Current News

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Health reported last week that COVID-19 cases fell steeply from over 100 to 75, their lowest level since early fall. In addition, hospitalizations continue to decline, and fatalities have eased back. There were 6 fatalities in this report after only 1 the week before. The pandemic death total now stands at 1,138 as of March 9, 2024 (the most recent data available). Total reported deaths in January were 28, which is the highest monthly total in nearly a year, but only 15 so far for February and 6 so far reported in March. The VDH reported last week that COVID-19 hospitalizations were at a statewide total of 18, which is among the lowest they've been in several months. COVID-19 activity remains in the "Low" range, according to the VDH. 

Vermont Business Magazine Fast Company announced today that Green Mountain Power (GMP) is one of the Most Innovative Companies in the World for 2024, joining Beyonce’s Parkwood Entertainment, the National Women’s Soccer League, and Open AI on the prestigious list. Fast Company introduced the list this morning, saying “The challenges facing business and the planet are immense, but the process of selecting these winners gave us optimism.” GMP is second on the list of ten companies honored in the Energy category, with the magazine noting GMP’s groundbreaking work to boost resiliency and equity for all customers.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine Unilever on March 19 announced steps to accelerate its Growth Action Plan (GAP) by spinning off of its Ice Cream division into a separate company, while launching a major productivity program. This separation will include Ben & Jerry's. Unilever also owns Breyers and other ice cream brands. The Wall Street Journal, which first reported the story, said that Ice Cream has been a lagging part of the consumer-products giant. Unilever's brands include Dove, Hellmann's and another Vermont legacy company, Seventh Generation. Those products presumably will stay with Unilever. WSJ said the spin-off is likely because Unilever could not find an outside buyer for its Ice Cream division. Unilever did not provide details of the separation but said it will happen by the end of 2025. Unilever said the separation would affect 7,500 jobs, but Unilever did not indicate exactly how or where. Ben & Jerry's is based in South Burlington, Vermont. Unilever bought Ben & Jerry's in 2000 for $326 million. 

Vermont Business Magazine The Commission for Public School Employee Health Benefits unanimously agreed to a two-year extension of the current school employees’ healthcare plan while pledging to work together toward systemic changes that would lower costs and make healthcare more affordable. The extension comes as the commission was gearing up for bargaining over the agreement that was set to expire on December 31, 2025. Instead of a third round of negotiations that would have likely taken months to complete, the terms and conditions of the current arrangement will now be in effect through December 31, 2027. Under the terms of the current agreement, premium co-shares, co-pays, and deductibles will not change for the majority of covered employees, except for some support staff who will see a 1 percent increase in their premiums if they aren’t already contributing 20 percent.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott announced today that he has appointed Bram Kranichfeld as permanent state’s attorney for Franklin County. The Governor named him interim state’s attorney in September, following the previous state’s attorney John Lavoie’s resignation. Lavoie was facing impeachment by the Legislature at the time. His resignation ended the impeachment process. The appointment was effective last week for the term ending January of 2027. Kranichfeld previously served as chief of the criminal division of the Vermont Attorney General’s Office from 2018 to 2019. He currently serves as Priest-in-Charge at All Saints & St. Paul’s Episcopal Churches.

by Virginia Ray, The Commons State Superior Court Judge Thomas S. Durkin has denied a third appeal to stop the Windham & Windsor Housing Trust (WWHT) from proceeding with its Alice Holway Drive community housing project. The development has been planned since 2019 as two new buildings intended to provide 25 mixed-income, energy-efficient, and accessible apartments on the 0.91-acre site in Putney Village next to Putney Community Gardens. In their appeal, neighbors to the site Laura Campbell and Deborah Lazar contended the Trust's lots are not contiguous - and should be. Because Alice Holway Drive runs between the lots, they maintained the site does not meet the legal definition of "affordable housing" vis-a-vis Act 250, the state's environmental protection law.

Vermont Business Magazine A group of high-income and wealthy Vermont residents sent an open letter to the Vermont Legislature on Tuesday, asking legislators to increase their taxes in response to pressing needs across the state. The group, which includes Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield of Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream, Olympic cross-country skier Hannah Dreissigacker, Phoenix Books co-owner Renee Reiner, green energy entrepreneurs Duane Peterson and David Blittersdorf, and others, stressed the importance of public investment and their willingness to contribute more in taxes to fund public investments necessary to improve the quality of life for all Vermonters. The Vermont legislature is currently considering legislation to enact a 3% surcharge on personal annual income above $500,000, which would raise at least $74 million in state revenue each year.

Vermont Business Magazine Funding is now available for Vermont organizations in the Brattleboro area through the Crosby-Gannett Fund grant program at the Vermont Community Foundation. The purpose of the Crosby-Gannett Fund is to support endeavors that contribute to the betterment and vitality of the Brattleboro area. The Crosby-Gannett Fund evolved its giving strategy last year and will now award a grant to one applicant annually. The grant term will be active for three years, and the grantee will receive $7,500 per year, totaling $22,500 over the three-year period. The goal of this model is to provide reliable capacity-building support to creative ideas and community-based organizations that will enable meaningful improvement in the Brattleboro area.

VermontBiz This month, Gifford Health Care recognized four employees with awards that celebrate and honor not only excellence in clinical care but also compassion. Gifford expanded on and encompassed the principles of the national DAISY nursing award program for its 2024 Employee Recognition Awards. Its Selection Committee received more than 70 nominations from across the organization for four awards: the DAISY Award, recognizing exceptional nurses; two BEE—Be Exceptional Everyday—Awards, one clinical and one non-clinical award; and a HIVE Award (Healthcare providers Impacting the lives of Vulnerable people Every day), awarded to physicians and advanced practice providers.

by Devon Green, VP of Government Relations, VAHHS We have officially achieved policy crossover. All of the policy bills that did not make it out of committee last week will not be moving forward. To see an updated bill tracker, go here. This week is the money week where both the appropriations and tax committees must pass out their bills, including the FY ’25 budget on the House side. Health Care Reform: The Senate Health and Welfare Committee did not advance S.151, the health care reform bill, so it will not move forward this session.

Vermont Business Magazine Just Getting By, a new documentary film by Bess O’Brien that takes an intimate look at the lives of Vermonters struggling with food and housing insecurity, will tour Vermont from March 22-April 12th, sponsored by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont. The screenings will include an audience discussion with the director after the show. The film tells the stories of working families who are struggling with the high cost of living in Vermont, as well as those who are homeless and accessing food shelves and soup kitchens, and people who are living in temporary hotel and motel programs. In addition, Just Getting By zeros in on Native people creating innovative farming practices, and those in our communities who are providing housing, food security and social services to their fellow Vermonters in need.

Vermont Business Magazine VNAHSR provides training for those interested in becoming hospice volunteers. Training will be held on Friday, April 12, 2024 from 8am – 4pm at the Castleton Free Library, located at 638 Main St., Castleton, VT. Training is free and open to individuals 16 years of age and older. Volunteers need to pass a background check. No previous hospice and health care experience is required. Pre-registration is required. At the VNA & Hospice of the Southwest Region (VNAHSR), volunteers play a critical role in enhancing the end-of-life experiences of people facing serious illness and their families. Volunteers represent all life experiences and are drawn to hospice for a variety of reasons, but the defining characteristics that unite them are compassion and the desire to help others.