Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott and members of his cabinet will be in Orange County on Tuesday, December 17 for its Capital for a Day 14-county tour. Governor Scott first launched this initiative in June 2018, and he and his cabinet visited all 14 counties over the following 10 months. Capital for a Day gives local constituents, municipal government leaders and other partners the opportunity to connect directly with state leadership and staff.

Vermont State Police The search continues for Scott Mason, 38, of St. Johnsbury, the suspect in a shooting Friday afternoon that injured a St. Johnsbury police officer. The Vermont State Police is working with local, state and federal law-enforcement partners and has alerted agencies across the state and across New England to be on the lookout for Mason. The state also issued a Blue Alert, which can be employed any time a police officer has been killed or injured in the line of duty, and a dangerous suspect remains at large. VSP encourages members of the public to be vigilant and take reasonable precautions, including locking doors to their homes and vehicles and remaining aware of their surroundings.

VermontBiz Magazine A previous effort to sell the company didn’t work out. Mirabelles contacted Venture 7 Advisors to learn about selling a business after reading about their sales of Vermont Cookie Love in Ferrisburgh and the Vergennes Wine Store (now known as Hare and the Dog). Within seven months, Mirabelles had a new owner.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets (VAAFM) would like to remind all farm operations that the annual winter manure spreading ban begins December 15th. Between December 15 and April 1, no manure or other agricultural waste (including compost and spoiled feed) may be spread on agricultural fields throughout Vermont. This annual ban is required by the Required Agricultural Practices (RAPs), which is a part of Vermont’s overall strategy to protect water quality, the working landscape, and natural resources. The RAPs also prohibit the application of manure or agricultural wastes on frozen, saturated, or snow-covered fields outside of the winter manure spreading ban. 

VermontBiz Magazine The Woodstock Inn & Resort has been recognized by the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) organization. Jennifer Vincent, Director of Marketing at Woodstock Inn & Resort, received the organizations’ Pillar Award for Excellence in Marketing by Boston HSMAI chapter. The award seeks to recognize hospitality professionals who exemplify the organizations core pillars that include contributed to growth in sales, revenue and inspired marketing efforts. 

The Vermont State Police is seeking a suspect in connection with the shooting late Friday afternoon of a St. Johnsbury Police Department officer. The suspect is identified as Scott Mason, 38, a resident of a second-floor apartment at 261 Portland St. in St. Johnsbury. Members of the public should consider Mason to be potentially armed and dangerous. If someone sees Mason, they should not approach him and instead immediately call 911. Mason is described as 5 feet 11 inches tall, weighing around 220 pounds, with brown hair and hazel eyes. A photograph of Mason is attached to this release.

Vermont Business Magazine U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont) called on Congressional leadership to come to the table in good faith and extend premium health care tax credit immediately before millions of Affordable Care Act (ACA) enrollees see higher premiums, and up to 5 million lose coverage entirely. The tax credits were last extended in the Inflation Reduction Act and build on pandemic-era subsidies, which expand the coverage offered through the Affordable Care Act’s Health Insurance Marketplace—extending discounted care through 2025. If not extended, Vermont ACA enrollees stand to lose at least $65 million total, representing premium increases of between 40% and more than 100% in 2026. U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) today released the following reaction: 

Saint Michael’s College fortifies our mission of making a deeply engaging, student-centered education more affordable through a new financial aid initiative: the St. Mike’s Community Commitment. To better help new and continuing students and families understand the aid they will receive, the St. Mike’s Community Commitment gives families whose income falls at or below $100,000 a total aid package that covers full tuition after federal grants. 

VermontBiz Magazine Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee Chairman Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) and Ranking Member Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-La.) today released the following statement on the unanimous vote in the Senate last night to pass the Older Americans Act (OAA) – critical legislation that will renew funding and strengthen services for older Americans. The bill’s reauthorization effort was also led by Senators Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), and Ed Markey (D-Mass.).

VermontBiz Magazine Norwich University has announced a significant update to its renowned degree program in the Leahy School of Cybersecurity and Advanced Computing. The University has rebranded its Computer Security and Information Assurance (CSIA) degree to Cybersecurity and Advanced Technology (CSAT) to better reflect the evolving landscape of modern technology and to align with current industry standards. This name change marks a pivotal moment in Norwich University's long-standing commitment to excellence in cybersecurity education. 

Vermont Business Magazine The United States Attorney’s Office announced that Robert McLane, 36, of Websterville, Vermont was sentenced yesterday in United States District Court in Burlington to 18 months of imprisonment following his guilty plea to a charge of mail fraud. Chief U.S. District Judge Christina Reiss ordered that McLane serve three years of supervised release following completion of his prison term and also pay restitution in the amount of $566,000. The court ordered McLane to surrender to the United States Bureau of Prisons on April 4, 2025 to begin serving his sentence. 

Vermont Business Magazine Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), today applauds AstraZeneca for its commitment to cap the cost of any future “green” inhalers at $35. In January 2024, Sanders led the HELP Committee in launching an investigation into the four major manufacturers of inhalers and their efforts to keep prices far higher in America than countries abroad.