Current News

VermontBiz It is with great excitement that VermontBiz celebrates the remarkable achievements of all the individuals chosen as the second year of 91 Influencers here in Vermont. This prestigious honor highlights their unwavering dedication, innovation, and impact in their field and within the community, as they also inspire and lead those around them.

Vermont Business Magazine This weekly report is a list of planned construction activities that will affect traffic on state highways and interstates throughout Vermont for the week of July 27, 2026. Please remember to drive safely in all work zones. Lives depend on it.  

Vermont Business Magazine The most wonderful weekend of the summer is almost here with the return of Burlington City Arts’ (BCA) 18th annual Festival of Fools, returning to the Church Street Marketplace and City Hall Park on Friday, July 31, and Saturday, August 1. For two days, downtown Burlington will become an open-air stage featuring more than 70 free performances by local, national, and internationally acclaimed street performers, circus artists, musicians, comedians, and entertainers. Festival of Fools has brought world-class busking and live music to Burlington since 2007, filling the City’s public spaces with laughter, wonder, and community joy.

Vermont Business Magazine VIP, the trusted partner of the beverage industry, today introduced VIP Intelligence, a new suite of AI features built specifically for the businesses that make, move, and sell beverages. For 50 years, VIP has powered orders, depletions, pricing, and operations across suppliers, distributors, and retailers. Built on the industry's most robust and highest-quality beverage data, VIP Intelligence delivers answers and action grounded in the workflows and realities of the three-tier system. The introduction of VIP Intelligence builds on VIP's continued investment in the people behind the technology and a culture centered on innovation and deep industry expertise.

Vermont Business Magazine The Attorney General’s Office announced that Scott Barr, 64, of Guilford, Vermont, was sentenced today in Vermont Superior Court, Windham Criminal Division, after pleading guilty to one misdemeanor count of Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material.  The Court, Judge Michael Kainen presiding, sentenced Mr. Barr to zero to two years in prison, all suspended, with a five-year term of probation. Conditions of Mr. Barr’s probation require him to complete sex offender programming, prohibit his contact with children, and restrict his access to the internet. 

Vermont Business Magazine Local leadership, city officials, and community members gathered yesterday at 25 Cherry Street for the official ribbon-cutting ceremony of The Harborvale, Autograph Collection. The event celebrated the completion of a year-long, $19 million top-to-bottom renovation that converted the former Courtyard by Marriott Burlington Harbor Hotel into an independent, design-forward lakeside retreat while generating approximately 100 jobs in the local community. Spearheaded by local owners Chuck DesLauriers and Jay Canning of Westport Hospitality, the Burlington-based hotel management company behind Hotel Vermont, the project reflects a deep commitment to the city’s downtown waterfront economy.

Vermont Business Magazine The State of Vermont formally notified Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) of its decision to withdraw from the Achieving Healthcare Efficiency through Accountable Design (AHEAD) Model. Vermont originally pursued the model when it was launched in 2023 as an opportunity to strengthen the state's health care systems. However, new policy and operational guidance to bring Vermont in alignment with other AHEAD states substantially reduced anticipated funding to reinvest in some providers like primary care practices.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont State Police arrested 13 people on charges of unlawful trespass Friday morning, July 24, 2026, after they declined to leave a private office building in Williston. These individuals were among a group of people who entered the building to protest federal agencies — including Immigration and Customs Enforcement — that occupy space there alongside private businesses and a medical office. The building owner said the individuals were trespassing, refused to leave when asked, and requested that police remove them from the property. 

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today announced upcoming leadership transitions at the Green Mountain Care Board (GMCB). Following board member Jessica Holmes’ decision not to seek reappointment at the conclusion of her second six-year term on September 30, Governor Scott has appointed Owen Foster to fill the vacancy. Scott has also notified the Green Mountain Care Board Nominating Committee, which will begin its statutory process of recruiting and recommending candidates to serve as the board’s next chair. After serving as chair since 2022, Foster requested to transition to the vacant member role on the board. He will continue serving as chair through September 30 and will transition into the board member role on October 1, following Holmes’ departure.  

Vermont Business Magazine Burlington Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak released the following statement on the “Burlington Forward” resolution brought forth today from the Democratic City Council Caucus. “I’m a Mayor who prioritizes working together and thinking strategically and differently about how to support our community, especially during this period of unprecedented challenges that are occurring not just in our community but around the country. I certainly appreciate the interest of the Democratic Council Caucus in helping to address the State’s challenges pertaining to homelessness, substance use, and mental health. But this draft resolution, in its current form, does little to set a tone of collaboration, nor does it introduce new ideas."

Vermont Business Magazine The City of Burlington has published the Fiscal Year 2027 (FY27) livable wage rates under the City's Livable Wage Ordinance, effective July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027. For FY27, covered employers must pay: $20.62 per hour when employer-assisted health insurance is provided; $22.91 per hour when employer-assisted health insurance is not provided.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Agency of Transportation (AOT) is now accepting grant applications for the SFY 2027 Municipal Park and Ride Grant Program, which provides funding for improvements of small park-and-ride facilities in Vermont communities. These facilities will help to reduce the number of single-occupancy vehicles on the roadway, which in turn helps to reduce vehicle pollutants and traffic congestion. A total of $150,000 in funding is available for this program for the 2027 state fiscal year.