Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today reacted to the end of the legislative session at his weekly press conference. Much of the discussion involved possible vetoes of the budget and the child care bills, which he has yet to receive. The Legislature already has set aside a "veto session" for late June, as needed and expected. The governor reiterated his stance on what he views as over-spending on several measures passed by lawmakers. He also maintained that the hotel/motel program, which has housed homeless Vermonters since the beginning of the pandemic, will end for most of those now receiving vouchers next month. Scott has said that the cost (about $8 million a month) is unsustainable without the now-ended federal emergency funds. At this moment, the administration does not know exactly how many households and individuals will be affected. They are undertaking a survey of those on the program to understand where they will go.

Vermont Business Magazine OneCare Vermont has announced that Abe Berman has been selected as Interim Chief Executive Officer of the organization. Berman replaces Vicki Loner, who will step down from the role at the end of May. Berman currently serves as Vice President of Revenue Strategy for the University of Vermont Health Network where he is focused on the transition toward value based and fixed revenue streams. Prior to his current role, he was instrumental in the early development and launch of OneCare and served as Director of ACO Finance for several years before moving on to progressive executive leadership roles in network management for a large commercial insurer.

Vermont Business Magazine Today, Senators Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) and Peter Welch (D-Vermont) and Representative Becca Balint (D-Vermont), announced that NEK Community Broadband (NEKCB) will receive Vermont’s first ever United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) ReConnect grant to deploy a fiber-to-the-premises network in Caledonia, Essex, and Orleans counties in Vermont. NEK Broadband will receive more than $17 million in grant funds through USDA ReConnect, helping to connect some of the most rural communities in Vermont with affordable, high-speed internet. Additional information on the grant will be made available during a press event in June.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Labor announced today that Jay Ramsey has been appointed to serve as the Director of Workforce Development. Ramsey has worked in state government for more than ten years and served as the State Director for Technical Education and Assistant Director of Student Pathways with the Agency of Education. He joined the Department of Labor as Director of Apprenticeship and has since served as interim director of the Workforce Development Division following the departure of the previous director.

Vermont Business Magazine 98.9 WOKO’s annual Big Change Roundup for Kids to support The University of Vermont Children’s Hospital raised a total of $279,715.58 thanks to hundreds of donations from community members, businesses, patients and families. This year’s success would not have been possible without bandits (individual fundraisers), posses (fundraising teams), schools, community groups and volunteers from throughout the region. Also essential were major sponsors Maplefields, New England Federal Credit Union, Med Associates Inc., and SD Ireland. The funds raised help pay for several things, including medical equipment, Child Life activities that educate, entertain and improve the health care experience for pediatric patients, and the social services and mental health support for children and families that are served by the children’s hospital. All of the funds support the high-quality, child-friendly, family-centered care provided by the UVM Children’s Hospital.

Vermont Business Magazine At a time when lung health is more important than ever, today, the American Lung Association in Vermont and The University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine announced they are now accepting participants for a first-of-its-kind large-scale study of millennial lung health. The University of Vermont is one of 35 sites across the country conducting this study. The American Lung Association Lung Health Cohort Research Study will track 4,000 young adults (aged 25-35) at the age of peak lung health. Scientists across the country will follow these millennials for five years after their initial interviews to evaluate how their environment, lifestyle and physical activity habits affect respiratory health. Millennials interested in participating can locate a site near them at Lung.org/Lung-Study.

Vermont Business Magazine After nearly 17 years as host of Vermont This Week, Stewart Ledbetter has decided to step away from the moderator’s chair. His final show will be Friday, May 26. For more than 40 years, Vermont This Week has invited Vermont’s best journalists for an unscripted conversation around the political, business and government news of the week on Friday evenings. The show debuted in 1982 with Jack Barry as host. Ledbetter is the third and longest-serving moderator. The program was modeled after PBS’ Washington Week, which airs immediately following Vermont This Week.

Vermont Business Magazine Starting Thursday, May 18, blasting hours will be extended to allow for additional blasting operations between 6:30 am and 7 am. This extension will allow crews to prepare for daily blasting operations during off-peak hours when traffic volumes are low. Blasting activities will continue throughout next week along US Route 2/7 (U.S. 2/7) within the project area. Blasting activities will be restricted between the hours of 6:30 am and 7 am and 9 am and 2 pm outside of peak traffic hours. Crews will continue blasting along US 2/7 starting just north of Whitcomb Street and working north. Four minutes prior to each blasting event, Uniformed Traffic Officers (UTOs) and barricades will be placed at either end of the blasting zone on U.S. 2/7 and the I-89 offramps to prevent vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists from entering the blasting zone. The blasting zone is anticipated to be between South Park Drive and Mountain View Drive, however, this area will be refined based on the specific blasting location.

Vermont Business Magazine Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, and Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), along with 41 of their colleagues in the Senate and 80 in the House of Representatives, today introduced legislation that would ensure the United States finally joins virtually every other major country on Earth in guaranteeing paid sick leave to its workers. Ahead of the introduction of the Healthy Families Act of 2023 (HFA) on Wednesday, Sanders and DeLauro also rallied with Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), rail workers, mothers, union leaders, advocates, and colleagues to call on Congress to pass the HFA and the Family and Medical Insurance Leave (FAMILY) Act into law, that would guarantee twelve weeks of paid family and medical leave.

by Matthew Durkee, New England President, Community Bank Vermont, like many other states in the US, is facing a severe affordable housing crisis. Affordable Housing Month provides an opportunity to raise awareness about the current crisis and the need for more affordable housing options. Affordable housing is defined by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development as housing where the occupant is spending 30% or less of their gross income on total housing—including utilities—and is typically available in low- to moderate-income areas. The housing crisis is particularly concentrated in cities where the cost of living is high and rental prices are skyrocketing. Chittenden County for example, is approximately 2,000 units of affordable housing short of demand. There is an urgent need, throughout Vermont, to meet the basic housing needs of its community members. Without actions to address the crisis, the situation is likely to worsen with more and more Vermonters facing housing insecurity.

The Vermont National Guard is hosting a Career Fair on Saturday, May 20 at Camp Johnson in the Green Mountain Armory in Colchester, VT, from 1 to 4 pm. This event is open to the public and will include more 35 businesses with hundreds of job vacancies. Please present any government or state photo ID (driver’s license acceptable). Weapons are not permitted on the base. The Vermont National Guard is collaborating with multiple businesses across the state to help recruit new employees and members. This supports Governor Scott’s workforce development initiatives. The Vermont National Guard is also partnering with businesses through the PRIME Program – Partnered Recruiting Initiative for Military and Employers – which works to pair military members with businesses and business employees to the Guard.

Vermont Business Magazine Realizing an action goal from Poultney Comes Together, a 2019 community workshop, Poultney residents will soon be able to enjoy public murals downtown thanks to a recently launched crowdfunding campaign. The campaign is sponsored by the Vermont Department of Housing and Community Development’s Better Places program and led by the Poultney Downtown Revitalization Committee. If the campaign reaches its $3,250 goal by June 21, 2023 the “Poultney Downtown Mural Initiative” will receive a matching grant of $6,500 from DHCD’s Better Places program.