Current News

Vermont Business Magazine The Attorney General’s Office today announced the conclusion of its independent review of a non-fatal officer-involved shooting that occurred on December 13, 2024, in St. Johnsbury, Vermont. Attorney General Charity Clark has declined to prosecute St. Johnsbury Police Department Captain Jason Gray for charges related to the use of potentially deadly force in a shooting involving Scott Mason. Windham County State’s Attorney Steven Brown, acting as conflict counsel on behalf of the Caledonia County State’s Attorney’s Office, also declined to prosecute the case after completing his own independent review.

Vermont Business Magazine University of Vermont Health Network’s Board of Trustees and Sunny Eappen, MD, MBA, have agreed that he will step down from the role of president and chief executive officer. University of Vermont Medical Center president and chief operating officer Steve Leffler, MD, will serve as interim UVM Health Network chief executive officer in addition to his current role, effective October 15, 2025. Dr. Eappen will remain on through December to support the changeover. UVM Health Network stated it is taking decisive action to reduce costs, improve the quality of care and provide a better experience for patients.

Vermont Agency of Transportation On 9/18/2025 at approximately 1:30 p.m., inspectors with the Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles were responding to a call on U.S. 2 in Marshfield when they noticed heavy smoke in the vicinity. The inspectors responded to the area where the smoke was emanating from and located a residence that was engulfed in flames.

Vermont Business Magazine Average gasoline prices in Vermont are $3.20 per gallon, up 1 cent per gallon from last week, up 11 cents/g from last month and down 6 cents/g from last year. Prices were lowest in Bennington ($3.06/g) and Rutland ($3.111/g) counties and highest in Chittenden ($3.28/g), Franklin ($3.31/g) and Grand Isle ($3.30/g). The lowest price in the state this week was $2.99/g while the highest was $3.35/g, a difference of 36.0 cents per gallon. The national average price of gasoline rose 1 cent/g to $3.20 from last week, are up 7 cents/g from last month and are down 1 cent/g from last year. 

Vermont Business Magazine Despite the devastating rains of 2023 and 2024, the Green Mountain State has been in a dry cycle through much of the first half of the 2020s. These dry conditions make it hard to find the edges of the state’s wetlands, the places where land and water meet. To compound the issue, the entire state of Vermont has experienced at least a moderate drought intensity. Over a third of the state, in the central and Connecticut River Valley zones, has now moved up to severe drought status. The Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) reminds wetland professionals, property owners, farmers, realtors, non-profits, and towns to accurately identify wetlands, even in a drought. 

Vermont Business Magazine The Associated General Contractors of Vermont (AGC/VT) are proud to announce they have been awarded the prestigious Howard Mock Award for the second time in three years, recognizing the organization’s exceptional achievements in member growth, innovation, and engagement. This honor marks AGC/VT’s 10th national and international recognition in just five years, solidifying its reputation as Vermont’s preeminent business and construction association. Presented by the Associated General Contractors of America, the Howard Mock Award celebrates state chapters that demonstrate outstanding leadership, strategic advancement, and service to their members. 

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott and the Department of Health today announced actions taken to ensure all Vermonters have access to COVID-19 vaccines through primary care providers and pharmacies across Vermont. To achieve this, the Department of Health has issued a standing order allowing for the administration of the vaccine based on guidance from national medical associations. With recent changes to vaccine administration guidance, this order will enable pharmacies to administer the COVID-19 vaccine to Vermonters who choose to receive one, as they have in past years.

VermontBiz Friends of the Winooski River is kicking off construction this week to remove a crumbling dam from the Stevens Branch in Barre, part of a project to remove three dams on the Stevens Branch that will open four miles of high-quality stream habitat for wild trout.

The Brooklyn Street dam was built in the 1800s to power machinery at factory buildings still operated by Trow & Holden, a 135-year-old family business that sells hand tools for the stone-cutting industry. The factory switched to electric power in the 1920s.

Company leaders say removing the dam will help create a more stable floodplain and enable greater use of their land and historic timber-frame buildings, which are located on the riverbank and have become increasingly vulnerable to floodwaters. Devastating flooding damaged Trow & Holden — and many other Barre homes and businesses — in 2023.

VermontBiz The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department says hunters are looking forward to Vermont’s upcoming October 1- November 14 and December 1-15 archery deer hunting season. 

Deer hunting regulation changes made earlier this year will not go into effect until 2026.

A hunter may take up to four deer in Vermont’s two-part archery season if they do not shoot any deer in the other deer seasons.  The purchase of an archery deer license and tag is required for each deer.  No more than one of the deer taken during archery season may be a legal buck if no buck is taken in the other deer seasons.  Antlerless deer hunting is allowed during archery season statewide this year.  

Vermont Business Magazine The Clean Energy Development Fund (CEDF) at the Public Service Department announces a new program to help low-and moderate-income households in Windam County convert to wood pellet heating or to change out their old wood stove to a new, more efficient model. With these new incentives an income-qualified Windham County homeowner can receive: $800 for cord wood stoves and $1,200 for wood-pellet stoves; $15,000 for Low Income, and $12,000 for moderate income households to install a central pellet boiler or furnace.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today signed Executive Order 06-25, which aims to promote housing construction and rehabilitation and address Vermont’s severe housing shortage. The order addresses regulatory barriers and permitting requirements, energy code standards, and permitting costs associated with housing projects. The Executive Order includes detailed sections on housing policy, regulatory reform, permitting processes, environmental review, state land utilization, interagency coordination, brownfields redevelopment, and performance monitoring.

Vermont Business Magazine Wednesday afternoon around 3:15 PM, there was a report of a rental car on fire in the garage located on the second floor. Thanks to the rapid response of the South Burlington Fire Department, St. Michael’s Fire Department, and the Vermont National Guard Airport Fire and Rescue, the fire was quickly extinguished. There were no injuries, damage to other vehicles or to the structure of the parking garage. Airport operations were not impacted and the garage has re-opened.