Current News

VermontBiz What began as a one-time collaboration for the 2026 Craft Brewers Conference has evolved into a year-round offering for Switchback Brewing Co. KRUSH N.A. IPA now joins Switchback’s other offerings in the market following an exciting response from customers at Switchback Beer Garden & Smokehouse. This marks another milestone in Switchback's growing non-alcoholic program, with Switchback currently the only brewery producing non-alcoholic beer onsite in Vermont. 

VermontBiz U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Ranking Member of the Senate Agriculture Subcommittee on Rural Development, Energy, and Credit, today announced the delivery of over $1.79 million in federal funding, administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to repair catastrophic damage to the Morrisville Water & Light and the Town of Marshfield caused by severe flooding in July 2023. 

VermontBiz The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is attempting again to unlawfully cap funding for permanent housing projects, in a move that would result in tens of thousands of people losing their homes nationwide, Attorney General Charity Clark and a multistate coalition argued in a lawsuit filed in federal court today. 

VermontBiz In advance of the statewide primary election on Tuesday, August 11, Vermont Secretary of State Sarah Copeland Hanzas reminded voters today about their voting options and resources available from her office. The primary election determines which major party candidates will be on the ballot for the November general election.

“Every election is a valuable opportunity to make your voice heard,” said Secretary Copeland Hanzas. “Yet, we tend to see lower turnout in primary elections. It’s crucial that Vermonters know how important their vote is, and how many options they have for casting their ballot!”

VermontBiz The Community College of Vermont (CCV) is proud to announce it has been asked to participate in the eighth year of the prestigious Metallica Scholars Initiative (MSI), supported by a generous $25,000 grant aimed at enhancing career readiness among students pursuing IT and cybersecurity programs.

“This is an exciting opportunity for Vermonters,” said CCV President Joyce Judy. “Skilled IT professionals are in high demand, and this is a chance to get started on the path to a rewarding career, with backing from a nationwide program. CCV is pleased to be part of this initiative for a third year.”

CCV will award scholarships for the 2026-2027 academic year as funding allows. Students in the following certificate programs are eligible: IT support and service operations, cybersecurity and networking, or data analytics and artificial intelligence. Registration for fall is open now, and courses begin September 8.

VermontBiz Saint Michael’s College has received a $2 million gift from an anonymous donor to support its current-use scholarship initiative, accelerating the College’s efforts to make its education more affordable and accessible.

The gift brings total commitments to this initiative to $7 million as the College closes out the fiscal year.

The latest gift builds upon a series of significant philanthropic investments in student affordability initiatives, including a $1 million commitment from Saint Michael’s alumnus Donald R. “Don” Dion, Jr. ’76 to establish the Catholic School Scholarship, supporting students from Catholic high schools who choose to continue their educational journey at Saint Michael’s College. Together, these gifts are creating new opportunities for students while reinforcing the College’s commitment to access, affordability, and student success.

VermontBiz A former Franklin Foods dairy facility will reopen this fall under new ownership as Franklin County Cheese, restoring production activity and preserving critical dairy manufacturing capacity in Franklin County.

Local industry veteran John Ovitt will assume ownership of the facility Sept. 1 and lead the new company, which will begin operations with a focused product lineup and a lean, experienced team selected for cross-functional expertise across production, quality and operations.

“I have worked in this facility for nearly four decades and did not want to see it close,” Ovitt said. “This is about preserving the knowledge, the relationships, and the opportunity to keep dairy production strong in this region.”

VermontBiz Kingdom Trails, the world-renowned, community-based mountain biking trail association in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom, in partnership with Burke Mountain Resort and participating local businesses, is proud to announce Canadian Community Month. Part of the shared "Cross the Border. Discover the Kingdom." campaign, this month-long celebration recognizes the enduring contributions Canadian visitors have made to the Kingdom Trails community since the organization's founding in 1994. 

VermontBiz The Vermont Department of Libraries has awarded 148 public libraries grants of $350 to support the 2026 Summer Program.

Public libraries across Vermont offer a variety of summer programs for children and teens—fostering a love of reading and helping to prevent the loss of reading skills during the summer when school is out. Program types include STEM, author visits, arts enrichment activities, book discussion groups, story times, and more.

VermontBiz The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced today that it had successfully obtained a judgment in forfeiture for $2,270,202.39 in funds stolen from the Chittenden Solid Waste District (CSWD) in a cyber-enabled fraud scheme. United States District Judge William K. Sessions III signed the order of forfeiture and judgment on July 2, 2026, releasing the funds to the government. According to the settlement agreement in the case, the funds will now be returned to CSWD by the United States Marshals Service.

VermontBiz The Department of Veterans Affairs today announced the signing of a PACT Act lease for the new Outpatient Clinic (OPC) in Cheshire County, N.H., marking a significant step toward expanding access to high-quality health care services for Veterans in the region.

To increase clinical capacity and provide Veterans with more convenient and timely access to VA care, construction and facility preparation are expected to be completed by fall 2028, and the first patient is planned to be seen by spring 2029.

VermontBiz The Lake Champlain Community Sailing Center is proud to announce a transformational $500,000 endowment gift from the Courtney and
Victoria Buffum Family Foundation. The permanent endowment will provide lasting support for the Community Sailing Center’s Adaptive Sailing Program and Diversity Access Initiative, ensuring that sailing remains accessible to individuals of all abilities and backgrounds for generations to come.

Income generated from the endowment will help provide scholarships, adaptive equipment, instructor training, and expanded outreach to communities that have historically faced barriers to participating in sailing and waterfront recreation.