Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Now students from almost half of Vermont households can earn a two- or four-year college degree at Vermont State University—tuition-free. Freedom & Unity, a new program managed by the Vermont Student Assistance Corp (VSAC) in partnership with Vermont State University (VTSU), provides free tuition to Vermonters with a household income of $65,000 or less, who do not have a bachelor’s degree and are enrolled in eligible undergraduate degree programs at VTSU. Freedom & Unity—named after Vermont’s state motto— was created by VSAC and VTSU with support from Governor Scott and the Vermont Legislature. The program builds upon VTSU’s Free Tuition Promise.

Vermont Business Magazine Average gasoline prices in Vermont are $3.15 per gallon, down 3.5 cents per gallon from last week's $3.18/g. The lowest price in the state yesterday was $2.85/g while the highest was $3.39/g, a difference of 54.0 cents per gallon. The national average price of gasoline has fallen 0.3 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.08/g today. The national average is down 10.8 cents per gallon from a month ago and stands 4.7 cents per gallon lower than a year ago.

VermontBiz Autumn in Manchester is a season like no other — with crisp mountain air, vibrant foliage, and a strong sense of community spirit. This fall, both locals and visitors are invited to enjoy a lineup of festive, family-friendly events that highlight everything we love about this special time of year.

VermontBiz Red Fox Community School kicked off Fire Prevention Month by welcoming local firefighters and Red Fox parents, Nick Parks and Leslie Bledsoe, to teach students essential fire safety skills.

The day began with the school's first fire drill of the year, where students demonstrated excellent knowledge of safety protocols by evacuating quickly and calmly. Following the drill, Parks and Bledsoe shared critical fire safety information and provided students with goodie bags filled with educational materials, including magnets to help remind families to perform monthly smoke detector checks.

VermontBiz Andrew and Josh Jonestein visited Vermont on a whim in 2023, after catching glimpses of the state on social media. It was November — arguably the least inviting month of the year — but they were impressed by what they found. Over the next few months, they purchased a historic inn in Brookfield; pulled up their Texas roots, where they had been running a successful Airbnb; and made the move north.

They’ve spent the past year and a half restoring the historic 1840s property into the Green Trails Inn and Pond Village Pub, set to open in mid September.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine Large infrastructure projects on interstates, highways, side roads and downtowns are a headache when you’re running late, or are running early and are about to be late. Some projects seem like they will never conclude. In some areas of the state, locals would be thankful to have the annoyance of construction, as there is in Chittenden County. These last dozen years have seen profound major developments in Vermont helped by low interest rates and plenty of federal spending.

So those factors have come to an end, except where projects were already underway. The construction labor market is still tight, which has been a choke point as credit is now. Still, alternative means of investment are continuing to provide housing project opportunities, as supply is still tight. And perhaps the Fed will cut interest rates at least a little, even as the overall economy can’t quite shake off inflation.

VermontBiz It’s been a busy year for construction in Vermont. We’ve seen growth across the board — from housing developments to flood recovery, but we’re still up against some tough realities. Contractors are working hard, but labor shortages and rising costs continue to hold us back.

VermontBiz This weekly report is a list of planned construction activities that will affect traffic on state highways and interstates throughout Vermont.  

To learn more about the projects listed below or to sign up to receive weekly construction updates via email, visit our Construction Updates page. 

Please remember to drive safely in all work zones. Lives depend on it.    

by Ben Kinsley, CFV Executive Director As Vermonters, many of us have felt the pinch of our state's housing shortage. Although we may not realize it; our state's housing crisis manifests itself in our high rents, short-staffed workplaces, increasing property-tax burden, aging population, and rising healthcare costs. Making our state inaccessible to young working families has significant consequences. With an annual deficit of over 5,000 housing units, families are being priced out, young people are leaving, and our economy is suffering. Last week, Governor Scott signed Executive Order (EO) 06-25, a sweeping directive aimed at promoting housing construction and rehabilitation. As a public policy wonk, I dug into this EO in an attempt determine if it's simply bureaucratic tinkering or if it's a bold attempt to cut red tape, lower costs, and get more homes built. While it's too early for hard data on outcomes, the order's provisions could deliver real relief if implemented effectively.

Vermont Business Magazine Food and beverage establishments and organizations across New England are invited to participate in the upcoming 2025 Local Food Count, a regional effort to measure how much local food they buy and sell within the six-state region. The Local Food Count is part of the New England Feeding New England (NEFNE) initiative, which aims to strengthen the region’s food system and increase local food sourcing. By participating, restaurants, schools, distributors, grocers and other food and beverage buyers and sellers headquartered in New England help identify purchasing patterns and uncover opportunities to grow local food procurement across the region.

Vermont Republican Party Next week the Vermont Republican Party will be hosting its fall Awards Night, and this year the special guest speaker will be nationally syndicated radio talk show host Erick Erickson of Atlanta. Erickson had formerly been Editor-in-Chief and CEO of Red State News and had previously been a regular guest host for the Rush Limbaugh show during its run.

VermontBiz Joe Magee, who has served as the Mayor’s Deputy Chief of Staff since April 2024, will depart the role on October 15, 2025. Prior to joining the Mayor’s staff, Magee represented Ward 3 on the Burlington City Council. Throughout his service, Magee has shown deep dedication to Burlington and its residents and offered critical support to the Mayor’s office. He has worked on policy related to homelessness, substance use disorder, housing, and more. He has also supported departments on their communications, including by coordinating the City’s 2024 Annual Report and its voter education plan for the 2025 Town Meeting Day ballot questions.  

“I am immensely grateful to Joe for his long service and trusted partnership,” said Mayor Mulvaney-Stanak. “This role demands a lot of those who hold it, and Joe’s dedication to our City is evident in how much of his time and hard effort were put towards building its future. I am so appreciative and can’t wait to see what he does next.”