Current News

VermontBiz This weekly report is a list of planned construction activities that will affect traffic on state highways and interstates throughout Vermont.  

This is the final report of this construction season. Most projects have finished or will pause soon until spring.

To learn more about the projects listed below or to sign up to receive weekly construction updates via email, visit our Construction Updates page. 

Please remember to drive safely in all work zones. Lives depend on it.    

VermontBiz Ryan Christiansen ’15, president and head distiller at Caledonia Spirits, has been named 2025 Rising Stars Alumnus of the Year.

Christiansen’s entrepreneurial path was born in his family-owned hardware business in Plainfield. His exposure to the challenges of small-town business at an early age fueled a desire to bring local products to a global market. Christiansen spent eight years as an avid brewer and owner of a home-brewing store, which eventually led him down a path to distilling.

In 2011, Christiansen met a beekeeper named Todd Hardie. Hardie had been keeping bees for 30 years and was on a pursuit to bring the agricultural aspect of beekeeping into distillation. Christiansen, captivated by Hardie’s agricultural mission and love for the bees, decided to hit the brakes on his career in beer and try his hand distilling spirits. With a 15-gallon still and a Mercury station wagon, the beekeeper and the distiller built the Caledonia Spirits distillery and set out to share their beloved Barr Hill Gin with the world.

VermontBiz by Amanda Kuhnert When Mary Cobb and her husband, Jim, bought their first alpacas in 2005, they had no intention of starting a business. Two decades later, their hobby farm has grown into Coventry Falls Alpaca Farm and Peaceful Path VT Float Therapy, a year-round wellness destination in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom.

The idea for the businesses was conceived a few years after the  couple built a new home on a piece of land in Coventry.

“The land here is just so beautiful,“ Mary said. “It needed some animals. And I knew I couldn’t raise anything that you eat. Alpacas are so intelligent and therapeutic, and they communicate with each other so well. They’re like big cats.“

Vermont Business Magazine Downs Rachlin Martin has been named by Best Law Firms for 2026 in several practice areas within Metropolitan Tiers 1 through 3. 

Vermont Business Magazine As pennies fade from wallets and registers across the country, Market 32 and Price Chopper are inviting customers to turn their spare change into double the value, and to help keep cash transactions running smoothly. On Sunday, November 16, the neighborhood grocer will host a Double Exchange Day from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. at all store locations. During this one-day event, a penny is worth two cents when shoppers exchange them for a Market 32 or Price Chopper gift card twice their total amount. This means $10 in pennies could earn a $20 gift card, redeemable toward future in-store purchases. To participate, guests simply bring their rolled or loose pennies to the Customer Service Desk, where the total will be counted and matched with a gift card reward on the spot. Exchanges must total a minimum of 50 cents (earning a $1 card) and may not exceed $100 (earning a $200 card).

VermontBiz U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) today joined U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), and 27 bipartisan Senate colleagues in calling on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to release funds for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) as swiftly and at the highest level possible. Currently, the Trump Administration is sitting on $4 billion in federal LIHEAP dollars that have yet to be distributed this year.  

In their letter to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., the bipartisan lawmakers emphasize that federal LIHEAP funding is a crucial lifeline that keeps vulnerable citizens safe and warm during 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 On Saturday, November 15, Howard Center will sponsor a job fair at the O’Brien Community Center at 32 Mallets Bay Avenue, Winooski. From 11:00 am to 2:00 pm, staff will be present to answer questions about open positions and conduct on-the-spot interviews for select roles. Whether new to the job market or an experienced professional looking for the opportunity to make a difference in their community, Howard Center offers rewarding, flexible career opportunities, including full-time, part-time, temporary, and substitute employment, as well as contracted and internship positions. Many programs operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, so “non-traditional” work schedules are available. Although Howard Center primarily serves Chittenden County, the organization also has programs in Rutland, and some programs serve Vermonters from all corners of the state. 

Vermont Business Magazine Chamber of commerce professionals from across Vermont gathered this week at the Kimpton Taconic Hotel in Manchester for the 2025 Vermont Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (VACCE) Annual Conference, themed “Collective Brilliance: Chambers Collaborating for a Better Vermont.” The conference brought together chamber executives and economic development leaders for collaboration, professional development, and forward-looking conversations about the future of Vermont’s business communities and chambers of commerce. The event opened Monday evening with a Welcome Dinner and Networking Social at the Copper Grouse, sponsored by the host chamber, the Southwestern Vermont Chamber. 

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott will attend the New England Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiers 46th Annual Conference in St. John’s, Newfoundland on November 17. New England Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiers promote regional cooperation by building networks, undertaking collective action, engaging in shared projects, conducting research, and raising public awareness of mutual interests. Jurisdictions include Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Québec. Following discussions, a news conference to discuss the region’s collaboration. 

Vermont Business Magazine The Chittenden Solid Waste District (CSWD) has officially broken ground on a new, state-of-the-art Materials Recycling Facility (MRF) in Williston—a timely milestone that comes just days before America Recycles Day on November 15. The $38 million project marks a major step forward in CSWD’s commitment to building a sustainable recycling future. The new MRF will replace CSWD’s existing facility, built in 1993, which has exceeded its operational lifespan and processing capacity. Designed with efficiency and sustainability in mind, the upgraded facility will significantly improve processing capabilities, reduce environmental impact, and ensure the continued affordability of recycling services for Vermonters for decades to come.

VermontBiz Governor Phil Scott and the Vermont Department for Children and Families (DCF) today announced funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), known in Vermont as 3SquaresVT is now fully restored as a result of the federal government reopening. DCF will resume normal benefit operations immediately following guidance issued today by the USDA.

“The federal government reopening and resuming SNAP benefits is good news for Vermont,” said Governor Phil Scott. “There are over 63,000 Vermonters who rely on these benefits and I’m appreciative of the work of Congress to make this possible. I also want to thank legislative leaders for working with my team to issue temporary contingency benefits in the absence of federal funds earlier this month.”

VermontBiz With the federal government officially reopened, Vermont’s Emergency Board announced today that additional state-funded emergency SNAP (3SquaresVT) benefits are not needed, as federal funding for the program will now resume as normal. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, states will begin receiving federal SNAP funds within 24 hours. SNAP benefits will be reloaded to EBT cards on Friday, November 14th with mailed notices arriving on Monday, November 17th.

“Now that the federal government is back open, these essential benefits can continue as usual. But our work isn’t done,” said House Speaker Jill Krowinski. “While we’re relieved that Vermonters will no longer face uncertainty with SNAP benefits, it’s deeply disappointing that Congress failed to extend federal health care subsidies set to expire at the end of the year. The last few weeks have shown just how disruptive Washington’s dysfunction can be on Vermonters.”