Current News

Vermont Business Magazine The Attorney General’s Office announced that Richard Irish, 57, of South Royalton, Vermont, was sentenced today in Vermont Superior Court, Windsor Criminal Division, after pleading guilty to one count of felony Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material. The Court, Judge Heather Gray presiding, sentenced the defendant by agreement to 10 years of probation with conditions that restrict his access to the internet and contact with minors.  If Mr. Irish violates the terms of his probation, he may face up to 5 years in jail. Mr. Irish is also required to register as a sex offender until 10 years have elapsed after the completion of his sentence.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Agency of Transportation (AOT) today announced the awards for the SFY25 Municipal Roads Grants-in-Aid Program, which provides funding for municipalities to implement best management practices in accordance with the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Municipal Roads General Permit. This year, 235 municipalities are participating. A total of approximately $3 million in awards will be granted in this cycle. 

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation (FPR) was awarded a $300,000 Wood Innovation Grant from the United States Forest Service (USFS) to facilitate the installation of advanced wood heating systems in Vermont schools. These funds will be distributed on a first-come, first-served rolling basis, with FPR currently accepting project applications. Through the program, individual schools can receive up to $25,000 in grant funds to install or upgrade advanced wood heat systems. FPR offers a complimentary technical feasibility assessment through the USFS to ensure the selected system meets heating requirements while adhering to air quality and efficiency standards.

Vermont Business Magazine Yesterday, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced $6,390,000 in grant awards from President Biden’s Investing in America agenda to expedite the assessment and cleanup of brownfield sites in Vermont while advancing environmental justice. These investments through EPA’s Brownfields Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grant Programs and Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) Grant Programs will help transform once-polluted, vacant, and abandoned properties into community assets, while helping to create good jobs and spur economic revitalization in overburdened communities. EPA selected two communities in Vermont to receive two grants totaling nearly $3 million in competitive EPA Brownfields funding through the Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grant programs. In addition, the agency is announcing $3.5 million in supplemental funding to one existing, high-performing Brownfields RLF Grant Programs to help expedite their continued work at sites in Vermont.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today announced his appointment of Andy Julow, of North Hero, to fill the vacant Grand Isle district Senate seat. Julow replaces Richard T. Mazza, who resigned last month after serving 39 years in the Vermont Senate. Julow grew up in, and resides in, Grand Isle County. He is currently serving as the executive director of the Lake Champlain Islands Economic Development Corporation, having previously run his own business for 10 years. He is an active member of his community, having chaired his local school board for nine years and development review board for five. 

Vermont Business Magazine On May 20, 2024 Governor Scott signed legislation into law improving several sections of the Vermont captive insurance statute. Yearly the Vermont Captive Insurance Association (VCIA) works with the Vermont Department of Financial Regulation (DFR) to propose updates to captive insurance statutes based on industry feedback. Bill H. 659 clarifies the law in multiple instances to improve the process and consistency of regulatory practices, to address unnecessary redundancies, and to better align requirements with the captive marketplace.

Vermont Business Magazine Retiring Howard Center CEO Bob Bick has been recognized by the Vermont Legislature with a concurrent resolution honoring his three decades of leadership at Howard Center and noting that over the past three decades, the scope and quality of mental health and substance use services in Vermont, “has moved forward due, in large measure, to the visionary work of Bob Bick.” At a reading of the resolution in Montpelier attended by Bick and his extended family, Representative Barbara Rachelson of Burlington said, “We want to thank Bob for the many thousands of people he has touched, and for the work that he has pioneered that is a legacy for our own state and for the nation.”

Vermont Business Magazine The Attorney General’s Office announced that Jason Heath, 53, of Milton, Vermont, was arraigned today on one misdemeanor count of Voyeurism. The charge brought against the defendant is the result of a criminal investigation conducted by the Vermont Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (VT-ICAC), Homeland Security Investigations, and the Milton Police Department. The investigation began when the Milton Police Department received a complaint from a school that a student reported finding a video recording device in the bathroom of Mr. Heath’s home. The minor reported that the concealed surveillance device was livestreaming to Mr. Heath’s phone, and that the minor and the minor’s friend had used the bathroom where the device was installed.

Vermont Business Magazine Blood typing, making splints, airway management, and even a medication vs. candy challenge, were among the activities students participated in during Southern Vermont AHEC’s MedQuest Health Careers Expo held on May 8, in Rutland, Vermont. This event was created to provide an exciting and worthwhile experience for 14–21-year-olds interested in pursuing a health career or just curious about the ever-expanding world of health care. Over 20 health careers from clinical to non-clinical roles in medicine, oral health, pharmacy, behavioral health, laboratory, nursing, emergency response, and so much more. 40 exhibitors provided hands-on activities, interactive displays, cutting edge technology, training simulations as well as the chance to share their knowledge.

Vermont Business Magazine Gifford seeks to grow and diversify its nursing workforce by recruiting candidates from abroad with the help of workforce development partner inSpring. This month, Ana Gonzalez, Gifford’s first inSpring recruit, a registered nurse originally from Colombia and trained in the United States, joined the Operating Room (OR) team. Gifford expects to recruit more nurses through the partnership, fostered as the U.S. continues to face a shortage of healthcare professionals. Specialties like OR nursing are even harder to fill because they require additional training and expertise.

Vermont Business Magazine Fidium Fiber (Consolidated Communications) is expanding service of its all-fiber internet network to more than 4,800 homes and businesses in Eden, Johnson and Stowe, Vermont. Construction is underway in some locations, with additional construction to be completed in the coming weeks. Through this fiber expansion, thousands of local residents and business owners in these communities will have access to Fidium’s multi-gig speed fiber internet service. Fidium expansion in these communities comes through its partnership with Lamoille FiberNet Communications Union District. Construction in Eden, Johnson and Stowe is already underway, and fiber expansion will begin soon within other CUD communities, including Belvidere, Cambridge, Elmore, Hyde Park, Morristown, Waterville and Wolcott.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine As of April 30, 2024, hospitals are no longer required to report COVID-19 Hospital data. CDC strongly encourages hospitals to continue reporting these data, but following the May 1st COVID-19 Surveillance Report, the Vermont Department of Health will no longer be providing updated Hospitalization Levels with their weekly report. The average hospitalization has fallen under one per day, while the Seven-Day Rolling Average of people coming to emergency departments of the state's hospitals with a COVID diagnosis is under 5. There was one fatality last week, which is the first in over two weeks. The pandemic death total remains at 1,148 as of May 11, 2024 (the most recent data available). Total reported deaths in January were 28, which is the highest monthly total in a year, but only 16 in February, 11 in March, 3 in April and 1 so far in May. April deaths were the fewest from COVID since the summer of 2021.