Current News

Addison County Chamber of Commerce Notice of the 2025 Annual Meeting and Report of Nominations to the Board of Directors for the 2025-2026 year. Nominees to be elected at the Annual Meeting, Awards Dinner and Hall of Fame Induction on Thursday, October 23, 2025, at the Middlebury Town Hall Theatre (5pm-8pm). In accordance with the Bylaws of the Addison County Chamber of Commerce.

Vermont Business Magazine Ben & Jerry's founders, Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, today sent an open letter to the board of the Vermont ice cream maker's owner, Unilever, concerned over the planned spinoff of some of its food products, including Ben & Jerry's Homemade Inc. The Amsterdam-based conglomerate is spinning off its ice cream division, headlined by Ben & Jerry's along with Cornetto and Wall's, as a standalone company called Magnum Ice Cream Company (MICC) in November. Magnum was created in a de-merger at the end of July. Cohen and Greenfield are urging Unilever to retain the spirit of Ben & Jerry's independent board and keep to the letter of the acquisition agreement made in 2000.

Vermont Business Magazine The Southwestern Vermont Chamber of Commerce has released results from its annual State of the Commerce economic survey, offering a detailed snapshot of business conditions, challenges, and optimism across Bennington County and beyond. When asked for a letter grade to indicate how healthy they felt their organization or business was doing, ranging from A (excellent) to F (closure imminent), 64% ranged from B (successful) to A (excellent) down from 70% a year prior. The other portion, B- (temporarily successful) to D (not doing well) made up 33% up 3% from a year prior. Three percent gave themselves a D- or fear of closure, while no respondent indicated closure was imminent (F). When asked about their business's financial performance compared to one year ago, a portion of respondents, 40%, reported that their businesses were doing better. Twenty-seven percent indicated that their revenue stayed about the same, while 32% of respondents mentioned that their business's financial performance was worse compared to 2024.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Studio Center (VSC) invites the community to celebrate the re-opening of Corner House during September’s Experience VSC. Corner House has been under construction throughout 2024 and 2025. The renovation and addition to the historic home will provide additional lodging for artists and writers in residence at VSC. The ribbon cutting will be held on Sunday, September 21 at 1 p.m. followed by open studios, music from Los Lorcas, and refreshments through 4 p.m. Corner House will provide lodging for up to 13 Vermont Studio Center artists and writers, continuing its legacy of community and creativity. From 1930 to 1947, the property served as housing for female students at the Johnson Normal School (now the VSC Barbara White Studios on Main Street). 

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Agency of Transportation (AOT), the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development (ACCD), and the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources (ANR) today announced a call for applications for the Better Connections Grant Program. For the 2026 grant cycle, $200,000 is available for Vermont cities and towns to support more connected, vibrant communities. The grant program serves municipalities located outside of Chittenden County.

by Sam Donnelly “Recently, the City of Burlington has experienced an increase in discarded syringes in public spaces, posing a risk to public health and safety. We need to do more to protect children, unhoused individuals, and downtown workers, residents, and visitors. For the past 4 months, the Peace & Justice Center and Vermont Harm Reduction Advocates have been leading an initiative called the BTV Clean Up Crew, which meets weekly, cleaning up trash and used needles in downtown Burlington. Building Burlington’s Future has been proud to support this resident-led program, and now we’re calling on the city to do its part."

Vermont Business Magazine Health officials have confirmed the first case of Jamestown Canyon virus in a person in Vermont. Jamestown Canyon virus is spread to people through the bite of an infected mosquito. While most people don’t get sick, some develop flu-like symptoms or more severe symptoms. The case was confirmed Sept. 8 in a person from Windsor County through laboratory testing and reporting by their health care provider. To protect patient confidentiality, the Health Department will not release individual personal health information.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont’s Child Care Campaign kicked off its next phase last week at Growing Vermont: A Conversation on the Future of Child Care, a town hall event at Hula Lakeside featuring national and local policy experts. The event marked two years since the passage of Act 76, Vermont’s historic child care law, as well as the wind-down of Let’s Grow Kids (LGK), the advocacy organization launched in 2015 as a ten-year campaign to transform Vermont’s child care system. Let’s Grow Kids will officially cease operations as an organization at the end of this year. Moving forward, Vermont’s Child Care Campaign will be led by child care eco-system partners: The Vermont Association for the Education of Young Children (VTAEYC), Building Bright Futures (BBF), First Children’s Finance–Vermont (FCF-VT), and the Let’s Grow Kids Action Network (LGKAN) - LGK’s sister 501(c)(4) organization. 

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility (VBSR), the statewide, nonprofit business association working to leverage the power of business for positive social and environmental impact, has announced the 2025 recipients of three awards honoring Vermont leaders in social equity, environmental responsibility, and sustainable economic development. The winners will be celebrated at the 24th Annual VBSR Awards Ceremony and Dinner on Thursday, October 2, 5-8:30 p.m., at The Farmhouse at The Essex Resort & Spa. VBSR will honor three awardees who have demonstrated extraordinary leadership advancing VBSR’s vision of a just, thriving, and transformative economy that works for all people and the planet.

Vermont Business Magazine In September, the American Red Cross reminds people that giving blood now helps support patients the moment they need medical care. Donors of all types, especially those with types O positive and B negative blood, are asked to make an appointment to give. National Preparedness Month is underway – a time to remember lifesaving blood products are an essential part of preparedness for every type of disaster, whether it be home fires or natural disasters, such as hurricanes, flooding and wildfires. Severe weather can disrupt blood collections by causing blood drive cancellations and impacting donors’ ability to give. Additionally, trauma patients may need blood product transfusions within minutes of entering emergency rooms. Those who give now could help someone in dire moments.

Vermont Business Magazine Last week, Rep. Becca Balint (D-Vermont-AL) and Rep. Bryan Steil (R-WI-01) introduced the Protecting Young Minds Online Act, which requires the Center for Mental Health Services to develop and disseminate a strategy to address the effects of new technologies, like social media, on children’s mental health. In recent years, there has been a significant increase in mental health disorders in youth, including depression, anxiety, and thoughts of suicide. Suicide is the second leading cause of death among youth ages 15-24. Approximately one out of every 10 high school students reports attempting suicide each year. 

Vermont Business Magazine The National Menopause Foundation (NMF) and Perry have announced that 12 states have taken executive action to increase visibility and awareness of perimenopause. Approximately 1.3 million women enter menopause each year in the U.S. Many people don't know that perimenopause, the life stage leading up to menopause, begins 7-10 years before a woman experiences the end of her menstrual cycle. This is the first year that NMF and Perry have partnered with states to declare September as Perimenopause Awareness Month via proclamation.