Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Looking like a cross between an RV and a box truck, Howard Center’s Substance Use Services Mobile Unit hardly stands out, but for people who can’t get to a Howard Center location, the vehicle is a literal life saver. Howard Center recently introduced the new unit and it is already busy keeping a regular schedule of visits to some of the more rural parts of northwestern Vermont, providing access to treatment for opioid use disorder and other services to people who may not have transportation to brick-and-mortar offices. The custom-built unit was purchased with grant funding from the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. 

VermontBiz Magazine When Somdeb Chatterjee of South Burlington returned from a vacation overseas, he expected to jump back into the hustle and bustle of everyday life: his job, home improvement projects and beloved pastimes. Ten months later, after being diagnosed with a mysterious, fast-moving and progressive condition called Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS), Chatterjee, 39, is happy just to be walking again. GBS is a rare neurological condition in which the body’s immune system attacks the nerves, causing weakness, numbness and paralysis. Chatterjee was diagnosed with a rare GBS that is more destructive and resulted in near-total facial paralysis.

VermontBiz Magazine This month, Central Vermont Council on Aging (CVCOA) looks to the public to help sustain our diverse selection of free services for older adults in central Vermont.  Donations are crucial, allowing us to offer innovative programming we wouldn’t otherwise be able to support, such as our Creative Aging and Helping Paws programs. The Creative Aging Program continues to serve a vital need in our community, fostering life-long learning and creativity and giving homebound older adults joy and social connection. One of our participants, who is a caregiver for her husband, recently told us how great it is to have art supplies and access to instructional videos from teaching artists at home, since she is unable to get out due to her caregiver responsibilities.  

VermontBiz Magazine Five primary care sites of Southwestern Vermont Medical Center (SVMC), a member of Dartmouth Health, have achieved national recognition for providing personalized, effective, and efficient care. The national designation recognizes SVMC’s practice sites for providing comprehensive care and follow-up, in addition to a number of preventative and wellness screenings.

Vermont Business Magazine The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that Revision Military Ltd. (Revision) will pay $426,000 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by selling eyewear products that it falsely represented were wholly sourced in the United States. Revision is a Delaware corporation with its principal place of business in Vermont. Revision manufactures protective eyewear systems, which the United States has purchased for use by military personnel through the Defense Logistics Agency’s Special Operational Equipment Tailored Logistics Support (SOE TLS) Program. The SOE TLS Program requires that textile components in products be sourced from the United States in accordance with the Berry Amendment. 

Vermont Business Magazine On the heels of thousands of Amazon workers voting to authorize a strike at the company’s first-ever unionized warehouse, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), yesterday released a report entitled “The ‘Injury-Productivity Trade-off’: How Amazon’s Obsession with Speed Creates Uniquely Dangerous Warehouses.” The report presents the findings of a sweeping, 18-month investigation led by Chairman Sanders into Amazon’s abysmal workplace safety practices. “The shockingly dangerous working conditions at Amazon’s warehouses revealed in this 160-page report are beyond unacceptable. Making matters even worse: Amazon’s executives repeatedly chose to put profits ahead of the health and safety of its workers by ignoring recommendations that would substantially reduce injuries at its warehouses. This is precisely the type of outrageous corporate greed that the American people are sick and tired of.”

VermontBiz Magazine Average gasoline prices in Vermont are $3.11 per gallon, up 1.6 cents per gallon from last week's $3.10/g. The lowest price in the state yesterday was $2.69/g while the highest was $3.35/g, a difference of 66.0 cents per gallon. The national average price of gasoline has risen 0.8 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $2.98/g today. The national average is down 7.5 cents per gallon from a month ago and stands 7.1 cents per gallon lower than a year ago.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont House Progressive Caucus has selected Representative Kate Logan (Burlington) as Caucus Leader and Representative Troy Headrick (Burlington) as Assistant Caucus Leader for the 2025-2026 legislative biennium. These leadership appointments were determined through a consensus decision-making process, reflecting the caucus’s dedication to collaborative governance and ensuring every member has a voice in shaping our collective direction. Consistent with this approach, their contributions to Vermont House leadership discussions will continue to represent a consensus voice to ensure alignment with the values and priorities of our caucus.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott tested positive for COVID late last week. The good news is, his vaccinations have done their job and reduced symptoms, allowing him to continue to work remotely. Given his lengthy in-person schedule tomorrow and continued mild symptoms, the governor will not participate in tomorrow’s Capital for a Day activities. Members of the Cabinet will still participate in the public meetings and events.

Vermont Business Magazine Today, Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Stowe Electric Department (SED), and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development (RD) celebrated the awarding of $6 million in federal funding to support energy initiatives in Stowe, Vermont. This funding, from the USDA’s Powering Affordable Clean Energy (PACE) program, will strengthen rural communities by expanding access to clean, renewable energy. The $6 million investment is part of the USDA’s $1 billion allocation for rural energy initiatives, made possible by the historic, bipartisan Inflation Reduction Act. The PACE program is the largest rural electrification investment since the Rural Electrification Act of 1936, helping reduce energy costs and improve infrastructure while prioritizing clean energy solutions. 

Vermont Business Magazine U.S. Senators Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) led Senators Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), and Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) in urging President Biden to promptly designate the Palestinian Territories for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and protect Palestinians present in the United States from deportation. In their letter, the Senators outlined how the ongoing catastrophe in Gaza and the West Bank demands such a designation to ensure the safety of this vulnerable population. The Senators also outlined historical precedent for the designation of similar groups for TPS, including the Clinton Administration’s designation of the province of Kosovo during the war with Yugoslavia.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Community Broadband Board (VCBB) staff will hold a Technical Assistance Workshop and Office Hours this week to prepare potential bidders for the Vermont Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program. BEAD is a federal program that provides $42.45 billion to expand high-speed internet access by funding planning, infrastructure deployment, and adoption programs in all states and territories. Vermont’s allocation of those funds is almost $229 million. The workshop will be Wednesday, December 18, from 11:00 am-12:30 pm, followed by office hours on Friday, December 20, from 11:00 am-12:30 pm.