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 Governor Phil Scott and the Vermont Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) today announced $3,547,000 in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding through the Vermont Community Development Program (VCDP). “The CDBG program is an important tool to help us invest in communities across Vermont,” said Governor Scott. “This funding will allow us to invest in the infrastructure, as well as building the homes we desperately need, in every corner of the state.”

Vermont Business Magazine The National Weather Service is forecasting dangerously hot conditions across the region on Tuesday, July 14. During this time, the City of Burlington is encouraging residents to take precautions and utilize available cooling resources. A Heat Advisory is in effect from 11 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday for much of Northern Vermont. Heat index values – which reflect how hot it feels when humidity is factored in – are expected to be between 93 and 103 degrees, with warm overnight lows between 65 and 75 degrees.

Vermont Business Magazine Common Good Vermont and the Vermont Community Foundation announce the launch of the Vermont Nonprofit HelpDesk, a new statewide resource designed to connect Vermont’s nonprofit organizations with timely, expert support. Developed in partnership with the Nonprofit Legal Hub and CoLab, the HelpDesk addresses a persistent and urgent gap: nonprofits across Vermont need support to navigate the complex landscape of legal, financial, and operational challenges and to find the right help when they need it most.

Vermont Business Magazine Average gasoline prices in Vermont are $3.97 per gallon, up 2.9 cents per gallon from last week's $3.94/g. The lowest price in the state yesterday was $3.65/g while the highest was $4.29/g, a difference of 64.0 cents per gallon. The national average price of gasoline has risen 10.3 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.82/g today. 

Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets The 19th Annual Crops and Soils Field Day is July 23 at Borderview Research Farm in Alburgh! This event showcases agricultural research conducted by UVM Extension’s Northwest Crops and Soils (NWCS) team, led by Heather Darby. Enjoy a guided tour of Borderview Research Farm, learn about on‑farm research, and connect with the local community. This year, experience more live demonstrations of cutting‑edge technology and in‑the‑field skills than ever before, including autonomous weeding robots from Greenfield Robotics, precision ag technology, soil health sampling with the Soil Health Research and Extension Center (SHREC) team, forage quality and species selection, hemp and flax research results, and an interactive “taste and texture of fresh vegetables” session.

Vermont Business Magazine BETA Technologies, Inc., an aerospace and defense company, and the Multistate Collaborative eIPP National Integration Complex has announced the completion of the first electric conventional takeoff and landing aircraft flights conducted under the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration’s eVTOL Integration Pilot Program, the federal government's new initiative to evaluate how Advanced Air Mobility aircraft can safely operate in everyday commercial use within the National Airspace System.

Vermont Business Magazine National Life Group has been named to the 2026 Ward’s 50 Top Performing Insurance Companies, an annual list of the country’s 50 top performing life and health insurance companies. According to Ward’s, National Life Group was selected out of nearly 700 life and health insurance organizations based on its outstanding financial results in the areas of safety, consistency, and performance over a five-year period (2021-2025). 2026 marks the sixth consecutive year in which National Life has been named as an industry leader for its extraordinary financial performance. In the 36 years the list has been produced, National Life has appeared on it 18 times.

Vermont State Police Autopsies have been completed on the two individuals who died Wednesday in the Lamoille River near Arrowhead Mountain Lake in Georgia. The victims are identified as Yazmin Yupangui, 11, and her 25-year-old brother, Sandro Lala, both of Cambridge. The Chief Medical Examiner’s Office in Burlington determined their deaths were the result of accidental drownings. At the family’s request, the Vermont State Police is including a photo of Yazmin and Sandro with this release.

The Vermont State Police is investigating the death of a man following a workplace accident at the Casella landfill in Coventry on Thursday morning, July 9, 2026. The incident was reported at about 9:40 a.m., when Newport EMS was dispatched to the landfill for an unconscious man. The man, who was later identified as Thomas Feerick, 58, of Fairfax, was reported to have fallen. Newport EMS arrived and brought Feerick to North Country Hospital in Newport. Life-saving measures were unsuccessful, and he succumbed to his injuries and was declared deceased later Thursday morning. 

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine

Chittenden County is younger than the rest of the state and wealthier than the rest of the state. It’s the only county in Vermont with a median household income higher than the statewide average. It has major universities, a major airport and a major hospital. The county’s economy and the strength of these organizations are crucial to the wellbeing of the entire state. And while Hinesburg is the new Williston and Williston is not the old Williston and South Burlington has become a vastly different place than it was just a few years ago, just as Winooski has, the heart of Chittenden County is in Burlington.

by Erika Tally, Community News Service Across Northeastern forests, natural causes now account for more tree deaths than harvesting, including in Vermont, according to a recent study from the University of Vermont. But these natural causes are still cause for concern. Insects, disease and extreme weather are now to blame for the majority of tree deaths in the region, a significant shift from just 15 years ago, the study found. This shift comes at a time when Vermont’s warming climate is already posing dangers to the health of the forest, including worsening the threat of introducing an invasive species. Now, forest health experts are determining what strategies they can use to preserve Vermont’s woods.