Current News

Vermont Business Magazine US Citizenship and Immigration Services and the US District Court for the District of Vermont will welcome 30 new citizens during a naturalization ceremony Wednesday at the American Legion Post #10 in Barre. US Bankruptcy Judge Heather Z. Cooper will administer the Oath of Allegiance. The 30 citizenship candidates come from the following 16 countries: Belgium, Bhutan, Canada, China, Congo (Kinshasa), France, Germany, Haiti, India, Jamaica, Moldova, Peru, Portugal, Somalia, South Korea and Syria.

Vermont Business Magazine Average gasoline prices in Burlington have risen 1 cent per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.96/g today, according to GasBuddy's survey of 100 stations in Burlington. Prices in Burlington are 12.3 cents per gallon higher than a month ago and stand 48.6 cents per gallon higher than a year ago. The Vermont average is $3.96, which is down 1 cent from last week. The national average price of gasoline has fallen 2.6 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.76/g today. The national average price of diesel has risen 2.3 cents in the last week and stands at $5.34 per gallon.

Vermont Business Magazine Saint Michael’s College is celebrating International Education Week with a series of activities centered around the ways global connections enrich learning and help prepare future leaders. The celebration from Nov. 14 to 18 is being organized by the College’s Center for Global Engagement along with other groups within the Saint Michael’s Community. International Education Week is a joint initiative of the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education designed to celebrate the benefits of international exchange and international education. 

by Joyce Marcel, Vermont Business Magazine Dr John R Brumsted, the retiring president and CEO of the University of Vermont Health Network — a network he has largely created — has his heart in two places: Vermont and New York's North Country. Perhaps that's why he has spent so much of his distinguished career joining the two regions together medically. Brumsted retires from his position on November 27, 2022. His successor will be Sunil “Sunny” Eappen, MD, MBA, who comes from Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, part of the Mass General Brigham network. Apart from an early stint in rural New York with the US Public Health Service to help pay off his medical education, Brumsted, 69, has spent his entire 30-year career working at UVM.

by Amanda Kuhnert Debbie Safran adopted her first greyhound over a decade ago and immediately began having trouble finding accessories and apparel that fit her dog’s long, lean shape. Early on, she batted around the idea of opening her own store, where pet owners could find everything for their dogs and cats — even those with unique physiques — under one roof. Safran brought her longtime vision to life in the fall of 2019, when she opened Houndstooth, a small pet store on College Street. The pandemic hit just a couple of months later.

Vermont Agency of Transportation This weekly report is a list of planned construction activities that will have traffic impacts on state highways throughout Vermont for the week of November 14, 2022. Please remember to drive safely in all work zones. Lives depend on it.

Vermont Business Magazine The Third Annual Vermont Holiday Market returns to the Champlain Valley Exposition in Essex Junction, Vermont on December 3^rd & 4^th, 2022. The Blue Ribbon Pavilion will host over 60 crafters and artisans each day. New for this year, the Holiday Market is now a two-day event. In response to the increasing interest in the event by both participants and patrons, we have expanded the Market to include both Saturday and Sunday this year.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Health reported November 9 that hospitalizations decreased from 47 to 38 last week, as overall COVID-19 cases fell from 532 to 442. COVID-19 infections are back down to a "Low" level for the third week, according to the VDH, after increasing hospitalizations had sent them to "Medium" a few weeks ago (from a low of 30). There were 3 more COVID-related deaths since last week's report, for 4 so far in November and a pandemic total of 763 (the VDH report could be updated as more data becomes available). There were 19 COVID-related fatalities in August, 11 in September and 30 in October. Vermont is tied for the lowest COVID fatality rate in the nation, at 121 per 100,000 population.

Vermont Business Magazine Six Vermont communities are receiving $4,000 each in grant funds from AARP Vermont to initiate or enhance winter placemaking demonstration projects. The projects focus on creating or reinventing public spaces to improve safety, accessibility, and overall appeal on a temporary or permanent basis. Proposals from Burlington, Rutland, White River Junction, Mendon, Putney, and Swanton were selected from dozens of applications for the initiative. This is the sixth year of AARP Vermont’s Placemaking Grant Program, which aims to spearhead demonstration project efforts that will help build momentum for long-term livability improvements with an emphasis on the needs of adults age 50 and over.

Vermont Business Magazine The National Life Group Board of Directors has approved an estimated payment of approximately $26.5 million in dividends to eligible participating policyholders in 2023. This payment represents National Life’s ongoing commitment to its policyholders and continues a proud heritage of having paid a dividend every year since 1855. An annual dividend is a yearly payment from the life insurance company for certain policies. Every year the company determines what the dividend rate will be, or if they will pay a dividend at all. Annual dividends are not guaranteed and may increase or decrease from policy year to policy year.