Current News

Vermont State Police At about 6:15 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 27, 2024, members of the Vermont State Police were called to a report of a death that had occurred in the back country of the Magic Mountain Ski Area in Londonderry, Vermont. Responding troopers located the decedent, a 60-year-old man from southern Vermont, and learned that he had been snowshoeing with a group of people when he experienced a medical event and collapsed. Lifesaving efforts by bystanders and the Magic Mountain Ski Patrol were unsuccessful, and he was pronounced deceased on scene by Londonderry EMS. 

by Devon Green, VAHHS VP of Government Relations Dear reader, apologies in advance, but this session is going to be short on intros and long on substance. Hope you’re ready to dive in for week 4’s recap: Health Care Reform and Regulation: The Senate Health and Welfare Committee heard further testimony on S.211, the health care omnibus bill that includes changes to the Green Mountain Care Board in preparation for global hospital budgets under the AHEAD model. A professor from the Dartmouth Institute provided his suggested language and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Vermont opposed the bill in its entirety. The Vermont Medical Society and OneCare Vermont were in support of clarifying regulatory roles and stabilizing regulatory processes.

Vermont Business Magazine The Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) has awarded $673,391 in Municipal Planning Grants to 31 municipalities, including three consortiums. These grants will help communities write and update their Town Plans, many of which will incorporate new efforts to increase housing availability and solve other contemporary challenges. Other grants will help municipalities create plans specific to strengthening arts and culture, developing recreational opportunities, and studying flood resilience.

Vermont Business Magazine In the wake of the catastrophic 2023 severe weather and floods that caused widespread damage along Vermont waterways, several business and government leaders are stepping up for farms fighting to remain solvent. This new fundraising campaign, envisioned by a group of state agriculture supporters and officials, will make donations to local communities possible through a first-in-the-country crisis response template. “Vermont’s farms faced significant challenges this year from freezing to floods,” said Vermont Governor Phil Scott. “The loss is significant, and farmers need our help. We must work to support our ag economy and the local economies in every Vermont county.”

Vermont Business Magazine Promoted as the “Biggest Business Night of the Year,” The Southwestern Vermont Chamber's 2024 Annual Membership Meeting was a resounding success with over 100 business owners, stakeholders, nonprofit leaders, board directors and community members in attendance. The meeting was held on Friday, January 26, 2024, at the Mount Anthony Country Club in Bennington, Vermont. The event marked a significant milestone as the Chamber announced its intention to embark on a comprehensive strategic plan to create a clear and compelling vision for the future of the organization. 

by Brooke Burns, Community News Service Only a third of Vermont’s 20,000 occupied mobile homes qualify for the state’s mobile home park registry, a list often included in criteria for home improvement loans and grants. A House bill introduced last week seeks to include more of those homes, and homeowners, in the list — and give them more financial opportunities. The bill, H.618, aims to expand the legal definition of mobile home parks to include communities of mobile homeowners who own their own lots. Currently, state law defines mobile home parks as land with at least two mobile homes or mobile home lots, or adjacent land owned by the same person, according to the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development, which runs the registry. Only mobile homes that meet the statutory definition can be on the registry. 

Vermont Center for Emerging Technologies What’s the result of a veggie farmer and an engineer falling in love? A robotics company in Williston, Vermont. Diane and Colin are co-founders of Rigorous, founded in 2020. What makes Rigorous special is their ability to make robotics simple. So sit back, relax, and learn about how this young company is changing the industrial automation industry. P.S. A great listen if you’re thinking of starting a company with your significant other or even a friend!

by Sunny Eappen, MD, MBA As we begin a new year, and as I embark on my second year as CEO of the University of Vermont Health Network, I feel a sense of both optimism and urgency. Optimism, because I think we have an opportunity to make progress on the challenges we share in this region – if we work together. And urgency, because we need to act now to ensure we are best serving our patients and communities, today and into the future. So, I want to offer some important updates on where the UVM Health Network stands, and also to ask for help in making our communities in Vermont and the North Country of New York as healthy, vibrant and sustainable as they can be.

Leonine Public Affairs Week four of the legislative session started on Tuesday morning with the Senate holding a veto override vote on H.158, a bill that would have expanded Vermont’s bottle bill. The Senate failed to override Governor Phil Scott’s veto by a vote of 17 in favor and 13 opposed. The vote failed as it did not reach the two-thirds necessary to successfully override a veto. The vote likely ends the debate on expanding the bottle bill for 2024. On Tuesday afternoon Governor Scott delivered his FY2025 budget address to a joint assembly of the legislature. The address focused on the governor’s top priorities - affordability, public safety and housing. Scott reiterated his call to curb the spending trends of the past few years that were fueled in part by billions of dollars in Covid-era federal programs. With those federal funds winding down, the governor urged lawmakers to curb spending, making the case that more increases will impose too much of a burden on Vermont taxpayers. 

Vermont Business Magazine Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont), a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, visited the Roots Farm Market in Middlesex Friday to discuss the recently introduced Withstanding Extreme Agricultural Threats by Harvesting Economic Resilience (WEATHER) Act. The WEATHER Act would require USDA to develop an index-based insurance policy that reimburses farmers for crop and income losses after natural disasters. This bill was introduced by Sen. Welch following extreme weather events severely impacting farmers across Vermont. Senator Welch was joined by Jon Wagner and Karin Bellemare, owners of Bear Roots Farm and Roots Farm Market; Justin Rich of Burnt Rock Farm, President of the Vermont Vegetable and Berry Growers Association; Grace Oedel, Executive Director of the Northeast Organic Farmers Association of Vermont; and Representatives from the Office of Sen. Sanders. 

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders will hold a roundtable discussion with Vermont first responders on Monday, January 29 at 10:00 a.m. to hear about challenges they face and what the federal government can do to support them. The discussion with firefighters and EMS providers will cover range of issues, including recruitment, wages, training, and equipment costs. Sanders and attendees will provide updates on several Congressionally Directed Spending projects for which Sanders secured more than $1.5 million in federal funding. The funding is being used to quadruple the number of spots at the Vermont State Firefighters Association cadet academy, establish more affordable EMS training, and build a new ambulance station in Waterbury.

Vermont Business Magazine Polly, the trailblazer in embedded auto insurance, released its 2024 Embedded Auto Insurance Study today, which details profound trends in consumer buying preferences and expectations, with a focus on buyers 45 and younger. The study, which explores the role of insurance in the car buying process, reveals that these buyers prefer a seamless car shopping experience that includes insurance. The growing consumer preference for integrated insurance provides dealerships with an opportunity to unlock new revenue streams while enhancing the customer experience, as they become a one-stop-shop for today's modern car buyers.