Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Fidium has expanded its multi-gig speed network in Chittenden County, delivering all-fiber internet to more than 1,900 homes and businesses in Essex Town, Essex Junction, Jericho, Shelburne, Westford, and Williston. The buildout, completed in partnership with the Chittenden County Communications Union District (CCCUD), connects previously unserved and underserved locations to future-ready broadband. With this latest expansion, Fidium is now available to more than 17,000 locations across Chittenden County.

Vermont Business Magazine Secretary of Administration Sarah Clark today released Vermont’s revenue results for September 2025. The General Fund exceeded its monthly consensus cash flow target, as adopted by the Emergency Board at its July 2025 meeting, while the Transportation Fund and Education Fund missed their targets. The state’s General Fund, Transportation Fund, and Education Fund receipts were a combined $341.8 million, $7.4 million, or 2.2%, higher than the $334.4 million monthly target in the consensus forecast adopted by the Emergency Board at its July 2025 meeting. Total General Fund revenues for September were $250.2 million, $9.0 million or 3.7% above the $241.2 million monthly cash flow target, driven primarily by Personal Income Tax receipts that were $9.81 million, or 7.2%, above target. 

Vermont Business Magazine Attorney General Charity Clark today joined a coalition of 22 other attorneys general and three governors in filing a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and its Secretary Brooke Rollins for unlawfully suspending the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which helps more than 40 million Americans buy food, due to the ongoing federal government shutdown. The coalition argues that suspending SNAP benefits in this manner is both contrary to law and arbitrary and capricious under the Administrative Procedure Act and it will be filing a temporary restraining order later today asking the court to immediately restore SNAP benefits. 

Vermont Business Magazine University of Vermont Children’s Hospital has received a transformative $25 million gift from philanthropist and civic leader B. Thomas (Tom) Golisano that will help improve care for patients and families across the region. The gift will be used to expand critical services for children with complex medical needs, bring specialty care closer to home to reduce families’ travel time and stress, and support the organization’s commitment to delivering safe, high-quality care. Receiving this gift also includes an invitation to join 9 other hospitals nationally in forming the Golisano Children’s Alliance whose mission is to ensure that children and families have access to the highest quality care close to home.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Health reported last week that the number of COVID-19 hospitalizations fell again slightly after a recent increase in cases that began in August. Other indicators like wastewater virus and outbreaks also declined. Neither the VDH nor the CDC are any longer reporting COVID fatalities or total cases in Vermont or in the US. WastewaterSCAN testing of treatment plants indicates that in Vermont both COVID-19 and Norovirus levels recently have been higher in Vermont than they are nationally.

Vermont Business Magazine U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont) on Monday cosponsored Senator Josh Hawley’s (R-MO) Keep SNAP Funded Act, which would ensure nutrition assistance will continue despite the ongoing government shutdown. More than 63,000 Vermonters rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), called 3SquaresVT. Senator Welch is a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee.  

The Annie E. Casey Foundation Child pover­ty in the U.S. has surged, near­ly tripling from 5% in 2021 to 13% in 2024. This dra­mat­ic increase fol­lows the expi­ra­tion of pan­dem­ic-era eco­nom­ic poli­cies and ris­ing prices that have strained fam­i­ly bud­gets nation­wide. How­ev­er, a new report from the Annie E. Casey Foun­da­tion, ​“Mea­sur­ing Access to Oppor­tu­ni­ty in the Unit­ed States: A 10-Year Update,” under­scores the pro­found impact of pub­lic poli­cies and pro­grams, demon­strat­ing their capac­i­ty to cut child pover­ty in half. Meanwhile, Vermont ranks in the second tier of state with a supplemental child poverty rate of 9%. The US average is 13%. Fourteen states ranked better than Vermont, with Maine having the lowest rate at 5% and Louisiana having the highest rate at 19% (along with Washington, DC).

Vermont Business Magazine 911 call-takers have begun connecting Vermonters directly to trained mental health counselors. The new statewide 911-to-988 protocol makes it possible for 911 call-takers to transfer appropriate calls to the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, the national three-digit number for mental health and suicide crises. The Vermont Department of Mental Health, the Vermont Department of Public Safety, the Vermont Enhanced 911 Board and stakeholders from the first responder community developed the 911 to 988 transfer protocol collaboratively. Now, 911 call-takers can quickly connect people experiencing a mental health crisis to 988. The call-taker stays on the line until a 988 counselor joins.

Vermont Business Magazine Charlene Burroughs can’t remember the last time she didn’t feel short of breath – that is, until recently. Several days after leaving University of Vermont Medical Center – where she became one of the first people in the region to undergo a new heart valve replacement procedure – Burroughs was back home in Crown Point, New York. Burroughs’ change of health is due to her recent transcatheter tricuspid valve replacement (TTVR) procedure, performed by interventional cardiologists Tanush Gupta, MD and Rony Lahoud, MD, and advanced imaging cardiologists Kramer Wahlberg, MD, and Trace Barret, MD at UVM Medical Center. The team used thin, flexible tubes known as catheters to steer an artificial tricuspid valve into position in Burroughs’ heart, replacing the faulty original.

Vermont Business Magazine NBT Bancorp Inc. (NASDAQ: NBTB) reported net income and diluted earnings per share for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2025. Net income for the third quarter of 2025 was $54.5 million, or $1.03 per diluted common share, compared to $38.1 million, or $0.80 per diluted common share, for the third quarter of 2024, and $22.5 million, or $0.44 per diluted common share, for the second quarter of 2025. Operating diluted earnings per share(1), a non-GAAP measure, was $1.05 for the third quarter of 2025, compared to $0.80 for the third quarter of 2024 and $0.88 for the second quarter of 2025. 

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Federal Credit Union proudly partnered once again with the Cancer Patient Support Foundation as the Presenting Sponsor for the Third Annual Casino Night: Bet on Hope, held on October 17, 2025, at Hula Lakeside in Burlington, VT. This year's event brought together hundreds of community members for an unforgettable evening of casino-style fun and philanthropy, raising vital funds to support Vermont cancer patients and their families. Since its launch, Bet on Hope has become one of Vermont's most anticipated fall fundraisers, combining entertainment and community spirit to make a lasting difference. Guests enjoyed blackjack, poker, roulette, live music, hors d'oeuvres, and a spirited silent auction, all in support of the Cancer Patient Support Foundation's mission to provide financial assistance and emotional support to Vermonters navigating cancer treatment.

Vermont Business Magazine The Northeast Kingdom Fund at the Vermont Community Foundation has awarded $111,950 in grants to 25 local organizations through its 2025 competitive grant round, supporting nonprofits and municipalities in Caledonia, Essex, and Orleans counties. These grants bolster support for organizations working with youth, substance abuse prevention, education and the arts, and outdoor recreation and programming. The Northeast Kingdom Fund was established in 2011 by the Vermont Community Foundation and local partners as a permanent philanthropic resource to support the people and communities in the region. The fund prioritizes applications from projects and/or organizations that are based in the Northeast Kingdom and provide services directly to the community.