Current News

Vermont Business Magazine The 2023 Vermont maple syrup production totaled 2.05 million gallons, down 20% from the previous year’s record-breaking production, according to King Whetstone, director of the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, Northeastern Regional Field Office. Vermont remains the top producing state in the Nation. Vermont maple syrup producers put out 6.35 million maple taps in 2023, a decrease of 5% from the 2022 total.  Vermont’s 2022 value of production totaled a record high $84.5 million, up 51% from the previous season. The average price per gallon was $33.10 per gallon, up $1.10 from 2021. 

Vermont State Police The investigation into last week’s fire involving a commercial motor vehicle carrying compressed natural gas on U.S. Route 7 in Ferrisburgh remains active and ongoing. The Vermont State Police and the Department of Motor Vehicles Enforcement & Safety Division are working in close coordination on various elements of the investigation. Investigators have determined that the natural gas tanker did not explode, as vehicles transporting compressed natural gas and other petrochemicals have a safety mechanism designed to off-gas the contents in a controlled manner in the case of a fire specifically to avoid a potentially catastrophic explosion.

by Kelly Nottermann, Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund Scott Sparks always knew he wanted to open a cannabis business, but it was not until he was in his 60s, ready to retire from his decades long career in food service, that his dream began to take shape. A few days after deciding to leave his position as VP of Sales at Black River Produce, he received a spam email promoting the Northern Colorado Hemp Expo. 

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today announced that he has appointed Rory T. Thibault, of Cabot, as a superior court judge. Thibault has over 15 years of experience practicing law with a background in criminal, juvenile, and military law. In 2018, Thibault was appointed by Governor Scott as Washington County State’s Attorney and was elected to a full four-year term later that year. 

Vermont Business Magazine Celebrating a successful winter season, supporters and friends of Vermont’s ski industry joined the state’s Alpine and Cross-Country ski areas at Killington Resort on June 7th and 8th for the Vermont Ski Areas Association’s 54th Annual Meeting. Despite initial weather challenges in the first half of the season, Vermont’s alpine ski areas reported 4.1 million skier visits—a 10 percent increase over the 2021-22 season and 3.6 percent above the 10-year average. A skier visit is defined as one person skiing or snowboarding for one day.  Vermont gained additional market share, outpacing both the Northeast region’s 3.8 percent growth and 6.6 percent growth of the industry nationally, which equated to a record 64.7 million visits across the US.

Vermont Business Magazine New England Federal Credit Union (NEFCU) has awarded three scholarships to Vermont high school students as part of its annual Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Scholarship Program. Inspired by the National Science Foundation, NEFCU awards three $3,000 scholarships each year to support individuals pursuing careers in the hard sciences.

Vermont Business Magazine A lively and engaged crowd joined VEC on May 13 at Jay Peak Resort for the co-op’s Annual Meeting. Topics included: Vegetation management and its direct relationship to reliability, which is growing ever more important with more people working from home, and more people using electric technologies like heat pumps and electric vehicles. Also, at the meeting (the 85th) VEC announced that Jody Dunklee of Fairfax, Paul Lambert of Georgia, and Don Worth of Island Pond were all re-elected to their seats on the Board of Directors.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Corrections today announced it retained Downs Rachlin Martin PLLC (DRM) to lead a review process for making public findings from investigations into critical incidents at the Department. The Department’s existing review process includes independent case analysis; interviews with incarcerated individuals, correctional staff, and Department leadership; video evidence; documents; and medical information from the Department’s health contractor. 

Vermont Business Magazine The Attorney General’s Office announced that Joshua M. Jones, 34, of Lynchburg, Virginia, and Britney Spaulding, 34, of Lynchburg, Virginia, both formerly of Morrisville, Vermont, were each sentenced yesterday in Vermont Superior Court, Lamoille Criminal Division, after pleading guilty to charges related to neglect of a vulnerable adult with death resulting. Mr. Jones was sentenced to four to six years all suspended but three years to serve in jail and ten years of probation. Ms. Spaulding was sentenced to a suspended jail sentence, 10 years of probation and 250 hours of community service.

Vermont Business Magazine The Wellspring Forum series culminated with Governor Phil Scott as the featured speaker. The event series, hosted by the Vermont Chamber, brings together top Vermont businesses and policy leaders for robust economic discussions. Each event takes place at a unique Vermont business. Scott addressed the Vermont Chamber Board of Directors and other Vermont business leaders via a moderated conversation with Vermont Chamber President, Betsy Bishop. In addition to ongoing workforce and housing concerns, the top issue raised by businesses was the anticipated impact of new and increased taxes and fees that are poised to fund multiple major legislative proposals.

Dartmouth College President Philip J. Hanlon ’77 today announced that The Call to Lead campaign, which will conclude on June 30, is the first higher education campaign worldwide with more than $3.7 billion in gifts and 60 percent undergraduate alumni participation. The Call to Lead has reaffirmed Dartmouth’s distinctive foundational strengths, particularly its commitment to the life-changing power of a liberal arts education, the breadth and capacity of the institution’s research enterprise, and its dedication to offering an academic experience that enables undergraduates to engage with faculty who are both leaders in their field and devoted teachers and mentors. 

Vermont Business Magazine Smoke from wildfires in Quebec and Northern Ontario is continuing to cause elevated levels of air pollution in many portions of New England. The primary concern is high concentrations of fine particle air pollution that is unhealthy, especially for sensitive groups such as people with respiratory disease, the elderly, or people with compromised health. Areas that are currently exceeding the Federal air quality standard for 24-hour particle pollution level concentrations are:  Connecticut, Western Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and portions of southern and central Vermont.