Current News

by Michael Del Trecco, VAHHS CEO One of my favorite things about the holiday season is having all the family together at once. This year, I’m looking forward to having both of my kids at home for the first time in four months. Both are returning from college—one a freshman, the other a junior. I have to say I may not have predicted how very happy the prospect of simply spending time all together would make me, but it’s absolutely the best holiday gift.

Vermont Business Magazine To be a volunteer at Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports is to embody tireless dedication, strong leadership and a big heart. To strive to empower athletes with disabilities is reflected through every highly-trained instructor. The most outstanding volunteers in 2023 were Glen Torres, Andy Holt, Jay Schulz, and Ben Hamilton. Named 2023 Volunteers of the Year, these four recipients embody the traits and legacy of Jim Hutchinson, a Vermont Adaptive volunteer who left a tradition of empowering people of all abilities through sports and recreation as well as a commitment toward supporting the organization.

Vermont Business Magazine SERVPRO of Bennington and Rutland Counties delivered a $9,000 donation to the Dartmouth Health Cancer Center at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center (SVMC) last month — the culmination of a three-year, $25,000 commitment. Owners Johnny Flood and Ariana Flood presented the donation to SVMC’s President and CEO Tom Dee in November. The donation, raised during SERVPRO’s annual Charity Golf Tournament, is part of a three-year commitment of $25,000 to Vision 2020, A Decade of Transformation capital campaign. 

Vermont Business Magazine HomeShare Vermont has expanded to the Northeast Kingdom, creating more opportunities for Vermonters to access homesharing.  As a result of the expansion, HomeShare Vermont will now serve Hardwick, Craftsbury, and Greensboro. The nonprofit is bringing its more than 40 years of experience in matching hosts and guests for unique and fulfilling living opportunities to the Northeast Kingdom. This expansion follows a recent partnership with the Thompson Senior Center in Woodstock. HomeShare Vermont’s extensive matching process considers individual’s needs, interests and lifestyles for hosts and guests seeking services.

Vermont Business Magazine The Attorney General’s Office announced that Dylan Gratton, 40, of Fairfax, Vermont, was arraigned Monday on five felony and three misdemeanor counts of Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material, and one felony count of Promoting a Recording of Sexual Conduct. The charges brought against the defendant are the result of a criminal investigation, including the execution of a residential search warrant, conducted by the Vermont Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (VT-ICAC), including personnel from the Attorney General’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations, Burlington Police Department, Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, and White County Sheriff’s Office (Illinois).

Vermont Business Magazine The American Red Cross will open a disaster shelter at the Barre Auditorium (16 Auditorium Hill) to provide safe shelter for area residents who are experiencing flooding. The shelter will open at 5 p.m. on Monday, December 18th. This is a Red Cross managed site operating in coordination with Barre City officials. The Red Cross is also working closely with local and state emergency management and government officials. We remind Vermonters to heed all transportation warnings and obey road closures. Do not drive through flooded roadways.

by Mike Donoghue, Vermont News First A Vermont judge has issued separate rulings, including one that says the explosive lawsuit against the current Woodstock Foundation Board of Directors for claims of mismanagement and improper removal of two longtime trustees can proceed toward trial. Judge H. Dickson Corbett rejected arguments by the defendants that claimed former board leaders Ellen R.C. Pomeroy and Salvatore Iannuzzi did not have any legal standing to file the civil lawsuit in Vermont Superior Court. Corbett also rejected an unrelated effort by current trustees James S. Sligar, Michael D. Nolan, John T. Hallowell, Douglas R. Horne and David M. Simmons to have claims of defamation against them thrown out.  Pomeroy and Iannuzzi have maintained their reputations were defamed by the defendants through various words and actions, records show.

Vermont Business Magazine Average gasoline prices in Vermont are $3.32 per gallon, down 6.4 cents per gallon from last week's $3.39/g. The lowest price in the state yesterday was $2.99/g while the highest was $3.50/g, a difference of 51.0 cents per gallon. The national average price of gasoline has fallen 8.6 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.03/g today.

Vermont Business Magazine Today, with the support of the Gun Owners of Vermont, several Vermont manufacturers, its member clubs, and the many thousands of individual members, the Vermont Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs (VTFSC) joined a group of Vermont citizens and sporting-goods stores in filing a federal lawsuit challenging Vermont's 72-hour waiting period law and its ban on standard capacity firearm magazines that are commonly owned in Vermont and across the nation.

Vermont Agency of Agriculture Food & Markets Applications are now open for the School Food Systems Transformation Challenge Sub-Grants, which are part of USDA’s Healthy Meals Incentives Initiative. These grants will transform the K-12 school food marketplace by increasing collaboration between school districts, food producers, suppliers, distributors, and/or community partners. Students can expect to see improvements in the quality of food on their plates, thanks to these new efforts.

by Charlotte Oliver. Community News Service The first two years Rossy Alfaro lived in the U.S. she almost never left the dairy farm where she worked. She feared a familiar encounter, that if she ever headed to the grocery store she’d see red and blue lights in her rearview and suddenly find her future hinging on the discretion of an officer she didn’t trust. That hypothetical cop would’ve been protected by the law in calling federal immigration agents — something migrant workers around the state fear could lead to their detention or deportation, Alfaro said. 

Vermont Center for Emerging Technologies In this episode, witness the incredible power of pizza in uniting a community for over three decades. In her own words, Sara thrives on the challenge of 'connecting the dots,' be it deciphering new consumer trends or scaling into new geographies, all while navigating volatile market dynamics.