Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Rutland Regional Medical Center announced today that it will advance its proposed pediatric care delivery redesign through the Agency of Human Services’ (AHS) newly established statewide health care transformation process. As part of this transition, RRMC will withdraw its prior filing before the Green Mountain Care Board (GMCB) to close the pediatric unit, submitted under the Board’s Interim Policy before AHS’ statewide framework was in place. RRMC stated that this new approach provides the comprehensive, coordinated review structure necessary for long-term, sustainable improvements to pediatric and women’s health services. “As we shift into the statewide transformation process, the needs that led us to consider a pediatric redesign, decreased demand, workforce constraints, and sustainability concerns, remain and we will move ahead with this work thoughtfully and responsibly."

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine Average gasoline prices in Vermont are $3.10/g, down 1 cent per gallon from last week, unchanged from last month and down 1 cent/g from last year, according to AAA. The lowest price in the state this week was $2.82/g while the highest was $3.29/g, a difference of 47.0 cents per gallon. Prices are lowest in Bennington ($2.93/g) and Rutland ($3.00/g) counties and highest in Essex ($3.21/g), Chittenden ($3.18/g), Washington ($3.18/g) and Grand Isle ($3.20/g). The national average price of gasoline has fallen 5 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $2.94/g today

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine Today, the Vermont Department of Labor reported the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for September 2025 was 2.5%. This reflects no change from August’s revised estimate. However, the Labor and Employment indicators both fell. Vermont has the second lowest rate in the nation, tied with Hawaii and five-tenths below South Dakota. California is highest at 5.6%. See data tables below. The civilian labor force participation rate was 64.4 percent in September, a decrease of two-tenths of one percentage point from the prior month’s revised estimate. The comparable United States rate in September was 4.4 percent, an increase of one-tenth of one percentage point from the revised August estimate.

Vermont Business Magazine The Associated General Contractors of Vermont (AGC/VT), Vermont’s preeminent trade organization representing the construction industry, recognized 13 exceptional projects and companies during its Annual Meeting on December 3, 2025, in Burlington. The event marked the largest annual gathering of construction professionals from across Vermont, with approximately 300 in attendance. There, AGC/VT presented its prestigious Best Builders Awards honoring outstanding craftsmanship, innovation and commitment to quality in Vermont’s construction industry. Award-winning projects ranged from rebuilt, disaster-stricken infrastructure, to major housing projects, to innovative highway and bridge construction and more. 

Vermont Business Magazine Mac Mountain in Woodstock has announced the official launch of LightCraft, its dedicated operational division responsible for overall management of partners operations that includes planning, building, operating, sales support and financing broadband networks for partners across the country. The new division is a critical component of Mac Mountain’s “one-of-a-kind” broadband partnership model introduced in October, an approach designed to increase subscribers and provide long-term shared cashflow to network providers offering fiber broadband connectivity, such as ISPs, CUDs and municipalities.

Vermont Business Magazine U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont), a leader in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) reform efforts, today called on Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem to release the FEMA Review Council’s full, unaltered report ahead of the Council’s final meeting. According to reports, Secretary Noem edited the report and recommendations down, eliminating roughly 140 pages of the Council’s work.

Vermont Business Magazine The Leahy Institute for Rural Partnerships at UVM has awarded $2.5 million in funding to launch or expand 16 university-community partnerships targeting solutions to some of the most pressing challenges facing Vermont. More than 31 public, private and nonprofit organizations and 25 UVM faculty, staff and students will participate in projects tackling rural health care access, energy costs, support for entrepreneurs, municipal capacity, and soil health. This is the Leahy Institute’s third round of grants supporting Vermont communities. 

Vermont Business Magazine Downstreet Housing & Community Development has been awarded nearly $14.5 million in Community Development Block Grant–Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funding to support new affordable housing developments in Washington and Lamoille counties. With a regional strategy centered on communities most affected by the 2023 Vermont floods, Downstreet will advance four major housing developments across Barre, Montpelier, and Johnson. These communities experienced significant housing loss during the 2023 floods, and the new funding will help create flood-resilient, permanently affordable homes that allow Vermonters to remain in the places they live and work. A portion of the award will support Stevens Branch Apartments in downtown Barre, a partnership between Downstreet and Evernorth. Expected to create 31 affordable apartments

Vermont Business Magazine Malcolm Severance, age 101, passed away on November 24, 2025, a few miles from his birthplace in Colchester, Vt. Born in 1924 to J. Herbert Severance and Juanita Bombard Severance, he leaves behind daughter Lyn Severance (Bill Harvey) of Burlington, Vt.; son Mark Severance (Sarah Whitney) of Colchester; daughter Dawn Severance (George Schildge) of Colchester; four grandchildren, Jill Severance, Raychel Severance, Jackson Harvey and Henry Severance; along with seven nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by Gladys Severance, his wife of 66 years, and his three sisters, Wilma Patton, Joyce Sweeney and Jean Lawrence.

Vermont State Police On Jan. 8, 2025, the Vermont State Police, in coordination with the Vermont Department for Children and Families, received an intake report regarding allegations of sexual abuse that were reported to have occurred on multiple occasions in 2021. The accused was identified as Kane Smart, who was, at the time, an assistant soccer coach at Winooski High School. Smart was accused of committing a lewd and lascivious act with a child and luring a child while serving in his role as an assistant soccer coach. Upon notification of the allegation in 2025, the Winooski School District took administrative action and temporarily suspended Smart from having contact with children at the school pending the outcome of the investigation.

Vermont Business Magazine RuralEdge and its Board of Directors recently hosted state legislators, the Mayor of Newport, city council members, and Newport town selectboard members for “sneak peek” tours of both Newport Crossing apartment communities. Although the project is still under construction, the group got a preview of the former Sacred Heart Convent property in the City of Newport and the two newly constructed buildings in Newport Center.  The total development cost of Newport Crossing is $21,871,000, of which VHCB provided just under 45%, most of that from ARPA.

Vermont Business Magazine On Tuesday 66% of all eligible Health Professionals at Porter Medical Center (PMC) in Middlebury voted yes to formalize a union, the final vote was 53-12. Jon Ford, Physician Assistant, and union organizing committee member, said, “Today we voted to form our union to support each other, strengthen patient care, and secure a fair and sustainable future for our professions. These are the priorities we’ve been naming all along, and this vote is a step toward making them real.” PMC is part of the University of Vermont Health Network.