Current News

Murs Woods, a 160 acre mountain estate listed by Vermont Country Properties Sotheby’s International Realty, recently sold for $4.35 million. The transaction represents the highest residential real estate sale in Vermont in the last 12 months. Murs Woods is a 160-acre mountain retreat sited within minutes of Stratton Mountain Resort. Designed as a family estate, it encompasses a gracious Adirondack-style main residence, airy carriage barn guest house, and an authentic Michigan log house, each with its own serene setting overlooking a 5-acre pond. Twelve acres of manicured and landscaped grounds open to woodlands and trails. The property also includes a caretaker’s cottage, post-and-beam barn, and small hunting camp.

by Morgan True vtdigger.org With two weeks before the Vermont Health Connect web portal is due to go back online, state officials insist users will enjoy a smooth open enrollment period. But internal documents provided to VTDigger show that while new registrants — who are expected to number about 8,000 — may have an improved experience, the exchange is far from resolving issues for its existing customers. And just getting through open enrollment will cost as much as $20 million, the documents show. The state has already spent $100 million on Vermont Health Connect. In order to relieve stress on the incomplete website, previously insured users are being asked to avoid it and, unless they have a problem, the call center, too. Snail mail is the recommended option.

by Hilary Niles vtdigger.org Not all parents are equipped to be good parents, Cary Brown concedes. But among the ready and willing, too many never get the chance. The consequences surpass parental regret, a panel of speakers suggested Tuesday night in Montpelier at an event moderated by Brown, executive director of the Vermont Commission on Women. When parents can’t provide or afford high-quality early childhood care, their children suffer and society pays. That was one takeaway from a new documentary “The Raising of America,” that was screened at the event.

The accomplishments of Veteran small business owners around the country will be celebrated during National Veterans Small Business Week (NVSBW) November 3-7. US Small Business Administration district offices and resource partners nationwide will host more than 100 local events, including entrepreneurship training such as Boots to Business: Reboot classes, veteran access to capital workshops, and government contracting roundtables. In Vermont, a Veteran Small Business Conference is being held on Thursday November 6, 2014 from 1 to 4 pm at Heritage Family Credit Union Operations Center, 26 Allen Street, Rutland, Vermont. This free event covers business plans, government contracting and registering as a veteran owned business.

FairPoint Communications, Inc (Nasdaq: FRP), a leading communications provider and Vermont's largest telecommunications company, recently submitted this open letter in state and regional newspapers to the communities of northern New England. FairPoint and two unions representing over 1,700 workers are locked in a dispute over a new contract, which resulted in a strike that began on October 17. The contract talks broke down over benefits, retirement plans and the use of non-unionized workers.

Letter: The Future for FairPoint

Do landlines really matter in an era of smartphones, tablets, texts and tweets?

Wireless calls, social media interactions, tweets and texts are being carried and transported by high capacity landlines and the best way to do that is through fiber optic lines.

Vermont Business Magazine will present the Rising Stars, Class of 2014, at a special reception and dinner, Thursday evening, November 6, 2014, beginning at 5:30 pm. The ceremony will take place at the DoubleTree Hotel on Williston Road, South Burlington. The awards will be presented to 40 individuals for their commitment to business growth, professional excellence and involvement in their communities. Governor Peter Shumlin will welcome the winners and say a few words at the opening reception. Lieutenant Governor Phil Scott will be on hand to congratulate all the winners as he hands them their plaques.

During the overnight hours between November 1 and 2 when most people were relishing an extra hour of sleep due to the end of daylight-saving time, Okemo Mountain Resort’s snowmakers were hard at work. At the same time Mother Nature was delivering her first dusting of natural snow, Okemo’s snowmakers were initializing the resort’s energy-efficient snowmaking system and engaging HKD tower guns along several upper-mountain trails. Okemo is based in Ludlow, Vermont.

Following a $1 million investment in its snowmaking system last year, Okemo added another 100 tower guns to its arsenal this season. Utilizing energy-efficient, state-of-the-art technology allows Okemo to maximize its water-pumping ability and snowmaking potential. With the continuation of favorable conditions, Okemo will begin the 2014/2015 ski and snowboard season on its target opening date of Nov. 15.

Ski Vermont launched a new website this fall working with Methodikal, Inc. and Eternity Web to give users a new and better online experience, and to provide a comprehensive place for people to find information about Vermont resorts, deals, conditions, events and places to stay. Highlights include an updated Resort Finder, helping those looking for the perfect Vermont ski and snowboard vacation, and a responsive design for easy use on mobile phones, tablets and desk top computers.

And you thought the sexual battles between people could get weird and fierce? Try ants. In a new study, biologists at the University of Vermont have discovered some queen ants that make sexual bondage into a life and death fight. In a discovery new to science, their research shows that sexual conflict between two species can drive an evolutionary bedroom-battle royal, leading to competing adaptations in which female ants of one species manage to manhandle sperm away from the unwitting males of a different species during intercourse. The study was published in the October 29 online edition of the Proceedings of the Royal Society B.

by Morgan True vtdigger.org Existing Vermont Health Connect customers looking to renew coverage during the open enrollment period that starts Nov. 15 will be asked to avoid the exchange’s web portal, a state official said. Chief of Health Care Reform Lawrence Miller said the VHC web portal is expected to relaunch before Nov. 15, but those seeking changes will be encouraged to use a paper application or call the customer service call center. Navigators can help customers make those calls. Existing users will be able to renew coverage online, but will have to fill out a new application, which will then be linked on the back end to their existing account, he said.

Miller also said that customers who renew without making changes to their coverage will be auto-mapped into that same coverage. That process will start Nov. 15 and is expected to be finished by Dec. 5. Open enrollment ends Feb. 15.

Governor Peter Shumlin on Friday joined Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans) Sec. Brian Searles and officials, legislators, local government officials and business leaders in celebrating the opening of the Morristown Alternate Truck Route. The new 1.98 mile section of VT 100 runs from near Bishop Marshall School and joins VT 15 in a new roundabout. Originally conceived in 1963, the near-$31million project is meant to alleviate serious congestion issues caused by truck traffic on the streets of Morrisville.

“This new road opens the doors to more opportunities for economic prosperity for the region,” said Gov. Shumlin. “This is a big win on many fronts. By removing the big trucks from downtown, we are giving Morrisville the space to create a more livable and desirable town center. And by opening up this new corridor, we are helping businesses bring their products to market more efficiently.”

For the second year in a row, Money Magazine has selected Citizens Bank as one of nation’s best banks in its 2014 list of "The Best Banks in America." Citizens Bank was recognized for its level of customer convenience available through its customer contact center, access to banking specialists via instant messaging and its “robust physical presence,” with approximately 1,200 locations and approximately 3,200 ATMs. Money’s “The Best Banks in America” is featured in the November issue.