Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott issued the following statement on the federal Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors (CHIPS) and Science Act being signed into law by President Biden: “The CHIPS and Science Act is good for our country and good for the state of Vermont. We have a growing technology hub in the state and as we look to grow our economy, we need to retain the companies we have, and recruit new ones to expand here."

by Christopher J. Dougherty, President and Chief Executive Officer of Brattleboro Memorial Hospital Arguably, our large brains make human beings the most intelligent species on earth. Yet only now are we coming around to a full scientific and perhaps even spiritual appreciation of the deep and interconnected relationship we have with the natural world. As we learn from Peter Wohlleben’s 2015 book The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate—Discoveries from a Secret World, trees are actually smart! And not only do they play an invaluable role in maintaining the health of our planet, they have sophisticated survival strategies and coping mechanisms that are easily overlooked or taken for granted by the untrained eye. I would argue that just as trees are essential to the life and future of the planet, community hospitals like Brattleboro Memorial Hospital (BMH) have an analogous role in the regions they serve.

by Peg Bolgioni, Marketing & Communications Manager, Southern Vermont Area Health Education Center Twenty high school students from southern Vermont are spending three full days immersed in job shadows, team activities, clinical skill-building, and mentoring at Rutland Regional Medical Center in Rutland, Vermont. They participated in Southern Vermont Area Health Education Center’s MedQuest Program to gain a deeper, richer understanding about health careers available to them in Vermont.

Vermont Business Magazine Burlington Electric Department (BED) issued a peak alert for today/Monday, August 8 as part of its Defeat the Peak program launched during summer 2017, encouraging members of the Burlington community to reduce their energy usage from 5-7 pm today. Burlingtonians can lend a hand by taking the following steps on what is projected to be an unusually hot summer day: Raise thermostat temperatures or turn off air conditioners between the hours of 5:00 and 7:00pm before returning air conditioners to cooler settings; Wait until after 7 pm or later to use washing machines, clothing dryers, dishwashers, and other appliances; Turn off non-essential lights until 7 pm and later; Avoid charging electric vehicles until after 7:00pm (or until 10 pm if you are on BED’s special off-peak charging rate); and Delay other discretionary electric consumption until after 7 pm.

Vermont Business Magazine Today Secretary of State Jim Condos encouraged Vermont voters to have a voting plan for the Tuesday, August 9th Statewide Primary Election. Studies have shown that making a specific plan, including determining how and when a voter will get to the polls, makes it much more likely that a person will follow through. All Vermont polls must open by 10am, and must close at 7pm. Voters should check mvp.vermont.gov or directly with their Town or City Clerk to verify their polling place location and opening time.