Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Solving Hunger, a project of Tusk Philanthropies, today announced the results of its 2023 campaigns, concluding with the passage of North Carolina's budget. Solving Hunger won five of six campaigns in North Carolina, Vermont, New York, and two in Connecticut. This year's results represent the strong momentum towards school meal funding in states across the nation, with 2024 poised to be one of the most productive legislative sessions ever for children who need food. Working with statewide organizations and providing them with the additional advocacy, lobbying and communications tools, Solving Hunger spent $1,000,000 to help pass $250,000,000 in incremental state funding to feed 1.3 million children, at an average cost of $192/year per child. This represents a 250x return on investment.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Agency of Transportation (AOT) will be applying for federal funding to repair and replace broken and non-operational electric vehicle (EV) chargers to improve the reliability of existing EV charging infrastructure throughout the state. Under the Electric Vehicle Charger Reliability and Accessibility Accelerator federal program, $100 million is available nationwide for existing public and private Direct Current Fast Chargers (DCFC) and Level 2 chargers.  

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Health reported September 20, 2023, that COVID-19 hospitalizations edged down again to a statewide total of 22, down from 28 last week, they were 27 before that and 25 three weeks ago. Cases and hospitalizations had risen over the summer. COVID-19 activity remains in the "Low" range, according to the VDH. Reported cases last week were 197, down from 218 last week; they were 165 before that. There were 4 COVID-related deaths reported last week, after 10 the previous week, and zero the week before that, for a pandemic total of 1,019 as of September 16 (this is the most recent update). Fatalities have slowed from prior years. VDH reported 15 COVID-related deaths in March, 20 in April, 10 in May, 10 in June (these are fewest since the summer of 2021), 11 in July, 14 in August, and 8 so far in September. 

Vermont Business Magazine With the average age of Vermont’s population expected to rise over the next decade, state officials are asking people to take actions that will help them stay healthy, and to assist in making Vermont an age-friendly state. By 2030, one in three people in Vermont will be over the age of 60. As we get older, injuries that once may have been minor can become more serious — including falls.  

Vermont Business Magazine The Barton Disaster Recovery Center will close permanently at 6 p.m., Wednesday, September 27, 2023. The center is currently open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, and closed Sunday. You don’t need to visit a DRC to apply for FEMA assistance or to check on the status of your application. The easiest way to reach FEMA is to call the toll-free Helpline at 800-621-3362. Specialists are available 24/7 to help you apply, answer your questions and provide referrals to resources. Language translation is available. 

Vermont Business Magazine Burlington commercial real estate broker V/T Commercial has reported recent transactions. They include: Vermont Employment Agency renewed its office lease at 1944 Williston Road, South Burlington, with the David & DeSarno Trust. Tony Blake of V/T Commercial assisted both in this transaction. John Beal and Yves Bradley of V/T Commercial brokered the sale of the Cambridge Village Market at 113 South Main Street, Cambridge on behalf of Alexrobert, LLC. Tesla, Inc has leased 45,803 square feet at 218 Hannaford Drive, South Burlington from Retail Business Services.  Yves Bradley of V/T Commercial represented the landlord and Atlantic Retail represented the tenant.

VermontBiz is proud to announce the winners of its Rising Stars recognition award. The list is comprised of 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 will honor Vermont's most accomplished young leaders at the Rising Stars special event on November 2nd. The honorees will also be featured in the November issue of VermontBiz.

Vermont Business Magazine The UVM Cancer Center will hold its 26th annual Women’s Health and Cancer Conference on Sept. 29 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Dudley H. Davis Center on the UVM campus. The conference is free and open to the public, though registration is closed. It will also be livestreamed. Those wishing to participate in the conference online should visit the conference website and scroll to the presentation they want to observe. A URL will made available for each presentation, including the keynote speech, at 8 a.m. on the morning of September 29. The conference theme, the Changing Landscape of Cancer, reflects the many new insights into the disease, in research, treatment and patient care, that have arisen in recent years. Cancer strikes close to 2 million Americans each year. 

Vermont Business Magazine In October, Gifford Health Care plans to launch a new electronic health record (EHR) and Gifford Patient Portal, providing patients with greater flexibility in accessing their health information and other resources. Go-live of the new system, which will be used at Gifford Medical Center and in all Gifford clinics across the region, is slated for Oct. 9. The single, user-friendly Gifford Patient Portal will replace the current hospital and clinic portals. The new portal will give patients the flexibility to access their health information and other resources on their time, virtually anywhere, and in between visits to Gifford. 

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Mental Health (DMH) is holding its annual conference at the Killington Grand Resort Hotel on October 19, 2023. Themed “Reshaping the Mental Health System Through Integration,” this full-day event will feature more than 20 engaging presentations and provide a unique opportunity for participants to gain insights from esteemed keynote speakers William Killebrew and Jennifer Moss. The conference, structured around three focus tracks – Wellness & Self Care, Integrated Care & Policy, and Mental Health & the Criminal Justice System- will include interactive workshops catering to diverse age groups, ranging from children and teens to adults and families. These workshops will feature insightful panel presentations and showcase promising evidence-based practices. 

Vermont Business Magazine About 100 people — including DSP workers, clients, agency administrators and governmental leaders — turned out to recognize the work done each day by these skilled staff who support people with developmental disabilities at a September 14 event honoring Vermont’s Direct Support Professionals at the State House in Montpelier. This event occurred just hours after the US Senate voted unanimously to pass a resolution for the recognition of Direct Support Professionals Week.  

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Creamery is proud to announce a partnership with Green Mountain United Way, introducing the Working Bridges program to all 100 employees at its Websterville, Vermont facility. This initiative delivers crucial support services directly to employees on-site, fostering personal growth and overall well-being while enhancing workplace satisfaction and productivity. Resource Coordinators from Green Mountain United Way will be present at Vermont Creamery on a regular basis, offering confidential assistance with various aspects of employees' lives; these coordinators will also be accessible through email, phone, and text outside of working hours.