Current News

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation (FPR) has issued an order for all Town Forest Fire Wardens to cease issuing burning permits from noon on September 22, 2025, until this order is revoked. This order may be revoked on a statewide basis or on a county-by-county basis, depending upon the fire danger and weather conditions. Abnormally dry summer conditions have persisted throughout Vermont and the Northeast.  The US Drought Monitor reports 78% of Vermont is experiencing severe drought. Neighboring states are also in similar drought conditions, with 73% of New Hampshire experiencing severe drought, 23% of which is in extreme drought. 

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott and members of his cabinet will be in Grand Isle County on Thursday, September 25 for its Capital for a Day 14-county tour. Governor Scott first launched this initiative in June 2018, and he and his cabinet visited all 14 counties over the following 10 months. Capital for a Day gives local constituents, municipal government leaders and other partners the opportunity to connect directly with state leadership and staff.

Vermont Business Magazine Average gasoline prices in Vermont are $3.19 per gallon, down 2.0 cents per gallon from last week's $3.21/g. The lowest price in the state yesterday was $2.89/g while the highest was $3.35/g, a difference of 46.0 cents per gallon. The national average price of gasoline has risen 2.2 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.14/g today. The national average is unchanged from a month ago and stands 1.8 cents per gallon lower than a year ago.

Associated General Contractors of Vermont Whether in the sports arena or in the workplace, the most effective results come from people who realize that their goal is best achieved by teamwork. Injury-preventing teamwork on the job consists of a combination of thoughtfulness and responsibility—for co-workers’ safety as well as our own. 

Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets The Farm to School and Early Childhood Grant is intended to help Vermont-based early childhood providers and Vermont schools build and strengthen farm to school or farm to early childhood programs. Specifically, the grant is designed to support programs that are integrated throughout the classroom, the cafeteria, and the community – the 3 C’s of farm to school. This grant is open to licensed or registered early childhood education providers; K-12 public schools, supervisory unions, and school districts; and independent schools participating in any federal child nutrition programs. Applications will be accepted through October 29.

by Joy Choquette, Vermont Business Magazine Northwestern Vermont is a unique and beautiful spot to visit or live. Whether outdoor enthusiasts’ intent on mountain biking, foodies drawn to the “Eat Local” movement, or individuals from urban areas looking for a quieter, slower pace of life, Franklin County draws people from many walks of life. But is it also a good place to do business? If so, which businesses are currently thriving and which industries are suffering? And what should would-be business owners know about setting up shop in this part of the state?

Vermont Business Magazine The Robert Frost Stone House Museum has completed a major project as part of restoring its historic barn. The Bennington Museum received generous support from the Edwin S. Webster Foundation, a Cultural Facilities Grant from the Vermont Arts Council, a grant from the Windham Foundation, and donations in memory of Lea Newman, a local Frost biographer and friend of the Museum. Work included the addition of electricity and water to the 1850s historic barn and enhanced electrical and water access to the small meeting barn on the property. The funding specifically supported the excavation, plumbing, and electrical work that allows the Museum to maximize use of the small meeting barn for programming and, for the first time, the use of the historic barn, the largest indoor, open-plan space on the Museum’s property. 

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

by Kate Williams, CEO, 1% for the Planet When I go into the office, I like to take a moment to pause. The expanse of Lake Champlain shifts with the wind and light as I walk into Hula, the lush, cavernous co-working space in Burlington that houses 1% for the Planet’s global headquarters. I still feel a little awe each time I walk through Hula’s doors: it feels fitting that we steward one of the world’s leading environmental movements from right here on the shores of this remarkable lake—in a repurposed oven factory, no less. Co-founded in 2002 by Yvon Chouinard (founder of Patagonia) and Craig Mathews (owner of Blue Ribbon Flies), 1% for the Planet has made Burlington its global headquarters since 2014.

by State Rep. Laura H. Sibilia, I-Dover Political violence is not protest, debate, or disagreement. It strikes at the heart of democracy — and the responsibility we all share to govern ourselves. The recent assassinations of Charlie Kirk and Minnesota Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband show how quickly violence is replacing dialogue in our national life. Vermonters cannot afford to think it will not touch us. Too often, when people talk about those they disagree with, I hear “they” or “them.” Used this way, these words are vague and dehumanizing. They create distance and make it easier to dismiss or demonize. The same happens with phrases like “those people,” “the left,” “the right,” “the politicians,” “the media,” or “the elites.” All of these labels lump people together and let us avoid dealing with what individuals are actually saying or doing.

by Josh Williams, Vermont Business Magazine They say a good life is like a great novel, rich with unexpected chapters, recurring characters, and plot twists you never saw coming but somehow make perfect sense in hindsight. At 95, Ted Schultheis’ story has more stamps, slopes, and storefronts than most of us could fit in two lifetimes. Born in 1930 in the Bronx, he was raised in the salty air of Rockaway Beach Queens before attending Irving Boarding School, earning a college degree from Valparaiso University in Indiana, and an honorable discharge from the U.S. Army. By 1955, he had returned to civilian life, but not for long. His passport would soon fill with adventures from Mexico to Paris, London to Amsterdam, leading youth hostel trips, selling telex machines for Western Union International, managing property in Manhattan, and discovering Vermont’s snowy magic, one ski run at a time. Some moments, he says, defined everything that came after. 

Vermont Business Magazine The Attorney General’s Office today announced that Bryant Keene, 36, of Barre, Vermont, was arraigned on multiple felony counts of promoting a recording of child lewdness or sexual conduct, multiple counts of possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM), and one count of animal cruelty. The charges are the result of a criminal investigation conducted by the Vermont Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (VT-ICAC). The investigation began when the VT-ICAC Task Force received a CyberTipline report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). The report indicated that an individual was uploaded and shared online suspected images of CSAM, commonly referred to as “child pornography,” on Kik, which is a messenger application. Based on this report, Keene was identified as the person in possession of the CSAM.