Current News

Vermont Business Magazine On Saturday, dozens of Hospice workers, volunteers, community members and elected officials held a “Honk and Wave” protest outside of UVM Health Offices on Shelburne Road to build community support and awareness for their ongoing union contract negotiations. They were met with overwhelming support. Despite the cold temperatures, spirits were high as cars honked and drivers waved. Six months ago, workers at UVM Home Health and Hospice voted overwhelmingly (88%) to form a union. Hospice United now represents over 100 Nurses, LNAs, Social Workers, Chaplains, Bereavement Coordinators, Volunteers Coordinators, Cooks, and Admin Support workers.

Vermont Business Magazine Average gasoline prices in Vermont is $3.06 per gallon, down 2.3 cents per gallon from last week's $3.08/g. The lowest price in the state yesterday was $2.69/g while the highest was $3.29/g, a difference of 60.0 cents per gallon. The national average price of gasoline has fallen 5.7 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $2.79/g today.

Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets Organic Dry Bean Production is a free online short course brought to you by UVM Extension and ECOBEAN: East-Central Organic Dry Bean Collaborative. This course will provide an introductory overview of dry bean production for farmers, service providers, students, and anyone interested in growing dry beans. Classes meet Mondays and Fridays from 12:00–1:15 p.m. EST, from February 2nd to February 20th. Dry beans can be a valuable addition to your crop rotation, especially as public interest in alternative plant proteins continues to rise. Join this course to learn production strategies grounded in local research and real on-farm experience. 

The Vermont State Police has arrested a suspect on multiple charges following a shooting early Friday in Fairfax. Timothy Bickings Jr., 44, of Fairfax is facing two counts of attempted first-degree murder along with charges of aggravated domestic assault and reckless endangerment. Bickings was arrested Friday afternoon and brought to the Northwest State Correctional Facility in St. Albans Town, where he was jailed without bail pending his initial court appearance. He is scheduled for arraignment at 1 p.m. Monday, Dec. 22, in the Criminal Division of Vermont Superior Court in St. Albans.

by Cameron Kohout, Community News Service Two years after floods devastated downtown, the leader of Barre Area Development Inc. says the group is starting to make progress, although much work remains to be done. Executive Director Josh Jerome has been in this position since May, but has been in the economic development field for 15 years, working in central Vermont. Jerome lived in Barre growing up, and spent four years as executive director of The Barre Partnership, whose goal is to sustain a vibrant downtown. After much uncertainty surrounding the hold on federal funding, Jerome says housing and flooding mitigation are mostly back on track.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports has named four individuals as its 2025 Volunteers of the Year, recognizing their year-round commitment to the organization’s mission of empowering individuals with disabilities through sports and recreation. Honored this year are Lisa and Todd Presson of Panton, Katie Ahern of East Thetford and Stew Stryker of Windsor. The annual award is given in honor of the late Jim Hutchinson, a long-time volunteer whose leadership helped shape the organization for more than a decade.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Financial Regulation (DFR) has announced that it is resuming its grant program to support Vermont organizations providing financial services education. This grant program is authorized in 9 V.S.A. § 5601 and § 5616, using funds available in the Vermont Financial Services Education and Victim Restitution Special Fund. Grant applications will be accepted by email until 5 PM on Friday, January 30, 2026. The Fund was established in 2019, and allows a portion of settlements arising out of DFR enforcement matters to be retained for the purposes of education and restitution.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine Vermont weekly unemployment claims are at their usual and relatively high and volatile level for the holiday season. For the week ending December 13, 2025, new claims were 528. New claims were down 56 from the week before and are up 27 from last year at this time. Claims were 186 in September. Claims, which tend to be lowest in the summer, were 181 at the end of September 2024 and 186 last September. Claims tend to rise and fall around the holidays with temporary work hires and layoffs.

Vermont Business Magazine The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont has announced that WP Deli LLC (WP Deli), a Colorado business, and its majority owner and chief executive, Robert Montuoro, of Stratton, Vermont, will pay $102,000 to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by misusing funds procured through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont State Police is investigating after a shooting in Fairfax left two people with serious but non-life-threatening injuries early Friday morning, Dec. 19, 2025. Troopers have detained one person for questioning in connection with the shooting. The investigation began at about 1:20 a.m. Friday when police received an emergency call reporting a shooting had occurred at an apartment building at 2 Fletcher Rd. in Fairfax. The victims were a man and a woman. They were taken by Fairfax Rescue to Northwestern Medical Center in St. Albans and then transferred to the University of Vermont Medical Center in Burlington for treatment of gunshot wounds. 

Vermont Business Magazine Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston (FHLBank Boston) awarded $47 million in grants, loans, and interest-rate subsidies through its Affordable Housing Program to support 49 affordable housing initiatives in New England and beyond. These projects will create or preserve 1,532 rental and homeownership units for individuals and families earning up to 80% of the area median income. As part of this funding round, Vermont received nearly $3 million to fund 124 affordable housing units in Brandon, Brattleboro, Grand Isle, and Newport. 

Vermont Business Magazine The Ben & Jerry’s Foundation today announced that it has taken the first step to intervene in the Ben & Jerry’s Independent Board lawsuit against Unilever/Magnum, currently pending in the Federal Court of the Southern District of New York. The action seeks to compel Unilever/Magnum to honor its binding obligations under the original acquisition agreement and to cease efforts that interfere with the brand’s social mission and the independent governance of Ben and Jerry’s and the Foundation. The Foundation’s intervention is necessary to protect its independence and safeguard its mission.