Current News

Vermont Business Magazine The VNA & Hospice of the Southwest Region, (VNAHSR), one of the state’s largest providers of skilled home health and hospice services, is proud to announce the recognition of two exceptional employees of the quarter, Francetta Tice, RN, as Clinical Employee of the Quarter and Angela Whitehead, Case Manager as Non-Clinical Employee of the Quarter. Employees of the Quarter are selected from nominations submitted by peers and acknowledge employees who go above and beyond their typical job duties and best reflect the agency values of honesty, excellence, accountability, teamwork, leadership, and helpfulness.

Vermont Business Magazine Before hitting the road this summer, Walmart wants you to know there is a day dedicated to your health: Wellness Day on Saturday, May 6 from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Customers can receive free health screenings for things like glucose, cholesterol, BMI and blood pressure, as well as affordable immunizations like flu, COVID-19, shingles, tetanus, measles and others at pharmacies nationwide. Customers will also find an array of product offerings ranging from allergy relief options to vitamins and more. Walmart Wellness Day encourages families to prioritize their health by providing tools and resources to seek care, improve healthy lifestyles and maintain successful habits. Knowing your health numbers is just a start, but additional information allows people to make decisions and track progress.

Vermont Business Magazine Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont) met today, on International Workers’ Day, with Julie Su, who has been nominated by President Biden to serve as Secretary of the Department of Labor. Su, who is currently Acting Secretary of Labor and served as Deputy Secretary of Labor prior to the departure of former Secretary Marty Walsh, advanced out of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee last week.

Vermont Business Magazine Today, the US Chamber of Commerce launched the LIBERTY Campaign (Legal Immigration and Border Enforcement Reform This Year) with a letter to members of Congress, calling on them to address the crisis at our border and the critical workforce shortage before the year’s end. The LIBERTY Campaign is comprised of over 430 business associations from all 50 states, spanning a host of industries, including healthcare, manufacturing, restaurants, hospitality, retail, construction, agriculture, engineering, and food processing, among others. The Vermont Chamber of Commerce was the signatory from Vermont.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today announced that he appointed 42 individuals in April to state boards and commissions. Boards and commissions serve an important role in state government, giving Vermonters numerous opportunities to serve their state and communities. The governor’s office is currently soliciting applications to fill vacancies and upcoming term expirations. All those interested in serving on a board or commission should visit the Governor’s website.

by Randy George It's time for the Senate to follow the House’s lead in supporting our workforce and ensuring that Vermonters can take care of their families and their health without sacrificing their livelihoods. As a small business owner in Vermont, and a member of Main Street Alliance, I urge the legislature, especially the Vermont Senate, to pass a universal paid family and medical leave (PFML) program this year. We employ about 50 individuals and on a daily basis we witness the challenges of balancing work and personal responsibilities. Our employees are the lifeblood of our business, and we want to support them in every way possible. But when faced with the need to take time off to care for a newborn, a sick family member or recover from an illness or injury, many of our employees are forced to choose between their job and their family's well-being.

The Vermont State Police has completed its investigation into the November 17, 2022, vehicle crash on Interstate 89 in Sharon in which an 11-year-old boy was killed, and three other occupants were injured, two of them seriously. The investigation involved the execution of multiple search warrants, forensic and laboratory testing, crash reconstruction, and interviews with involved parties. VSP worked closely with the office of the Windsor County state’s attorney throughout the case. According to the findings of the investigation, the operator of the vehicle, Dawn Baustert, 46, of Essex, was intoxicated at the time of the crash. The Vermont State Police on Monday, May 1, 2023, issued a citation to Baustert through her attorney on charges of driving under the influence with death resulting, driving under the influence with serious bodily injury resulting, grossly negligent operation with death resulting, grossly negligent operation with serious bodily injury resulting, and reckless endangerment.

by Elizabeth Roberts, et al, Child Care Center Owners and Directors There are 672 full-time, licensed child care programs across Vermont serving children between the ages of zero and five. As many as 115 of them could close within a year if we don't act now. The child care crisis in Vermont has never been more dire, and things will only worsen without significant state investment. As child care program directors, we are seeing this crisis play out daily through constant staffing shortages, child care capacity losses, and retention struggles. To us this is unsurprising, as we are in a significantly underfunded sector, constrained by familial budgets and increasing expenses. This results in a high level of risk for every single program in the state.

Vermont Business Magazine The Fed, British-inspired cocktail pub inside The Langham, Boston, and Barr Hill Gin of Vermont, announced today they have partnered to create a signature gin for The Langham, Boston. Known for its hand-crafted cocktails and perfect pints, The Fed resembles a 1920’s era private cocktail lounge paying homage to the building's inception as the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. This batch of Barr Hill Gin is distilled in their custom-built botanical extraction stills. Heaps of juniper were brought to an elegant balance by the floral depth of raw honey that was harvested local to The Langham, Boston.

Vermont Business Magazine Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, on Thursday outside the U.S. Capitol will be joined by workers, AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler, SEIU International President Mary Kay Henry, and Economic Policy Institute President Heidi Shierholz as he makes an announcement on the federal minimum wage. The federal minimum wage was last raised in 2009 to $7.25 an hour. Since then, it has lost nearly 30 percent of its purchasing power, according to the Economic Policy Institute.