Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Join energy experts from the Vermont Electric Co-op for a one-hour webinar full of tips and tools to help VEC members save energy and cut their electric bills. The webinar will take place Thursday, Nov. 20 from 12-1pm. Learn what drives electricity usage and discover how VEC’s online portal SmartHub can help VEC members manage that usage more effectively. There will be ample time for Q and A.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont game wardens are appealing for help in curtailing poaching activities.  They are asking for people who witness or believe they have knowledge of poaching to contact them quickly. “If you hear a shot in the night, see lights in a field or have any information about a poaching incident, please contact us right away,” said Col. Justin Stedman, Vermont’s chief game warden. “The quickest way to reach a warden is by calling your nearest State Police office so the radio dispatcher can give the information to a warden in the area.”

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont State University’s (VTSU) Fall 2025 enrollment numbers reflect the new university’s focus on meeting the needs of students, employers, and communities by adapting and adjusting to shifting demographics, and ongoing disruption across higher education. With final enrollment numbers now confirmed, the university reports a total headcount of 5,185 students – an increase of 1.4% compared to Fall 2024. Several areas of enrollment growth point to the strength of VTSU’s strategic direction. Online enrollment continues to surge, with a 10% increase in headcount. This increase highlights the growing demand for flexible, accessible learning and reinforces the Vermont State Colleges (VSC) system’s Vision 2030 commitment to provide high-quality higher education to every Vermonter, regardless of their income or location. 

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont’s Killington Resort, the largest ski and snowboard destination in Eastern North America, opened for the 2025/26 winter season today at 9 a.m. This marks the resort’s second winter under independent ownership, following two years of significant reinvestment totaling more than $60 million in completed and ongoing mountain improvements. Once again, Killington will be the first resort in the Eastern United States to open for skiing and riding, reaffirming its leadership as “The Beast of the East.” Opening Day (Wednesday, November 12) was reserved exclusively for Killington Winter 25/26, Beast 365, and Ikon Pass holders. The resort opens to the general public on Thursday, November 13 at 9:00 a.m., operating seven days a week.

Vermont Business Magazine This week, Campaign for Vermont Prosperity (CFV) published a report titled "Finding Savings Through Shared Services in Vermont Schools." The report focuses on leveraging Education Service Agencies (ESAs) to improve the efficiency of services being provided to students. A policy recommendation the organization put out in March recommended moving to this model, but the latest report put a number on the cost-savings potential. The Act 73 Task Force voted on Monday to advance a similar ESA model as their recommendation to the Legislature. Across the country, the majority of states use ESAs as regional delivery vehicles so that small and mid-sized districts can access programs and operations they couldn’t afford alone.

Vermont Business Magazine Today, leading human rights organizations, from both the United States and El Salvador, released a new report on the shocking conditions in El Salvador’s infamous anti-terrorism prison, Centro de Confinamiento del Terrorismo (CECOT). U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont) released the following reaction to the report: “The findings in this report are horrific, and they are doubly disturbing because the United States is directly implicated. It would not be an exaggeration to describe what is happening daily in CECOT as President Bukele’s Abu Ghraib. What happened to those 40 men is shocking, but it was not unique to them. The abuses and deprivations they describe are endemic inside the walls of CECOT. These men were forcibly disappeared, which is a crime in this country and a violation of international law. From their first day behind CECOT’s walls, each of them was subjected to near-daily beatings, food and medical deprivation, and other inhumane and appallingly degrading treatment."

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Liquor and Lottery announced today the launch of 802Spirits Connect, a new online business-to-business (B2B) ordering platform that provides on-premises licensees a faster, easier, and more efficient way to purchase distilled spirits from 802Spirits agent stores. The culmination of a multi-year collaboration with Provi, the leading B2B online marketplace for beverage alcohol, 802Spirits Connect allows on-premises licensees (i.e. establishments where beverage alcohol is consumed on the premises.) to browse real-time inventory, build and save order lists, and place orders online at their convenience – reducing paperwork, improving accuracy, and helping businesses better manage stock and cash flow.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Manufacturing Extension Center (VMEC) has completed the first year of the two year co-partnered Northfield Savings Bank (NSB) Maker’s Fund and the addition of a one-year funding agreement. Last fall, VMEC and NSB joined forces to support small and medium-sized manufacturers (SMMs) in Vermont who have 20 or fewer employees. Created to provide a range of services based on operational needs for manufacturers to sustain and grow their businesses, NSB agreed to contribute $60,000 over a two-year period ($30,000 per year), extending to September 30, 2026. In its first year, the Maker’s Fund allocated the entire $30,000 distribution, spanning across eight different Vermont SMMs, at an average cost of $3,750 per project.

Vermont Business Magazine Attorney General Charity Clark today announced that Walgreens will pay a settlement of $500,000 following an investigation into claims that the pharmacy retailer charged customers more at the register than prices were advertised on shelves – even after being told by state inspectors to correct the pricing inaccuracies. Between 2018 and 2024, state inspectors found 416 instances where Walgreens stores – and Rite Aid stores purchased buy Walgreens in 2018 – charged Vermont consumers more than the advertised shelf price, with overcharges ranging from 4 cents to $23.40. To resolve violations of Vermont’s Consumer Protection Act, Walgreens has agreed to adhere to its pricing compliance policies and procedures and pay a settlement of $500,000, of which $25,000 will be directed to the Community Health Center of Burlington. 

Vermont Business Magazine The Southwestern Vermont Chamber of Commerce hosted its annual Heart of The Shires Brunch on Wednesday, November 5, 2025, at the Park McCullough Historic Governor’s Mansion, honoring outstanding community leaders, nonprofits, and volunteers whose service continues to strengthen the civic fabric of Southwestern Vermont. The sold-out event, presented by Coggins Auto Group and Fidium Business, brought together more than 100 community members, nonprofit leaders, and business partners for a morning of celebration, connection, and gratitude. Guests enjoyed a Vermont-crafted brunch by Powers Market while reflecting on the shared spirit of service that defines The Shires.

Vermont Business Magazine MENTOR Vermont is excited to announce the recipients of the 2025-2026 Vermont Mentoring Grants, the only mentoring-specific funding available to youth mentoring programs throughout the state. This year, MENTOR Vermont awarded 18 grants, totaling $615,000, which will support more than 1,800 youth mentoring matches in communities across Vermont. MENTOR Vermont recognizes that young people are natural dreamers, but not all youth are given the same access and opportunities to achieve those dreams. A caring and committed mentor can help a young person ignite their curiosities, solidify their passions, and leverage their talents.

Vermont League of Cities & Towns This new resource from VLCT’s Municipal Operations Support team sheds very useful light on operations budgeting, borrowing, and capital budgeting.The directors of the VLCT Employment Resource and Benefits Trust, aka the UI Trust, have lowered the overall rates and set the taxable wage base for 2026. They also approved returning $100,000 to UI Trust members as credits toward 2026 contributions.