Current News

Vermont Business Magazine The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, chaired by Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), will hold a hearing next Wednesday, March 22 at 10 a.m. ET entitled, “Taxpayers Paid Billions For It: So Why Would Moderna Consider Quadrupling the Price of the COVID Vaccine?” Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel – who became a billionaire during the pandemic after U.S. taxpayers gave his company billions of dollars to research, develop, and distribute its COVID-19 vaccine – has agreed to appear, and a panel of experts will also give testimony. Following the invitation for Bancel to testify and urging by Sanders for Moderna to refrain from more than quadrupling the price of its COVID-19 vaccine – to as much as $130 while it costs just $2.85 to manufacture – Moderna announced a new “patient assistance program” to provide free vaccines to uninsured Americans.

Vermont Business Magazine Traffic fatalities are up 90% in Vermont, and many of those crashes involve alcohol. QuoteWizard by LendingTree analysts found that alcohol was involved in 34% of fatal crashes in Vermont (the US average is 35%). Montana is highest and Utah is lowest. Vermont ranks 6th highest in DUIs per capita (North Dakota highest, Delaware lowest). The penalties for a DUI in Vermont are among the most severe in the nation. Key Findings: 21% of crashes in Vermont involved someone severely impaired; 57 DUI arrests in Vermont were made per 10k registered drivers; Fatal crashes are up 18% nationwide since 2020.

Vermont Business Magazine Age Well announced that it is joining the 21st annual March for Meals – a month-long, nationwide celebration of Meal on Wheels and our aging neighbors who rely on the vital service to remain health and independent at home. “Age Well is a lifeline for older adults in Northwestern Vermont and the need is rapidly increasing,” said Sara Wool, Director of Development. "Without Meals on Wheels, thousands of older adults in the Northwestern Vermont who are homebound or otherwise unable to provide for themselves would be at risk of hunger and malnutrition," Wool says. “Together, we can keep our older neighbors healthy and at home, where they want to be. Age Well’s Meals on Wheels program relies on generous support from community members, local businesses, organizations, and volunteers to provide this important service.”

Vermont Business Magazine Green Mountain Power (GMP) is expanding its field force even further Wednesday, as crews continue making progress restoring power as snow continues to fall and conditions remain challenging. So far, more than 59,000 customers have been restored, with 24,000 left to go. Adding to difficulties in the field, crews face time consuming challenges working with local first responders in clearing roads from downed trees and lines, as the regionwide storm continues to dump cement-like snow even today. Forecasters have extended wind advisories and the winter storm warnings into this afternoon for some of the hardest hit areas of Vermont, which could cause additional outages and continued dangerous travel conditions. Windsor and Windham counties were especially hit hard.

Vermont Business Magazine National Life Group has launched a new program to honor first responders who are making a difference in the communities they serve beyond their public safety duty. Through the Do Good Heroes program, National Life’s network of community-based agents will recognize and reward local police and fire-rescue departments and individual personnel making a positive impact through participation in community service activities. National Life agents across the country, with help from community members, will identify fire-rescue or police departments and personnel at the municipal, county or state level deserving of recognition and nominate them for a Do Good Heroes award.

All nominees receive a public profile on DoGoodHeroes.net, an awards presentation event, local press release and recognition on social media. Each month, one nominee will receive a $1000 award to be donated to a nonprofit organization of their choice, and up to four additional nominees will receive a $500 award to donate.

Vermont Business Magazine The Working Lands Enterprise Board (WLEB) announces 29 awards to businesses and organizations in 2023. The $1,034,423 million in awards will help grow the agricultural and forestry sectors in Vermont. Another $1 million in Working Lands Enterprise Initiative grants will be announced in April 2023. Please follow the link in each category to view the individual businesses receiving awards: Service Providers – $414,152 awarded; Producer Associations – $39,500 awarded; Business Enhancement – $580,771 awarded.

by Bill Schubart As a community, we need to make cost-efficient, long-term, and morally responsible decisions. Are we a punitive state or a supportive community that enables healing and shared prosperity? Do we invest in people and communities or jails, homeless shelters, and emergency rooms? The women’s prison (CRCF) is filthy, inhumane, and unsafe, and should be closed. No one disagrees with this, but what do we replace it with?

Vermont Business Magazine MemberXP, a leading customer experience program offered through CU Solutions Group, has named Vermont Federal Credit Union as one of their 2023 Best of the Best award winners. Annually, the Best of the Best award is given to credit unions that consistently provide extraordinary service, as reported by their own members. Only the highest-performing credit unions using the MemberXP program receive this incredible honor.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Public has announced the first recipients of the Made Here Fund, an initiative to broaden and diversify storytelling in Vermont. Ten projects by content creators representing six Vermont counties will receive a total of $100,000 to produce pieces including short documentary and animated films, digital shorts and audio series. The fund was launched in 2022 to broaden and diversify Vermont storytelling. Makers from across the state were invited to apply for special funding, provided by supporters including current and former members of Vermont Public’s board of directors.

Vermont Business Magazine The American Red Cross will open a regional disaster shelter at the Brattleboro Union High School (131 Fairground Rd.) to provide safe shelter for residents in Brattleboro and surrounding communities affected by widespread power outages due to heavy snow and winds. The shelter will open at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, March 15th. Until then, given the hazardous travel conditions, those impacted by this storm are urged to shelter in place. This is a Red Cross managed shelter operating in coordination with the Greater Brattleboro community. The Red Cross is also working closely with local and state emergency management and government officials.

Vermont Business Magazine The University of Vermont Medical Center has received a Certificate of Need from the Green Mountain Care Board to relocate and consolidate its existing outpatient Dermatology and Ophthalmology practices at its Tilley Drive campus in South Burlington. The project, estimated to cost $35 million, will allow UVM Medical Center to address longstanding access challenges to these services, based on historical demand and highlighted by the State of Vermont’s assessment in 2021. The plan brings together four existing Dermatology and Ophthalmology sites, two of the busiest specialty practices on the hospital’s main campus, which currently have limited physical space and cannot expand to meet demand. The new facility will make more efficient use of space and resources, and offer patients a location easily reached by car or public transportation, including the free shuttle operated by SSTA, which brings patients from the downtown Burlington transportation hub to all of the clinical sites at Tilley Drive.