Current News

Vermont Business Magazine The Department for Children and Families (DCF) Family Services Division (FSD) and NorthCountry Federal Credit Union (NCFCU) announced a partnership in 2023 to provide barrier-free access to bank accounts for youth in foster care in Vermont. Foster youth in Vermont, and nationally, regularly encounter challenges when opening bank accounts. The process requires approval from their legal guardian – in their case, the state. Their custody status often leads to additional bureaucratic stumbling blocks along the way. This has left many young people without a place to save money or practice financial skills and independence.

Vermont Business Magazine For more than 25 years, the Center for Health and Learning (CHL) in Shelburne has trained thousands of Vermonters to recognize and respond to suicide risk and other public health issues, providing lifesaving, prevention-focused education to schools, first responders, healthcare facilities, workplaces, and community organizations throughout the state and beyond. Today, the nonprofit announced it will dissolve by December 12, 2025, due to significant federal funding cuts and an uncertain economy. On October 15, CHL’s Board of Directors, facing an insurmountable financial shortfall, voted to dissolve. Previously planned trainings will still take place between now and the closure date. 

Vermont Business Magazine The Attorney General’s Office today announced that Nicholas Haller-Daskalides, 32, of Franklin, Vermont, was arraigned on four counts of felony Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Materials. The charges brought against Haller-Daskalides are the result of an investigation conducted by members of the Vermont Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (VT-ICAC), with the assistance of the Department of Homeland Security and St. Albans Police Department. Haller-Daskalides pleaded not guilty at his arraignment today in Vermont Superior Court, Franklin Criminal Division. The Court, Judge Elizabeth Novotny presiding, ordered Haller-Daskalides to be released on conditions including that he not have contact with minors age 16 or younger, that he not access the internet, and that he not possess electronic devices capable of internet access.  

Vermont Business Magazine The Attorney General’s Office today announced that Cory Johnson, 39, of South Burlington, Vermont, was sentenced in Vermont Superior Court, Chittenden Criminal Division, after a jury convicted him of one count of Aggravated Sexual Assault following a three-day trial in January. The Court, Judge Michael Kupersmith presiding, sentenced Johnson to 27 years to life in prison. As Johnson is concurrently serving a 20-year sentence in a related federal case from 2022, today’s sentence will extend his term of incarceration. He is also required to register as a sex offender for life.

by Vermont Secretary of Education Zoie Saunders Education Transformation in Vermont is not just about property taxes. It is about building and sustaining the best education system in America. At a moment when nearly every other state is diverting dollars away from public education, Vermont has chosen a different path. Earlier this year, a bipartisan coalition passed Act 73 — a bill that doubles down on public education as the great equalizer, the pathway out of poverty, and the engine that fuels our economy. Having the best education system in America is not just about test scores. It is about giving every student the opportunity to succeed, regardless of economic disadvantage, language status, or the town they call home.

Vermont Business Magazine This coming year, the nearly 31,000 students and families who save for education and training through VT529 will collectively save an estimated $1.5 million in fees. VT529 is Vermont’s official college and training savings plan, administered by VSAC and now managed by Vestwell. The savings reflects a 50% reduction in program fees, one of the biggest benefits that Vestwell will bring to account owners. Vermont residents are also eligible for a 10% tax credit for VT529 contributions (up to $250 per beneficiary per year, or $500 per beneficiary per year for joint filers). 

Vermont Business Magazine Treasurer Pieciak will join Chief Health Care Advocate Mike Fisher, legislative leaders, and health coverage specialists for a press conference on Tuesday, December 9, 2025, at 10 AM at the Riverside Community Health Center in Burlington. The announcement will help ensure Vermonters losing their Medicare Advantage coverage have the information and support they need to stay insured. While open enrollment for Medicare ended on December 7, Vermonters whose Medicare Advantage plans are leaving the state have until the end of the year to enroll in a Medigap or Part D prescription drug plan. 

Vermont Business Magazine The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that on December 4, 2025, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Christopher Crawford, 36, of Sicklerville, New Jersey, with possession with intent to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Crawford has not yet been arraigned. According to court records, Crawford is currently detained pending trial by the State of Vermont on charges of first-degree murder, cocaine possession, methamphetamine possession, and possession of a firearm after violent crime conviction. 

Vermont Business Magazine Average gasoline prices in Vermont- $3.11/g, up 0.7 cents per gallon from last week's $3.10/g. The lowest price in the state yesterday was $2.82/g while the highest was $3.29/g, a difference of 47.0 cents per gallon. The national average price of gasoline has fallen 5.0 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $2.90/g today. 

Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets The application is now open for the 2026 Trade Show Assistance Grant! A total of $30,000 is available to help Vermont agricultural, food, and forestry businesses exhibit and sell their products at trade shows targeting out-of-state wholesale buyers, offering valuable opportunities to connect with buyers and expand into new markets. Direct-to-consumer shows are not eligible for funding. These matching grants, ranging from $2,000 to $7,500, can offset costs for up to four shows that take place between April 1, 2026 and March 31, 2027. Eligible applicants must be headquartered in Vermont, have at least three wholesale accounts, and their products must meet the Vermont Local Definition under Act 129.

Vermont Captive Insurance Association VCIA's upcoming tax webinar, "Captive Taxation: Myth Busters" will occur on December 11th from 2-3pm EST. It is credit eligible and available to the public. Esteemed captive tax specialists explore and bust four myths concerning captive insurance companies and their federal and state income tax treatment. 

by Owen Bradley-Meal, Community News Service Debate continues around a proposed zoning change in Shelburne that would restrict development in defined forest blocks and ecological corridors. The selectboard discussed the changes, as well as other measures that are part of a full rewrite of the town’s zoning bylaws, at meetings Nov. 4 and 18. The board is scheduled to continue discussing the zoning update at public hearings Dec. 2 and 16, and beyond that if necessary, with the ability to pass the regulations or call for further hearings and rewrites. Supporters of these changes hope that they will help to prepare Shelburne for the waves of development expected in the greater Burlington area over the next decades while maintaining the character of the town.