Current News

Vermont Department of Economic Development The Vermont APEX Accelerator is part of a nation-wide program established to strengthen U.S. supply chains by helping businesses pursue and perform on contracts with federal agencies, state and local governments, and government prime contractors. Find us online: The Vermont APEX Accelerator. Through one-on-one business counseling, customized bid matching, bid preparation and eBusiness support, training, and partnership networking, the Vermont APEX equips companies to compete effectively in the government marketplace. For one Vermont APEX client in the video production industry, that support was transformative.

Vermont Business Magazine Norwich University has officially appointed Dr. Lea M. Williams as Provost and Dean of the Faculty following her service as interim provost. A 20-year member of the Norwich community, Provost Williams now serves as the University’s chief academic officer, overseeing academic programs, faculty affairs, and institutional learning initiatives. “Dr. Williams has demonstrated, time and again, that she understands the heart of Norwich University — our faculty, our students, and our mission,” said LtGen John J. Broadmeadow ’83, USMC (Ret.), 25th President of Norwich University. “Her appointment as Provost reflects both her exceptional qualifications and the trust she has earned across this institution.” 

by Devon Green, VAHHS Week 2 at the legislature kept the focus on health care affordability. It began with the Senate Health and Welfare Committee hearing from Shawn Tester, CEO of Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital and VAHHS Board Chair. He presented the VAHHS Affordability Action Plan and highlighted the work done at his hospital, including eliminating administrative positions, to achieve significant operational savings for FY 2026. House Health Care wrapped up the week by delving into the hospital budget process with testimony from the regulator, the regulated, and the public advocate. To start, the Green Mountain Care Board, as the regulator, provided background on how hospital budgets work and noted future plans.

Vermont Business Magazine VNA & Hospice of the Southwest Region (VNAHSR) proudly marks its 80th anniversary in 2026, celebrating eight decades of delivering high-quality home health care, hospice, and community services to families across Rutland, Bennington, and Franklin counties. Since its founding in 1946, the agency has been committed to its mission to promote health, independence, dignity, and comfort for individuals of all ages in the communities it serves. Over the past 80 years, the agency has grown from a small group of dedicated community members into a trusted nonprofit home health and hospice provider. 

Vermont Business Magazine Hundreds of mental health advocates and 43 co-sponsoring organizations and their network will rally together for the 11th Annual Mental Health Advocacy Day on Thursday, January 29th at the Vermont Supreme Courthouse Auditorium (9:00 am-12 pm - in-person and live-streamed) and the Vermont State House Capitol (1-3 pm – in-person). The central focus is “Together for Dignity, United for Change: Reclaiming Mental Health in Vermont”. The community can join the morning program either by live-stream or in-person at the Vermont Supreme Courthouse Auditorium from 9 am-12 pm. The agenda includes welcome remarks from Vermont state leaders and two keynote presenters: Rep. Daisy Berbeco and Vermont State Treasurer Mike Pieciak.

Vermont Business Magazine Two transformative nursing programs launched in partnership with Norwich University and Vermont State University, and supported by federal and state grant funding, celebrated the graduation of 31 students between August and the end of December. Ten of the students earned Bachelor’s of Science degrees in Nursing, and 21 received Master’s of Science degrees in Nursing. The programs are part of an ongoing larger effort to address Vermont’s nursing workforce shortage. The graduations are the result of two years of collaboration between University of Vermont Health and the universities, which received more than $1.5 million in grant funding from the Vermont Agency of Human Services (AHS) and the federal government to support students’ tuition, books and more.

The Vermont State Police is investigating the death of a woman who was in the custody of the Vermont Department of Corrections. VSP was notified at about 11:40 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026, that Alexis Lesage, 28, of South Burlington had died earlier that day at the University of Vermont Medical Center in Burlington. She had been incarcerated at the Chittenden Regional Correctional Facility in South Burlington. Per standard protocol, a detective from the Vermont State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigations was assigned to the case and began a death investigation. 

Vermont business Magazine On Martin Luther King Day, Democratic leaders and voting rights advocates gathered to announced the Vermont Voting Rights Act, legislation that will safeguard the voting rights of all Vermonters amid growing threats to the federal Voting Rights Act. The Supreme Court plans to rehear Louisiana v. Callais prior to the 2026 midterms, which is widely expected to determine the fate of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, which Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was instrumental in passing. The Vermont Voting Rights Act would prohibit racial gerrymandering, expand language assistance and disability access, strengthen voter education, and enhance protections against voter intimidation and misinformation. It would forbid discrimination in voting and election procedures based on race, color, or membership in a language-minority group, and will prevent suppression practices that reduce the voting power of protected communities.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont business Magazine The Vermont economy remains relatively healthy, even as the national economy presents uncertainty, but the state tax revenue gravy train is running out of steam and the surpluses elected leaders have counted on to plug holes, as with the property tax, likely will not be available for much longer. While overall revenues have been resilient, revenues from the healthcare segment and from corporate income taxes are weakening. That was the message of the state economists and their consensus revenue update, which they presented last Friday.

Vermont Business Magazine Average gasoline prices in Vermont are $3.00/g, up 1.6 cents per gallon from last week's $2.99/g. The lowest price in the state yesterday was $2.70/g while the highest was $3.29/g, a difference of 59.0 cents per gallon. The national average price of gasoline has risen 3.1 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $2.76/g today. The national average is down 8.6 cents per gallon from a month ago and stands 32.3 cents per gallon lower than a year ago

Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets Showcase your Vermont brand to over 1.5 million fairgoers at one of the largest and most iconic events in the Northeast! Each September, the Big E fair transforms West Springfield, MA into a massive celebration of food, culture, and commerce. The Vermont Building—one of six public market–style buildings on the Avenue of the States—features a curated mix of Vermont food producers, makers, and retailers that highlight the very best of our state. The 2026 Big E runs September 18 – October 4, and we are now accepting applications from Vermont businesses that want to join this high-visibility, high-energy event.

Vermont Business Magazine The 34th annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Convocation at Saint Michael’s College is drawing its theme this year from Dr. King’s final book, which focused on environmental justice, alongside his social justice work and advocacy. Programming, activities, music, and art throughout the week will all fall under the theme of “The World House: The Interrelatedness of All Things,” which was inspired by Dr. King’s final book, “Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community?” In his book, King envisioned the world as one home in which “we must learn somehow to live with each other in peace.” The annual event at Saint Michael’s aims to highlight aspects of Dr. King’s advocacy and vision of a “beloved community.”