Current News

Public Assets Institute The big news this year on education reform was public resistance to the governor’s insistence on forced mergers. While Act 170 does not make district mergers mandatory, it does require all school districts to participate in designated study committees to explore the formation of unified, union school districts with at least 2000 students. The bill also shifts to a different model for shared services among districts, setting up seven Cooperative Educational Service Areas (CESAs) across the state. Like Act 73 last year, the legislation leaves important decisions to be determined later, including second home taxes, what would and would not be included in a potential foundation formula, and how to pay for school construction.

Vermont Business Magazine Pre-applications for the Dairy Processor Modernization Grant are now open. Offered by the Northeast Dairy Business Innovation Center (NE-DBIC), this grant helps fund equipment for dairy processing and packaging. A total of $1 million is available to increase business viability and ability to meet consumer demands.  Funding will support dairy processors and dairy brands in purchasing specialized equipment to expand processing capacity for local milk, boost efficiency, lower energy consumption, improve existing products, and create new, high-value dairy products for the region. Projects may focus on improving product quality, increasing production, enhancing efficiency, upgrading existing products or launching new ones. Having technical assistance from a service provider or business planner will make applications more competitive.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont State University (VTSU) celebrated the graduation of 163 Practical Nursing students with commencement ceremonies held at its Randolph campus on June 19. Collectively, these graduates represented a dozen learning sites across the state, thanks to Vermont State’s distributed, community-based approach to nursing education. Designed as a one-year pathway into the nursing profession, the Practical Nursing (PN) Certificate program combines classroom instruction, simulation-based learning, and direct clinical experience to prepare students to become Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs). Earlier this year, Vermont State shared its outstanding NCLEX licensure exam pass rates, for which the PN program prepares its graduates.  

Vermont Business Magazine Union Mutual Insurance Company today announced that President & Chief Executive Officer Lisa Keysar will retire on December 31, 2026, marking the culmination of a distinguished career that has helped shape the company for more than 30 years. Since joining Union Mutual in 1995, Keysar has been a driving force behind the Company’s growth and success. Appointed President & CEO in 2020, she became the first woman to lead Union Mutual. During her tenure, the Company strengthened its financial position, enhanced operational capabilities, and achieved an A (Excellent) rating from AM Best—reflecting its strong balance sheet and disciplined management approach. Jennifer Galfetti will become President of Union Mutual following Keysar’s retirement and will report to Joel Murray, CEO.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine Average gasoline prices in Vermont are $4.06 per gallon, down 16 cents per gallon from last week, down 47 cents/g from last month and up 90 cents/g from this time last year, according to AAA. The highest price in the state this week was $4.55/g. The lowest price gas in Vermont has shifted from the southern counties to the north over the last month. Prices are lowest in Addison ($3.93/g) and Orleans ($3.91/g) counties and highest in Rutland ($4.12/g), Washington ($4.13/g), and Windsor ($4.15/g), according to AAA. Oil prices have fallen as the Iran war appears over and the Strait of Hormuz opens back up, however the situation remains unsettled. Still, the national average price of gas on July 4th is expected to be the second highest on record (not accounting for inflation) at $3.75/g.

Vermont Business Magazine GasBuddy, the fuel savings platform empowering drivers to choose their road to savings, today released its 2026 Independence Day gas price forecast, projecting the national average price of gas will fall to approximately $3.75 per gallon on July 4 - the second most expensive Independence Day on record behind the all-time high of $4.80 on July 4, 2022. As of today (June 25, 2026) the US average is $3.91/g and the Vermont average is $4.06/g. The projection comes despite six consecutive weeks of national average declines following a spring spike driven by the Strait of Hormuz closure. The recent U.S.-Iran framework agreement has helped ease supply fears and pull prices lower, but the accord remains fragile and risks to the upside are significant.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont’s public retirement savings program has reached a new milestone: over $8.02 million saved by working Vermonters across the state. The growth reflects a surge in participation following the expansion of Vermont Saves to employers with two or more employees, a change that opened the door for thousands of additional small businesses. Since the threshold change took effect in February 2026, enrollment has accelerated among the small employers that make up the majority of Vermont’s business community. To date, over 1,700 employers have enrolled in Vermont Saves, establishing retirement savings accounts for over 6,000 employees. 

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) invites the public to comment on the draft Tactical Basin Plan (TBP) for the Batten Kill, Walloomsac, and Hoosic River Basin (also known as Basin 1). DEC completed the plan with local nonprofits, regional planners, municipalities, scientists, and watershed partners. The plan outlines 30 ways to protect and restore rivers, lakes, and wetlands across southwestern Vermont, including 16 communities from Dorset to Pownal.          

Vermont Business Magazine The Mechanized Logging Operations and Forest Trucking (MLOFT) Program, a unique hands-on training course that prepares students for careers in the logging industry, has begun its tenth year of classes at an active harvest site in central Maine. It includes two students from Vermont. The certificate program for operators of mechanized logging and forest trucking equipment will run for 20 weeks. Classes began June 22 on the Kennebec Valley Community College (KVCC) Alfond Campus on U.S. Route 201 in Hinckley and will run through November 5. Students will transition from the classroom to equipment operation in July.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Parks Forever (VPF), the foundation for Vermont State Parks, is excited to announce the 2026 Park Access Fund grantees. Since 2016, VPF’s Park Access Fund has granted thousands of free days in Vermont’s state parks to community partners helping to create a more equitable outdoor experience throughout the state. The Park Access Fund grantees work with a wide range of Vermonters who otherwise might not experience all that Vermont State Parks have to offer, including foster families, youth programs, those with developmental disabilities, BIPOC communities, new Americans, mental health clients, and those with limited mobility, among others.

by Mike Donoghue, Vermont News First A known white supremacist and gang member from New Hampshire has pleaded not guilty in federal court in Burlington to a charge of assaulting a deputy U.S. Marshal in Vermont while police tried to arrest the wanted dangerous fugitive. Christopher Palermo, 49, of Andover, N.H. was brought into U.S. District Court long enough on Tuesday to enter his plea and to be told he will be detained pending trial. Court records show Palermo attempted to flee and resist arrest when confronted by the U.S. Marshals Service and Vermont State Police as they executed two extraditable warrants from New Hampshire on April 24 in Groton. 

Vermont Business Magazine The US Department of Education approved a waiver to allow the Vermont Agency of Education to consolidate its state-level activities funds across a series of federal funding allocations for the next four fiscal years. State-level activities funds are the small percentages of certain federal Title programs that state agencies may set aside to provide professional learning, curricular resources, and other supports at no cost to schools and districts across the state, in alignment with statewide priorities. They may also be used to support salaries for Agency staff implementing these federal programs.