Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Tuesday night, Rep. Becca Balint (D-Vermont) voted no on the Republican Budget. The bill passed 217-215 with all Democrats voting no. The House Republican budget provides $4.5 trillion in tax cuts for the rich but does nothing to lower costs for American families. It increases the deficit while inflicting pain on the most vulnerable, while raising the debt limit by $4 trillion. This budget slashes at least $230 billion from food assistance programs at a time when grocery prices remain high. It cuts at least $880 billion from Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act (ACA), threatening coverage for nearly 20 million Americans who rely on the ACA and more than 72 million people who depend on Medicaid—including children, seniors, and individuals with disabilities. 157,471 Vermonters enrolled in Medicaid and Chips in 2024, putting nearly a quarter of the state at risk of losing their health care. 

Vermont Business Magazine U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont) on Tuesday night took to the Senate floor to speak on President Trump and Elon Musk’s unconstitutional actions to dismantle federal institutions and called on Congress to protect federal agencies, programs, services, and employees that play an indispensable role in the lives of working Americans. In his remarks, Senator Welch highlighted how the so-called ‘Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) actions to dismantle the federal government have cost jobs and undercut federal programs in Vermont, including at Vermont’s Small Business Administration, for Vermont organizations that receive funding from USAID, and at the USDA office that helps towns recover from natural disasters like Vermont’s floods. 

Vermont Business Magazine Employees of Vermont Federal Credit Union came together to raise an impressive $8,234 in support of the Vermont Special Olympics Penguin Plunge. The Penguin Plunge is a popular and spirited event that draws individuals from all walks of life to brave the icy waters of Lake Champlain. On Saturday, February 2nd, fifteen brave employees from Vermont Federal Credit Union gathered at the edge of Lake Champlain, ready to take on the exhilarating Penguin Plunge.

Vermont Business Magazine Southern State Correctional Facility’s (SSCF) debate team, comprised of six men incarcerated at the facility, defeated Wake Forest University last Thursday in a competition facilitated by the National Prison Debate League (NPDL). The debate focused on the Norwegian Model of Corrections, which emphasizes rehabilitation and personal agency. To prepare, both teams consulted with experts on correctional policy, rehabilitation, and criminal justice reform. 

Vermont Business Magazine The Attorney General’s Office announced that Kristen Connolly, 56, of Jeffersonville, Vermont, was sentenced yesterday in Vermont Superior Court, Lamoille Criminal Division, after pleading guilty to misdemeanor Abuse of a Vulnerable Adult, Driving Under the Influence, and Leaving the Scene of a Crash, and felony Medicaid Fraud. Connolly was an independent mental health and substance abuse counselor and Medicaid provider in St. Albans, Vermont. Ms. Connolly failed to keep the records required by law for therapy services she claimed to have provided to clients, and billed Medicaid for numerous sessions where she did not provide patients with services from 2019 to 2021. In addition to committing Medicaid Fraud, in May of 2022, Connolly struck a telephone pole while driving in Cambridge, Vermont. Ms. Connolly left the scene of the crash, and when officers stopped her a short time later, they observed her to be heavily intoxicated. 

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont public school students holding hand-made signs declaring their support for public schools joined teachers, community-members, and advocates at the State House on Tuesday to remind the governor and legislature that Vermonters want good public schools and fair taxes. After hearing from parents, teachers, students, administrators, and community members, the students headed outside for a Keep the Public in Public Education sledding party.

Vermont Business Magazine The Green Mountain Care Board (GMCB) invites you to attend our upcoming board meeting on Wednesday, March 5, 2025, where we will host a discussion with Dr. Peter Pronovost on his Medicare Breakeven Project in Cleveland. Dr. Pronovost, a nationally recognized leader in patient safety and healthcare innovation, will share insights into his research and work addressing financial sustainability in healthcare systems. The Board will engage in a discussion about the implications of this project and its relevance to Vermont’s healthcare landscape.

Vermont Business Magazine Today, the Vermont Senate gave initial approval to H.141, the FY25 Budget Adjustment Act (BAA). This bill makes investments in housing, flood recovery, health care and other critical needs and reflects the Senate’s commitment to building a more resilient and prosperous future for all Vermonters. Highlights of H.141 include: Housing: $11.4 million to the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board (VHCB) for various housing initiatives and $1.8 million to support General Assistance Emergency Housing, extending emergency winter weather housing provisions; Flood Recovery: $5.7 million to the Emergency Relief and Assistance Fund for flood recovery and $1.8 million for grants to municipalities impacted by floods.

Vermont Business Magazine A volcano overflowing with lava: that’s how Vicki Mascareño-Nelson describes the pain in her jaw and chest last year, just days after Valentine’s Day. While its root cause was ultimately found to be a medical emergency, her first thought was less surprising: It must be the chocolate. It wasn’t until several hours later, when severe fatigue set in, that Mascareño-Nelson made her way to the Emergency Department of University of Vermont Medical Center with the help of her husband. Attending physicians and nurses quickly recognized that she was having a heart attack.  

Vermont Business Magazine The Attorney General’s Office announced that Lena McKirryher, 60, of Pittsford, Vermont, was arraigned yesterday on two felony counts and two misdemeanor counts of Neglect of a Vulnerable Adult, and one felony count of Medicaid Fraud. According to the affidavit of probable cause, Ms. McKirryher was the contracted shared living provider for an adult individual with a medical history including epilepsy and developmental disabilities. Per the contract, Ms. McKirryher’s responsibilities included maintaining medical records, ensuring that the individual received regular medical examinations and any appropriate medical treatment, and ensuring that medications were used only as prescribed. After the individual passed away in September 2023, an autopsy revealed signs of neglect, including open wounds and malnutrition; subsequent investigation also indicated that the individual’s medication had not been administered as prescribed and the individual had not attended regular medical appointments.

Vermont Business Magazine The Attorney General’s Office announced that Brian Wood, 22, of Hartford, Vermont, was arraigned yesterday on one felony count of Luring a Child. The charge brought against Mr. Wood is the result of a criminal investigation, including the execution of search warrants, conducted by Hartford Police Department and the Vermont Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (VT-ICAC), which included personnel from the Attorney General’s Office. Based on the criminal investigation, Mr. Wood is alleged to have engaged in sexually explicit conversations with someone he believed to be a minor on the Snapchat and Facebook platforms. Mr. Wood pleaded not guilty at his arraignment on February 24, 2025, in Vermont Superior Court, Windsor Unit, Criminal Division. The Court, Judge Heather Gray presiding, ordered conditions of release which restrict Mr. Wood’s access to minors, electronic devices, and the internet.

by Timothy Dean, Dartmouth Very early exposure to even a very small dose of herpes simplex virus (HSV) in infant mice can lead to cognitive decline later in life, according to findings from a new Dartmouth-led study, in collaboration with Harvard Medical School and published in the journal PLoS Pathogens. This is significant because of emerging data in human studies showing an association between HSV and Alzheimer’s disease in humans. HSV infections are very common, typically affecting the skin and the nervous system. While these infections often lay dormant in the body and usually don’t pose serious health risks, HSV can be much more dangerous for those with underdeveloped immune systems such as newborns. Neonatal HSV, which is associated with high rates of disease and death, affects about 14,000 newborns worldwide each year.