Current News

VermontBiz Most Vermonters are familiar with the general storyline of the EB-5 fraud committed in the Northeast Kingdom involving Jay Peak, Burke, and AnC Bio Vermont. News reports which were upbeat and promising in the early part of the last decade took a dark turn as details began to emerge of financial improprieties. Three individuals were ultimately convicted of felony offenses related to the fraud, the State’s reputation was bruised by national press coverage, and in July Vermont taxpayers learned they would foot the $16.5 million bill of a global settlement reached between the Vermont Attorney General and a group of EB-5 investors.

Vermont Business Magazine April 8’s solar eclipse will be an event to remember in parts of Vermont that will be along the path of totality – especially if viewers know what they’re looking for in the sky. Saint Michael’s College Professor and astrophysicist Alain Brizard, Ph.D., will provide that context during a talk on April 3 at 5 p.m. on campus, answering questions including “why is this happening?” and “why are solar eclipses so rare?” His talk will be free and open to the public.  

Vermont Business Magazine Sarah Waring, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) State Director for Rural Development (RD) in Vermont and New Hampshire, today announced $2,284,401 in funding for Twin State small businesses through the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP).  In Springfield, Vermont, Black River Crossing will retrofit two underutilized buildings with energy-efficiency upgrades to revive their functional use and stimulate economic development in the region, courtesy of a $214,911 REAP grant. Improvements include electric heat to replace oil combustion, and substantial weatherization of the envelope, offsetting 75 percent of historical consumption and saving roughly $17,600 annually. 

Vermont Business Magazine The Attorney General’s Office today announced an update in the State’s case against Vermont State Police Sergeant Ryan Wood, 37, and Trooper Zachary Trocki, 30. In May of 2023, Sergeant Wood and Officer Trocki were each charged with one misdemeanor count of Reckless Endangerment in Vermont Superior Court, Windham Criminal Division. This referral is supported by the victim and is based on the defendants’ willingness to take responsibility for their actions and to engage in a restorative process to address the harm related to their conduct.

Vermont Business Magazine This week the Vermont House passed three key bills that will make Vermont safer and more affordable. H.721 expands access to health care. H.880 makes an historic investment in our criminal justice system. And H.871 takes a critical step to revitalize our state’s school-construction aid program and manage education spending. 

VermontBiz and the Vermont Chamber of Commerce revealed the ranking of the top 65 Best Places to Work in Vermont 2024 at a ceremony on March 26 at the DoubleTree Hotel Burlington. There were over 525 people in attendance. “With Vermont’s tight labor market, businesses are finding it difficult to fill open positions. These businesses can say to prospective employees that their company has been chosen as a best place to work in Vermont. This will give them a leg up on recruitment,” said John Boutin, publisher, Vermontbiz. The number 1 company in each category are: Small (15-99 employees) – Fluency; Medium (100-249 employees) – NuHarbor Security; Large (250+ employees) – Stantec Consulting Services.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today issued the following statement on his appointment of Zoie Saunders to serve as Vermont’s next education secretary. “Last week, I announced my appointment of Zoie Sunders as the next secretary of education in Vermont. Since that time, I’ve been disappointed to see many in and around the State House spreading or believing misinformation, making assumptions and levying attacks on her character – all without ever having met her or spoken to her. Disturbingly, all these false accusations and judgements appear to be based on the state she currently lives in, and a cherry-picked part of her resume that’s been turned into a boogeyman with no attempts to understand her work or the value her experience could bring for Vermont kids and schools."

by House Majority Leader Emily Long As Democrats, there’s nothing we care more about than making sure Vermont is a place where everyone can afford to live. We’re working hard to pass legislation that makes a real difference for folks, and it’s no secret that we have some deep differences with Governor Scott about how to get this important work done. I guess it’s obvious that it’s an election year! Unfortunately, turning up the heat and delivering over-simplified political rhetoric doesn’t help anyone and it certainly doesn’t help Vermonters. It’s disappointing to see the Governor and our House Republican colleagues using press conferences and press releases to create an atmosphere of fear and mistrust. Making sweeping statements about taxes and fees — without any context, without any mention of the people and communities these investments will help, without any mention of long-term savings — falls far short of the kind of conversation we need to be having as a state. It’s designed to create outrage, but we’d rather focus on helping our constituents raise families, build careers, grow their businesses and support their communities.

Vermont Business Magazine Average gasoline prices in Vermont are $3.37 per gallon, up 8 cents per gallon from last week's $3.29/g. Gas prices are up 14 cents/g from a month ago and are 1 cent/g lower than this time last year. The lowest price in the state yesterday is $3.18/g in Colchester and Burlington, while the highest is $3.89/g in Island Pond. The national average price of gasoline unchanged in the last week, averaging $3.54/g today. The national average is up 21 cents per gallon from a month ago and stands 10 cents per gallon higher than a year ago.

Vermont Business Magazine Eastern Hemlock, a ubiquitous and underutilized evergreen tree species in the northeastern United States, is now available for commercial cross-laminated timber (CLT) building projects for the first time after a multi-year project brings the tree species to the market. CLT is part of the new mass timber construction technique that uses glued pieces of lumber to make beams and large solid wood panels for floors and walls. Up until now, only timber species from the south and western U.S. and outside the country were available for CLT buildings. An addition to the Fairbanks Museum in St. Johnsbury, Vermont, and a brand new multi-functional 5-story commercial building at the 154 Broadway building in Somerville, Massachusetts, both have Eastern Hemlock CLT installed as they complete these buildings in 2024.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Agency of Transportation (AOT) invites municipalities to participate in the Municipal Roads Grants-in-Aid Program, which provides funding for municipalities to implement best management practices (BMPs) in accordance with the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Municipal Roads General Permit (MRGP). Grants-in-Aid awards will be made available through AOT and will total approximately $3 million dollars in this grant cycle. Municipalities will submit reimbursement requests directly to AOT for work completed, and AOT will reimburse up to 80% of the municipality’s documented construction expenses, including in-kind support, for BMPs on hydrologically connected roads.    

by Caitlin Littlefield & Basil Waugh, UVM Anew report released today highlights the opportunity for New England to dramatically expand forest protections and sustainably meet the region’s wood product needs by reducing consumption and reorienting production. The report calls on New England states to permanently protect roughly 70% of the region’s landscape—a significant increase from the 25% currently protected—while expanding sustainable forest management across two-thirds of New England’s forests. The report is by researchers from the University of Vermont (UVM), Harvard Forest, Conservation Science Partners, University of Massachusetts, and Brandeis University.