Vermont Business Magazine News

Vermont Information Technology Leaders, Inc (VITL) has announced that Grace Cottage Hospital in Townshend is the latest hospital to connect to the state’s health information network.  By connecting to the network, Grace Cottage Hospital can now securely share clinical information electronically with other treating health care providers, with the goal of improving the quality of care delivery, and enhancing patient safety and outcomes.

Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Primary Health and Aging, will hold a hearing Tuesday on  programs that address the severe shortages in the nation’s primary care workforce. 

The Town of Randolph celebrated Earth Day with USDA Rural Development on April 22nd at the Chandler Cultural Center. During the festivities, USDA announced  an award of $7.67 Million  ($5,023,000 wastewater loan; $2,644,000 grant) to replace the town’s 40 year-old wastewater system. The system was also heavily damaged by hurricane Irene. 

FairPoint Communications, Inc, (NasdaqCM: FRP), a leading communications provider in northern New England, announced Monday that Vermont State President Mike Smith will leave the company in August and will be succeeded by Beth Fastiggi, FairPoint's vice president of government relations for Vermont.

Gov. Peter Shumlin, Vermont Education Secretary Armando Vilaseca, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, along with the Chair of White House Council on Environmental Quality Nancy Sutley and Acting Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency Bob Persiacepe, today announced the second annual U.S.

Berlin, Vermont – In what’s fast becoming a spring tradition in Vermont, more than 24,000 residents across the state will take to the pavement on April 24 for National Walk @ Lunch Day.  Currently in its seventh year, National Walk @ Lunch Day is an annual health promotion celebrated by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Vermont (BCBSVT) and other associated Blue Cross Blue Shield organizations across the United States.

Turner Toys & Hobbies, a Vermont-based company that specializes in selling “the toys we grew up with,” is pleased to announce the opening of their new warehouse store to better serve Chittenden County with the unique, high quality toys they have been selling online since 1998. Turner Toys & Hobbies is also expanding their hobby selection to offer the “staples” of the hobby industry that can be used across multiple hobbies.

 As businesses work to support healthy employees and reduce their environmental impact, some companies are promoting bike-friendly workplaces.

by Andrew Stein April 19, 2013 vtdigger.org At the start of the legislative session, Senate bill S.30 came in like a lion, and now it’s poised to limp out of the House like a newborn lamb.

by Andrew Stein April 19, 2013 vtdigger.org Last Friday, the Vermont Public Service Board told 33 organizations and residents that they could have a voice in the permit proceedings for Vermont Gas Systems' proposed $86.6 million southern expansion. What’s deemed the “Addison County Natural Gas Project” consists of a 41.2-mile transmission line from Colchester to Middlebury and 5.1 miles of distribution pipeline in Vergennes and Middlebury.

by Nat Rudarakanchana April 19, 2013 vtdigger.org In a 23-5 vote, the state Senate Friday backed a gas and diesel tax hike set to take effect on May 1. Differences between the Senate and House gas tax hike bills now will have to be worked out. The gas tax increase amounts to an per gallon hike of 7.5 cents by 2014, levied through a new 4 percent sales tax on the price of gas. There’s a 13.4 cent/gallon minimum floor for the gas tax, with a maximum ceiling of 18 cents/gallon, no matter how the price of gas fluctuates.

Vermont’s labor force shrank by another 1,650 people in March, according to an analysis by the Public Assets Institute based in Montpelier. Even as the economy appears to be slowly improving, the number of Vermonters working has steadily declined. In March 2009, 15 months into the recession, there were almost 362,000 people in the Vermont labor force, either employed or unemployed and seeking work. Last month, the labor force was down to 351,650.

At the April meeting of the Board of Directors of United Way of Chittenden County, Charlotte Ancel, an attorney with the Burlington law firm Sheehey Furlong & Behm  PC,  was elected President of the Board for a two year term.  With a practice focusing primarily in public utility and telecommunications law, Ancel graduated first in her class from the University of New Hampshire Law School in 2007.  During law school, she served as Editor-in-Chief of the Law Review and cler

The Vermont Telecommunications Authority (VTA) has announced a broadband grant to ECFiber of $167,569.

Washington Electric Cooperative will celebrate a year of accomplishments, chiefly the completion of its system-wide installation of Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI, also known as smart metering), at the Co-op’s 74th Annual Membership Meeting on Thursday evening, May 2, at the Barre Elks Club. The guest speaker at this year’s annual meeting will be Mark Breen, the well-known “Eye on the Sky” meteorologist for Vermont Public Radio.

Attorney General William Sorrell announced today that his Office has settled a lawsuit against the Republican Governors Association and former gubernatorial candidate Brian Dubie concerning campaign finance violations stemming from the 2010 gubernatorial campaign. The settlement, approved by the Vermont Superior Court, concludes an enforcement action brought by the Attorney General’s Office in December 2011.

The Vermont Department of Labor announced today that the seasonally-adjusted statewide unemployment rate for March 2013 was 4.1 percent. This represents a decline of three-tenths of a percent from the prior month’s estimate of 4.4 percent. The comparative national average was 7.6 percent which was down one-tenth of a percent from February. March 2013 represents the eighth consecutive month without an increase to the unemployment rate in Vermont. As of the prior month’s data, Vermont’s unemployment rate was tied for the third lowest in the country.

by Nat Rudarakanchana April 19, 2013 vtdigger.org Dozens of people affiliated with the Vermont Paid Sick Days Coalition flocked to the Statehouse on Thursday evening to lobby for mandatory paid sick leave for working Vermonters.

New unemployment claims in Vermont increased again last week, as claims edged higher than for the same time last year. For the week of April 13, 2013, there were 1,068 new, regular benefit claims for Unemployment Insurance in Vermont. This is an increase of 171 from the previous week's total, and 50 more than they were a year ago.

by Andrew Stein April 18, 2013 vtdigger.org The House Fish and Wildlife Committee voted unanimously on Thursday to drop a Senate bill aimed at enhancing state oversight of oil transmission pipelines.

by Nat Rudarakanchana April 19, 2013 vtdigger.org The Vermont Senate has reversed its decision to prohibit corporate campaign donations. The majority of Democratic senators flip-flopped on the issue Thursday after approving a ban on corporate contributions in two previous votes.

by Andrew Stein April 18, 2013 vtdigger.org Michael Costa has a daunting task before him, and he’s staring it down with cool confidence.

by Anne Galloway April 19, 2013 vtdigger.org The US Air Force announced on Thursday that it will delay a final decision about where it will base the F-35 fighter jet until the fall.

As predicted, two legislative proposals that would have addressed the basing of F-35s in Burlington failed in the House by overwhelming margins. Rep. George Cross’ two proposals amended the omnibus military affairs bill. The first amendment asked that the state be removed from the first round of basing decisions for the F-35 by the Air Force; the second called for a study by the state’s Joint Fiscal Office, in collaboration with other state agencies, on the “adverse impacts” of basing F-35s here.

by Anne Galloway April 18, 2013 vtdigger.org Advocates for anti-tobacco groups presented a new poll on Wednesday that shows 75 percent of Vermonters support a $1.25 tax increase on cigarettes. The Shumlin Administration opposes the tax hike because it would hurt local businesses by driving consumers across state borders. The survey, conducted by Mellman Group, shows that there is broad-based public support across party lines: 83 percent of Democrats back the tax, 69 percent of Independents and 70 percent of Republicans.

Merchants Bancshares, Inc (NASDAQ: MBVT), the parent company of Merchants Bank, announced that its Board of Directors declared today, April 18, 2013, a dividend of 28 cents per share, payable May 16, 2013, to shareholders of record as of May 2, 2013. This quarter represents our 66th consecutive quarterly dividend payment and our 30th consecutive quarter at the current payout level.

by Andrew Stein April 17, 2013 vtdigger.org Yet another fiscal rift is emerging between the Shumlin administration and the Legislature. The administration is asking the Legislature to allocate $18.4 million annually to operate and maintain the state’s new health insurance marketplace — the web-based exchange called Vermont Health Connect.

Vermont Hard Cider Company, LLC, maker of the growing Woodchuck Hard Cider brand, is also growing its renewable energy use. Woodchuck is now harvesting the sun through a solar orchard in nearby Bridport, Vermont.

US medical marijuana sales could top $1.5 billion in 2013 and total marijuana revenues could quadruple to upwards of $6 billion by 2018, according to a national report. The Vermont House on Tuesday passed a bill that would decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana, but not make it legal.

The public is welcome to join local, state, and federal officials and USDA Rural Development staff for an Earth Day celebration and special funding announcement on April 22 in Randolph.