Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today issued the following statement: “Many of our Afghan friends and neighbors served side by side with Americans fighting terrorists in their homeland and both they and their families faced extreme danger in doing so. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting with members of the Afghan refugee community and continue to believe we’ve done the right thing and should continue to welcome vetted refugees to Vermont and encourage them to pursue citizenship. These individuals have an extraordinary track record of achieving economic independence and making positive contributions in our communities. I’m proud of them and of the Vermonters who have stepped up to help them build stable, independent lives."

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today announced his appointment of Michael Hoyt, of West Hartford, to fill the vacant Windsor-4 seat in the Vermont House of Representatives. Hoyt replaces Heather Surprenant who resigned in September 2025. Hoyt grew up in Norwich before attending the University of Vermont and Vanderbilt University Law School. He has worked as an attorney for the Vermont Legislature and the Vermont Department of Labor and currently works at Dartmouth College. Hoyt was elected to the Hartford Selectboard in 2021 and is currently Vice-Chair of the Selectboard, having served as Chair the three years prior. He and his wife Natalie currently reside in West Hartford.

Vermont Business Magazine The Attorney General’s Office today announced that Matthew Medina (also known as Madison Medina), 32, of Springfield, Vermont, was arraigned on four felony counts of possession of Child Sexual Abuse Materials and one felony count of promoting a recording of child sexual conduct. The charges brought against Medina were the result of an investigation by members of the Vermont Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (VT-ICAC). Medina pleaded not guilty at the arraignment today in Vermont Superior Court, Windsor Criminal Division. The Court, Judge Elizabeth Mann presiding, ordered Medina released on conditions including that he obey a nighttime curfew, not loiter in places where children congregate, and not have contact with minors age 16 or younger, including contact over the internet.

Vermont Business Magazine As of December 31, 2025 Social Tinkering, a nonprofit organization based in Rutland County, Vermont, is dissolving. This innovative Human Connection Project, legally established in Spring of 2021 may be closing up shop, but the team behind the organization are nowhere near done working to intentionally grow meaningful connections that help people and communities to thrive. Kate Tibbs, Interim Board President of the organization, says “Each member of our team have always been connectors and always will be. This work we’ve done together has only strengthened our resolve and deepened our understanding of the critical need for meaningful connection in this world and we will carry that wherever we go.”  

Vermont Business Magazine In 2025, local American Red Cross volunteers became a lifeline for nearly 350 Vermonters reeling from disasters. In a powerful display of community, 117 Red Cross volunteers in Vermont logged more than 5,600 hours so far this year responding, alongside partners, to provide safe refuge, hot meals, emotional support and basic health services for families devastated by home fires and other disasters. The Red Cross also distributed nearly $115,000 in financial assistance directly to Vermont households recovering from disasters, including home fires, in 2025.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Health reported last week that the number of COVID-19 hospitalizations have edged up. Other indicators like wastewater virus show an increase in COVID-19 and Norovirus in Vermont and nationally, while COVID outbreaks decreased. 

Vermont Business Magazine U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont), Ranking Member of the Senate Agriculture Subcommittee on Rural Development, Energy, and Credit, welcomed $20.7 million in federal funding for Vermont to support the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). Nearly $4 billion in federal funding for communities across the country was unnecessarily delayed by the Trump Administration. LIHEAP is a crucial lifeline that keeps people safe and warm in the winter by helping low-income households and seniors on fixed incomes pay their energy bills. The program also helps reduce energy costs through improved energy efficiency initiatives.  

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Veterinary Medical Association (VVMA) is awarding of nearly $30,000 in grants to two Vermont food animal veterinarians: Dr. Emma Cijka of Shoreham and Dr. Eleni Casseri of St. Albans. These grants were made possible through funding by the Vermont Legislature to the Vermont Agency of Agriculture. The program is administered by the Vermont Agency of Agriculture and the Vermont Veterinary Medical Association.

Vermont Business Magazine Today, Treasurer Pieciak announced that nearly $60 million of Vermont Citizen Bonds will be offered for sale on December 4, 2025. Proceeds from the bonds will support capital needs including infrastructure, climate resilience, and housing. In connection with the offering, the State’s credit ratings were also reaffirmed by S&P Global Ratings (AA+), Fitch Ratings (AA+), and Moody’s (Aa1). The ratings underscore Vermont’s strong financial health, ensuring lower borrowing costs to the state. 

Vermont Business Magazine In Vermont, 2 in 5 individuals experienced food insecurity in 2022, and recent national data shows that food insecurity has increased each year since then (Source: Vermont Foodbank). With the costs of goods rising and growing concerns about food security, Vermont Federal Foundation is hosting a charitable raffle aiming to raise $60,000 during the holiday season. Of these funds, $20,000 will be donated directly to The Vermont Foodbank, whose work is vital in ensuring that individuals and families across Vermont have access to nourishing food and essential support throughout the year. The $60,000 total will be divided three ways.

Vermont Business Magazine The Department of Veterans Affairs announced that it permanently housed 51,936 homeless Veterans across the country in fiscal year 2025. That number is 4,011 more Veterans than VA housed last year. The nationwide numbers include 107 Veterans permanently housed by White River Junction VA Healthcare System This is VA’s best national performance since it began tracking the number of individual Veterans permanently housed instead of the total number of permanent housing placements, ensuring a more accurate count of the number of Veterans helped. VA began using this new methodology in 2022, and when applied retroactively to 2019.

Vermont Business Magazine An aging and vacant medical office building on Fisher Road will be torn down later this month, and the land it is on graded and re-seeded as part of long-term planning work at University of Vermont Health – Central Vermont Medical Center. Demolition of Medical Office Building D, 266 Hospital Loop Road, Berlin, will take three or four weeks and involve heavy equipment and utility work, hospitals leaders said. They urged members of the community traveling along Fisher Road to be aware of the work and plan for some traffic impacts. Demolition of the building and removal of materials from the site is expected to begin in early December.