Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott and Vermont Agriculture Secretary Anson Tebbetts joined community members at Whitcomb's Family Tree Farm in Essex Junction today to celebrate the arrival of the 2024 Christmas season with the help of Vermont’s tree farmers. The Christmas trees cut during this visit will decorate the Pavilion Building in Montpelier, which houses the Governor’s Office. The Whitcomb family has been operating Whitcomb’s Land of Pumpkins and Corn Maze since 2003. This year will be the family’s first season offering several varieties of cut-your-own and pre-cut trees.

Vermont Business Magazine The Agency of Natural Resources sent a statement to VermontBiz saying that Secretary Julie Moore has asked Andrea Shortsleeve to serve as Interim Fish & Wildlife Commissioner starting December 1. Outgoing Commissioner Christopher Herrick is stepping down from the Fish & Wildlife Department to accept the position of Director of Safety and Emergency Management at the Agency of Transportation. Secretary Moore thanks Commissioner Herrick for his three years of dedicated work on behalf of Vermont’s natural resources, and welcomes Interim Commissioner Shortsleeve to her new role at the Fish & Wildlife Department. 

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Agency of Transportation (AOT) today announced that it has awarded $1.3 million in grants through the Mobility and Transportation Innovation (MTI) program. The purpose of the MTI program is to incentivize innovative strategies that improve mobility and access for transit-dependent Vermonters, reduce the use of single occupancy vehicles for work trips, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Vermont Business Magazine Average gasoline prices in Vermont are $3.13 per gallon, up 3.1 cents per gallon from last week's $3.10/g. The lowest price in the state yesterday was $2.63/g while the highest was $3.25/g, a difference of 62.0 cents per gallon. The national average price of gasoline has fallen 0.6 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.00/g today. The national average is down 7.7 cents per gallon from a month ago and stands 23.2 cents per gallon lower than a year ago.

Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets It has been said that money does not grow on trees, but that phrase may not capture the whole picture, especially if you are one of the 400 or so Vermont and New Hampshire farmers that bring to market Christmas trees, wreaths, garland and other decorator items each year. Many trees are sold to the wholesale market for ultimate resale throughout the region. Others are sold directly to the consumer, who enjoy the process of visiting the farm and taking part in the “cut your own” experience. Within the New Hampshire-Vermont Christmas Tree Association, the “cut your own” market is the most rapidly growing segment of an industry which annually produces more than 30 million trees nationwide.

Vermont Business Magazine Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) released the following statement about oligarchy in America: This is what Oligarchy looks like: Today, while 60% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck, three multi-billionaires own more wealth than the bottom half of American society. Today, we have a greater concentration of ownership than we have seen since the Gilded Age. In sector after sector — financial services, health care, agriculture, transportation, energy, food, housing, etc. — fewer and fewer giant corporations control what is produced and the prices we pay. Today, in America, we have more media consolidation than we have ever had. Some estimates claim as much as 90% of U.S. media is controlled by just six huge global conglomerates that have a defining impact on our culture and the information we receive.

Vermont Business Magazine Donald H. Turner, Jr., a beloved pillar of the Milton community, passed away peacefully surrounded by family on November 30, 2024, at the McClure Miller Respite House in Colchester, Vermont, after a short but courageous battle with glioblastoma. Born on July 19, 1964, in Burlington, Vermont, Don exemplified a life dedicated to service, family, and community engagement.  A respected figure in the political landscape of Milton, Don served as a State Representative for the Chittenden-9 district from 2006 until 2012 and subsequently for the Chittenden-10 district from 2013 to 2019. His commitment to public service was further highlighted by his role as the Minority Leader of the Vermont House of Representatives from 2011 to 2019. In addition to these accomplishments, he was actively involved in local governance as the Town Manager of Milton and as a member of the Board of Civil Authority. 

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont’s Killington Resort, the largest ski and snowboard resort in Eastern North America, hosted the women’s Audi FIS Ski World Cup for the eighth time over Thanksgiving Weekend. The first day of racing action was marked by a combination of jubilation and heartbreak as U.S. Ski team members Nina O’Brien and Paula Moltzan posted their best World Cup G.S. finishes to date. But as their teammate Mikaela Shiffrin descended the course, on track for her 100th World Cup victory, a dramatic crash took her out of contention for the rest of the event. Shiffrin was cleared of major injury, but her return to snow is to be determined. Sara Hector (SWE) won the giant slalom, while Zrinka Ljutic (CRO) and Camille Rast (SUI) rounded out the podium. 

by Lucia McCallum, Community News Service The faint smell of incense and a familiar scene of narrow aisles stocked with local food greet visitors to the Plainfield Co-op. The single 1,200-square-foot room in Plainfield village boasts a wood-paneled ceiling and can be thoroughly perused in minutes. “It feels like a trip to the 1970s,” co-op board secretary Andy Robinson said. Unsurprisingly, the storefront can be traced back to 1978 when early co-op members purchased the space — partly inspired by the back-to-the-land movement of the time. The business has been there ever since. But the old building has been showing its age. Now a recent move to address that reality has changed the trajectory of both the co-op’s future and that of another prominent local business: Plainfield Hardware. 

Vermont State Police On December 1st, 2024, at approximately 0848 hours, Troopers from the Vermont State Police – Westminster Barracks responded to a reported single-vehicle crash on US Route 5 in the Town of Dummerston. Upon arrival, Troopers located a 2014 Subaru Impreza off the west side of the roadway, down an embankment, resting against a tree. The operator / sole occupant of the vehicle was pronounced deceased at the scene. Initial investigation revealed that Operator #1 (Stockton) was traveling southbound on US Route 5, when he failed to maintain his lane and drove off the west side of the roadway, colliding with a tree.

by Kevin Ellis So … Donald Trump wins the presidency by a decisive margin in a country with 4 percent unemployment, inflation under control and people’s stocks and 401ks doing really well. Crazy right? What is more surprising? A Republican governor in a Democratic state, who stands against everything Trump espouses and who voted for his opponent, wins the governorship for a fifth time with 73 percent of the vote. And that governor leads a tidal wave of populist backlash against a Democratic Supermajority through a combination of quiet leadership and intimate understanding of the citizens he represents.

Vermont Business Magazine Board Members and presenters will participate remotely through Microsoft Teams. Members of the public can attend board meetings by using the links or call-in phone numbers listed below. Monday, December 2, 2024: Board Meeting (10:00 am): RRMC Budget Adjustment Request - Potential Vote.