Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Burke Mountain Resort of East Burke, Vermont announced today that Gabe Porter-Henry has joined the mountain as its new General Manager.  Porter-Henry has more than two decades of management success within the ski and outdoor industries. He will join the mountain on December 1 in order to spend time with the resort’s interim GM Tom Day as Day transitions out of his role at Burke. For the past decade, Porter-Henry has worked at Berkshire East Mountain Resort. Involved in all aspects of the operations, he held numerous leadership positions at Berkshire East, as well as its affiliated companies, Zoar Outdoor in Charlemont, Mass. and Big Red Cats in Rossland, B.C.

Vermont Business Magazine After tallying up over 1000 votes from fifth graders across the state, Vermont Secretary of State Sarah Copeland Hanzas announced the winner of the election for Vermont’s first Kid Governor today. The winner of the election is Roslyn Fortin, a fifth-grade student at Highgate Elementary in Highgate Center. Teacher Courtney Kiser brought the Kid Governor program to Highgate. Roslyn ran on a platform addressing homelessness. As Roslyn explained in her campaign video, “This plan isn’t just about giving things - it’s about giving kindness, giving time and giving hope.”

Vermont Department of Economic Development Commissioner Jepson: As I start this new role as Commissioner of the Department of Economic Development (DED), I want to thank Governor Scott for placing his trust in me and the new Deputy Commissioner, Nick Grimley. We are excited for this opportunity and committed to maintaining the consistency and predictability you’ve come to trust from this department. I’m also grateful to be joining a team with such invaluable institutional knowledge and an impressive record of delivering results for Vermonters. We are also thrilled to welcome Farida Ibrahim to the team. She will be managing the upcoming Community and Housing Infrastructure Program (CHIP), a statewide tool to help communities invest in infrastructure that will unlock housing opportunities.

Vermont Business Magazine The Northeast Delta Dental Foundation announced it supported oral health initiatives in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont with over $974,000 in funding. Sixty-six organizations received grants in two rounds, awarded in March and September 2025. Giving covered a wide spectrum of programs including support for dental clinics, events, in-school programs, oral health education, scholarships, recruitment, dental education for professionals and research.

Vermont Business Magazine Topnotch Resort, one of Vermont's most celebrated destination properties, today announced plans for a significant expansion and enhancement project that will elevate the guest experience while introducing 27 fully furnished luxury residences to the Mountain Road location. The project is scheduled to break ground in 2026 and be completed in phases to allow the resort to remain open during construction. The new three-story world-class building will be seamlessly integrated into Topnotch Resort and accessible through the main lobby. It will offer one- to four-bedroom residences ranging from 1,000 to 2,400 square feet.

Vermont Business Magazine Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vermont), and Rep. Becca Balint (D-Vermont-At Large) will hold a statewide telephone town hall on Wednesday, November 19, at 6:00 PM ET. Following a painful government shutdown that failed to protect Vermonters from massive increases in their health insurance costs, the delegation will hear directly from Vermonters about the challenges they are face and will answer their questions.

Vermont Business Magazine ISO-NE anticipates winter electricity demand to peak at 20,056 megawatts (MW) under normal weather conditions. During extreme cold weather, demand is projected to peak at 21,125 MW.  These demand forecasts are similar to last year’s when demand peaked at 19,607 MW on January 22, 2025. ISO New England expects the region to have approximately 31,000 MW of available supply capacity, including contributions from demand response resources, as well as the Vineyard Wind project and increased imported energy from the New England Clean Energy Connect transmission line. Both projects are expected to be online this winter and are included in ISO-NE’s assessments.

Vermont Business Magazine MVP Health Care and Independent Health are proud to announce that Independent Health will join MVP’s family of companies, subject to regulatory approvals. Together, the two organizations are building the foundation for a new era of health and well-being across New York, Vermont and beyond—one that is built on local trust, innovation, and a shared commitment to improving lives. Pending regulatory approval, the affiliation of two mission-driven, not-for-profit health plans with deep community engagement, reflects a bold vision and strategy to create a health care experience that is more connected, personalized, and proactive. By aligning strengths, MVP and Independent Health will serve nearly one million members and employ over 3,000 people across the region with $7 billion in annual revenue. 

Vermont Business Magazine U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont), a member of the Senate Rules Committee, today joined U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on the Legislative Branch, U.S. Senator Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), and 25 Senate Democrats in introducing the Anti-Cash Grab Act, legislation that will repeal a provision—quietly added into the Senate government funding bill at the last minute—that allows Senators to collect $500,000 for every phone record lawfully obtained.

Vermont Business Magazine Fewer Americans plan to hit the road for Thanksgiving this year, even as gas prices remain near the lowest holiday level since the pandemic, according to GasBuddy, North America’s trusted fuel savings platform for more than 25 years. GasBuddy forecasts a national average price of gas of $3.02 per gallon on Thanksgiving Day, matching last year and marking one of the cheapest holiday averages since 2021. GasBuddy’s 2025 Thanksgiving Travel Survey shows that 60% of Americans plan to take a road trip, a sharp decrease from 72% last year. The decline comes despite stable fuel prices and points to a more home-centered holiday season.

Vermont Business Magazine Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), Ranking Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, sent a letter to his Democratic colleagues urging them to come together around common sense health care policies to make health care more affordable and accessible for every American family, in addition to extending the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) enhanced premium tax credits.

Vermont Business Magazine U.S. Senators Peter Welch (D-Vermont), a member of the Senate Finance Committee, and Susan Collins (R-Maine) introduced the Comprehensive Alternative Response to Emergencies (CARE) Act, bipartisan legislation that would require the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to test a five-year “treatment-in-place” model in which Medicare reimburses Emergency Medical Service (EMS) providers when they treat a patient outside of the hospital, such as for minor medical incidents, rather than transporting them to a hospital for care.