Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Staff from 14 Northeast Kingdom senior meal nutrition programs recently attended a one-day training session to learn about methods to produce medically tailored meals to support people with heart, circulatory, and kidney health challenges. The training session was funded by a grant from Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital (NVRH) as part of the NEK Prosper! Healthy Cents Fund. The training was led by Herb Will, Director of Nutrition, NEK Council on Aging; registered dietitian Alicia Armstrong RDN LD CDCES; and former New England Culinary Institute Chef Joey Buttendorf. Also in attendance was Annie Hutchinson, State Unit on Aging Operations Team Leader for the Vermont Department of Aging and Independent Living (DAIL).

Vermont Business Magazine Mt. Ascutney Hospital and Health Center (MAHHC), a Dartmouth Health Member, recognized 20 staff members for notable milestones at their annual Employee Service Awards held recently at the Windsor Welcome Center. Interim CEO Winfield Brown congratulated the employees on their many years of service.

Vermont State Police On Monday at approximately 5:13 pm hours, Vermont State Police were dispatched to a one car rollover motor vehicle crash in the area of 1481 Kent Hollow Road in the Town of Rupert. State Police Dispatch reported that a truck had rolled over into a river and the operator of the vehicle was unresponsive. Preliminary investigation revealed that operator #1, Skyler Staples was travelling east on Kent Hollow Road at the time of the crash. For unknown reasons, Staples' vehicle departed the south side of the roadway where it struck a tree head on. The vehicle then proceeded to roll down a steep embankment and into a nearby river before coming to rest on the driver side.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Air National Guard will conduct night flying from Tuesday, March 5 to Thursday, March 7 and Tuesday, March 12 to Thursday, March 14 with one evening takeoff period between 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. The night flying operations are scheduled to conclude by 9:00 p.m. each day. Night flying operations involve rigorous training scenarios designed to enhance operational readiness and can include coordination and integration with different units. These exercises simulate real-world scenarios, allowing the VTANG to sharpen its skills in navigating and executing missions under the cover of darkness.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Secretary of State Sarah Copeland Hanzas wanted to remind members of the public of how to find results for the upcoming Presidential Primary Election.  Unofficial Presidential Primary results are reported to the Secretary of State by Vermont cities and towns after polls close on the evening of Tuesday, March 5th, and posted on the Secretary of State’s website. Results will be unofficial until the Canvassing Committee meets to certify the results on March 12th. Cities and towns are not required to report the results of their local, Town Meeting Day elections to the Vermont Secretary of State on March 5th, so for local results it is best to check with the relevant city or town.

Devon Green, VP of Government Relations It’s Town Meeting Week, when the legislators are released from the State House and allowed back in the wild to take a breather and catch up with their constituents. If you have thoughts about bills or issues, now is a good time to catch them. You’ll likely spot them at your local town meeting or the polls—all the more reason to get out there and vote! 

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Small Business Development Center (VtSBDC) has released its Annual Report reflecting the organization’s impact on Vermont’s small businesses in 2023. VtSBDC offers confidential, no-fee, one-to-one business advising to Vermont’s small businesses at every stage. Highlights of the annual report for 2023 include: 523 clients advised; 31 new businesses started; $13.9 million new capital infused; 311 new jobs; and 145 jobs saved.

Vermont Business Magazine High school students who are pondering their next steps for college, training, or career—and their parents and family members who are wondering how best to support them—are invited to attend VSAC’s free 2024 College and Career Pathways events, taking place over the next six weeks at various locations around the state. The events include four weekday field trip programs during March and April for students in grades 9 through 11 held at various college locations across the state, and a fifth event on Saturday, March 23, for students and their families. The weekday events are coordinated with students’ high schools and will take place at Landmark College in Brattleboro, Saint Michael’s College in Colchester, VTSU-Lyndon in Lyndonville, and VTSU-Castleton in Castleton. Nearly 2,000 students from 38 high schools across Vermont are already registered to attend.

Vermont Business Magazine In recognition of National Consumer Protection Week, Attorney General Charity Clark announced the top 10 consumer complaints received by her office’s Consumer Assistance Program (CAP) in 2023. Claiming the list’s top spots are consumer complaints involving vehicles, home improvement, and retail, which collectively represent 43 percent of all complaints filed in 2023. Attorney General Clark also today released CAP’s 2023 Annual Report in which the program details its record-high recoveries and savings for Vermont consumers, totaling more than $1.89 million.

Vermont Business Magazine Building a brand new internet network involves both small steps and large ones. The latest NEK Broadband service expansion involves 100 miles and over 400 potential customers in Barnet, Peacham, Walden and Danville. Key parts of a fiber-optic cable network are the electronics cabinets that direct the signal from sender to intended recipient. The latest cabinet, also known as an OLT, has been set up at the fire department in Peacham. Crews continue to expand the network as cable is hung on utility poles along these initial routes. The mission of this Vermont-based organization is to make sure every address where there is electric utility service in Caledonia, Essex, and Orleans counties, plus Wolcott in Lamoille county.

Vermont Business Magazine President Joseph Biden on Saturday declared that a major disaster exists in the State of Vermont and ordered Federal assistance to supplement state, tribal, and local recovery efforts in the areas affected by a severe storm and flooding from December 18 to December 19, 2023. Governor Scott made a formal request for the designation on February 20, 2024. The aid is to help communities in Essex, Lamoille, Orange, Orleans, Rutland, Windham, and Windsor counties recover costs for repair of public infrastructure damage.

Vermont Agency of Agriculture Food & Markets The Farm to School and Early Childhood Vision Grant supports innovative projects that address contemporary issues facing communities, agriculture, health, and Vermont youth through farm to school and early childhood initiatives. A total of $150,000 is available through this competitive funding opportunity. The minimum award is $5,000 and the maximum award is $50,000. Schools, school districts, early childhood educators, afterschool programs, and non-profits working in partnership with other organizations in the Vermont Farm to School and Early Childhood Network are eligible to apply.