Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today announced his appointment of Republican John (Jack) Brigham of St. Albans Town to fill the vacant Franklin-8 seat in the House of Representatives. Brigham replaces Casey Toof, who resigned last month. Brigham is a lifelong dairy farmer on the multi-generational Holyoke Farm, where they also produce organic maple syrup, raise beef, and sell hay. Brigham is also a member of the St. Albans Town selectboard, serves on the Act 250 district 6 commission, and has served on other local boards including the town planning commission, development review board, and local school board. Brigham resides in St. Albans Town with his wife of 44 years, Heather. Together they have four adult children.

Vermont Business Magazine Today the Vermont Department for Children and Families (DCF) moved to settle two federal lawsuits concerning foster care licensing requirements and care for LGBTQ+ youth: Wuoti v. Winters and Antonucci v. Winters. In both cases, the Wuoti and Antonucci families lost their foster care licenses over their religious beliefs involving how they would and would not support the children's LGBTQ identity. Wuoti family had previously served as a foster family and received positive feedback from DCF in that role. Both families subsequently sued the state and both lost their cases in US District Court in Vermont and appealed those decisions. The settlement restores their foster care licenses.

Vermont Business Magazine The Southwestern Vermont Chamber of Commerce formally announced a significant leadership milestone at its Annual Membership Meeting on January 30th of this year, naming Matt Harrington as Chief Executive Officer of the Southwestern Vermont Chamber enterprise. The appointment reflects both Harrington’s decade of leadership and the expanded scope, scale, and complexity of the organization’s work across the region. Harrington has served as Executive Director of the Southwestern Vermont Chamber of Commerce since 2016, guiding its transformation from a traditional town-based chamber into a multi-entity regional enterprise advancing business growth, workforce development, tourism, and long-term economic vitality across Southwestern Vermont.

Vermont Public Service Department On February 9th, 2026, Consolidated Communications of Vermont Company (CCVT), LLC, which does business as Fidium, filed another petition with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The petition requests permission to discontinue traditional landline phone service (also known as legacy voice service) in more areas of Vermont.

Healthcare for AFT Vermont and VFNHP Resident physicians and fellows employed by the University of Vermont Medical Center (UVMMC) are fighting through their union, the Committee of Interns and Residents (CIR-SEIU), for a fair contract that will allow them to improve their quality life so that their patients can receive the high-quality care they deserve. These doctors are the backbone of frontline care for Vermont, serving the most acute, complicated cases and those needing specialized care. Contract negotiations with UVMMC hospital leadership began in Dec. 2025 as their current contract expired on Feb. 6, 2026. This is the second contract for the roughly 400 residents, interns, and fellows (collectively known as housestaff) since they successfully unionized in 2022.

Vermont Business Magazine The Attorney General’s Office today announced that Anthony Jackson-Miller, 39, of Stanstead, Quebec, Canada, was arraigned on one felony count of sexual exploitation of a victim of an open investigation by a law enforcement officer and one misdemeanor count of obstruction of justice. The charges against Jackson-Miller, who worked as a victim’s advocate for the Caledonia County State’s Attorney’s Office, are the result of an investigation conducted by the Vermont State Police. Jackson-Miller pleaded not guilty at the arraignment today in Vermont Superior Court, Caledonia Criminal Division.

by Nancy Owens, President of Evernorth In West Rutland last November, dozens of community leaders, elected officials, and state agencies gathered to celebrate the opening of Marble Village Apartments: 24 new permanently affordable apartments developed by Evernorth and Cornerstone Housing Partners on what had been a blighted property in the center of the village. A similar scene played out in Windsor, where we cut the ribbon at Central & Main Apartments with our partner, Windham & Windsor Housing Trust. The project transformed an unusable lot into 25 permanently affordable homes, six of which are designated for households exiting homelessness or housing instability. Central & Main is right downtown, supporting access to local businesses, jobs, and community services.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine Raj Peter Bhakta, owner of the eponymous liquor company and the former Green Mountain College campus in Poultney, is offering to donate some of the campus buildings and surrounding land to a qualified Catholic mission-based organization as a "gift." He has opened a public Request for Proposals (RFP).‍ Bhakta took possession of the property in 2020 with a bid of $5 million at auction, after the former environmental college had closed down in 2019. Bhakta was the founder of Whistle Pig Whiskey before being bought out of the Shoreham-based distiller. He subsequently started Bhakta Spirits and located it in Poultney.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Agency of Education released assessment and accountability results from the 2024–2025 school year. The release includes the Vermont State Report Card, assessment results, school accountability ratings, and the list of schools identified for Comprehensive and Targeted Support and Improvement. Across Vermont, student proficiency in English language arts (ELA), mathematics, and science remains well below the state’s long-term goals under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). ELA proficiency rates ranged from 46% to 61% across grades. In math, there was a notable decrease of 3 percentage points among 3rd graders. Overall, math proficiency rates remained lower than ELA, ranging from 33% to 48% across grades. In science, proficiency rates remained steady, ranging from 41% to 45% across grades. There also continues to be significant achievement gaps between students from historically marginalized backgrounds and their peers.

Vermont Business Magazine Dairies and ice cream makers. Breweries and furniture builders. Hospitals and colleges. Some of Vermont’s most recognizable businesses have saved energy and cut costs through Efficiency Vermont's rebates for custom projects. Now, for a limited time, any Vermont business can double their rebate—up to $25,000—if they finish a custom project by the end of November. Custom projects are tailored to meet each business’s unique needs and goals. This ensures businesses install the most efficient equipment and make the most cost-effective facility improvements.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Agency of Natural Resources invites the public to participate in developing a new long-range management plan (LRMP) for Jamaica State Park. An in-person public scoping meeting will be held on Wednesday, March 4, 2026, launching a month-long opportunity for the public to learn about the property and provide input. The comment period will remain open until Friday, April 3, 2026. Jamaica State Park covers an area of 1,118 acres across the towns of Jamaica and Londonderry in Vermont’s Southern Green Mountains.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Green Building Network’s (VGBN) fourteenth annual Vermont’s Greenest Building Awards Competition is now open for submissions. This statewide competition recognizes exemplary residential and commercial buildings that excel in green building strategies – including water, health, transportation, and affordability – and meet the highest standard of demonstrated energy performance. Submissions are due on Wednesday, March 18, 2026 at 5 pm EST. Winners of the awards will be announced and showcased at VGBN’s annual Vermont Green Building Celebration, which will take place on April 9, 2026, at Main Street Landing in Burlington, Vermont.