Current News
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by Ayla Yersel The Vermont Center for Integrative Therapy (VTCIT), a South Burlington-based integrated mental health care center, is launching a few new programs in conjunction with National Eating Disorder Awareness Week, including a new family support group, training programs for practitioners to better treat eating disorders, and a new subscription model that provides special benefits to members.
Founder and Director of VTCIT Bree Greenberg-Benjamin said that the practice is launching two programs to train Vermont practitioners how to treat eating disorders-- one for local healthcare professionals, and one for their own staff.
Vermont Center for Integrative Therapy. Photo courtesy of VTCIT.
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by Laura Krantz vtdigger.org A fast-acting drug that can revive someone who has overdosed on opiates will be in the vest of every state trooper in the coming weeks, Governor Peter Shumlin announced Monday at a news conference in Waterbury.In addition, officials plan to distribute that drug, naloxone, at opiate addiction treatment centers and make it available on ambulances. Eventually the state wants to allow doctors to prescribe Narcan to patients who would be able to pick it up at the pharmacy. PHOTO: R. Gil Kerlikowske, center, President Obama’s “drug czar,” visited Vermont to see how Vermont is battling drug addiction and spoke at a news conference at which the state announced its plan to equip police and others with the opiate overdose antidote naloxone. Photo by Laura Krantz/VTDigger
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New unemployment claims rose last week after decreasing for seven consecutive weeks, or every week since the end of 2013. For the week of February 22, 2014, there were 824 new, regular benefit claims for Unemployment Insurance in Vermont. This is an increase of 276 from the previous week's total, and 154 fewer than they were a year ago.
Source: Vermont Dept of Labor
Altogether 8,560 new and continuing claims were filed, an increase of 170 from a week ago and 911 fewer than a year ago. The Department also processed 99 First Tier claims for benefits under Emergency Unemployment Compensation, 2008 (EUC08), 28 fewer than the previous week.
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Related Company: Vermont Gas Systems Incby John Herrick vtdigger.org
The Vermont Public Service Board denied a motion to dismiss Vermont Gas Systems’ petition to construct Phase 2 of their natural gas pipeline extension Thursday. The motion claimed the board did not have jurisdiction over the application.
Bristol attorney James Dumont, representing the Vermont Public Interest Research Group, argued that the pipeline falls under the jurisdiction of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission — not the board— because the pipeline would cross state lines.
Dumont said Thursday the group would not appeal the decision.
“The ruling is what it is,” he said.
Vermont Gas’ application to construct the second phase of their Addison County pipeline extension would connect Middlebury to the International Paper mill in Ticonderoga, NY. The case is currently pending before the board.
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The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Agriculture Statistic Service (NASS) released preliminary findings from the 2012 census Thursday. Conducted every five years, the ag census provides the most comprehensive data available about agriculture in Vermont and across the nation.
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The Vermont housing market continues to out-perform most of the rest of New England. The RE/MAX of New England January Monthly Housing Report shows Vermont experienced a boost in total transactions, up 10.2 percent, while median price increased just slightly at 0.08 percent year-over-year. Pending sales were up 24.3 percent year-over-year.
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The award winning environmental education program from Project Learning Tree (PLT) is expanding in Vermont. Vermont PLT is looking for individuals who wish to become Certified Project Learning Tree Facilitators. These individuals will represent organizations that have an interest in or ongoing need to train staff, students, volunteers, teachers or community partners to use conservation and environmental education activities and programs in their work.
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Related Company: Vermont Law SchoolIn an effort to encourage collaborative discussion and energize powerful thought regarding environmental issues occurring in and impacting our everyday lives, the Vermont Journal of Environmental Law (VJEL) is adding to its scholarly repertoire. As of this year, VJEL transitioned to online publication and, in doing so, expanded our readership far beyond the traditional legal and policy printing. Now, we are proud to make a second revelation—EcoPerspectives!
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All women who undergo cesarean delivery are at risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE), a disease that can lead to long-term complications and even death, a leading perinatal expert stated during a recent webinar hosted by the Institute of Healthcare Improvement (IHI).
"Essentially every patient is in moderate risk," said Peter Cherouny, MD, Emeritus Professor, Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of Vermont and Chair and Lead Faculty of the IHI Perinatal Improvement Community "The only exceptions to that would be patients under age 40 who have no other risk factors and whose surgeries are less than 30 minutes."
Dr. Cherouny added that while some cesarean surgeries are performed in less than 30 minutes, the clock for the procedure starts ticking the moment when anesthesia is administered. "If you take that into account, there is really no case of a patient in the low-risk category undergoing a cesarean section," he said.
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Hill Farmstead of Greensboro has been ranked second best brewer in the world by RateBeer.com. Several Vermont beers also ranked among the world's 100 best. (see rankings below).
This list is the top 100 brewers in the world according the reviews taken last year and weighted by performance within and outside of style. The winners here are presented alphabetically and reflect the top performing brewers of over 16 thousand worldwide listed at RateBeer. The top 5 brewers are indicted by asterisk.
brewer
city
state
country
3 Fonteinen
Beersel
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Belgium
8 Wired Brewing
Blenheim
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New Zealand
AleSmith Brewing Company - * Rated #1
San Diego
California
USA
Allagash Brewing Company
Portland
Maine
USA
Alpine Beer Company
Alpine
California
USA
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Governor Peter Shumlin and Health Commissioner Harry Chen, MD, announced Friday the implementation of a nearly $10 million federal grant to Vermont to expand early intervention and treatment for adults who are at risk for addiction. The grant will fund a five-year project to launch screening, brief intervention, referral and treatment as part of regular health care practice for patients age 18 and older.
‘We want to make screening for substance abuse a routine part of health care, just like screening for high blood pressure or cholesterol,’ Gov. Shumlin said. ‘Helping people prevent addiction saves health care costs and creates better outcomes for individuals. But it also prevents the social problems that too often come with addiction, ensuring we have safer communities, a more productive workforce, and a healthier economy.’
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by Morgan True vtdigger.org The move to a publicly financed universal health care system could cost the state from $1.76 billion to $2.17 billion, state officials said Thursday. Lawmakers received a revised estimate of the cost of Green Mountain Care from a combined team representing the Legislature’s Joint Fiscal Office and the Shumlin administration.The group cautioned that the range could vary ‘dramatically’ based on unresolved policy questions.
‘A range is hard to legislate around, and you guys are going to eventually need hard numbers,’ Steve Klein, chief financial analyst with the Joint Fiscal Office told lawmakers. ‘We view this as a step in that process.’
The new range is based on a state-commissioned study of the program’s cost by the University of Massachusetts and the actuarial firm Wakely Consulting Group.