Current News

Vermont Business Magazine The University of Vermont Medical Center has announced the recipients of the 2023 Nursing Awards & Scholarships, which were presented in May. These awards recognize the exceptional work of nurses at the Medical Center who demonstrate excellence in clinical practice, leadership, education, and patient care. Nursing leaders and hospital administrators called the awards well-deserved recognition of the Medical Center’s nursing teams during the annual nationwide celebration of nurse’s dedication, compassion and clinical excellence.

Vermont Business Magazine Ratings agency AM Best Co. has affirmed A+ (Superior), the financial strength rating for the insurance companies of National Life Group. Chairman, CEO and President Mehran Assadi called the decision “a powerful reinforcement of National Life’s financial strength.” “As we celebrate our 175th anniversary and continue to grow, this confirmation recognizes our continued strategic management initiatives that resulted in further sales growth in 2022 despite market pressures.”

VermontBiz A federal two year grant of $400,000 has been awarded to VMEC to assist Vermont small and medium-sized manufacturers in building their supply chain initiatives. The funding comes from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) who's been VMEC’s federal partner since its inception in 1995. VMEC is the official representative of the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) National Network in Vermont.

VermontBiz This summer, the Vermont Lakes and Ponds Program is seeking volunteers to help monitor and collect information about lakes and ponds in the state. With over 800 lakes and ponds, volunteers are key to the success of the program’s lake monitoring efforts. Volunteers can be found statewide greeting lake visitors, inspecting boats, collecting water samples, tracking algal or cyanobacteria blooms, reporting aquatic invasive species, and more.

“State scientists use the information volunteers collect to understand the health of Vermont’s lakes and ponds,” said Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner John Beling. “Thanks to our dedicated and hardworking volunteers, we can better protect the many benefits of these special places.”

VermontBiz Vermont Everyone Eats (VEE), the innovative, statewide, $49 million pandemic relief program that increased food security, economic stabilization, and agricultural resilience within a single initiative, recently released an economic report showing that the program also stimulated significant lasting economic impact in Vermont. Between August 2020 and March 2023, nearly four million meals were produced by Vermont restaurants and distributed statewide to local meal recipients negatively affected by the pandemic. Meals were made by over 320 Vermont restaurants using ingredients from over 270 Vermont farmers and food producers.

Vermont Business Magazine In a continued effort to expand and strengthen access to dental care for veterans through the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) joined with Rep. Julia Brownley (D-CA) to introduce legislation yesterday that would establish a new pilot program to provide comprehensive dental care to veterans diagnosed with diabetes and ischemic heart disease. Funded for four years, the program would also study the health outcomes and cost effectiveness of such care, as well as provide loan reimbursement opportunities for qualified dental care professionals who agree to serve for the duration of the pilot at a VA dental clinic deemed high need.

Vermont Business Magazine This year, Champlain College had the most successful fundraising year in its 145-year history. The college has received over $23.8 million in financial support in the fiscal year 2023, including an anonymous $5 million donation – the second-largest gift ever received. Champlain's record fundraising year paves the way for the College to continue to make courageous investments in groundbreaking academic programs that set the standard for career-focused higher education. 

VermontBiz Today, Mayor Weinberger announced the launch of a new and expanded BTVstat Data Hub on the City’s website, and released the 2023 Housing Report, prepared by the Burlington Planning Department with collaboration from the Burlington Department of Planning and Inspection and the Burlington Community and Economic Development Office.  

VermontBiz The bourbon world has evolved dramatically in the 21st century. Once in steep decline, bourbon has been reborn and is more popular than it has been in half a century. That has led to the proliferation of bourbon producers across the country, making America’s signature spirit in places where it was never made before. Great bourbon now comes from across the United States, from Nevada's arid deserts to Texas' sprawling plains, from the snowbelt of Ohio, to the rugged mountains of Colorado, and, of course, from its historic heartland of Kentucky.

VermontBiz Senator Peter Welch (D-VT) joined the Senate Committee on the Judiciary’s Subcommittee on Federal Courts, Oversight, Agency Action, & Federal Rights yesterday to call for the passage of the Supreme Court Ethics, Recusal, and Transparency (SCERT) Act of 2023, legislation that would establish a code of conduct for Supreme Court Justice. The bill’s introductionfollows numerous reported instances of ethical misconduct by Justice Clarence Thomas and public confidence in the Supreme Court at an all-time low. At present, the Supreme Court does not abide by a formal code of conduct. 

VermontBiz The Agency of Education is announcing the availability of summer meal sites providing meals to children, 18 and under, through the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP). This vital initiative ensures that children across the state have access to nutritious meals throughout the summer. Families are encouraged to access these meals to help support children's growth, health, and academic success. This program bridges the gap between school years, giving children the fuel they need to play and grow throughout the summer months and return to school ready to learn.

VermontBiz On Tuesday, Brenda Siegel along with Recovery Vermont, Vermont Center For Independent Living (VCIL) and Rebecca Duprey held a press conference today outlining the data collected about the evictions of motel participants scheduled this week and to ask leaders to focus on the needs of the nearly 900 individuals who are experiencing homelessness and about to or already have experienced Vermont’s state sponsored unsheltering. 

“Throw away politics. This is the time for strong leaders to own up that we are failing people right now and we need to fund the sheltering needs. What are the lessons learned? We need to be honest about the people we’re throwing out on the street and step in and care,” sSaid Sarah Launderville, Executive Director of VCIL.