Current News

Vermont Business Magazine In case you missed it, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) published an op-ed Saturday in The Guardian calling on Senate Democrats to continue their fight to protect access to health care for 15 million Americans and prevent 20 million people from seeing their health insurance premiums double, on average. Sanders urges his colleagues not to cave to President Trump and congressional Republicans who have refused to negotiate to reopen the government while the House remains on a six-week paid vacation — all so they can provide $1 trillion in tax breaks to the wealthiest 1%.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont State University (VTSU) has conferred the title of President Emeritus upon David Wolk, honoring his lifelong service to Vermont and his extraordinary leadership in furthering public higher education across the state and for the countless Vermonters whose lives were influenced by his mentorship or who today are touched by the lasting contributions of his legacy. The title of President Emeritus is awarded to individuals who have demonstrated exceptional service and leadership.   Wolk served as president of Castleton University (formerly Castleton State College) from 2001 to 2017 and is the longest-serving president in the institution’s history. 

Vermont Business Magazine Attorney General Charity Clark and 21 other attorneys general today filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Education for unlawfully restricting eligibility for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program, which allows government and nonprofit employees to have their federal student loans forgiven after ten years of service. The coalition argues that the sweeping new rule is unlawful and targeted to punish states and organizations that the Administration does not like. 

Vermont Business Magazine Average gasoline prices in Vermont are $3.06 per gallon, unchanged  from last week's $3.07/g. The lowest price in the state yesterday was $2.65/g while the highest was $3.29/g, a difference of 64.0 cents per gallon. The national average price of gasoline has fallen 1.4 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $2.99/g today.

Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets (VAAFM) is accepting applications for the Harvest and Post-Harvest Handling Food Safety Grant. The purpose of this one-time funding is to provide infrastructure or equipment for operations performing harvest and post-harvest activities in either the meat or produce sector in Vermont. Specifically, this funding opportunity is only open to businesses that are subject to federal, or state equivalent, food safety regulatory inspections. Produce operations receiving regular inspection through the Food Safety Modernization Act Produce Safety Rule (FSMA PSR) are eligible.

Vermont Business Magazine Ian B. Baucom was installed as the 18th president of Middlebury College on November 2 at an inauguration ceremony at Virtue Field House marking the beginning of a new era—one day after the 225th anniversary of the College’s founding. More than 500 faculty, staff, students, community members, and delegates from 35 colleges and universities attended the culminating event of a three-day celebration of academics, arts, and community honoring the College’s new president. They stood and cheered as Baucom took the lectern for his inaugural address after being formally installed by William F. Truscott ’83, chair of the Middlebury Board of Trustees.

by Madelyn Nonni, Community News Service Trash day isn’t usually known to be full of glitz and glamour, but a new local business is aiming to assist homeowners and businesses on one of the dirtiest days of the week. Bin Force One is Vermont’s first professional trash bin cleaning service, focusing on giving quality cleanliness to its customers, using state-of-the-art, EPA-certified equipment, environmentally friendly cleaning solutions, and a 17-stage filtration system that captures and filters dirty water, avoiding storm-drain pollution. Additionally, they offer soft and pressure washing, surface cleaning and fleet washing for commercial vehicles.

by Peter Koerella, UVM Nothing beats Vermont in the fall; it’s a sentiment especially true this season for the first group of recent Vermont graduates, who will receive thousands toward their student loans for staying put in the state after graduation. This October, The Green Mountain Job Retention Program began releasing $845,000 in stipend awards to 169 students who graduated from Vermont’s higher-ed institutions in 2023, after they honored a two-year commitment of living and working in the state; nearly half of those recipients graduated from University of Vermont. State organizers are seeking 300 graduates to participate in a new cohort staying in Vermont. The program – a collaboration between the State of Vermont, UVM, and VSAC – offers a $5,000 loan repayment to incentivize new graduates from Vermont colleges and universities to live and work full time in Vermont.

Vermont Business Magazine This weekly report is a list of planned construction activities that will affect traffic on state highways and interstates throughout Vermont for the week of November 3, 2025. Please remember to drive safely in all work zones. Lives depend on it.    

Vermont Business Magazine Lost Lantern, the award-winning independent bottler of American whiskey, proudly announces its Fall 2025 release: The Scotch Lovers’ Collection, an invitation for Scotch drinkers to take a deep dive into the more traditional side of American single malt. Officially recognized by the federal government as a new whiskey category in December 2024, American single malt is a wide-ranging style, including both whiskies that are very different from other world single malts and ones with distinctively traditional, classic single malt flavors with American nuances. The Scotch Lovers’ Collection shines a light on these more traditional American single malts with flavor profiles that will immediately appeal to Scotch drinkers… even if they’ve never encountered or explored American single malt before.  

Vermont Business Magazine Ledyard Financial Group, Inc. (OTCQX: LFGP), the holding company for Ledyard National Bank with a branch in Vermont, on Friday announced financial results for Q3 2025. Quarterly net income per share increased to $0.46 from $0.39 in the prior quarter (up 18%), as core business activity continued to expand. Strong loan growth continued to drive balance sheet growth, and wealth management revenue increased despite market volatility during the quarter. Reflecting the continued success of the company’s strategic investments, net income in the quarter was up 110% over the comparable year-ago period and is a quarterly pace of earnings that begins to approach the high points of previous years. 

Vermont Business Magazine The Trump administration recently issued a new interpretive rule advising that the Federal Credit Reporting Act preempts state measures to remove medical debt from credit reports. This guidance, issued by Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) Acting Director Russell Vought, directly challenges laws passed in several states, including Vermont, that prohibit the reporting of medical debt on credit scores. While the administration's interpretation is not legally binding, it signals an intent to override state efforts to relieve medical debt for workers and families.