history. As the rest of the East Coast continues to dig out, the resort readies for a spring to remember.