Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Attorney General Charity Clark today joined a coalition of 19 states in suing the Trump Administration over its unlawful policy imposing a $100,000 fee on new H-1B visa petitions. H-1B visas allow U.S. employers to hire highly skilled foreign national workers in roles that require specialized skills, including as physicians, researchers, nurses, and other vital workers, to alleviate nationwide labor shortages. The new fee would create a costly barrier for employers, especially public sector and government employers, trying to fill these positions. In Vermont, public and private employers rely on the services of hundreds of H-1B visa-holders to fill critical roles in research, health care, education, and technology that would otherwise go unfulfilled. 

Vermont Business Magazine Attorney General Charity Clark and a coalition of 23 states today won their lawsuit against the Trump Administration over its unlawful attempt to shut down the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) bipartisan Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program, designed to protect communities from natural disasters before they strike. The court’s decision prevents FEMA from terminating the BRIC program and requires the restoration of these critical funds to the communities relying on them.    

Vermont Business Magazine Fidium has expanded its multi-gig speed network to St. Johnsbury, Vt., bringing new all-fiber internet access to more than 4,000 homes and businesses. Unlike cable or wireless internet technologies, Fidium delivers symmetrical upload and download speeds up to 2 Gig (2000 Mbps) over a 100 percent fiber network.

Vermont Business Magazine The Attorney General’s Office has announced that Nicholas Badger, 21, of Fairfax, Vermont, was sentenced in Vermont Superior Court, Franklin Criminal Division, after pleading guilty to a felony charge of Luring a Child and a misdemeanor charge of Violation of Condition of Release. The Court, Judge Elizabeth Novotny presiding, sentenced the defendant to a deferred sentence with ten years of probation on the felony Luring count. On the misdemeanor Violation of Conditions of Release count, the Court sentenced the defendant to zero to six months of jail time all suspended with two years of probation and a permanent conviction. Conditions of Badger’s probation include that he not to have any contact with the victims or with any children under the age of 16, that he complete individual sex offender treatment, and that his access to electronic devices be restricted.

Vermont Business Magazine The Attorney General’s Office today announced that Adam Ranslow, 41, of Whitingham, Vermont, was sentenced in Vermont Superior Court, Windham Criminal Division, after pleading guilty to one felony count and two misdemeanor counts of Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Materials. The Court, Judge Michael R. Kainen presiding, sentenced the defendant to one to nine years to serve, all suspended, with ten years of probation. The probation conditions mandate completion of sex offender programming, limit his 

Vermont Business Magazine The Attorney General’s Office today announced that Joshua Parker, 23, of Saxtons River, Vermont, was sentenced in Vermont Superior Court, Windham Criminal Division, after pleading guilty to a felony charge of Promoting a Sexual Recording of Child Sexual Abuse and a misdemeanor charge of Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Materials. The Court sentenced the defendant to a deferred sentence with six years of probation on the felony count of Promoting a Sexual Recording of a Child. On the count of Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Materials, the Court sentenced the defendant to 12 to 15 months in prison, all suspended, with six years of probation. Conditions of Parkers’s probation include that he not have any contact with the victims, that he complete individual sex offender treatment, that he have no contact with children under the age of 16, and that he have restricted access to electronic devices. He is also required to register as a sex offender for ten years after the completion of his sentence.

Vermont Business Magazine HomeShare Vermont has announced a major expansion of its operations in the Northeast Kingdom, teaming with the Northeast Kingdom Council on Aging to serve the entire region. While the organization began serving Hardwick, Greensboro and Craftsbury in 2023, this marks the launch of services for residents across all of Orleans, Caledonia and Essex counties. HomeShare Vermont has trained two of the Council's case managers to create homeshare matches as part of their job responsibilities. This next step in the Northeast Kingdom follows a period of rapid growth for the non-profit organization, coinciding with the recent launch of services in Windham and Windsor counties.

Vermont Business Magazine The Two Rivers-Ottauquechee Regional Commission (TRORC) has been awarded a $3 million grant from the Vermont Department of Housing and Community Development. These are disaster recovery funds that come through the state from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The funds will be used to help towns as they buy out flood damaged properties from the 2023 floods. Most of this work will be concentrated in Lamoille and Washington counties but will also take place around the state where floods hit hard. As part of purchasing a site from an owner whose property was damaged, towns need to also ensure they are not unwittingly buying any soil contamination they will need to clean up. Sites with known or suspected contamination are called brownfields. 

Vermont Business Magazine Community College of Vermont (CCV) student Lea Henderson has been selected as the recipient of CCV’s 2025 Legacy Scholarship in the amount of $1,000. The Legacy Scholarship is given annually in honor of a current or past CCV faculty or staff member whose work has had a profound impact on students and colleagues. This year’s scholarship is given in honor of former Dean of Academic Affairs Deborah Stewart, who retired in June after 31 years at the College. Henderson is a student at CCV’s Upper Valley academic center working toward a degree in behavioral science. 

Vermont Business Magazine ReArch Construction is the construction manager for the new Materials Recycling Facility (MRF) for the Chittenden Solid Waste District (CSWD) in Williston. This groundbreaking project is not only a significant step toward strengthening Vermont’s recycling infrastructure but also a clear example of ReArch Construction’s commitment to supporting sustainable, impactful projects that benefit the community for generations to come. On the heels of America Recycles Day, CSWD officially broke ground on the $38 million, 74,000 SF facility in November, which will replace the current recycling facility that has been in operation since 1993.

Vermont Business Magazine NEKCV (dba NEK Broadband and CVFiber) is excited to congratulate the latest Broadband Technicians Training graduates and highlight the hard work of four of its employees: Chris Edrington, Pierce Thompson, Owen Carr and Juan Flores. All four have gone through a broadband training session and have now started to advance professionally within the NEKCV organization.

Vermont Business Magazine The Attorney General’s Office today announced that Robert Scott, 65, of Rutland, Vermont, was sentenced in Vermont Superior Court, Rutland Criminal Division, for a felony violation of the sex offender registry requirements. The Court, Judge Courtland Corsones presiding, sentenced Mr. Scott to one to five years to serve, all suspended, with ten years of probation. The probation conditions require Mr. Scott to complete sex offender programming and treatment, to submit to searches and periodic polygraphic examinations, not to own or possess a computer, not to access the internet, not to contact minors age sixteen or younger, and not to loiter in places where children congregate.