Current News

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.

Vermont Business Magazine Lauren Curry, executive director of the Richard E. and Deborah L. Tarrant Foundation, announced Thursday on their website and LinkedIn that the foundation will cease operating. She wrote: "After 20 busy and wonderful years, the Richard E. & Deborah L. Tarrant Foundation will close on December 31st. We are grateful to the countless partners who shared their passion, expertise, and hard work with us over that time. Your efforts are what enabled us to invest in people and communities throughout Vermont and beyond. As Rich said many times, we couldn’t have done anything without YOU."

Vermont Business Magazine Copley Equity Partners of Boston announced Thursday that it has acquired Vital Delivery Solutions, a leading New England–based provider of healthcare logistics and courier services based in Williston, Vermont. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Founded in 1987, VDS has built a strong reputation for providing reliable, time-sensitive delivery and warehousing services. From a single route nearly four decades ago, VDS has grown its operations to over 200 daily routes, supported by a fleet of nearly 250 company vehicles and a team of roughly 300 professional drivers serving clients including healthcare facilities, laboratories, and pharmacies, among others.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Lottery and the Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL) expect Saturday’s Powerball jackpot to hit $1.50 billion, with an estimated cash value of $686.5 million, making it the 5th largest Powerball jackpot ever. This marks only the second time in Powerball history that the game has produced back-to-back jackpots exceeding $1 billion. Powerball jackpot winners may choose to receive their prize as an annuity or a lump sum payment (cash option). Both advertised prize options are prior to federal and jurisdictional taxes. The overall odds of winning a prize are 1 in 24.9. The odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 292.2 million. More than half of all proceeds from the sale of a Powerball ticket remain in the jurisdiction where the ticket was sold.

Vermont Business Magazine In the wake of the horrific antisemitic attack this week in Sydney that killed 15 Jews, Representatives Becca Balint (VT-AL), Jerrold Nadler (NY-12), Rosa DeLauro (CT-03), and Maxwell Frost (FL-10) have introduced the Antisemitism Response and Prevention Act (ARPA). This comprehensive strategy to combating antisemitism supports the Biden administration’s landmark U.S. National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism, including its approach to defining antisemitism. ARPA also fully funds the Office for Civil Rights of the Department of Education, reverses the Trump closure of regional offices, prevents regional offices from being closed in the future, and creates greater congressional oversight over the work of the Department. Additionally, ARPA mandates the designation of a Title VI coordinator on every college campus in order to provide students with additional resources to report hate incidents if they occur, while working to prevent antisemitism and other hate on campus.  

Vermont State Police On December 18, 2025, at approximately 00:14 hours, Vermont State Police were dispatched to a single vehicle crash in the area of I-89 Northbound near mile marker 95 in the town of Colchester.  Troopers arrived on scene and identified the operator as Mason Vieta (27) of Franklin.  Preliminary investigation revealed Vieta was traveling northbound on Interstate 89 when his vehicle left the roadway into the median, disabling it.

Vermont Business Magazine In partnership with the Vermont Department of Health, Valley Vista has opened 27 new residential treatment beds at its Vergennes facility, marking a significant expansion of the state’s system of care for individuals seeking treatment for substance use disorder. The expansion significantly increases the availability of low-level substance use treatment in residential settings, such as group homes. These facilities offer 24-hour care, structured programming and a safe, stable environment for people who need ongoing recovery support.

Vermont Business Magazine JD Power’s annual national survey of utility customers places Green Mountain Power (GMP) first among midsize utilities in the East Region for customer satisfaction.  The survey of 127,000 customers nationwide focuses on utility reliability, cost, and customer service. “Study data shows that customers expect their utilities to deliver reliable service, provide easy access to information and frequent updates on outages and planned restoration. When utilities streamline billing and digital self‑service, and deliver timely outage alerts, satisfaction rises even in a cost‑pressured environment.”

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine Average gasoline prices in Vermont are $3.08 per gallon, down 2 cents per gallon from last week, down 4 cents/g from last month and down 3 cents/g from last year, according to AAA. The lowest price in the state this week was $2.77/g while the highest was $3.29/g, a difference of 52.0 cents per gallon. Prices are lowest in Bennington ($2.91/g) and Rutland ($2.97/g) counties and highest in Lamoille ($3.17/g), Chittenden ($3.16/g), and Washington ($3.16/g). The national average price of gasoline has fallen 5 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $2.89/g today.

Vermont Business Magazine U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont), a member of the Senate Finance Committee, this week joined U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee, Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Ranking Member of the Senate Aging Committee, and 14 Democratic Senators in introducing the Seniors Deserve SMARTER (Streamlined Medical Approvals for Timely, Efficient Recovery) Care Act, bicameral legislation to prohibit the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) from implementing the Wasteful and Inappropriate Service Reduction (WISeR) model that is set to begin January 1, 2026, and last for six years.  

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Chamber of Commerce has announced that Vermont State Treasurer Mike Pieciak will join Jack Crivici-Kramer, co-host of the nationally celebrated business podcast The Best One Yet, as keynote speakers at the 2026 Vermont Economic Conference, Vermont’s premier economic event. The conference will take place on Tuesday, January 27, 2026, at Hotel Champlain in Burlington. In a fast-paced keynote conversation titled Finance, Storytelling, and the Forces Shaping the Economy, Pieciak and Crivici-Kramer will explore the economic forces influencing Vermont and the broader national landscape.

The Vermont State Police is investigating after a multi-vehicle crash closed Interstate 89’s southbound lanes from Richmond to Bolton on Wednesday evening, Dec. 17, 2025. Preliminary investigation indicates the crash occurred at about 5:40 p.m. and involved a wrong-way driver and a tractor-trailer unit, in addition to other vehicles. There is at least one fatality. The interstate ws closed southbound at Exit 11, the Richmond exit, and traffic was diverted. The highway was reopened just after 11 pm Wednesday.