Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Friday, August 15, 2025 marks the 4-year anniversary of the collapse of the Afghan government and the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. The Taliban entered Kabul and took over the Afghan government on August 15, 2021. According to a report issued by the U.S. Department of State an estimated 125,000 civilians were evacuated from Afghanistan in August of 2021. This was the largest civilian airlift in U.S. history. Although reports vary, it is estimated that 78,000 Afghans who worked for the U.S. and had applied for special immigrant visas were left behind. This figure does not include those who had not yet applied, or their family members. Others estimate the number is closer to 145,000. 

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott has ordered flags to be lowered this weekend in honor of former Governor Thomas P. Salmon, who passed away on January 14 of this year. Governor Salmon was first elected in 1972 and served until January of 1977.  He previously served four terms in the House of Representatives. His family and friends will celebrate his life this weekend.

Vermont Business Magazine On the 90th Anniversary of the Social Security Act (signed into law August 14, 1935, by President Franklin D. Roosevelt), U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont) joined legislation led by Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) to reverse the disastrous cuts the Trump administration has made to the Social Security Administration (SSA). The Keep Billionaires Out of Social Security Act would prevent Social Security field offices from shutting down, make it easier for seniors and people with disabilities to apply for the benefits they have earned over the phone and provide the resources the SSA needs to approve earned benefits quickly.  

Vermont Business Magazine A federal grand jury in the District of Vermont returned a four-count superseding indictment today charging Teresa Youngblut, 21, of Seattle, with the murder of a Border Patrol agent, the assault of two additional agents with a deadly weapon, and related firearms offenses. According to court documents, on the afternoon of Jan. 20. a U.S. Border Patrol agent conducted a traffic stop of a Toyota Prius on Interstate 91 in Coventry, Vermont. Youngblut and a male German citizen – whose immigration status was in question – were in the car. Court documents allege that during the Jan. 20 vehicle stop, both Youngblut and her companion were armed. Youngblut exited the vehicle and, without warning, opened fire, resulting in the death of one of the agents.

Vermont Business Magazine The NFIB Small Business Optimism Index rose 1.7 points in July to 100.3, slightly above the 52-year average of 98. Contributing most to the rise in the Optimism Index were respondents reporting better business conditions and reporting that it is a good time to expand. In contrast to the Optimism Index, the Uncertainty Index increased by eight points from June to 97. Twenty-one percent of small business owners reported labor quality as their single most important problem, up five points from June and ranking as the top problem.

Vermont Business Magazine The University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine’s Center on Aging received $50,000 from the Eisner Foundation for a project to advance the health and well-being of older Vermonters through intergenerational engagement. The funds will support the creation of a statewide youth leadership program that will place high school students in multigenerational volunteer groups in their communities, with an aim to build meaningful relationships with older Vermonters. High school students are invited to apply to this free program by September 2, 2025. The high schoolers will participate in biweekly volunteer groups at senior living or residential care communities close to their schools, as part of a volunteer team led by trained UVM student facilitators.

Vermont Business Magazine A record 132 employers in Vermont will receive awards for their efforts to promote wellness initiatives within the workplace. The Vermont Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports will present the awards to business owners, company presidents, chief officers, human resources professionals, and wellness committee members on October 31, 2025, at the Killington Grand Resort. The awards ceremony takes place in conjunction with the Vermont Safety and Health Council annual Expo.

The annual Governor’s Award for Excellence in Worksite Wellness Awards recognize Vermont employers for their programs and policies which bolster a culture of wellness and improve the lives of their employees.

Saint Michael's College The study of spider brains at St. Mike's led to a groundbreaking discovery about what could be contributing to Alzheimer's. Neuroscience and Biology Professors Ruth Fabian-Fine and Adam Weaver, along with summer student researchers, discuss the exciting findings, what drives them, and how undergraduate students are key to pushing forward this important research.

Vermont Business Magazine VEOC has welcomed Putney Mountain Winery to Vermont’s community of employee-owned companies, following its purchase by the “Fermented Five,” organized as a worker cooperative, on July 29th. Founded by Charles and Kate Dodge in 2005, the company specializes in fruit wines with a focus on sourcing locally grown fruit, and more recently added a distilling component to the business. Charles first engaged with the employee ownership exit option when he attended a seminar hosted by VEOC in 2014, and VEOC stayed in touch over the subsequent years as the idea fermented.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department is offering a New Instructor Training Course for people interested in volunteering to teach Hunter Education courses in Vermont. Also, the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department reminds hunters that waterfowl hunting blinds may not be placed on or in the waters of the state earlier than the first Saturday in September. And, hunters traveling outside Vermont to hunt moose, deer, or elk need to follow a regulation designed to protect Vermont's deer and moose from chronic wasting disease, according to the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine Average gasoline prices in Vermont are $3.09 per gallon, down 2 cents per gallon from last week, unchanged from a month ago and down 31 cents/g from last year. The lowest price in the state this week was $2.65/g while the highest was $3.25/g, a difference of 60.0 cents per gallon. Prices were lowest in Bennington ($2.98/g) and Rutland ($3.00/g) counties and highest in Lamoille ($3.24/g), Franklin ($3.24/g) and Grand Isle ($3.23/g). The national average price of gasoline is unchanged in the last week, averaging $3.16/g today.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Federal Credit Union has once again been recognized for excellence in marketing and communications, earning multiple Diamond Awards from the Credit Union National Association (CUNA) Marketing & Business Development Council. This year’s honors celebrate the impact and creativity behind Vermont Federal's Credit Card Balance Transfer campaign, 2023 Annual Report, and Rigorous Technology Business Member Spotlight.