Current News

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Health reported last week that the number of COVID-19 hospitalizations fell again slightly after a recent increase in cases that began in August. Other indicators like wastewater virus and outbreaks also declined. Neither the VDH nor the CDC are any longer reporting COVID fatalities or total cases in Vermont or in the US. WastewaterSCAN testing of treatment plants indicates that in Vermont both COVID-19 and Norovirus levels recently have been higher in Vermont than they are nationally.

Vermont Business Magazine U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont) on Monday cosponsored Senator Josh Hawley’s (R-MO) Keep SNAP Funded Act, which would ensure nutrition assistance will continue despite the ongoing government shutdown. More than 63,000 Vermonters rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), called 3SquaresVT. Senator Welch is a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee.  

The Annie E. Casey Foundation Child pover­ty in the U.S. has surged, near­ly tripling from 5% in 2021 to 13% in 2024. This dra­mat­ic increase fol­lows the expi­ra­tion of pan­dem­ic-era eco­nom­ic poli­cies and ris­ing prices that have strained fam­i­ly bud­gets nation­wide. How­ev­er, a new report from the Annie E. Casey Foun­da­tion, ​“Mea­sur­ing Access to Oppor­tu­ni­ty in the Unit­ed States: A 10-Year Update,” under­scores the pro­found impact of pub­lic poli­cies and pro­grams, demon­strat­ing their capac­i­ty to cut child pover­ty in half. Meanwhile, Vermont ranks in the second tier of state with a supplemental child poverty rate of 9%. The US average is 13%. Fourteen states ranked better than Vermont, with Maine having the lowest rate at 5% and Louisiana having the highest rate at 19% (along with Washington, DC).

Vermont Business Magazine 911 call-takers have begun connecting Vermonters directly to trained mental health counselors. The new statewide 911-to-988 protocol makes it possible for 911 call-takers to transfer appropriate calls to the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, the national three-digit number for mental health and suicide crises. The Vermont Department of Mental Health, the Vermont Department of Public Safety, the Vermont Enhanced 911 Board and stakeholders from the first responder community developed the 911 to 988 transfer protocol collaboratively. Now, 911 call-takers can quickly connect people experiencing a mental health crisis to 988. The call-taker stays on the line until a 988 counselor joins.

Vermont Business Magazine Charlene Burroughs can’t remember the last time she didn’t feel short of breath – that is, until recently. Several days after leaving University of Vermont Medical Center – where she became one of the first people in the region to undergo a new heart valve replacement procedure – Burroughs was back home in Crown Point, New York. Burroughs’ change of health is due to her recent transcatheter tricuspid valve replacement (TTVR) procedure, performed by interventional cardiologists Tanush Gupta, MD and Rony Lahoud, MD, and advanced imaging cardiologists Kramer Wahlberg, MD, and Trace Barret, MD at UVM Medical Center. The team used thin, flexible tubes known as catheters to steer an artificial tricuspid valve into position in Burroughs’ heart, replacing the faulty original.

Vermont Business Magazine NBT Bancorp Inc. (NASDAQ: NBTB) reported net income and diluted earnings per share for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2025. Net income for the third quarter of 2025 was $54.5 million, or $1.03 per diluted common share, compared to $38.1 million, or $0.80 per diluted common share, for the third quarter of 2024, and $22.5 million, or $0.44 per diluted common share, for the second quarter of 2025. Operating diluted earnings per share(1), a non-GAAP measure, was $1.05 for the third quarter of 2025, compared to $0.80 for the third quarter of 2024 and $0.88 for the second quarter of 2025. 

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Federal Credit Union proudly partnered once again with the Cancer Patient Support Foundation as the Presenting Sponsor for the Third Annual Casino Night: Bet on Hope, held on October 17, 2025, at Hula Lakeside in Burlington, VT. This year's event brought together hundreds of community members for an unforgettable evening of casino-style fun and philanthropy, raising vital funds to support Vermont cancer patients and their families. Since its launch, Bet on Hope has become one of Vermont's most anticipated fall fundraisers, combining entertainment and community spirit to make a lasting difference. Guests enjoyed blackjack, poker, roulette, live music, hors d'oeuvres, and a spirited silent auction, all in support of the Cancer Patient Support Foundation's mission to provide financial assistance and emotional support to Vermonters navigating cancer treatment.

Vermont Business Magazine The Northeast Kingdom Fund at the Vermont Community Foundation has awarded $111,950 in grants to 25 local organizations through its 2025 competitive grant round, supporting nonprofits and municipalities in Caledonia, Essex, and Orleans counties. These grants bolster support for organizations working with youth, substance abuse prevention, education and the arts, and outdoor recreation and programming. The Northeast Kingdom Fund was established in 2011 by the Vermont Community Foundation and local partners as a permanent philanthropic resource to support the people and communities in the region. The fund prioritizes applications from projects and/or organizations that are based in the Northeast Kingdom and provide services directly to the community.

The Vermont State Police is investigating a fire in which one person was killed this past Friday, Oct. 24, 2025, at a residence in Northfield. The Northfield Fire Department was called at about 5 a.m. Friday to 346 Water St. for a report of a fire. The fire department responded and found a camper trailer and nearby home fully engulfed; both structures were extinguished. The fire department discovered a body in the camper trailer. Northfield Fire and Northfield Police requested assistance from members of the Vermont State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigations and the Department of Public Safety Fire and Explosion Investigation Unit. 

Vermont State Police The Chief Medical Examiner’s Office has completed the autopsy following the discovery of a body in Lake Champlain after a canoe capsized last week in North Hero. The victim is identified as Michael Bagiackas, 71, of Montpelier. The medical examiner determined the cause of death was drowning, and the manner of death was an accident. 

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today issued the following statement regarding access to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which is also referred to as 3SquaresVermont and Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards: “Even with state efforts, the lack of federal SNAP funding will disrupt the lives of over 63,000 Vermonters and could cause real harm. This is another area where there is bipartisan support for a lawsuit seeking to require the federal government to release contingency funding it has available for emergencies. I have directed my administration to work with Attorney General Clark to support a multi-state lawsuit."

Vermont Business Magazine Average gasoline prices in Vermont are $3.07 per gallon, down 5.1 cents per gallon from last week's $3.12/g. The lowest price in the state yesterday was $2.73/g while the highest was $3.39/g, a difference of 66.0 cents per gallon. The national average price of gasoline has risen 2.5 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.00/g today.