Current News

Vermont Business Magazine New bag scanning technology at the Emergency Department (ED) entrance of University of Vermont Medical Center will make entering the hospital easier for patients and visitors, starting later this month. Beginning January 20, patients and visitors entering the ED will once again be able to bring personal bags with them into the hospital. All bags and personal items will be screened using the enhanced technology, which will speed up the screening process for patients and visitors arriving at the ED. The new screening process replaces the hospital’s previous policy, which went into effect in 2023, required patients and visitors in the ED to leave personal bags in their vehicle and utilize clear plastic bags to hold their personal items while in the facility. 

by Attorney General Charity Clark Scammers are coming for your business. The business impostor scam is where criminals pretend to be a business representative, a supervisor, an employee, a customer, or a potential business partner. Having gained your trust, they attempt via email or phone to trick you into sending them money. Sometimes, the scammers are phishing for personal data, like account passwords and bank account numbers, that they can use to steal your money – or sell on illegal online marketplaces. Make no mistake: imposter scammers are sophisticated criminals. They often have pieces of your information, which are used to make their scam appear legitimate. Scammers are experts in human psychology. Their messages are designed to spark emotion, create urgency, and push you to act quickly before your rational thinking takes over.

Vermont Business Magazine The USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) has announced the appointment of five leaders in agriculture to serve on the Vermont USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) state committee. Members of the FSA state committee are appointed by Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins and, in support of the Trump Administration’s Farmers First commitment, members of the FSA state committee are responsible for the oversight of farm programs and county committee operations, resolving program delivery appeals from the agriculture community, maintaining cooperative relations with industry stakeholders and keeping producers informed about current FSA programs.   

Vermont Business Magazine Vermonters can keep their New Year’s resolutions to save energy with 2026 rebates and financial support from Efficiency Vermont and partners across the state—including weatherization incentives while funding lasts. Heat pump heating system rebates are available through a joint program offered by Efficiency Vermont and your electric utility. Efficiency Vermont’s website also has information on additional incentives that may be available from your utility. Weatherization rebates offering up to 90% cash back are also available

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Economic Conference returns on Tuesday, January 27, with a compelling, speaker-driven agenda designed to help business and policy leaders understand the forces shaping Vermont’s economy and what comes next. Presented by the Vermont Chamber of Commerce, the conference brings together nationally recognized voices and trusted Vermont experts for a full day of insight, analysis, and perspective. In addition to its robust agenda, the Vermont Economic Conference will include the presentation of the Outstanding Business of the Year Award, recognizing Birnn Chocolates for its enduring commitment to quality, innovation, and community leadership.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Public Service announced Thursday that on December 23, 2025, Consolidated Communications of Vermont Company (CCVT), LLC, which does business as Fidium, filed a petition with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The petition requests permission to discontinue traditional landline phone service (also known as legacy voice service) in certain areas of Vermont, in the following exchanges: Jacksonville, Jamaica, St. Johnsbury, Newfane (including Williamsville) and Wardsboro. Where fiber service is available, Fidium proposes to transition customers from traditional landline phone service to a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phone service. VoIP phone service uses an internet connection instead of copper phone lines.

Vermont Business Magazine The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) on Wednesday announced that it has initiated investigations into 18 educational entities in 10 states based on complaints submitted to OCR alleging that they have violated Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (Title IX). This includes Champlain Valley School District (Champlain Valley Union High School in Hinesburg, Vermont). The complaints assert that these entities, which range from K-12 school districts to postsecondary education institutions to state departments of education, maintain policies or practices that discriminate on the basis of sex by permitting students to participate in sports based on their ‘gender identity,’ not biological sex.

Vermont Business Magazine MENTOR Vermont, in partnership with youth mentoring programs, youth mentees, volunteer mentors, legislators, and business supporters, encourages all Vermonters to join us in celebrating National Mentoring Month this January, and the theme of Belonging, and to consider becoming a mentor in your community this year. Belonging is the foundation of connection. When young people feel seen, heard, and valued, they are more likely to engage in school, build confidence, and take positive risks that help them grow. At a time of widespread isolation and division, focusing on belonging reframes mentoring as a solution that builds empathy and stronger communities.

Vermont Business Magazine The Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission (CCRPC), the region’s transportation and land use planning and policy organization, is seeking public input on planning ideas and projects for its annual work program beginning on July 1, 2026, and ending on June 30, 2027. The public is invited to help develop new transportation, land use planning, climate adaptation, water quality, energy, and other similar types of projects. Residents should coordinate ideas with their municipality, since most projects require local match funding and support.

Vermont Business Magazine Let’s Build Homes (LBH), a statewide coalition of nearly 900 Vermonters and 270 organizations, today unveiled its 2026 legislative agenda aimed at addressing Vermont’s crippling housing shortage and accelerating the production of 30,000 new homes by 2030 - the figure that the state’s own Housing Needs Assessment says we need. At a State House press conference, Vermont employers joined health care and education leaders to sound the alarm on the state’s housing shortage, calling it one of the most urgent threats to Vermont’s economy, workforce, and health care system - warning that incremental reforms will not solve the shortage.

Vermont Business Magazine As the new year begins, the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is offering a few tips on what not to flush down toilets and sinks, and how to better dispose of that waste. For toilets, only flush human waste, toilet paper, and cleaning products in moderation. For sinks, small amounts of liquid food waste, like soup, can be safely flushed without affecting septic systems; however, it is discouraged. Never pour fats, oils, or grease down drains regardless of if you are on a sewer system or have a septic system. Never flush tissues, cotton swabs, floss, diapers, feminine hygiene products, coffee grounds, cat litter, wipes, excessive household cleaners, cigarette butts, or medications. Flushing these items can clog septic and sewer systems, cause sewage backups into your home, and result in costly maintenance and repairs both for property owners and municipalities.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine Average gasoline prices in Vermont are $2.99 per gallon, down 3 cents per gallon, down 10 cents/g from last month and down 11 cents/g from a year ago, according to AAA. The lowest price in the state this week was $2.65/g while the highest was $3.29/g, a difference of 64.0 cents per gallon. Prices are lowest in Bennington ($2.82/g) and Rutland ($2.90/g) counties and highest in Essex ($3.06/g), Chittenden ($3.06/g), and Washington ($3.07/g). The national average price of gasoline is up 3 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $2.84/g today, down 6 cents/g from last month and down 24 cents/g from a year ago.