Current News

by Kate Williams, CEO, 1% for the Planet When I go into the office, I like to take a moment to pause. The expanse of Lake Champlain shifts with the wind and light as I walk into Hula, the lush, cavernous co-working space in Burlington that houses 1% for the Planet’s global headquarters. I still feel a little awe each time I walk through Hula’s doors: it feels fitting that we steward one of the world’s leading environmental movements from right here on the shores of this remarkable lake—in a repurposed oven factory, no less. Co-founded in 2002 by Yvon Chouinard (founder of Patagonia) and Craig Mathews (owner of Blue Ribbon Flies), 1% for the Planet has made Burlington its global headquarters since 2014.

by State Rep. Laura H. Sibilia, I-Dover Political violence is not protest, debate, or disagreement. It strikes at the heart of democracy — and the responsibility we all share to govern ourselves. The recent assassinations of Charlie Kirk and Minnesota Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband show how quickly violence is replacing dialogue in our national life. Vermonters cannot afford to think it will not touch us. Too often, when people talk about those they disagree with, I hear “they” or “them.” Used this way, these words are vague and dehumanizing. They create distance and make it easier to dismiss or demonize. The same happens with phrases like “those people,” “the left,” “the right,” “the politicians,” “the media,” or “the elites.” All of these labels lump people together and let us avoid dealing with what individuals are actually saying or doing.

by Josh Williams, Vermont Business Magazine They say a good life is like a great novel, rich with unexpected chapters, recurring characters, and plot twists you never saw coming but somehow make perfect sense in hindsight. At 95, Ted Schultheis’ story has more stamps, slopes, and storefronts than most of us could fit in two lifetimes. Born in 1930 in the Bronx, he was raised in the salty air of Rockaway Beach Queens before attending Irving Boarding School, earning a college degree from Valparaiso University in Indiana, and an honorable discharge from the U.S. Army. By 1955, he had returned to civilian life, but not for long. His passport would soon fill with adventures from Mexico to Paris, London to Amsterdam, leading youth hostel trips, selling telex machines for Western Union International, managing property in Manhattan, and discovering Vermont’s snowy magic, one ski run at a time. Some moments, he says, defined everything that came after. 

Vermont Business Magazine The Attorney General’s Office today announced that Bryant Keene, 36, of Barre, Vermont, was arraigned on multiple felony counts of promoting a recording of child lewdness or sexual conduct, multiple counts of possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM), and one count of animal cruelty. The charges are the result of a criminal investigation conducted by the Vermont Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (VT-ICAC). The investigation began when the VT-ICAC Task Force received a CyberTipline report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). The report indicated that an individual was uploaded and shared online suspected images of CSAM, commonly referred to as “child pornography,” on Kik, which is a messenger application. Based on this report, Keene was identified as the person in possession of the CSAM.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine Vermont weekly unemployment claims for the week ending September 13, 2025, fell slightly and remains close to the lowest level of 2025, achieved the week of August 30. New claims were 217 last week, down 7 claims from the week before and up 17 from last year at this time. Claims, which tend to be lowest in the summer, were 181 at the end of September 2024. In Vermont for the weekly report, manufacturing accounted for 21% of the total, down 14 points from the previous week. Manufacturing overall has become a smaller part of the Vermont economy over the last 25 years and that trend appears to be continuing. The Service industry, which typically accounts for the most claims, last week reported 50% from the previous week, up 10 points. Construction was 11%, up 5 points. For the week, Vermont total unemployment insurance claims were 2,063 (down 89 for the week and up 223 from this time last year). 

Public Assets Institute Newly released U.S. Census data show that Vermont’s median annual income decreased last year to $82,730 after adjusting for inflation. While this change was not statistically significant, Vermont was one of only six states nationwide where income declined. Only North Dakota and Rhode Island saw sharper drops. This marks a departure from the income growth Vermont experienced immediately after the start of the COVID pandemic: a rise of over 8 percent between 2019 and 2021, the fastest growth in the country. Most of those gains have endured. But aside from that period, income in the state has generally stagnated. From the early aughts to 2019, income hovered around $75,000. And since 2021, it has stayed flat at around $82,000.

Vermont Business Magazine On September 21, from 1pm - 3pm Smokey House Center will participate in Sun Day, a groundbreaking nationwide mobilization that marks a pivotal moment in America's clean energy transformation. Spearheaded by renowned environmental activist Bill McKibben, this nationwide event will feature hundreds of events across all 50 states, creating a powerful, coordinated day of action to spotlight the most significant energy revolution of our time. As part of this national movement, Smokey House Center will host a Sun Day Celebration with a community potluck and lots of free kids activities including sun painting, sun printing, flower crown making, story time, and other arts and crafts. The day will celebrate the sun, the energy it creates, and the autumn equinox. 

Vermont Business Magazine Even as the weather cools, health officials are urging people to take steps to prevent mosquito bites after Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) virus — a serious and potentially deadly mosquito-transmitted virus – has been detected for the first time this year in Franklin, Addison and Orleans counties. Mosquitoes from Swanton and Vergennes have tested positive for the virus, and a horse in Brownington is also suspected to have had the virus. There have not been any cases of EEE reported in people in Vermont this year, but the risk for infection increases into late summer and early fall. The virus caused serious illness in two people in Vermont last year, one of whom died.

Vermont Business Magazine This fall, the Center for Community News will launch its first student reporting initiative dedicated exclusively to covering art, history and culture in Vermont and across the country. The project will provide new opportunities for student journalists to explore the under-covered stories of their communities and make them free to local news outlets. The initiative is made possible through support from Lyman Orton and Janice Izzi, the Henry Luce Foundation, and other generous donors to the UVM College of Arts & Sciences. The CCN Arts & Life initiative will expand the volume and depth of coverage of the beat, with an emphasis on stories that can be told using multimedia approaches. Coverage of music, dance, food, visual art and events presents opportunities to blend print, broadcast and digital media, and to reach news audiences across mediums. 

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine Today, the Vermont Department of Labor released data on the Vermont economy for the time period covering August 2025. According to household data, the seasonally adjusted statewide unemployment rate for August was 2.5 percent. This reflects a decrease of one-tenth of one percentage point from the prior month’s revised estimate. The civilian labor force participation rate was 64.6 percent in August, a decrease of one-tenth of one percentage point from the prior month’s revised estimate. The Labor Market, which is the denominator in these equations, fell by over 900, which offset a similar decline in the number of employed. Unemployment also fell, but by a slight amount. The comparable United States rate in August was 4.3 percent, an increase of one-tenth of one percentage point from the revised July estimate. 

Vermont Business Magazine The State of Vermont has released the Resilience Implementation Strategy, which prioritizes implementation of key state-level actions to reduce the harmful impacts of climate change. In Vermont, climate-related hazards include flooding, landslides, heat waves, drought, wildfire smoke, and declining water quality. The Strategy identifies priority actions that state government can take to help communities become more resilient, support those hardest hit by disasters, and reduce future damage to Vermont’s infrastructure, economy, and natural environment. Virtual public meetings in late October will offer an opportunity for the public to hear directly from state officials about the Strategy.

Vermont Business Magazine A new nonprofit event venue, The Summit, is opening in Colchester this fall and is now accepting bookings for large meetings, trainings, and community gatherings starting November 1, 2025. Conveniently located just off I-89 at Exit 16, The Summit offers seating for up to 70 guests, state-of-the-art presentation technology, ample free parking, and a flexible, fully accessible space suitable for workshops, retreats, offsite meetings, and more. Guests can bring their own food or work with any caterer. But what sets The Summit apart is its social mission.