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.

by Otis Roessler, Community News Service After more than five months of being out of order, the elevator in the Green Mountain Seminary apartment complex has been fixed, the building’s owner said Thursday. The development comes less than a week after the Waterbury Roundabout published a story detailing the frustrations of the tenants, some of whom are elderly or disabled. Fire department officials said they’d had to manually move patients down the stairwell of the three-story building. One man, an 84-year-old veteran with cancer, said he filed a complaint about the situation with the Vermont Human Rights Commission.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine Vermont initial weekly unemployment claims fell again for the third straight week and remain at a low summer level. For the week ending July 11, 2026, the Vermont Department of Labor reported that there were 236 new claims, down 133 from the previous week and up 16 from last year at this time. Claims had spiked at the end of June. Summer hiring typically drives claims down. Nationally, stocks fell again for a rough week as the war in Iran has created economic uncertainty, along with inflation concerns, possible Fed rate hikes, corporate AI battles and chipmaker shares falling

Vermont Business Magazine Attorney General Charity Clark and Secretary of State Sarah Copeland Hanzas today released a joint statement in response to claims made by President Trump during a speech last night about the integrity of the nation’s elections. In the speech, the president repeated his false claims about the 2020 election that have been investigated and disproven.

by Michael Donoghue, Vermont News First The U.S. Border Patrol in Alburgh has captured a dangerous fugitive from India wanted as part of an international organized crime investigation based in California, officials said. Nitish "Lala" Kaushal, 26, is due to appear in U.S. District Court in Burlington this afternoon for his detention and removal hearing to California. Kaushal is wanted in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California on a federal charge of Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) conspiracy. The U.S. Attorney's Office in Vermont wants Kaushal held without bail as a risk to flee and as a danger pending his removal.

Vermont Business Magazine National Life Group’s annual Do Good Fest raised $200,000 to support youth mental health programs across Vermont, bringing together thousands of attendees for the benefit concert held on July 11 at National Life's Montpelier campus. Funding from Do Good Fest 2026 will help expand access to youth mental health resources, crisis support, counseling services and family assistance programs. All proceeds from this year’s event were directed to five Vermont nonprofit organizations with proven programs that support youth mental health as selected by the National Life Peace of Mind Fund. Beneficiaries include Clara Martin Center, Community Care Network, Elevate Youth Services, Howard Center and Spectrum Youth & Family Services.

Grand Isle County Sheriff's Department At approximately 1504hrs on 7/14/2026, the Grand Isle County Sheriff’s Office responded to the western shore of North Hero for a report of an 86-year-old male overdue swimmer. Grand Isle County Mutual Aid marine assets were dispatched to assist as well as emergency medical services. The first deputy to arrive on scene was able to locate the male in the water, swam out to him, and brought him ashore. The male was unresponsive and resuscitative efforts were made. Unfortunately, the male did not survive, and the death is not considered suspicious at this time. 

Vermont Agency of Transportation On July 14, New Hampshire State Police and the Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles Enforcement and Safety Division joined together for a cross-border enforcement initiative that focused on state roadways over the Connecticut River. A total of 80 commercial vehicles were stopped and inspected, resulting in more than 151 violations discovered. Nineteen drivers and 13 vehicles were placed out of service for various critical safety inspection violations or improper driver credentialling.

Vermont Business Magazine The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that on July 2, 2026, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Myrkel Latroy Staley, 43, of Shelburne, Vermont, with bank fraud. Staley entered a plea of not guilty to the charges during an arraignment on July 14, 2026, before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle. Judge Doyle ordered Staley released on conditions. According to the indictment, between June 2021 and March 2023, Staley devised a scheme to defraud TD Bank by submitting fraudulent documents in connection with a mortgage loan on a property in Shelburne, Vermont and a home equity loan on the same property. To obtain the loans, Staley submitted fraudulent tax returns to TD Bank.

by Megan James, UVM When it comes to studying abroad, Emma Swift always hopes that students will experience a little bit of “critical discomfort.” Safety and support are crucial, of course. But as the director of UVM’s Office of International Education, Swift knows that the best learning happens when there’s some friction. “It helps them see things differently, to take a different perspective,” she said. American students often flock to European cities like Florence or Barcelona, and they usually have wonderful experiences. But because they're surrounded by many other U.S. students, critical discomfort is harder to come by.

Vermont Business Magazine The US Department of Education has assigned Vermont the status of “Needs Intervention” to comply with the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) based on data from the 2023-2024 school year, according to the Vermont Agency of Education. The Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) at USED performs annual reviews of each state’s compliance with IDEA and assigns a status based primarily on student outcomes for children with disabilities as well as other compliance indicators. Reading and math proficiency along with graduation and dropout rates among children with disabilities in 2023-2024 contributed significantly to USED’s determination. Validity of data and longstanding noncompliance in select indicators also contributed to the determination.

Vermont Business Magazine GlobalFoundries (Nasdaq: GFS) (GF) today announced a multi-year partnership with ECHO, Leahy Center for Lake Champlain (ECHO) to support ECHO’s STEM Outreach Programs, with a focus on expanding access to STEM education and strengthening teacher development throughout the region. The partnership deepens GF’s longstanding commitment to the Vermont community and to building the next generation of innovators. Through the collaboration, GF will help ECHO bring hands-on science, engineering and technology experiences directly to students, families and teachers, with particular emphasis on reaching rural and underserved communities where exposure to STEM careers has historically been limited.