Current News

Vermont Business Magazine The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), announced Monday that Battenkill Valley Health Center, Inc, in Arlington in the only health center in Vermont to be recognized in the top 10 percent of health centers nationwide receiving a Gold Health Center Quality Leader badge. They are recognized for their achievements in improving health outcomes and providing high-quality care for patients in rural and underserved communities. The digital badges, part of the Community Health Quality Recognition (CHQR) badge program, honor the health centers across the country that have attained the best overall clinical quality performance.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Center for Independent Living (VCIL) has announced the launch of a statewide, in-home vaccine service for people of all ages. “COVID-19 and flu are still dangerous health risks, especially for people with disabilities and older adults”, said Sarah Launderville, VCIL Executive Director. “These communities were reaching out and telling us that they felt forgotten, and we knew we needed to respond.” Made possible by the U.S. Administration for Community Living with a grant through USAging, in-home vaccinations are available for anyone who has difficulty getting to or using traditional vaccination locations. 

Vermont Business Magazine Members of the Worksite Wellness Committee at United Counseling Service (UCS) recently traveled to Burlington, VT, to accept the 2023 Vermont Governor’s Excellence in Worksite Wellness Gold Level Award. The Vermont Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports presented the award in partnership with the Vermont Department of Health. The Excellence in Worksite Wellness Award was developed over twenty years ago and is presented each year to organizations across the state that make employee wellness a priority. UCS is one of 112 employers in Vermont who received recognition for their worksite wellness programs.

Vermont Business Magazine The Stowe Area Association (SAA) held its annual Fall Member Meeting on October 26, 2023 in partnership with Stowe Mountain Resort. The meeting was highlighted by a record-setting fall occupancy rate, which SAA reported out to members in attendance. During the three-week foliage season, the average occupancy reached 85%, marking a significant 5.5% increase from the previous year. Voted fifth Best Place to Visit for Fall in USA TODAY's 10Best Readers' Choice Awards, Stowe welcomed over 8,600 guests to the visitor information center in the three-week fall foliage period, with visitors hailing from all 50 states and all major continents minus Antarctica.

VermontBiz Magazine honored the winners of its Rising Stars Class of 2023 at the Delta Hotel in South Burlington Thursday evening, November 2. Honored were 40 winners under the age of 40. Award recipients were selected by a panel of judges for their commitment to business growth, professional excellence, and involvement in their communities. VermontBiz also recognized the Alumni of the Year 2023. Of the 40 honorees, there are 23 women and 17 men. There are 2 from Addison County, 2 from Bennington County, 15 from Chittenden County, 2 from Lamoille County, 4 from Rutland County, 10 from Washington County, 2 from Windsor County and 3 from Windham County. 

Vermont Business Magazine NBT Bank has presented a check for $25,000 to the VT Flood Response and Recovery Fund 2023. The VT Flood Response and Recovery Fund 2023 was established to support Vermonters in responding to and recovering from the catastrophic rainfall across Vermont in 2023. The fund is managed by The Vermont Community Foundation.

Vermont Business Magazine Burlington City Arts (BCA) is excited to announce that it was recently awarded $40,000 from Tito’s Handmade Vodka to support the 2024 BCA Community Fund program. As pandemic-era relief funding sources come to an end, many arts organizations still struggle with post-pandemic challenges, such as inflation, difficulty rehiring, and a shift in audience behaviors that require revising programs. The BCA Community Fund will be used to directly support Burlington artists and arts organizations with funding to fulfill their mission, support artists, create new work, and further the local economic impact of arts spending.

Vermont State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation along with staff members of the Vermont Department of Corrections conducted a partnered investigation after DOC staff at Southern State Correctional Center in Springfield VT discovered numerous prescription medications missing from a medical room. The investigation determined that inmate Louis Tobin entered the medical room in the "GHI" wing of the prison after discovering an unsecured door.  Tobin was eventually found in possession of numerous controlled substances and was issued a citation. 

Vermont Business Magazine Scott Tighe, Technical Director for the Advanced Genome Technologies Core, Julie Dragon, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, and Kirsten Tracy, Ph.D., senior scientist in the Vermont Integrative Genomics Resource Core (VIGR), are set to spearhead a payload mission to the International Space Station (ISS) from the Kennedy Space Center on the evening of November 9, 2023, pending favorable weather conditions. The payload will dock and be delivered to the ISS the on the morning of Saturday, November 11. Known as the µTitan (pronounced “micro-Titan”) project, it has two primary objectives: benchmarking the use of hermetically sealed microgravity compatible extraction cassettes for automated DNA extraction in space and investigating the efficacy of a novel DNA sample preservative to help eliminate the need for cellular-based samples to be returned to Earth in cold storage.

Vermont Business Magazine In 2022, Vermont gained nearly 3,000 new residents who moved from other states, according to an analysis of recently published U.S. Census Bureau by the Treasurer’s Office. The data, which is published annually in October, is an important estimate of Vermont’s demographic trends, which have a direct impact on Vermont’s workforce, economy, and credit rating. Vermont’s 2022 net migration of 2,981 people is slightly above average compared to the past decade, but sharply lower than 2021 when Vermont saw a net migration of 14,548 new residents. The combined net migration from the last two years, however, exceeds the net migration from the prior ten years combined (+17,529 for 2022-21 vs. +16,067 for 2019-10). 

Vermont Business Magazine Average gasoline prices in Vermont are $3.58 per gallon, down 1.7 cents per gallon from last week's $3.60/g. The lowest price in the state yesterday was $3.15/g while the highest was $3.99/g, a difference of 84.0 cents per gallon. The national average price of gasoline has fallen 7.0 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.38/g today. The national average is down 32.8 cents per gallon from a month ago and stands 40.6 cents per gallon lower than a year ago.

Vermont Business Magazine The Small Business Technical Assistance Exchange grant program is launching on 11/6 and is being administered by Shaneall Ferron and Central Vermont Economic Development Corporation. This program is made possible with the active participation from all 12 regional development corporations of Vermont, along with 5 “Outreach Reach” partner agencies that have distinct connection and access with the businesses this round of the program is intended to support. The two previous rounds of the program had been Federally funded and Covid-19 responsive. This third round of grant funding for small businesses prioritizes those from historically disadvantaged backgrounds on a first come first served basis. In this third round, the State has funded $1.25 million into the 183 awards that will be made to small businesses.