Current News

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Bar Foundation (VBF) has launched the Vermont IOLTA Leadership Circle, a voluntary initiative designed to strengthen and stabilize funding for civil legal aid by recognizing financial institutions that demonstrate leadership through competitive interest rates on Interest on Lawyers’ Trust Accounts (IOLTA). IOLTA funding plays a vital role in supporting civil legal services and justice initiatives across Vermont. Interest earned on lawyers’ trust accounts helps fund legal assistance for Vermonters facing housing instability, domestic violence, immigration challenges, and other serious legal matters. Because interest rates vary by institution, banking practices directly affect the amount of funding available to support this work.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Animation Festival will return April 17–18, 2026, for its eleventh year of celebrating creativity, innovation, and community in animation. Hosted by Vermont State University Lyndon in partnership with Catamount Arts, the festival will offer two days of screenings, workshops, and artist talks designed to inspire animators at every level. This year’s keynote speakers are Dale Hayward and Sylvie Trouvé, the husband-and-wife team behind See Creature Animation. Known for their unique approach that combines handcrafted stop-motion techniques with cutting-edge digital tools, Hayward and Trouvé have contributed to acclaimed projects such as The Little Prince (2015), Bone Mother (2018), and Les Emerveilleurs (2022). Their commercial work includes collaborations with Nike, Hot Wheels, and Tim Horton's, alongside projects for non-profit organizations.

Vermont Business Magazine In response to the dangerously cold weather forecasted for Vermont, the Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) is launching "Freeze Patrols" to enhance motorist safety. These patrols will provide increased coverage on Vermont’s interstates, highways, and secondary roads throughout the weekend. The National Weather Service predicts that overnight temperatures from Friday into Saturday will drop into single digits and well below zero (teens below zero), with wind chills potentially reaching 40 degrees below zero in some areas. An extreme cold warning is in effect statewide from 7 p.m. Friday through 1 p.m. Saturday. A slight warm-up is expected on Sunday, followed by snow moving in from the south during the afternoon and evening.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont State Police is implementing “freeze patrols” to ensure uninterrupted coverage overnight as dangerously cold weather arrives in Vermont and is forecast to last through the weekend. During freeze patrols, night-shift troopers stay on duty beyond their normal 2 a.m. end of shift, and the day shift signs on earlier in the morning so there are no gaps in police coverage. The freeze patrol begins with Friday’s night shift and will continue at least until Sunday. The extra patrols could be extended if needed, as a significant snowstorm is predicted to follow the subzero temperatures. The National Weather Service is forecasting overnight low temperatures Friday into Saturday in the single digits to teens below zero, with wind chills plunging to as much as minus 40 in parts of Vermont.

Vermont Business Magazine Attorney General Charity Clark joined a coalition of 20 attorneys general in filing an amicus brief in support of Minnesota’s lawsuit and motion for temporary restraining order challenging the Trump Administration’s extraordinary campaign of lawlessness during its deployment of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Border Patrol to the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and Saint Paul. Over the course of just a few weeks, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has sent more than 3,000 federal agents into the area. In the brief, filed on January 22, 2026, the coalition urges the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota to order an immediate halt to the federal government’s lawless actions – actions that show unprecedented disregard for foundational constitutional principles.

Vermont Business Magazine U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont), alongside U.S. Senator Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), recently introduced the No Taxpayer Funds for Corporate Investment in Venezuelan Oil Act, legislation to prohibit the Trump Administration from providing taxpayer reimbursements for oil companies investing in Venezuela’s oil and gas sector. 

Vermont Business Magazine U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont), Ranking Member of the Senate Agriculture Committee on Rural Development, Energy, and Credit, alongside U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Senate Commerce Committee Chairman, this week reintroduced the bipartisan Satellite and Telecommunications Streamlining (SAT) Act, legislation to expand access to high-speed internet in rural communities by cutting red tape that threatens investments in America’s commercial satellite industry. The Senators’ legislation aims to streamline the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) application process to ensure America remains competitive by incentivizing commercial satellite operators to base operations in the United States.

Vermont Business Magazine With extreme cold forecast this weekend, the State of Vermont, in partnership with community organizations across the state, is opening six shelters around Vermont. These shelters are part of the Department for Children and Families’ Extreme Cold Weather Shelter Program, administered through a partnership with Vermont Interfaith Action. Additionally, local communities and non-profit organizations may open additional shelters. Anyone who needs access to shelter should call 2-1-1 for up-to-date information about shelter locations and opening times. These low-barrier shelters will provide a warm place to sleep and get out of the dangerous cold, as well as some limited amenities. Shelters will open Friday and Saturday nights and remain open beyond that depending on temperature and location.

Vermont Business Magazine Burlington Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak today announced that Chief of Staff Erin Jacobsen will be departing City Hall following a long-discussed decision to return to the practice of immigration law, where she will focus full time on addressing the Trump administration’s ongoing immigration actions. Since the start of Mayor Mulvaney-Stanak's first term, Erin Jacobsen has played an integral role in building the administration and advancing its priorities. Kara Alnasrawi, Director of the Burlington Office of Community & Economic Development (CEDO), will take over as Interim Chief of Staff, starting on February 7, 2026. 

Vermont Business Magazine Ski Vermont’s Specialty Food Day Tour returns for the 2026 season with 17 stops at ski areas across the state, bringing local food, beverages, and products directly to Vermont’s ski areas. The pop-up, marketplace-style events take place between January 23 and March 22, offering skiers and riders a chance to sample, shop, and connect with Vermont producers while enjoying a day on snow. The tour kicks off on January 23 at Jay Peak, coinciding with the resort’s annual Farmers Appreciation Day, before continuing to ski areas throughout the state. Three new stops join the tour this season—Stowe, Middlebury Snowbowl, and Bolton Valley—expanding the series to additional regions of Vermont.

Vermont Business Magazine Sarah Pelkey will join CEDRR on February 2, 2026, as our new Director of Economic Development. Sarah brings strong regional experience in community and economic development, most recently serving in leadership roles with the Town of Poultney and in regional planning and outdoor recreation initiatives. As Director of Economic Development, Sarah will lead efforts to attract, retain, and expand businesses, manage grant and loan programs, and strengthen regional partnerships across Rutland County.

Vermont Business Magazine The Center for Community News at UVM has announced three new and expanded roles for its Burlington-based team as the organization continues to grow its ambitions here in Vermont and across the country. Courtney Lamdin joined CCN in January as CCN's Community News Service editor. Courtney was most recently a staff writer at Seven Days, covering politics, policy and public safety in Burlington. Scott Finn’s role at CCN expanded in 2026 as UVM’s first ever lecturer of journalism and democracy, in the Department of Sociology. Scott has worked closely with CCN Director Richard Watts and Managing Director Meg Little Reilly over the past two years. Sima Bhowmik has been hired as research assistant professor in the Department of Sociology after a prolific 17 months as CCN’s first post-doctoral research fellow.