Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Reflecting the high-quality care that  UVM Medical Center staff provide to patients welcoming a new baby to their family, Newsweek has included the UVM Health Network’s anchor academic medical center and Level 1 Trauma Center that serves the region on its ranking of America’s Best Maternity Hospitals. The Newsweek list was created through a partnership with the data and business intelligence portal Statista, a global platform used by more than 30,000 universities, media outlets, agencies and other organizations. It was based on a nationwide online survey of hospital staff and publicly available data from hospital surveys addressing the patient experience, including topics such as cleanliness and communication about medication. 

Vermont Business Magazine Health care clinicians from across Vermont applaud the Governor for signing H.766, a bill that will reduce health care administrative delays and streamline insurance requirements. They look forward to working with the Administration on implementing the bill and studying the impacts. Health care organizations, including the Vermont Medical Society, Vermont Academy of Family Physicians and American Academy of Pediatrics Vermont Chapter, have advocated in support of the important steps this bill takes in reducing insurance paperwork burdens for Vermont providers and in removing barriers to care for Vermont patients.

Green Mountain Care Board 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 Nedde Real Estate in Burlington has announced recent commercial real estate transactions. These include: the lease of 21,269 Square feet of warehouse space at 133 Elm Street, Winooski to Spirit Logistic Network, Inc. Fernando Cresta and Jaeger Nedde assisted the tenant and the landlord; the lease of 21,250 Square feet of refrigerated warehouse space at 133 Elm Street, Winooski to Ari-Mark, Inc. d/b/a Cabot Creamery Cooperative Fernando Cresta and Jaeger Nedde assisted the tenant and the landlord; the Sale of 227 Pond Lane, Middlebury to CHN Properties LLC. Fernando Cresta and Jaeger Nedde represented the seller North by East Property LLC and John Beal from V/T Commercial represented the buyer; and welcomed the United States Postal Service to City Center, Montpelier, as a vital step is the flood recovery. Nedde Real Estate represented the landlord in this transaction

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today signed the Captive Insurance bill H.659 and health bill H.766, but vetoed the neonicotinoid pesticides bill, H.706. The pesticide bill was opposed by some farmers and growers and the governor saw it more as "this legislation is more anti-farmer than it is pro-pollinator." Reflecting on the bills coming to his desk this year, Governor Scott said: “Over the last few years, I’ve tried to meet legislators in the middle, so we can achieve shared priorities. Unfortunately, due to a lack of balance in the Legislature, opposing perspectives and data are often not listened to, or even invited, in the debate. This means some bills are passed without thinking through all the consequences, and therefore, could do more harm than good. Due to the sheer number of bills passed in the last three days of the session, there are many that will fall into this category."

Vermont Business Magazine US Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont) this week led his colleagues in urging Congress to support and fund the Pathways to Removing Obstacles to Housing (PRO Housing) program in the upcoming Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25) Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD) Appropriations Act. The PRO Housing program directly assists state and local governments’ efforts to incentivize inclusive housing policies. These grants encourage eligible organizations to identify barriers that hinder the development of affordable housing, and implement plans to lower housing prices. In FY24, Congress appropriated HUD $100 million for competitive awards to states, local governments, metropolitan planning organizations, and multi-jurisdictional entities. In FY23, over 180 entities applied for PRO Housing awards. Given the overwhelming demand for the program, maintaining funding of at least $100 million in FY25 will enable HUD to serve a wide array of communities.  

Vermont Business Magazine The Attorney General’s Office announced that Wentworth C. Comes, Jr., 83, of Hancock, Vermont, was arraigned today on three felony counts of Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material and two misdemeanor counts of Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Materials. The charges brought against Mr. Comes are the result of a criminal investigation conducted by the Vermont Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (VT-ICAC), including personnel from the Attorney General’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations, Vermont State Police, and Randolph Police Department.

Vermont State Police The Washington County State’s Attorney’s Office has filed an additional charge of involuntary manslaughter against Satnam Singh, 24, of Brampton, Ontario, arising from this incident. He is expected to be arraigned on the new charge at 1 p.m. Wednesday, May 22, in the Criminal Division of Vermont Superior Court in Barre. Singh remains jailed for lack of bail. On April 11, 2024, at approximately 0646 hours, Troopers from the Berlin Barracks and Fatal Crash Reconstruction Team and Department of Motor Vehicles responded to a two vehicle crash on Route 100 in Moretown. Upon arrival, both vehicles were located at an uncontrolled position off the east side of Route 100. The operator of the Subaru was pronounced dead at the scene and the sole occupant of the vehicle. 

Vermont Agency of Transportation This weekly report is a list of planned construction activities that will impact traffic on state highways and interstates throughout Vermont for the Week of 5/20/24. Please remember to drive safely in all work zones. Lives depend on it.

Vermont Business Magazine On a brilliant Sunday, May 19, the University of Vermont Class of 2024 celebrated the culmination of four extraordinary years of accomplishment at the university’s 223rd commencement, held in front of an overflow crowd of parents, relatives, friends, and other well-wishers on the historic University Green in Burlington. The path to this day for the entire Class of 2024 had its own unique twist and turns–not all of them welcome. Four years ago, in the spring of 2020, as they made their plans to come to UVM and prepared for their high school graduations, a worldwide pandemic suddenly locked down daily life. Instead of inspiring celebrations with friends and family, this class had to make do with graduations over Zoom, or distant drive-by recognitions in parking lots or, in many cases, no ceremony at all.

Vermont Business Magazine After 14 years of service in the Vermont Legislature, Senator Brian Campion (D-Bennington) announced he will not seek re-election. Campion was first elected to the Vermont House of Representatives in 2010, where he served two terms, and then to the Vermont Senate in 2014.  Campion has served as chair of the Senate Committee on Education since 2021. During his tenure, he has also served as chair of the Senate Committee on Ethics, vice chair of the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and as a member of the Senate Committees on Finance and on Agriculture. 

Vermont Business Magazine At its May meeting, the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board (VHCB) approved $2,930,630 in funding for seven conservation projects that will protect 1,682 acres in five counties, and $32,843,765 to support seven housing projects in six counties around the state. The awards for housing developments will enable the construction of permanently affordable rental homes for individuals, families, older residents, and households experiencing homelessness, in addition to providing project capacity funds for outreach activities to expand Champlain Housing Trust’s (CHT) Homeownership Equity Program Down Payment Assistance statewide.