Current News

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine For the week ending June 12, the Vermont Department of Health reported that there were no COVID-19 related deaths last week. The weekly report also shows that hospitalizations and general "syndromic" cases remain very low, fewer than five people are being treated at a Vermont hospital each week, which has been the case since late March. The number of COVID cases is down 2 from last week for 51. Cases had been falling in April and May and were as low as 31 at the beginning of May. 

Vermont Business Magazine Green Mountain Transit (GMT) and Burlington Electric Department (BED), joined by Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak, and federal, state, and local leaders, today announced the addition of five electric-powered buses to the GMT fleet. The new E-buses, supported by BED incentives, began carrying passengers last month. These new E-buses bring to seven the total in the GMT fleet (the first two having gone into service in winter 2020), and will help reduce carbon emissions in Burlington and Chittenden County and beyond while providing cleaner, quieter transit along GMT service area routes. As part of the Burlington Net Zero Energy strategy, BED provided significant incentives and, together with the Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans), helped secure further funding from the federal government to ensure that GMT had the resources necessary to expand electric transit options in Burlington.

City of Burlington With temperatures expected rise above 90 degrees this week, the City of Burlington today announced plans to open neighborhood cooling centers throughout the City from Tuesday, June 18 - Friday, June 21. While City offices are closed on Wednesday, June 19th in observance of Juneteenth, cooling centers will still be open to the public with adjusted hours.  

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont legislature convened yesterday for a one-day session to reconsider several bills vetoed by Governor Scott. Among these bills were H.72, an act relating to authorizing and funding overdose prevention centers (OPCs), and H.645, an act related to expanding restorative justice approaches in diversion. Ultimately, the vetoes of those bills were overridden by the legislature. 

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Early Childhood Educators Institute (ECEI) 2024 is filled to capacity. All 135 slots are taken and that’s good news for Vermont, where quality child care providers are still in strong demand. ECEI equips early childhood and afterschool educators to provide high quality experiences to the children in their care. The Institute, coordinated by Vermont State University (VTSU), also makes it easy for those seeking or renewing licensure to get the credits or certification they need online, while learning through a rich curriculum developed by expert instructors. Participants can choose to earn a certificate for attending the institute, or they can study more in-depth and earn college credit.

Vermont Business Magazine In conjunction with Pride Month, Grace Cottage Family Health & Hospital is pleased to announce that, once again, it has earned the highest score in Vermont in the 2024 Human Rights Campaign’s (HRC) Healthcare Equality Index (HEI). Grace Cottage, along with UVM Medical Center in Burlington and the VA Medical Center in White River Junction, tied for the top score among Vermont hospitals in the HEI Index. Nationwide, 462 healthcare facilities earned this “High Performer” designation. The HRC Foundation’s HEI is the nation’s foremost benchmarking survey of healthcare facilities, scoring them based on policies and practices dedicated to the equitable treatment and inclusion of their LGBTQ+ patients, visitors, and employees. 

Vermont Business Magazine A collaborative of 46 nonprofit, community-based organizations and medical providers in the Northeast U.S. is set to Shine the Light on Sickle Cell on June 19, World Sickle Cell Awareness Day. This collaborative initiative–which includes the illumination in red of businesses, hospitals, municipal buildings, museums, schools, and other landmarks–aims to unite individuals and communities in support of sickle cell warriors, raise awareness of Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) and advocate for a universal cure. Fraternal organization Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., global healthcare company Novo Nordisk Inc., the Baltimore Ravens, and Building Owners Management Association-Philadelphia will also join the campaign that is supported by the federal Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) as part of the Sickle Cell Disease Treatment Demonstration Project.

Vermont Business Magazine The International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse and the World Health Organization at the United Nations (UN) launched the first World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) on June 15, 2006 in an effort to unite communities around the world in raising awareness about elder abuse. WEAAD serves as a call-to-action for our communities to raise awareness about abuse, neglect, and exploitation of elders, and reaffirm our country’s commitment to the principle of justice for all. Central Vermont Council on Aging (CVCOA) sees World Elder Abuse Awareness Day as an opportunity to provide information about how to recognize and report suspected cases of elder abuse or self-neglect.

Vermont Business Magazine Paintings and photographs by local artists are on display through early July in the Gifford Gallery at Gifford Medical Center in Randolph and at Strode Independent Living in Randolph Center. The exhibits are free and open to the public. Jennifer Dembinski, whose paintings hang at Gifford, is a resident of Woodstock. Her pieces include “Muskrat Meal,” an acrylic; “Emergence,” a watercolor showcasing spring flowers breaking through dead leaves; and “Pastoral Scene, Clay Hill Road,” an acrylic with sheep dotting a riverside scene. In her artist statement, Dembinksi, who has a degree in art history from the University of Vermont, says, “Art will always remain my language of choice and a source of deep contentment. I love to try different media and learn new techniques.”

Vermont Business Magazine Today, the Vermont Legislature voted to override the Governor on several bills, despite reasonable compromises being offered that would have made sure more parts of the state benefitted. Lawmakers overrode the property tax "yield bill" veto, the Act 250/Housing veto and the renewable energy standard bill, as well as the safe injection site veto. “Today is a sad day for Vermonters who simply cannot afford further tax burdens and cost increases. Many will talk about these votes as a major loss for me, but it’s really a major loss for Vermont taxpayers, workers and families."

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine Lawmakers today at first sustained and then overrode Governor Phil Scott's veto of the safe-injection site bill (H.72). The House easily overrode the bill, but the Senate initially failed by a single vote. But in a kind of legal repechage, the Senate suspended rules and managed to squeeze out one more vote to get to the 20 required for the two-thirds override. Senator Richard Westman (R-Lamoille) changed his vote, thus assuring the override. Westman himself requested that the Senate suspend Rule 73 to allow reconsideration of previous vote taken, but that action was blocked. The House then resent the bill to the Senate, where Westman's request to suspend succeeded, leading to the override vote.

Vermont Business Magazine Last week, PC Construction accepted a Project Achievement Award from the Construction Management Association of America’s New England Chapter. The CMAA award recognized PC’s work on the BETA Technologies’ Manufacturing & Assembly Facility, which will support the manufacturing and assembly of the electric aerospace company’s battery-powered aircraft and electric charging infrastructure. This project, which was completed last year, is Phase 1 of a two-phase master building plan on a 40-acre former brownfield site.