Current News

Vermont Business Magazine As the year comes to a close, the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is seeking annual reports on surface water withdrawals. Under Act 135 of 2022, any person withdrawing surface water must file an annual report with DEC by January 15, 2026. The purpose of Act 135 is to collect baseline data on the use of surface waters such as rivers, streams, brooks, creeks, lakes, ponds, and reservoirs. Anyone who withdraws 10,000 gallons or more of surface water within 24 hours – or 150,000 gallons or more over 30 days – is required to fill out an online form to register and report their withdrawal.

Leahy Institute for Rural Partnerships On Monday, November 10, we’ll celebrate our second birthday with cake and friends. Reflecting back, we’re grateful for the partnerships that have come together with Leahy Institute support to do good things for our state. With $4 million deployed across 29 community-based research projects, UVM is lending its expertise, working together with local leaders and organizations, and improving the vitality of our rural places. Looking forward, we are intent on supporting deep, reciprocal partnerships and on making lasting impacts in Vermont communities with our partners.  

Vermont Business Magazine NBT Bank has promoted Rob Roy to Regional Commercial Banking Manager and welcomed Jameson Roberts as Vice President, Commercial Banking Relationship Manager in Vermont. Roy earned a bachelor’s degree in finance and marketing from the University of Vermont. He is also a graduate of the New England School of Banking at Williams College. Active in his community, Roy serves on the finance committees of the St. Francis Xavier School and Parish. Roberts has more than 10 years of banking experience and is responsible for new business development and management of a loan portfolio, along with maintaining and building customer relationships. Based at NBT Bank’s Vermont Regional Office in Burlington, Roberts recently returned to NBT. He first worked for the bank from 2019 to 2023 as a Commercial Banking Relationship Manager.

Vermont Business Magazine Teucrium Trading, LLC, based in Burlington, VT, and the sponsor of Teucrium Wheat Fund (“WEAT”), announced Tuesday that it will execute a one-for-five reverse share split that will be effective for holders of WEAT shares at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on November 24, 2025. Shares of WEAT will trade at their post-split prices on November 25, 2025. WEAT’s ticker symbol, “WEAT,” and shares of WEAT will continue to trade on the NYSE Arca, under a new CUSIP number: 88166A870. The reverse share split will reduce the number of WEAT’s shares outstanding and will result in a proportionate increase in the net asset value per share (“NAV”) of WEAT. As a result of the reverse share split, WEAT’s shareholders on November 25, 2025, will receive one post-split share of WEAT for every five pre-split shares of WEAT they hold.

Vermont Business Magazine U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont), a member of the Senate Finance Committee, today joined Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Administration Ed Markey (D-Mass.), alongside Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Ranking Member of the Agriculture Committee Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), and small business owners in condemning the negative impact of President Trump’s chaotic tariff policies on small businesses. The Senators and small business owners called on the Supreme Court to uphold previous court decisions and strike down Trump’s use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to impose reckless, global tariffs.

Vermont State Police The Vermont Chief Medical Examiner’s Office has completed an autopsy on the individual whose body was recovered Oct. 7 in Wallingford. The autopsy confirmed the individual’s identity as Rodney Davis, 62, of Wallingford, and determined he died by suicide.

Vermont Business Magazine The Attorney General’s Office today announced that Ryan Upham, 27, formerly of Bethel and currently living in White River Junction, Vermont, was sentenced in the Vermont Superior Court, Windsor Criminal Division, after pleading guilty to one felony count of Luring a Child. The charge brought against Upham was the result of a criminal investigation conducted by the Hartford Police Department and the Vermont Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (VT-ICAC) during which Upham engaged in sexually explicit conversations with an undercover officer posing as a 13-year-old child. The Court, Judge Elizabeth Mann presiding, sentenced the defendant to 18 months to five years to serve, all suspended with probation. 

Vermont Business Magazine Following two federal court rulings late last week confirming that federal SNAP (3SquaresVT) benefits cannot be withheld during a federal government shutdown, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has issued new guidance to states regarding the release of partial federal SNAP benefits. The Vermont Department for Children and Families (DCF) is reviewing this updated federal direction to understand how it applies in Vermont and to determine next steps for November 3SquaresVT benefits. In the meantime, Vermont remains committed to maintaining food access for individuals and families. As previously announced, the state-funded partial 3SquaresVT benefit will still be issued on Friday, November 7, 2025, for all households eligible for November 1 benefits. 

Vermont Business Magazine Staff and donors gathered Tuesday to mark completion of a renovation of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Golisano Children’s Hospital at University of Vermont Health, allowing the team to provide a more private, welcoming and functional environment for the hundreds of infants and families it serves each year. The renovation, which represents the first significant update to the NICU since its construction in 1988, reorganized the unit’s existing space to better meet patient and staff needs. Key improvements include two new private rooms, one of which is a double patient room, offering a calmer, more healing environment for the sickest patients and a much-needed private space for families. 

Vermont Business Magazine Open Enrollment for Vermont’s health insurance marketplace began on November 1. During Open Enrollment, Vermonters can sign up for or change their qualified health and dental plans for 2026. Coverage starts January 1, 2026, for those who sign up on or before December 15. Open Enrollment ends January 15, 2026. Enhanced premium subsidies from the federal government are set to expire at the end of 2025. These subsidies have helped reduce out-of-pocket costs for Vermonters purchasing health insurance through Vermont Health Connect. DVHA is aware that these subsidies continue to be part of the conversation related to the ongoing federal shutdown. In the event that these subsidies are extended, DVHA will immediately communicate with our members and update Vermont Health Connect to ensure that all Vermonters are paying the lowest possible premiums. 

Vermont Business Magazine More than 2000 students annually will receive vital support to prepare for college and careers, thanks to a renewed $31 million federal GEAR UP grant awarded to the Vermont Student Assistance Corporation (VSAC). The U.S. Department of Education awarded the funding to VSAC to administer Vermont’s GEAR UP, which stands for Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs. This seven-year grant—spanning 2025 to 2032—will allow VSAC to serve over 2,200 middle and high school students in grades 7–12 and 200 first-year college students annually. The program focuses on first-generation and modest-income families, particularly in Vermont’s rural and underserved communities.

Vermont Business Magazine The Housing and Homelessness Alliance of Vermont (HHAV) is pleased to announce that Michael Redmond will serve as Interim Executive Director beginning November 17, 2025. Michael brings extensive experience in nonprofit leadership and homelessness services and advocacy, having most recently served as Executive Director of the Upper Valley Haven, a nonprofit providing shelter, food, and support to individuals and families experiencing homelessness and poverty. Under his leadership, the Haven strengthened community partnerships and expanded shelter and supportive housing capacity across the region.