Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Early this morning, U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) voted against Republicans’ budget reconciliation package, which funds the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) without any commonsense and necessary reforms to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP).  Senator Welch proposed several amendments and changes to Senate Republicans’ budget package, focused both on reforming DHS and addressing the affordability crisis confronting rural America. Republicans blocked amendments to the bill throughout the Senate’s 18-hour long series of votes, including amendments to block President Trump’s slush fund, the so called “anti-weaponization fund,” which would give millions to January 6 insurrectionists. 

by Mike Donoghue, Vermont News First Federal authorities have arrested five out-of-state suspects as part of more than a $500,000 fraud perpetrated on banks and credit unions throughout Vermont and the Northeast.  The five arrests were made during synchronized raids at several locations, including in New York and New Jersey on Tuesday, the U.S. Attorney's Office in Vermont said. Also being sought are two others named in the nine-count indictment, which charges wire fraud conspiracy, bank fraud conspiracy, and aggravated identity theft. Their two names were redacted in the federal indictment secured by Assistant U.S. Attorney Eugenia A. P. Cowles in Burlington on May 28.

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 June 8, 2026. Please remember to drive safely in all work zones. Lives depend on it.  

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Nut Free Chocolates is innovating again - this time expanding its better-for-you promise by re-launching one of its best-selling products, Skippers, with 100% plant-based colors. Vermont Nut Free Chocolates’ confectionery team did extensive testing and product development to identify the best-tasting, best-looking, and allergen-free plant-based colors before reformulating Skippers. The natural colors in Skippers candy coating are now made from Blackcurrant, Sweet Potato, Spirulina, Turmeric, Carrot, Radish, and Beet.   

Vermont Business Magazine Burke Mountain Resort is gearing up for its opening day of mountain bike season, set to open this weekend on Saturday, June 6. For the first two weekends, the Burke Bike Park will open Saturdays and Sundays only. Starting Thursday, June 18, it will operate Thursday - Sunday from 10 am - 6 pm.  The Bike Park at Burke offers lift-accessed and cross-country mountain biking for all ability levels. From singletrack to machine-excavated flow and jump trails, the resort features 24 trails across 25 miles of terrain, where three of its trails can be accessed from the summit, offering 2,115 feet of vertical biking. Burke’s Bike Park has direct access into the world-renowned Kingdom Trail network, featuring more than 100 miles of additional singletrack biking.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Land Trust (VLT) recognized Brody Allen of Reading, Elia Gage of Randolph, Ella Kane of Sheldon, Ephraim Elmer of Lowell, Eva Bury of Derby, Hailey Chase of Monkton, Jacob Buearegard of Franklin, Lydia Dickey of White River Junction, and Madalyn Perry of East Montpelier with Land Steward Awards, along with a check for $500 each. This is the 22nd year of VLT’s Land Steward Awards. Since 2005, the land trust has recognized outstanding high-school juniors and seniors who are dedicated to agriculture and forestry. Instructors from Vermont’s farming, forestry, and natural resources programs can nominate students for the award each spring.

Vermont Business Magazine Following a two-day trial, a Caledonia County jury has found Jonathan Fox, 57, of Barre, Vermont, guilty of Lewd and Lascivious Conduct with a Child. The charge brought against Fox was the result of a criminal investigation conducted by the Vermont State Police, the Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud and Residential Abuse Unit, and the Vermont Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (VT-ICAC).

Vermont Business Magazine Ski Vermont capped the 2025-26 ski season at its 57th Annual Meeting at Jay Peak Resort today, highlighting a winter of favorable weather, strong visitation, and continued improvements at Vermont ski areas. Partners, supporters, and friends of the industry joined Ski Vermont’s alpine and cross-country members to reflect on a successful season. Vermont’s ski industry performed well, with alpine ski areas reporting a total of 4.36M skier visits for the 2025–26 season, an increase of 4.7% over the previous year and an 11% increase over the 10-year average. This also marks the best visitation since the 2014-15 season. These totals put Vermont 1.5% ahead of the Northeast region’s 3.2% growth, and 13.8% ahead of the national average, which fell by 9.1%.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine Average gasoline prices in Vermont are $4.43 per gallon, down 8 cents per gallon from last week, up 1 cent/g from last month and up $1.36/g from this time last year, according to AAA. The lowest price in the state this week was $4.06/g while the highest was $4.69/g. The national average price of gasoline has fallen 18 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $4.24/g today. Gas prices remain higher than since the summer of 2022. 

Vermont Business Magazine The State of Vermont is kicking off the summer season with free admission to Vermont State Parks and Vermont State Historic Sites on Saturday, June 13 and Sunday, June 14. This annual Vermont Days celebration encourages Vermonters and visitors to get outside, learn, recreate, fish, and more. During Vermont Days, Vermont’s 55 state parks and six historic sites and museums will offer free admission to day-use areas. On June 13, residents and non-residents can also fish without a license for Free Fishing Day. Additional details and a full schedule of events are available below.

Vermont Business Magazine U.S. Representative Becca Balint (D-Vermont) Wednesday evening released the following statement after the House of Representatives voted 215–208 to pass a War Powers Resolution directing the president to end U.S. military involvement in Iran without explicit authorization from Congress. Four Republicans joined Democrats in the vote, marking a rare bipartisan rebuke of the administration. The measure will still need to go through the Senate and be signed by President Trump.

Vermont Business Magazine Smokey House Center, a 5,000-acre forest and farming research nonprofit in Danby, Vermont was awarded a Farm to School Provider Grant through the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food, and Markets, which has funded the installation of a new Berry Alley Cropping system on its main campus this spring and early summer. The project has brought more than 300 students from over 14 schools to the land to help plant a diversified perennial food system—and marks the third addition to Smokey House Center’s growing community U-pick operations. Agroforestry is the intentional integration of trees, shrubs, and crops or livestock into a single agricultural system.