Current News

by Devon Green, VAHHS Vice President of Government Relations It’s rare if ever we hit your inbox twice in one week (Monday Newsletter), but this special VAHHS Update is worthy of its own e-mail from us at VAHHS – because it deals with an issue of huge consequence in health care: workplace violence. You’ve heard from me countless times over the past several years on the issue of workplace violence and the need for greater public awareness and policies that strengthen the supports for our health care workers. We have made some progress, but more must be done to stop this pattern of verbal assault, anger and physical violence towards caregivers.  

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine Vermont State University (VTSU) Interim President Mike Smith released his final set of recommendations which, when taken together with Optimization 2.0 released earlier this month, positions Vermont State University to achieve fiscal sustainability by Fiscal Year 2027.  Highlights of the plan include: Total administrative savings of approximately $3.1 million. A reduction of 33 full-time positions with 21 being at executive, management, or supervisory level. Shared services savings of $500-600K across the Vermont State Colleges system in Fiscal Year 2025. Savings in the health care plan of $3 million while maintaining a platinum plan for employees much like the state’s plan for its employees. Total savings will be $12 million. 

by Dan Cardi, Vice President and Corporate Security Officer, Community Bank NA They say knowledge is power, and when it comes to fraud, knowledge is powerful protection. The more you know about scams, the more likely you’ll be to spot and resist them. But where do you start? How do you know it’s a scam before it’s too late? Let’s talk fraud prevention. There are a few common types of fraud. The schemes keep evolving, but we still see variations of traditional hoaxes, like someone giving you a counterfeit check and asking you to forward the funds to them. Classic phone scams are ever present, too. We’ve all heard stories of a “grandchild” stuck overseas and needing funds urgently. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

Vermont Business Magazine Representative Becca Balint (D-Vermont) released the following statement after noticing a privileged resolution censuring Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene for her record of antisemitic, anti-LGBTQ, xenophobic, and racist rhetoric, and conspiracy theories. Today, Taylor Greene introduced a resolution to censure Representative Rashida Tlaib. “If you want to talk antisemitism, look no further than Rep. Taylor Greene. Today, I moved to censure Rep. Taylor Greene to finally get accountability for years of lies and hate."

Vermont State Police The investigation is continuing into the suspicious death reported Wednesday in the Orange County town of Washington. The Vermont State Police has established a preliminary identification of the victim, who is believed to be a woman in her 20s. Confirmation is pending autopsy, which is scheduled to take place Friday, Oct. 27, 2023, at the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office in Burlington. No suspects are currently in custody. Investigators believe this is an isolated incident, and there is no threat to the community.

Vermont Business Magazine With winter around the corner and heating costs projected to increase this season, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont), and Representative Becca Balint (D-Vermont) today announced that Vermont will receive more than $20.7 million in Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) funds. 

Vermont Business Magazine For a decade, the Vermont Chamber has brought together industry peers to facilitate sourcing and procurement opportunities at the Manufacturing Summit on Wednesday and Thursday. OEM buyers, suppliers, and partners from across the United States and Canada convened at the event to strengthen supply chains and advance the Vermont economy. The event featured two days of virtual matchmaking, a robust seminar agenda, and an in-person networking reception. Paradigm shifts brought on by the pandemic impacted global supply chains, causing businesses to modify their sourcing strategies. This year, 335 meetings between 90 suppliers and 24 OEMs, prime contractors, and government agencies took place. Many of the participants were leaders in the aerospace, aviation, defense, naval, marine, semiconductor, and space industries.

Vermont Business Magazine Average gasoline prices in Vermont are $3.64, up 1 cent per gallon from last week, down 14 cents/g from a month ago and down 17 cents/g from the same time last year, according to GasBuddy's survey. The national average price of gasoline is $3.49, down 5 cents/g from last week, down 32 cents/g from last month and down 27 cents/g from last year.

Vermont Business Magazine Over the decades, the Vermont NWTF State Chapter and its local chapters have forged a highly productive partnership with the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department, allowing for heightened conservation and education and outreach efforts across the state. Through their collaborative efforts, the NWTF and the VFWD are introducing new and diverse audiences to hunting. 2023 was a successful year for getting folks connected with the outdoors in Vermont. 

Vermont Business Magazine The American Lung Association Research Institute announced today it awarded $13.6 million in research grants to fund 129 innovative projects to advance today’s science to end lung disease tomorrow.  Among the awardees is Katherine Menson, DO, with the University of Vermont and State Agricultural College, studying accelerated pulmonary rehabilitation in the preoperative period for lung cancer patients. The grant is for $47,500 for FY24 with the opportunity to renew in FY25.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont State University (VTSU) reported a 13 percent increase in the number of students enrolled in its electrical and plumbing apprenticeship programs this year—up from 726 last year to 822. Efforts to grow the program come in response to acute workforce shortages in both sectors. Students in the programs work for local employers during the day and study a few nights a week, earning wages as they increase their skills. People of all ages take advantage of the VTSU program; the oldest apprentice in this year’s cohort is 58.

by Alicia Wolfram, Community News Service Forest preservation activists are waiting to see whether their lawsuit to stop logging on about 3,760 acres on public lands around Camel’s Hump still has life. Activist group Standing Trees and Duxbury residents Jamison Ervin and Alan Pierce asked Vermont Superior Court Judge Timothy Tomasi on Sept. 26 to reconsider his Sept. 1 dismissal of their November 2022 lawsuit against the state. The lawsuit claims that officials violated public process laws regarding plans to start logging in the Camel’s Hump Management Unit, a stretch of about 26,000 acres in north-central Vermont that includes the popular mountain and state park.