Current News

Vermont Business Magazine With Vermont students back in the classroom, the American Red Cross in Vermont offers this checklist to help ensure children stay safe as they travel to and from school this year. It’s a community effort. 

Vermont Business Magazine AARP Vermont invites eligible organizations and communities across the state to apply for the 2025 AARP Vermont Winter Placemaking Grant Program, now through October 3 at 5:00 p.m. The grants will support quick-action projects that launch winter placemaking demonstrations aimed at creating or reinventing public spaces to enhance safety, accessibility, and overall attractiveness. AARP will award up to six communities or organizations funding of up to $4,000 each. Now in its sixth year, the program is part of AARP’s nationwide Livable Communities initiative, which promotes efforts by cities, towns, neighborhoods, and rural areas to become excellent places to live for all residents, especially those aged 50 and older.

Vermont State Police On April 15, 2025, Detectives with the Vermont State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigations, assigned to the New Haven Barracks, began an investigation into an incident that occurred on January 14, 2025. After a lengthy investigation, it was determined that Carson P. Bertrand, 21, of Whiting, VT, and Brandon R. Yandow, 28, of Castleton, VT committed the offense of Aggravated Sexual Assault by having nonconsensual sexual contact with an adult victim. Investigation also revealed Bertrand had nonconsensual sexual contact with a second victim on the same date. 

Vermont Business Magazine Funding is now available through the Laurance & Mary Rockefeller Fund for organizations and projects that preserve and enhance the physical, cultural, spiritual, and wellness environment of the people in the town of Woodstock and surrounding communities. The fund awards grants ranging from $1,000 to $5,000. Applications will be accepted from organizations and projects serving the towns of Barnard, Bridgewater, Hartland, Killington, Plymouth, Pomfret, Reading, and/or Woodstock. Applicants must be serving one or more of these communities to be eligible to apply. The fund will consider requests for general operating or project/program support.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Medical Society (VMS) and its partners, a group of nine medical organizations and public health nonprofits, announced today that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has agreed to restore vital public health and science data that was removed from federal webpages earlier this year. This major legal victory stops a practice that began last January in which the federal executive branch deleted numerous webpages that medical providers, scientists and public health professionals rely upon, on issues covering LGBTQ health, gender and reproductive health, clinical trials, vaccine guidance, HIV/AIDS research, and other essential topics.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Supreme Court and the Vermont Bar Association are pleased to host a Constitution Day presentation, featuring a panel including the Vermont Supreme Court Chief Justice, Superior Court Trial Judges, and a Constitutional Law Professor. The presentation will be held on Wednesday, Sept. 17 from 5 – 6 pm at the Chase Center at Vermont Law and Graduate School in South Royalton. The panel will provide an informative overview of the United States Constitution with a focus on landmark cases decided over the decades. 

Vermont Business Magazine Changing how one anesthesia gas is delivered to operating rooms at University of Vermont Medical Center is saving the hospital money and reducing emissions of one of the most potent man-made greenhouse gases – a key outcome for improving sustainability and reducing climate impacts in health care. The hospital recently switched from using centralized piping lines to convey nitrous oxide to operating rooms (OR) to an e-cylinder system. E-cylinders are self-contained tanks that are mounted directly onto anesthesia machines in the OR. The changes will save the hospital more than $10,000 each year, reducing nitrous oxide purchases by 88 percent. Moving to e-cylinders also eliminated the emissions equivalent of 483 metric tons of carbon dioxide – roughly the carbon footprint of 65 homes’ energy use for one year. 

Vermont Business Magazine Last week, Campaign for Vermont Prosperity (CFV) announced its research priorities for 2025. Topping the list were education, affordable housing, and health care. Similarly, housing costs have also increased rapidly. According to the Vermont Housing and Finance Agency (VHFA), the income required to purchase the median priced home on the market doubled from $60k per year to $120k per year since 2020. CFV points to the cost of construction for state-funded projects exceeding $500 per sq/ft as a critical area to address in order to make housing efforts truly affordable.

Vermont Business Magazine The State of Vermont has released the Green River Reservoir Dam and Dike Study, led by the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) with technical support from GEI Consultants, Harvey Economics, and Hydro Consulting & Maintenance Services. The report confirms the Green River Reservoir Dam is structurally sound, that costs to responsibly maintain it are known and reasonable, and that the reservoir remains a cornerstone of Vermont’s outdoor recreation economy. Current owner Morrisville Water and Light is urging the state to take over ownership of the facility.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Lottery and the Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL) anticipate Wednesday’s (9/3) Powerball jackpot to reach $1.3 billion, the 􀏐ifth largest advertised jackpot in Powerball’s history. The billion-dollar-plus jackpot has increased Powerball ticket sales in Vermont by 171.34% in one week. Ticket sales for last Monday’s (8/25) Powerball draw were $163,947, compared to $445,008 in ticket sales for this Monday’s (9/1) Powerball drawing. The average ticket sales for Monday draws in FY26 were $55,732. Since all profits from the Vermont Lottery are directed to the state’s Education Fund, the uptick in lottery sales is a boost to the state’s Education Fund.

Vermont Business Magazine The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that on August 29, 2025, Stephen Loewe, 43, of Springfield, Vermont, was sentenced by Chief United States District Judge Christina Reiss to a term of 45 months’ imprisonment to be followed by a 3-year term of supervised release. Loewe previously pleaded guilty to straw purchasing 19 firearms between December 2023 and May 2024, and admitted as part of his plea that he robbed the Claremont Savings Bank in Springfield on August 13, 2024, the M&T Bank in Springfield on August 13, 2024, and the M&T Bank in Putney, Vermont on August 14, 2024. According to court records, Loewe purchased the 19 firearms at a firearm store in New Hampshire, falsely stating that the firearms were being purchased for his own possession. Instead, Loewe provided the firearms to another person. 18 of the firearms were handguns that Loewe provided to his drug dealer in exchange for crack cocaine. 

Vermont Manufacturing Extension Center Join VMEC and Generator for their 2025 Advanced Manufacturing Day (AMD), a unique opportunity to celebrate Vermont manufacturing and its community of continuous improvement and innovation enthusiasts. This year’s Problem Solving Symposium is designed for Vermont manufacturers to come together to share challenges, explore solutions, and strengthen our statewide manufacturing ecosystem. AMD 2025 is more than a networking event – it’s a hands-on, high-energy forum to connect, learn, and get inspired. You’ll meet local innovators, see real-world applications of improvement methods, and engage in meaningful exchange with peers across business, education, and government. The event includes a dynamic poster session showcasing continuous improvement methods, engaging networking opportunities and focused learning from experienced problem solvers.