Current News

Vermont Business Magazine RuralEdge and its Board of Directors recently hosted state legislators, the Mayor of Newport, city council members, and Newport town selectboard members for “sneak peek” tours of both Newport Crossing apartment communities. Although the project is still under construction, the group got a preview of the former Sacred Heart Convent property in the City of Newport and the two newly constructed buildings in Newport Center.  The total development cost of Newport Crossing is $21,871,000, of which VHCB provided just under 45%, most of that from ARPA.

Vermont Business Magazine On Tuesday 66% of all eligible Health Professionals at Porter Medical Center (PMC) in Middlebury voted yes to formalize a union, the final vote was 53-12. Jon Ford, Physician Assistant, and union organizing committee member, said, “Today we voted to form our union to support each other, strengthen patient care, and secure a fair and sustainable future for our professions. These are the priorities we’ve been naming all along, and this vote is a step toward making them real.” PMC is part of the University of Vermont Health Network.

Vermont Business Magazine As the Senate prepares to vote this week on a Democratic proposal to extend Affordable Care Act tax credits so that premiums do not double, on average, for more than 20 million Americans, Republicans are advancing legislation introduced Monday by Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) that would eliminate those tax credits and replace them with totally inadequate checks. In order to receive the checks proposed in the Cassidy-Crapo bill, which would total just $1,000 for younger adults and $1,500 for older adults, working families would be required to switch from gold or silver health insurance plans to bronze or catastrophic plans. The lower-quality health insurance plans that Cassidy and Crapo are encouraging come with outrageously high deductibles of $7,500 and $10,000 for individuals and up to $21,200 for households.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Association of Realtors (VAR) has announced the selection of 12 members for its 2026 Leadership Academy, an immersive, year-long professional development program designed to cultivate the next generation of association and community leaders.

Vermont Business Magazine XCharge North America, the North American subsidiary of XCHG Limited (Nasdaq: XCH) and a provider of high-power EV charging and battery-integrated solutions designed to strengthen the North American electrical grid, announced that Cellerate Power, a Vermont-based company building the state's fastest EV charging site, has selected its advanced solutions to help address the state’s critical need for reliable charging infrastructure. The site, operated by Cellerate Power in Winhall, VT, was opened to the public in late October 2025. XCharge NA's C7 Ultra-Fast Chargers will deliver 400kW charging speed—dramatically outpacing the current local charging infrastructure and 2-3 times faster than competing ultra-fast chargers. By expanding Vermont’s charging network with the state’s fastest 400kW chargers that offer both NACS and CCS connectors

Vermont Business Magazine Today at the Community Health Centers of Burlington, Treasurer Mike Pieciak, Chief Health Care Advocate Mike Fisher, legislative leaders, and healthcare coverage specialists held a press conference urging Vermonters to act as soon possible to secure their health insurance for 2026. As Congress lets the enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies expire, and most Medicare Advantage plans pull out of the state, officials gathered to highlight deadlines, offer guidance, and provide resources to help Vermonters understand their options. The MA plans are now unavailable in most counties, representing about 50,000 Vermonters, while some plans are still available in a handful of counties in southern and eastern Vermont.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott, Senator Bernie Sanders, Senator Peter Welch, and Congresswoman Becca Balint, along with the Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC), announced the recipients of the NBRC’s Fall 2025 Catalyst Program. Thirteen projects in Vermont will receive a cumulative $8.9 million in funding. Projects include mixed-use redevelopment planning, community spaces, childcare expansion, and upgrades to essential water, wastewater, and transportation municipal infrastructure to support workforce housing. Established in 2008, the NBRC is a Federal-State partnership in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and New York designed to stimulate economic growth and inspire collaboration to improve rural economic vitality across the NBRC region. NBRC encourages projects that take a creative approach to accomplishing those goals. 

Vermont State Police On December 9, 2025, at approximately 8:41 a.m., employees of Morrison’s Feed Bag reported the theft of multiple wood-pellet bags from the store overnight. The Vermont State Police are requesting the public’s assistance in identifying the individuals involved in this larceny. 

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Health reported last week that the number of COVID-19 hospitalizations have leveled off after moving up slightly in previous weeks. Other indicators like wastewater virus show an increase in COVID-19 and Norovirus in Vermont and nationally, while COVID outbreaks decreased. There were 3 outbreaks last week (0 the week before), with 2 in Long-Term Care Facilities and 0 in schools. Like hospitalizations, outbreaks increased slightly from mid-summer and have since fallen. Overall Viral Activity Levels categories: Very Low, Low, Moderate, High, Very High. Trend categories: Increase (>10%), Stable, Decrease (<10%) over the last 28 days

Vermont Business Magazine As winter illness season ramps up, new CDC data reveals which states and environments have experienced the highest number of norovirus outbreaks over the past decade. A new analysis from Trace One uses 10 years of CDC National Outbreak Reporting System data to map where norovirus outbreaks are most common, when they peak, and which settings are most vulnerable.Often referred to as the “winter vomiting bug,” norovirus is the leading cause of vomiting and diarrhea from acute gastroenteritis nationwide and is responsible for a significant share of foodborne illness outbreaks, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Its high transmissibility, coupled with its resilience on surfaces and in various settings, makes norovirus particularly difficult to contain once it begins to spread.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Mental Health (DMH) is offering a free Problem Gambling Essentials Training for mental health and substance use treatment providers. The ten-week, online program begins January 13 and gives clinicians tools to support individuals struggling with gambling, a condition affecting an estimated 11,000 adults statewide, according to the 2021 Survey of Publicly Funded Problem Gambling Services in the United States. Participants who complete the training will receive 30 continuing education credits (CEUs) and will be eligible to earn a Vermont Problem Gambling Specialist (PGS) Certificate. The PGS Certificate allows agencies or private practice to be listed as referral sources on the Vermont Gambling Helpline at no cost. 

Vermont Business Magazine A newly formed nonprofit dedicated to supporting and sustaining Vermont journalism has elected its first board of directors. Founded in June 2025, the Vermont Journalism Coalition represents more than 40 newspapers, television stations, radio stations and digital news outlets across the state. Its mission is to represent the shared interests of professional news organizations in Vermont and to advocate for the principles of journalism. In its first leadership elections late last month, the coalition selected nine people to serve on its board.