Current News

Vermont Business Magazine The Upper Valley Trails Alliance (UVTA) is proud to welcome four new members to its Board of Directors: Kevin Donohue of Thetford, Suzanne Dudley-Schon of Hanover, Jon Hampton of Norwich, and Bob Hedges of Orford. Together, they bring diverse professional expertise, decades of nonprofit leadership experience, and a deep commitment to outdoor access and community stewardship. 

Vermont Business Magazine The Attorney General’s Office today announced that Frank Merrick, 83, of Wilmington, Vermont, was arraigned on two counts of felony Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Materials (CSAM). The charges brought against Mr. Merrick are the result of an investigation conducted by members of the Vermont Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (VT-ICAC), in collaboration with the New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice. Merrick pleaded not guilty at the arraignment today in Vermont Superior Court, Windham Criminal Division. The Court, Judge Michael Kainen presiding, ordered Merrick held on $10,000 bai

Vermont Business Magazine Burlington Electric Department (BED) today announced that the Vermont Public Utility Commission (PUC) has approved its request to expand its Energy Assistance Program (EAP) to allow for enrollment of BED customers that are non-profit housing organizations that provide affordable housing or temporary shelter housing to individuals who meet the EAP income eligibility threshold at or below 185% of the federal poverty level. The program requires that the housing entities receiving 12.5 percent electric bill discounts will pass along the benefits to their residents. Further, income-eligible net metering customers now may enroll in the EAP due to resolution of a billing system challenge.

Vermont Business Magazine Attorney General Charity Clark today announced that Vermont and 35 other states have reached a settlement with automobile manufacturers Hyundai and Kia for their sale of millions of vehicles nationwide that lacked industry-standard, anti-theft technology. Under the settlement, Hyundai and Kia have agreed to install free zinc-reinforced ignition-cylinder protectors, provide restitution to eligible consumers whose vehicles were damaged by theft, and pay approximately $60,000 to the State of Vermont. The manufacturers have also committed to equipping all future vehicles sold in the United States with this technology.

Vermont Business Magazine Today, Governor Scott and Treasurer Pieciak announced that the State will be mailing Vermonters a check for their unclaimed property this holiday season. The MoneyBack program is an annual effort between the Treasurer’s Office and the Administration to proactively return unclaimed property to Vermonters whose identity and address can be verified by shareable Tax Department data. This year, the program will return over $150,000 to over 1,000 Vermonters with claims ranging from $100 to $250. The average amount returned is about $150.  

Vermont Business Magazine U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont) today voted against the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 and released the following statement: “This defense funding bill perpetuates the status quo. Congress is, once again, sinking taxpayer dollars into the Pentagon’s bloated budget, and neglecting to modernize and adapt to 21st century warfare. This bill does little to rein in the Trump Administration’s reckless efforts to politicize the military here in America or restrict his use of force abroad. I offered amendments to the Senate’s bill and worked with my colleagues to improve it, but ultimately Congressional Republicans advanced a bill I cannot support."

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Association of Area Agencies on Aging (V4A) directors today announce the dissolution of V4A. Executive Director, Mary Hayden will retire at the end of 2025. Much of the work of the V4A will be integrated into the new Vermont Aging Network Consortium (VANC), along with remaining staff. This integration will combine the policy, advocacy, and training goals of V4A with VANC’s mission to leverage economies of scale, combine resources, and reduce duplication within the community-provider network of home- and community-based services. 

Vermont Business Magazine A new study has identified West Virginia as the state with the highest homeownership rate in America. The study, conducted by Stage Properties Brokers LLC, identified the U.S. states with the highest homeownership rates in America. Using U.S. Census data from all 50 states, the analysis tracked homeownership trends across quarterly periods throughout 2024, the most recent full annual data. The results were used to determine not only which state recorded the highest homeownership rate by the end of the year, but also how those rates fluctuated over time. The final rankings were based on the percentage of each state’s population that owned their home in the last quarter of 2024.

Vermont Business Magazine Saint Michael’s College has announced that five alumni – all leaders in their respective fields – have joined the College’s Board of Trustees over the past year. New additions to the Board include biotech executive and entrepreneur Pamela Carroll ’85 of Boston, Massachusetts; consultant and retired transportation software executive Marie Colbert ’89 of Scituate, Massachusetts; M&T Bank senior vice president and communications leader Patrick Fitzgibbons ’89 of Montclair, New Jersey; and Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development Secretary Lindsay Hill Kurrle ’93 of Middlesex, Vermont, who all joined in October 2025. Retired CEO of GameStop George Sherman, Jr. ’83 of Isle of Palms, South Carolina, joined the Board in October 2024.

Vermont Business Magazine The Governor’s Institutes of Vermont (GIV, https://giv.org), a nonprofit organization inspiring more than 600 high school students each summer to envision meaningful careers in topics from healthcare to engineering to graphic design, welcomes six new trustees, four of whom are alumni of GIV Institutes: Heather Ayres of Quechee, Juliette Britton* of Manchester Center, Melanie Centeno*** of Hinesburg, Azulena Godeck* of Essex Junction, Jan Murray of Shelburne, and Michelle Weissman* of South Burlington. * GIV alumni  ** Parent of a GIV alum ***Both!

by Joshua Brown, University of Vermont At the opening whistle of the 2025 National Collegiate Rugby championship game on Sunday, December 14, the wind blows strongly in favor of the University of Chicago Maroons. They kick long, press their field position, and force the UVM men onto defense. It’s a classic territorial strategy, and soon Chicago scores in the corner, grounding the ball over the goal line for the first points of the game. Those turned out to be Chicago’s only points. 

Vermont Business Magazine On August 12, 2025, just days after his 83rd birthday, Richard E. Tarrant Sr. passed away at his home in Hillsboro Beach, Florida surrounded by his family. Born in Newark, New Jersey on August 6, 1942, Rich was proud to be a first-generation Irish-American. The oldest of four boys, he graduated from St. Benedict's Preparatory School in Newark before enrolling at New York basketball powerhouse Saint Bonaventure University in 1960. After his freshman year at St. Bonnie's, Rich realized he'd need a scholarship to continue his education. Disappointed to learn St. Bonnie's would not guarantee a scholarship, he applied for a transfer to several other colleges. St. Michael's College in Winooski, Vermont came through with a full scholarship, and the rest is basketball history.