Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Grassroots groups on the front lines of flood relief will gather to share demands for state-level action towards a just recovery. Speakers will address the relationship between flooding impacts and ongoing climate and housing crises, and present the People’s Demands for a Just Recovery from Flooding, available here and signed by organizations across Vermont. Grassroots organizations and community mutual aid groups are the first to mobilize when disaster strikes—drawing on relationships, local knowledge, and that combination of grit and care that makes us Vermonters. In a time of ever-unfolding disaster, we recognize the need to balance short term needs and long term transformation.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Mutual Insurance Group, based in Montpelier and one of the oldest property and casualty insurers in the United States, recently announced that it has eclipsed the $5 million mark in donations through their Charitable Giving Fund (the “Fund”). Vermont Mutual established the Fund back in 2014 with the expressed mission to enhance the quality of life in communities where the Group conducts business by providing financial support to community organizations.

Agency of Commerce and Community Development Today is another tough day in Vermont, with the Northeast Kingdom facing the aftermath of yet another major flooding event. We are here to help as best we can with the ongoing recovery in communities across Vermont. As part of this effort, we are requesting that victims of both of the July flooding events complete the Department of Economic Development's Flood Damage Survey for Businesses. This will further aid the relief and recovery response as we seek to capture the type and scale of the flood-related damage businesses suffered in communities throughout the state.

Agency of Commerce and Community Development The US National Weather Service states, "Isolated strong thunderstorms and embedded downpours could result in more flooding and localized strong to damaging wind gusts this afternoon into evening. Parts of Caledonia County and the Northeast Kingdom in Vermont received 6-8 inches of rain last night and saw considerable/catastrophic flash flooding. If thunderstorms travel over the same areas that had heavy rainfall and flooding last night, more flash flooding is possible."

Vermont Business Magazine Mascoma Community Development (MCD) has announced the closing of $15 million in New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) allocation to finance the construction of a new peanut shelling facility in Santee, South Carolina. The funding will allow Premium Peanut, LLC to build a facility that improves the supply chain for its peanut grower-owners and creates quality jobs while conducting near-zero waste operations, as every part of the peanut is utilized.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine For the week ending July 20, the Vermont Department of Health reported that there has been a spike in outbreaks at Long-Term Care Facilities, but there have been no COVID-19 related death since mid-June. COVID fatalities remain at 1,157 since the beginning of the pandemic over four years ago. The weekly report also shows that hospitalizations and general "syndromic" cases remain low but have increased somewhat in the last few weeks to over five people being treated at a Vermont hospital each week. Also, the number of COVID cases is elevated and has more than tripled in the last month, with a weekly total now of 146. The pandemic death total stands at 1,157 as of July 20, 2024.

Vermont Business Magazine The national Citizens Business Conditions Index (CBCI) rose to 52.2 in the second quarter, pushing into expansionary territory after taking a step back at the beginning of the year. The reading above 50 indicates that economic momentum is building, in this case due to higher company revenue coupled with the prospect of easing monetary policy, which lowers the cost of capital. Vermont data leapt to 52.27, a 13.8% increase from last quarter. This is above the regional average, according to CFG data, second only to Connecticut in the region.

Vermont Business Magazine Hula founders Roxanne and Russ Scully today announced the selection of Lucia Campriello, an experienced business and non-profit leader, as Hula’s next President and CEO. Lucia takes over for founding CEO, Rob Lair who has led the dynamic and multifaceted organization since its launch in 2020. Lair will continue to serve as Managing Director of the Fund at Hula as well as extending his leadership to the Ride Your Bike development project directed at addressing Burlington’s acute housing needs. Campriello joined Hula in September of 2023 as Chief Growth Officer to develop and drive strategic initiatives to extend the organization's impact.

by Robert F. Smith, The Commons, Brattleboro Unless immediate decisive action is taken to transform Vermont's health care system, it will be financially unsustainable by 2030. This is the conclusion of a hired consultant's 10-month review of health care in Vermont. More than 60 people attended a community meeting organized by the Green Mountain Care Board (GMCB) at Brooks Memorial Library on July 17, where the report's findings were presented and discussed. The presentation was one of several being held around the state in July. It was led by consultant Dr. Bruce Hamory, an infectious disease specialist who works as chief medical officer for the consulting firm Oliver Wyman and its Health and Life Sciences practice.

Green Mountain Care Board The GMCB schedule for hospital budget reviews begins August 6. Board Members and presenters will participate remotely through Microsoft Teams. Members of the public can attend board meetings by using the links or call-in phone numbers listed below. 

Vermont Business Magazine Southern Vermont Area Health Education Center (AHEC), in collaboration with the Governor’s Institutes of Vermont (GIV), has successfully concluded the GIV 2024 Health & Medicine South Institute at Vermont State University-Castleton. This transformative program welcomed sixty Vermont high school students for a week-long immersion into the world of health and medicine. Throughout the institute, students participated in a series of dynamic, hands-on activities designed to explore various health careers. Activities included handling surgical instruments, performing neurological exams, learning about diabetes management through practical experiments, suturing with real kits, splinting, applying tourniquets safely, and participating in a Vermont Emergency First Responder (VEFR) class covering CPR/AED techniques. 

Vermont Business Magazine World Breastfeeding Week 2024 begins on August 1, and the Department of Health along with communities around Vermont will showcase the important health benefits breastfeeding/chestfeeding has for both infants and parents, and the supports available to make it an easy choice. According to the 2022 CDC Breastfeeding Report Card, 91.8% of Vermont infants born in 2019 had ever been breastfed, compared to a national average of 83.2%. The 2024 Report Card is due to be released in August. This year’s global celebration will highlight the theme Closing the Gap: Breastfeeding Support for All – the global goal of ensuring that everyone has access to lactation support.