Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Cigna Healthcare has selected NBT Bank, with branches in northwestern Vermont, as a recipient of its 2025 gold level Healthy Workforce Designation for demonstrating a strong commitment to improving the health and vitality of its employees through a workplace well-being program. NBT is committed to supporting employees’ overall health and well-being by providing tools and resources that educate, engage and empower them, including an employee assistance program and financial wellness support. The company also fosters connection and inclusion through initiatives like Wellness Champions, NBT Communities and the Inclusion Roundtable, helping create a more engaged and supportive workplace.

Vermont Business Magazine The Attorney General’s Office today announced that Robert Charbonneau, 52, of Burlington, Vermont, was sentenced in Vermont Superior Court, Chittenden Criminal Division, after pleading guilty to one felony count of attempted luring of a child. Mr. Charbonneau’s conviction is the result of an investigation conducted by the Hartford Police Department in cooperation with the Vermont Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (VT-ICAC). The Court, Judge Robert W. Katims presiding, sentenced the defendant to zero to five years to serve, all suspended, with 12 years of probation.

Vermont Business Magazine U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced $9.5 million in new Emerging Contaminants in Small or Disadvantaged Communities (EC-SDC) grant funding to address PFAS and emerging contaminants in Vermont communities that need it most. This new funding is part of a comprehensive, lifecycle-based strategy to address per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) that underscores EPA’s commitment to Making America Healthy Again by ensuring clean water for all. In Vermont, $9,457,000 is available for communities, drinking water systems, and private well owners to help with testing, planning, and infrastructure projects addressing PFAS and other emerging contaminants included on EPA’s Contaminant Candidate Lists.

Vermont Business Magazine Sugarbush Real Estate is beginning a new chapter rooted in continuity, community, and a deep respect for the relationships that have shaped the brokerage for generations. After decades of leadership from longtime owners Cindy Carr and Brian Shea, the independent brokerage has transitioned to Dan Cypress and Jessica Bridge, owners of Element Real Estate and Heney Realtors. The transition became effective this month and reflects a thoughtful, long-term plan to preserve the character and values of Sugarbush Real Estate while introducing state-of-the-art tools and expanded support that will help the brokerage continue to evolve for the future.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Agency of Transportation (AOT) today announced the awards for the SFY27 Municipal Roads Grants-in-Aid Program, which provides funding for municipalities to implement best management practices in accordance with the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Municipal Roads General Permit. This year, 230 municipalities are participating, and a total of $3,712,500 in awards will be granted during this cycle.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Health has reported have COVID-19 hospitalizations remain at a very low level. They are at a similar level to the negligible level seen last summer. There were no measles cases after one reported in Vermont in February in Washington County and the national outbreak is over. Meanwhile, Influenza B and Norovirus generally receded everywhere, while RSV remained elevated. There was 1 COVID outbreak last week (0 the week before), with 1 in Long-Term Care Facilities and 0 in schools.

Vermont Business Magazine  Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont (Blue Cross VT) today announced it has been recognized as a Best Performing Call Center for small- to mid-sized organizations, by the Service Quality Measurement Group (SQM). Blue Cross VT’s Customer Service Call Center was named a finalist among 500 North American call centers. In addition, Blue Cross VT’s Lindsay Segale was named “Supervisor of the Year” by SQM.

Vermont Business Magazine To mark the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776, Shelburne Museum is highlighting works in the collection that symbolize, idealize, and mythologize a nascent America. Shelburne’s curators have assembled a self-guided tour throughout the museum’s American paintings, folk art and textile galleries that for the most part look back through a nostalgic lens and carry the patriotic narrative forward. A series of lectures is being offered through the summer and fall that also focus on patriotic themes.

by Shawn Tester I grew up on my grandparents' farm in the Northeast Kingdom. It's where I learned what community means — not as an abstraction, but as the neighbor who helps you pull a tractor out of the mud, the school that sees something in a kid that no one else does, the hospital that's there when everything else falls apart. My grandparents are buried on that land. I had always hoped I would be, too. That hope feels less certain every year. I share this not for self-pity, but because I believe it's important for people to understand what is actually at stake in the never-ending debate over Vermont's independent schools and school choice.

Vermont Business Magazine The WheelPad StudioPAD modular home on display at the Community Services of Addison County (CSAC) offices in Middlebury is a demonstration of affordable, inclusive, universally accessible housing design made possible by a collaborative public-private partnership of multiple organizations and the State of Vermont. 

by Devon Green, VAHHS As we get into the last few weeks, it’s a total time vortex. Every issue is shifting and requires an hour-by-hour, instead of day-by-day approach. With that in mind, I won’t waste any time jumping into the update from last week: Reference-Based Pricing: S.190 is ever-evolving. The House Health Care Committee advanced Chair Black’s amendment in a 7-4-0 straw poll to do the following: remove the 3.5% number from the amount the Green Mountain Care Board could direct towards Qualified Health Plans and VEHI remove the exemption of Critical Access Hospitals and Medicare Dependent Hospitals/Rural Community Hospitals from reference-based pricing for FY 2027 remove the increase of the prescription drug price cap from 120% to 130% ASP

Vermont Business Magazine First Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan A. Ophardt announced on Monday that the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont collected $4,437,008.08 in criminal and civil actions in Fiscal Year 2025. Of this amount, $1,722,712.24 was collected in criminal actions and $2,714,295.84 was collected in civil actions. The District of Vermont also worked with other U.S. Attorney’s Offices and components of the Department of Justice to collect an additional $73,705.04 in criminal cases pursued jointly by these offices.