Current News

Tuesday evening, the House of Representatives approved by a voice vote legislation authored by Representative Chris Gibson (R-NY) and Rep. Peter Welch to address the growing problem of Lyme disease. The incidence of this debilitating disease has increased dramatically in recent years in Vermont and across the Northeast region. The Vector-Borne Disease Research Accountability and Transparency Act (HR 4701) would bring together federal health agencies, physicians and patient advocates to establish a working group to better coordinate the federal government’s response to this disease. It also requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop a strategic plan that includes concrete benchmarks for progress.

Twenty Vermont businesses will benefit from a $169,000 restitution agreement between the State of Vermont and Merchant Processing Solutions, LLC, a Los Angeles-based credit card processing company doing business as Payment Systems, according to Vermont Attorney General Bill Sorrell. Payment Systems has agreed to enter into a consumer protection settlement that will require it to make restitution as well as pay $100,000 to the State of Vermont. The settlement resolves the Attorney General’s claims that Payment Systems misrepresented the cost of its services and failed to provide legally-required notices of the local merchants’ right to cancel their contracts with the company. According to Attorney General William Sorrell, “The settlement shows how important it is to ensure that Vermont businesses are protected from unfair and deceptive conduct.”

In a new white paper, Superior Technical Ceramics, based in St Albans, has outlined how Ceria Stabilized Zirconia (CSZ) is more resistant to low-temperature degradation than Yttria-stabilized Tetragonal Zirconia Polycrystal (YTZP) and Magnesia Stabilized Zirconia (MSZ). The key factor in favor that separates CSZ from other Zirconias is that there are no oxygen vacancies to make the tetragonal phase vulnerable in moist environments. No oxygen defects form in CSZ because the Tetravalent Cerium substitute the Zr4+ ions directly.

"We're always looking for ways to make our parts more versatile and more durable, and more of a value to our customers" notes STC Sales Manager, Simon Doran. "Materials like CSZ allow us to meet engineering challenges across a wide variety of industries that other materials simply cannot match."

The white paper goes on to highlight the properties, specifications, and applications of CSZ.

Canus, North America's leader in fresh goat's milk skin care products based in Waterbury, has announced new retail partnerships for the company's Nature by Canus line. Starting in fall 2014, Nature by Canus products will be available at Foodtown, MOM's Organic Market, Buehler's Fresh Foods, The Fresh Market, and select Whole Foods locations.

Governor Peter Shumlin, Senate Pro-Tempore John Campbell and House Speaker Shap Smith announced today the appointment of six members to the Nuclear Decommissioning Citizens Advisory Panel. Governor Shumlin appointed Kate O’Connor of Brattleboro to a four-year term, and Martin Langeveld of Vernon to a three-year term. John Campbell appointed James P (Jim) Matteau of Westminster to a four-year term, and James M (Jim) Tonkovich of Wilder to a three-year term. Shap Smith appointed David L Deen of Putney to a four-year term and Derrik Jordan, also of Putney, to a three-year term. The Entergy Vermont Yankee nuclear power station in Vernon is expected to shut down by the end of this year. The decommissioning of the plant could take decades to complete. A recent NRC ruling (see link below) stated that spent nuclear fuel can be stored on-site for the foreseeable future.

The Vermont Lake Monsters and Oakland Athletics have extended their Player Development Contract for the next two years through 2016, the two teams announced today.

The signing of the two-year agreeement assures that the Lake Monsters will continue as Oakland's short-season Single-A New York-Penn League affiliate for the 2015 and 2016 seasons. Vermont has been an affiliate of the Athletics since 2011 and just finished its 2014 season with a 33-43 record.

"We are excited to continue our relationship with the Oakland Athletics", said Vermont Lake Monsters Vice President Kyle Bostwick. "Our working partnership has been incredible since day one and we are excited to be able to continue to see our guys develop and contribute at the Major League level with Oakland."

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced Tuesday that it has awarded $2,007,100 in grants and loans to expand municipal sewer and drinking water to parts of West Rutland. Two grants totaling $723,100 and two loans totaling $1,284,000 will be used to extend West Rutland’s municipal water and sewer service 1 ¼ miles along Business Route 4 between West Rutland and Rutland Town. This well-traveled corridor has needed municipal utilities for decades. Landowners have inadequate on-site water and wastewater systems, preventing property improvements and business development. The water main will also provide fire protection to this area.

Vermont’s 2014-15 ski and snowboard season is already abuzz, according to Ski Vermont, as the early forecast calls for a snowy and cool New England winter. Vermont will also add to fresh snow from mother nature with a huge statewide snowmaking upgrade that will not only make the slopes more enjoyable to ride, but will extend the season, decrease emissions and allow for quick turnaround if Mother Nature gets fickle with us. After one of the most successful ski seasons in Vermont history last year, Ski Vermont is anticipating a strong year given the equipment upgrades, new deals, eateries, and other amenities and events many of the resorts are offering.

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by Morgan True vtdigger.org The state’s second-largest hospital says high deductibles and out-of-pocket costs for some health insurance plans sold through Vermont Health Connect are contributing to its rising bad debt. Rutland Regional Medical Center is projecting that its uncollectible accounts will grow by $729,151 this year over last, an increase of close to 10 percent in the first year of the state’s health exchange marketplace. A portion of that is due to the increase in people choosing health plans with high out-of-pocket costs, according to the hospital’s budget presentation to state regulators last month. Hospitals’ bad debt is the portion of revenue for medical services that is lost when people receive care, but can’t — or don’t — pay for all or part of those services.

Park City Mountain Resort (PCMR) announced today that it will pay the $17.5 million bond amount ordered by the Court to ensure the resort will open as planned this season, scheduled for November 22, 2014. Park City is the sister resort to Killington, Vermont. They are both owned by Powdr Corp. Through an admitted mistake by Park City, the Utah resort failed to renew a 50-year lease in 2011, which turns control of the top of the mountain over to rival Vail. The legal squabble, if it continues to play out, could be a financial disaster for both Park City and Vail.

"Our goal has always been to keep PCMR open for the upcoming 2014/15 season and beyond," said Jenni Smith, President and General Manager of PCMR. "Paying the bond ordered by the judge will provide our employees, thePark City community and our many guests the certainty they've been waiting for about our upcoming ski season."

At a press conference at Fletcher Allen Health Care Monday morning, Representative Peter Welch unveiled bipartisan legislation to build upon the progress of Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) in shifting the reimbursement of health care providers away from the traditional “fee for service” model to a focus on improving the health outcomes of patients. Joining Welch at the press conference were Fletcher Allen Health Care CEO John Brumsted, MD, and OneCare CEO Todd Moore.

Welch is the author of a provision in the Affordable Care Act that created a nationwide Medicare ACO program. An ACO is a collaborative of health care providers working together to improve the quality and efficiency of patient care, rather than increase the number and type of services performed. The goal of ACOs is to drive down health care costs and improve patient health outcomes by creating financial incentives to provide better, more cost-effective care.

by Morgan True vtdigger.org State regulators gave preliminary approval to eight of Vermont’s 14 hospital budgets Thursday. The Green Mountain Care Board voted unanimously on all eight budgets without making adjustments to spending plans submitted by hospital managers in July. The approved budgets won’t be final until a formal order is issued to the hospital. Before the order goes out, the board can revisit the budgets it has voted on and make adjustments.

All budgets must be finalized by September 15 for the start of the hospital budget year October 1. The board is scheduled to meet September 11, but can convene additional meetings as necessary to complete its work.

In the hospital budgeting process, the board approves patient revenue and the rates a hospital can charge for services in the coming year.