Current News

by Mike Donoghue, Vermont News First The U.S. Marshals in Vermont issued a warning Wednesday to local residents to be aware of several imposter scams involving individuals claiming to be U.S. marshals, court officers, or other law enforcement officials in an effort to try to collect a court fine. Acting Chief Deputy John Curtis said Wednesday the Vermont office received complaints from three people in the past two days trying to get people to turn over money to the scammers. The scammers say they are willing to collect a fine in lieu of making an arrest for failing to report for jury duty or other offenses. The scammers then tell victims they can avoid arrest by purchasing a prepaid debit card such as a Green Dot card or gift card.  They are asked to read the card number over the phone to satisfy the fine. 

Vermont Business Magazine Downstreet Housing & Community Development and the Central Vermont Refugee Action Network (CVRAN) today celebrated the opening of Randall Apartments, a newly renovated building providing four permanently affordable homes for New American families in Montpelier. The project marks an important step toward expanding safe, stable housing opportunities for refugees and asylum seekers in Central Vermont. The journey to transform the project into a welcoming home for families seeking refuge began with a shared vision of creating inclusive communities where everyone has access to safe and affordable housing. 

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Community Broadband Board (VCBB) announced today that Otter Creek Communications Union District (Rutland region) has completed its universal service plan having constructed fiber optic broadband to 3,626 addresses, including 1,278 previously unserved addresses. The work happened in partnership with Consolidated Communications/Fidium and in agreement with GoNetSpeed. The project was completed ahead of schedule and under budget with $2.99 million remaining that will be used to address affordability across the state.

The Vermont State Police arrested a suspect in connection with the killing of Tina Daigle earlier this summer in central Vermont. Detectives on Tuesday afternoon, Aug. 19, 2025, took into custody Michael A. Williams, 60, of Morrisville. Investigation determined that Daigle was killed in Caledonia County early June 19, and her body was then left by the side of Vermont Route 14 in Woodbury. Williams is facing charges of second-degree murder and first-degree aggravated domestic assault. He is scheduled to be arraigned at 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025, in the Criminal Division of Vermont Superior Court in St. Johnsbury. He was ordered jailed without bail pending his initial court appearance.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Labor (VDOL) has awarded two grants to the Vermont Youth Conservation Corps (VYCC) to expand access to workforce training and career development for Vermont youth. The first grant, totaling $20,726, supports a summer employment and training program for 10 New American youth from Winooski and Burlington. The participants, ages 15–18, are English language learners interested in service positions focused on conservation and agriculture projects. This initiative provides weekly stipends and hands-on training in sustainable agriculture.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Racial Justice Alliance (VRJA) has announced the activities leading up to the Commemoration of First African Landing Day. Activities include a documentary showing, the 1619 Traveling Exhibit and a press conference. The VRJA announced that there will be a showing of the documentary “1619, The First Africans in Virginia and the Making of America (parts I and II) at noon on August 20. The 1619 Traveling Exhibit remains on display for weekday viewing from 10:00 AM till 4:00 PM for the remainder of August. 

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Public has been honored with a National Edward R. Murrow Award from the Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA) for its multimedia coverage of the 2024 total solar eclipse. The winning coverage includes a video special on the science of solar eclipses that aired on Vermont Public’s main television station and was viewed more than 35,000 times on YouTube and PBS on demand. Following the eclipse, Vermont Public produced a short documentary that captures some of the euphoria viewers experienced in Vermont’s path of totality.

Vermont Business Magazine Health Care and Rehabilitation Services (HCRS), southeastern Vermont’s non-profit community mental health agency, has announced that Chief Executive Officer George Karabakakis, Ph.D., will retire at the end of June 2026, after more than 30 years of service to the agency, including the past 11 years as CEO. Since stepping into the CEO role in 2014, Karabakakis has led HCRS through a period of transformational growth — increasing the agency’s budget from $48 million to over $73 million — while expanding access to care, deepening community partnerships, and cultivating a culture of respect, transparency, and inclusion. He is widely known for his unwavering belief in our shared humanity and his commitment to building authentic relationships across every level of the organization and the communities it serves.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Health reported last week that the number of COVID-19 hospitalizations rose slightly after they fell to a near record-low number of cases statewide over the last two months since the beginning of the pandemic over five years ago. Overall COVID trends are declining in Vermont, while being slightly elevated across the US. The Vermont COVID-19 pandemic death total stands at 1,301 as of August 9, 2025, with 0 reported deaths from the previous week (the most recent data available from the CDC). WHO also reported that global COVID-19 deaths keep declining. The VDH is no longer reporting COVID fatalities and cases in Vermont. Wastewater testing generally indicates that COVID-19 virus levels in Vermont also have fallen to very low levels after they had spiked in January. 

Vermont Business Magazine Winooski Mayor Kristine Lott announced today that she will step down as mayor on September 15. She is the first woman to serve as mayor. Lott was 33 when she was elected in 2019. Deputy Mayor Thomas Renner will fill the post until elections on Town Meeting Day next March. She did not offer a reason for resigning. This will leave the City Council with four members. Lott's term was set to expire in March 2027. Winooski has a city manager form of government. The council is a policy-setting board and the appointed city manager implements policies with the rest of the appointed staff.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine Today, the Vermont Department of Labor reported that the seasonally adjusted statewide unemployment rate for July was 2.6 percent. This reflects no change from the prior month’s revised estimate. The civilian labor force participation rate was 64.7 percent in July, a decrease of two-tenths of one percentage point from the prior month’s revised estimate. Vermont has the third lowest rate in the nation, behind South (1.9%) and North Dakota (2.5%). California has the highest rate at 5.5% (Washington, DC, is at 6%). The comparable United States rate in July was 4.2 percent, an increase of one-tenth of one percentage point from the revised June estimate. The Labor Force and Employment are now more the 3,000 below their numbers from last year. The number of unemployed fell slightly by 74 participants.

Vermont Business Magazine The Brattleboro Retreat has named Lyndsy McIntyre, MSN, RN, Vice President of Clinical Quality and Patient Safety. Reporting directly to the Chief Medical Officer, McIntyre will serve as a key member of the executive team, leading the organization’s quality and safety initiatives. McIntyre joins the Brattleboro Retreat with extensive leadership experience in nursing, quality management, and executive operations. Most recently, she served as Chief Nursing Officer and Vice President of Operations at Valley Regional Hospital in Claremont, NH, where she led significant improvements in quality and patient safety. Her career also includes more than four years as Chief Operating Officer and Chief Nursing Officer at Springfield Hospital.