Current News

Vermont Business Magazine The Attorney General’s Office announced that Caleb Devarney, 32, of St. Albans, Vermont, was sentenced yesterday in Vermont Superior Court, Franklin Criminal Division, after pleading guilty to three felony and two misdemeanor counts of Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material. The Court, Judge Elizabeth Novotny presiding, sentenced the defendant to three to five years in prison, all suspended under a 10-year term of probation. Conditions of Devarney’s probation include mandatory completion of sex offender programming, no contact with children under 18, and restricted access to the internet. If Devarney violates the terms of his probation, he faces up to five years in prison. Devarney is also required to register as a sex offender until 10 years have passed since the completion of his sentence.

Vermont Business Magazine At a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing today, U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, grilled Attorney General (AG) Pam Bondi for her evasive answers and lack of transparency in response to questions about bribery allegations concerning Trump Border Czar Tom Homan. 

Vermont Business Magazine Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) today released the following statement on the two-year anniversary of the October 7 Hamas terrorist attack in Israel:
"Today, we remember that two years ago, Hamas, a terrorist organization, stormed into Israel, murdering some 1,200 innocent men, women and children, taking hundreds of hostages, and engaging in horrific atrocities. The International Criminal Court was right to indict Hamas’ leaders as war criminals. Forty-eight of those hostages are still being held in Gaza. They must be released immediately. "Like any country suffering a terrorist attack, Israel had the absolute right to defend itself and go after Hamas. Tragically, however, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and his extremist government did not simply go to war against Hamas terrorists. Instead, they unleashed an all-out war against the entire Palestinian people. The horrors of that war cannot be overstated.

Vermont Business Magazine The Department for Children and Families (DCF) has implemented federally required changes to 3SquaresVT, Vermont’s name for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). These changes are required by federal law (H.R.1) and took effect October 1. Households began receiving individualized notices in September. The changes affect two main areas: (1) work requirements for some participants and (2) eligibility rules for certain non-citizens.

Governor Phil Scott For kids, the start of the school year is an exciting time, full of new experiences and making new friends. And, while the experience is similar for most, the opportunities they have are vastly different from school to school, district to district and region to region. The basic courses may be the same, but beyond the minimum, they vary widely. This holds true for Career and Technical Education centers, the arts, sports, and after-school programs, which results in a very real opportunity gap that is holding back far too many across the state. This gap has been growing for decades, and I’ve been sounding the affordability and equity alarm since I first ran for governor. We see it in our test scores in key areas like reading and math. 

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.