Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Larner College of Medicine Class of 2029 White Coat Ceremony, first-year medical students will receive their first white coats. At the end of the ceremony, Larner Dean Richard Page, M.D., will lead the students in reciting “The Oath,” which reads in part, "I will remember that there is art to medicine as well as science, and that warmth, sympathy, and understanding may outweigh the surgeon's knife or chemist's drug." Friday, October 10, 2025, 1 p.m.

The VermontBiz2Biz EXPO brings the future of business in Vermont Together | Towards | Tomorrow. VermontBiz is proud to reintroduce and build upon an event that was a great success by the Vermont Chamber for many decades prior to 2019. The VermontBiz2Biz Expo will offer a unique opportunity for businesses to meet, listen, learn and celebrate throughout the one day business event of the year. The Biz Expo will include exhibitors, the TD Bank Vermont Business Growth Awards Breakfast, The Senator Welch Business Lunch and insightful seminars. The Expo will be held October 9 with the Vermont Business Growth Awards Breakfast at 7:30 am, the exhibit hall will be open from 9 am to 3 pm. Thursday October 9th, 2025 @ The DoubleTree. 870 Williston Road | South Burlington. 

Vermont Business Magazine Women Can Do, Vermont Works for Women’s signature career exploration conference for high school girls and gender expansive youth, returns to Vermont State University Randolph on Thursday, October 9, 2025. Up to 400+ high school students from across the state will participate in dozens of hands-on activities designed to expose them to promising careers considered non-traditional for women. These include jobs in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) and the skilled trades. Press is invited to arrange to visit Women Can Do at any point during the conference (9:15am – 1:00pm).

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Saves retirement program now offers support in 18 languages for employers and savers, Treasurer Pieciak announced today. Led by the program administrator Vestwell State Savings, LLC, the expansion will help hundreds—potentially thousands—of Vermonters with limited English proficiency save for retirement. Vermont Saves is a simple, affordable retirement plan offered through the Treasurer’s Office to Vermont employers and their workers. The program was brought forward by Treasurer Pieciak in 2023 and earned unanimous approval from the Legislature and Governor Scott. Treasurer Pieciak proposed Vermont Saves because many Vermonters are not offered a workplace retirement plan—leaving them at a higher risk of a less secure and dignified future. 

Vermont Business Magazine Social Tinkering: A Human Connection Project, a Rutland-based nonprofit dedicated to building stronger social bonds, is running a new countywide survey aimed at understanding the roots of isolation and loneliness in local communities. The Social Connection Survey invites residents from across Rutland County to share their personal experiences and insights about what helps or hinders social connection in their daily lives. The results will inform Social Tinkering’s work with many partners over the next two years, helping to strengthen connections, improve wellbeing, and support thriving communities.

by Mike Del Trecco, VAHHS CEO A hearty thank you to all who attended our Annual Meeting on September 25 and 26. We hope it intrigued and inspired you as it did us. We opened with Jeff Goldsmith, PhD, who laid out what he believes are some of the biggest health care challenges facing Vermont and the nation today. In breakout sessions, we explored everything from peer support programs to interoperability of IT systems to mobile tools. And as always, we explored the many ways hospitals can and are collaborating to provide the very best care for patients. We ended our program with a look at the landscape that supports our organizations and all Vermonters, led by Kevin Chu of Vermont Futures Project and Maura Collins of the Vermont Housing Finance Agency (VHFA).

Vermont Business Magazine For 90 years, health care leaders have met at the annual meeting of the Vermont Association of Hospitals and Health Systems (VAHHS). In recent years, attendees have participated in community service projects to benefit Vermonters in the surrounding communities of where the meetings were held. Last week at Jay Peak, Vermont health care leaders joined representatives from Community National Bank and several students from North Country Career Center to purchase and sort food and personal items for the Career Center’s personal care closet and community fridge. The idea for supporting the North Country Career Center project came from the VAHHS meeting’s presenting sponsor, Community National Bank. 

The Vermont State Police on Sunday responded to Richardson Rd at the intersection of Emery Rd in Orange for a reported two vehicle crash. Investigation determined Kyle Hunt, (23) of Washington, VT, was driving west bound on Richardson Rd in a Subaru Crosstrek when he turned south in front of a Kawasaki KLX140 dirt bike driving east on Richardson Rd operated by Kaylee Bailey, (16) of Corinth, VT.  There was a head on collision and both vehicles sustained extensive front-end damage. Hunt was not injured in the crash. Bailey was found unresponsive and despite lifesaving efforts she was pronounced deceased on the scene.

The Vermont State Police responded to Silver Street in Hinesburg for a reported two vehicle crash Saturday. Investigation determined Logan Cody, (24) of Shelburne, was operating a Ram 1500 pickup north bound in the south bound lane when he collided with a Kia Optima, operated by Lauren Morrill, (63) of North Ferrisburgh, driving in the south bound lane. Cody was transported to UVM Medical Center for serious non-life threatening injuries. Morrill was found unresponsive and pronounced deceased on scene. 

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Community Broadband Board (VCBB) is proud to announce the graduation of a new class of broadband technicians. They were trained at the latest session of the Broadband Technician Apprenticeship/Pre-Apprenticeship Training in partnership with North Country Career Center. This is comprehensive training for an entry-level broadband network technician. The three-week course was offered in Montpelier starting September 17 and was available to participants at no cost. This was the fourth session of the training and took place as Vermont is ready to make the final push on the state’s broadband buildout. An additional $229 million in federal funding from the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program has been allocated to Vermont, construction is scaling up, and more workers are needed.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Labor has announced an increase to the State’s minimum wage. Beginning January 1, 2026, the State’s minimum wage will increase from $14.01 to $14.42 per hour - an increase of $0.41.  This annual adjustment also impacts the minimum wage for tipped employees. The “Basic Tipped Wage Rate” for service, or “tipped employees,” equals 50% of the full minimum wage. On January 1, 2026, the tipped minimum wage will increase from $7.01 to $7.21 per hour.  The state’s tipped minimum wage law allows employers to pay a lower hourly rate, as long as the employee receives tips equal to, or greater to than, the standard minimum wage during a given shift. 

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Labor has announced the determination of the 2026 Unemployment Insurance (UI) Taxable Wage Base. Effective January 1, 2026, the Taxable Wage base will increase from its current level of $14,800 to $15,400 - an increase of $600.  Employers pay unemployment contributions based on initial wages earned annually by each of their employees up to a certain amount. This is known as the Taxable Wage Base. Under the new Taxable Wage Base, employers will pay UI contributions on the first $15,400 an employee earns in calendar year 2026.