Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Today, Speaker Jill Krowinski and Representative Matt Walker, Chair, House Committee on Transportation made the following joint statement on S.326, an act relating to miscellaneous amendments to laws relating to motor vehicles: “The House Transportation Committee spent months listening to Vermonters, gathering testimony, and crafting legislation that puts affordability, accountability, and safety front and center. We are asking the DMV to update the annual inspection manual to prioritize safety issues and provide relief from minor maintenance requirements. We are tightening accountability on trucks illegally passing through Smugglers' Notch and on snowmobiles using VAST trails without a permit and clarifying the illegality of individuals intentionally altering a Vermont license-plate."

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine Average gasoline prices in Vermont are $4.56 per gallon, up 1 cent per gallon from last week, up 52 cents/g from last month and up $1.48/g from this time last year, according to AAA. The lowest price in the state this week was $4.25/g. Prices are lowest in Bennington ($4.51/g) and Windham ($4.52/g) counties and highest in Essex ($4.94/g), Orange ($4.61/g), and Franklin ($4.59/g), according to AAA. The national average price of gasoline has risen 3 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $4.56/g today.

Vermont Business Magazine As boaters visit Vermont’s lakes and ponds this spring and summer, the Agency of Natural Resources (ANR) and partners are offering a few tips on how to stay safe and protect Vermont’s natural resources. “This National Safe Boating Week, we want to encourage boaters to prioritize safety and environmental responsibility while enjoying Vermont’s lakes and ponds throughout the boating season,” said Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Misty Sinsigalli.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont’s antlerless deer permit applications are now available online at Vermont Fish and Wildlife’s website and from license agents. The Fish and Wildlife Board met on May 20 and set antlerless deer permit numbers for the fall deer hunting seasons. An antlerless permit allows a hunter to take one antlerless deer during the muzzleloader seasons on October 29-November 1 and November 30-December 13 or during the regular deer season on November 14-29.  Antlerless permits are available for 19 of Vermont’s 21 Wildlife Management Units. Landowners who do not post their land may apply for a landowner priority antlerless deer permit.  Landowners who do post are still eligible to apply in the regular lottery for an antlerless deer permit.

Vermont Business Magazine GlobalFoundries (Nasdaq: GFS) (GF) today launched Quantum Technology Solutions, a new quantum business to scale the manufacturing capabilities the quantum industry needs to achieve utility-scale quantum computing. The new business launches with customer engagements, and a pipeline of quantum innovators positioned to scale on its platform. GF is based in New York with a plant in Vermont. In a separate agreement, the U.S. Department of Commerce will receive a strategic equity investment in GF, representing approximately 1 percent ownership as of today’s date, enabling the American public to share in GF’s growth.

Vermont Business Magazine ISO New England, operator of the region’s electric grid, expects sufficient energy supplies this summer, when the region typically sees its highest demand for electricity. The ISO projects consumer demand will peak at 25,288 megawatts (MW) under normal weather conditions. Very hot and humid weather could drive demand to 26,473 MW, which could present challenging operating conditions, particularly if combined with an unexpected loss of generation or other factors. Total resources available are 28,717 MW.

by Steven Berbeco In June here in Vermont, the noise settles as teachers count field trips instead of fire drills and seniors drift through hallways like ghosts already halfway gone. Meantime in Montpelier, lawmakers are still arguing about how to rebuild the entire education system. Everyone agrees the bridge is cracking, but nobody agrees whether to reinforce it, replace it, or paint it green and form a study committee. That disconnect sits at the center of the state’s education reform debate. While legislators battle over district consolidation, governance structures, and funding formulas, educators are stacking chairs for the summer without knowing whether their school will be closed in two years as collateral damage.

Vermont Business Magazine Fossil fuel price increases added $32.4 million in estimated costs for Vermont drivers and fuel oil customers in the month of March. Specifically, EAN estimates that $174 million was spent on gasoline, diesel, and fuel oil in Vermont in March, rather than the $141 million that would have been spent if prices for those fuels had held at end of February prices. 

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation (FPR) is now accepting applications for the Crane Mat Cost-Share Program, a new initiative funded by the US Forest Service that offers low-cost crane mats to logging contractors. Crane mats, sometimes referred to as swamp mats or timber mats, provide a stable surface for easier use of heavy logging equipment and protect soil and water quality when harvesting in wet or sensitive areas.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department has released the Vermont Master Angler Program 2025 Report with 1,222 entries and 90 Master Angler Award recipients. Vermont’s wealth of waters and abundant fish populations provide many opportunities to experience outstanding fishing.  The Vermont Master Angler Program recognizes the achievements of anglers who catch trophy-sized fish from Vermont waters and celebrates the clean water and healthy habitats that allow these fish to survive and grow to exceptional sizes.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Corrections (DOC) today announced the death of Shawn Sears, a sentenced person incarcerated at Tallahatchie County Correctional Facility (TCCF) in Mississippi. Shawn Sears, 56, of Whiting, Vermont, began his current incarcerative sentence in 2019. Mr. Sears was residing at TCCF, a correctional facility operated by CoreCivic, prior to his death. There are 147 men in Vermont DOC custody held at TCCF. 

Vermont Business Magazine Today, the EPA announced $27,456,000 in funding to protect Vermont from exposure to lead in drinking water. This investment will go directly to states through the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) and is part of EPA’s commitment to Making America Healthy Again. This funding will go toward finding and replacing lead pipes (also known as lead service lines) that deliver water to homes. Communities can use these funds for identifying lead pipes, planning removal projects, and funding replacement of these lead service lines. Lead is a powerful neurotoxin that is especially harmful to children.