Current News
Vermont Business Magazine Bristow Norway AS, a subsidiary of Bristow Group Inc., today flew BETA Technologies' all-electric ALIA CX300 aircraft at Stavanger Airport, marking the first operations of Norway's Test Arena for Zero & Low Emission Aviation. The flights, which are being conducted in cooperation with Avinor and the Civil Aviation Authority of Norway (CAA Norway), mark a step toward integrating and scaling Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) in Norway and the surrounding regions. The Test Arena will consist of a series of evaluation flights over the next several months, to test likely customer routes at Avinor-owned airports throughout Norway. Early routes will see ALIA fly between Stavanger and Bergen airports, with potential for the program to expand to additional routes across Norway later this year. The aircraft will be flown by BETA-trained Bristow pilots.
Vermont Business Magazine This weekly report is a list of planned construction activities that will affect traffic on state highways and interstates throughout Vermont for the week of August 11, 2025. A full closure of I-91 South at Exit 16 in Fairlee is in effect. All southbound traffic will need to exit the interstate at Exit 16 and detour on U.S. 5 to Exit 15 in Fairlee. Temporary signals are in place along the detour route at the intersection of U.S. 5 and Bridge Street. Delays may occur. Rolling roadblocks on the northbound side of the interstate will be in effect throughout the week. Expect delays.
Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott and members of his cabinet will be in Windham County on Tuesday, August 12 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.
by Mike Pieciak and Sue Minter Vermonters have learned a hard lesson from past disasters: being prepared makes a difference. The COVID-19 pandemic, Tropical Storm Irene, and devastating floods of recent summers have shown that when we plan ahead and protect our state—we keep Vermonters safe, businesses open, and costs down. Today, we must use this same approach as the Trump administration threatens the security of workers, families, and our communities. Vermonters are already feeling the impact of the MAGA agenda. Inflation is worsening, tariffs are driving up costs for businesses, ICE raids are tearing families apart, and important programs like Medicaid and food assistance are being slashed. The stock market may be riding high, but this bears little resemblance to the reality of most Vermonters.
Vermont Business Magazine This fall, Bennington College’s Center for the Advancement of Public Action (CAPA) is proud to launch Train to Transform, a powerful new online training series designed to equip participants with real-world skills for civic leadership, conflict transformation, and global engagement. Registration opened August 4, 2025. Trainings begin the week of October 6, 2025. Five dynamic online courses are each led by an internationally recognized practitioner. The series is designed for mid-career professionals, educators, students, public servants, activists, and lifelong learners seeking to deepen their impact and contribute to systemic change. All trainings are delivered virtually via Bennington’s partner EnrichmentSolutions.us, which allows participants from around the globe to learn, connect, and apply their knowledge in real time.
Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Federal Credit Union (VFCU) is proud to announce it has been selected as one of the recipients of the 2025 MeridianLink Arc Award, recognizing its innovative use of the MeridianLink One platform to drive impact, efficiency, and strengthened member service across Vermont. Now in its third year, the MeridianLink Arc Award celebrates financial institutions that harness technology with purpose—transforming lending processes, optimizing operations, and creating meaningful outcomes for their communities. Vermont Federal joins a distinguished group of ten winners, including Bangor Savings Bank, Empower Federal Credit Union, and Greater Iowa Credit Union.
Vermont Business Magazine School for International Training (SIT) has announced that Dr. Sophia Howlett has decided to step down from her role as SIT president effective December 31, 2025. This will mark the end of her second term and nine years of service with SIT. The announcement was shared with the World Learning Board of Trustees earlier this summer. World Learning CEO Carol Jenkins will assume the role of acting SIT president while continuing to lead World Learning, an international nongovernmental organization. Jenkins has served as CEO since 2017, a role that oversees both World Learning and SIT.
Vermont Business Magazine Retreat Farm is hosting their 2nd Annual bike ride, the Retreat Farm Ramble, on Saturday, August 16 from 8am-2pm at 45 Farmhouse Square in Brattleboro. The ride features 15, 30, and 50 mile routes through farmlands, covered bridges, and rolling hills with rest stops at iconic local farms, including Scott Farm Orchard and Bunker Farm. Day-of registration and ride check-in is at 8:00am, with 50-mile riders heading out at 8:30am, 30-mile riders leaving at 9:00am, and 15-mile riders starting at 9:30am.
Vermont Business Magazine The Board of Directors of Capstone Community Action has announced the appointment of Alison Calderara as the organization’s next Executive Director. Following a comprehensive national search led by Beth Gilpin Consulting and Capstone's Executive Director Search Committee, Calderara was selected to lead the organization with overall strategic and operational responsibility. As Executive Director, she will report to the Board of Directors and oversee Capstone’s mission-driven programs, dedicated staff, and business affairs while guiding the organization’s community impact, financial sustainability, and long-term growth.
by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine Vermont weekly unemployment claims for the week ending August 2, 2025, fell back to their usual season norms after a spike in manufacturing layoffs the week before. New claims were 251 last week, down 221 claims from the week before and down 37 from last year at this time. Claims, which tend to be lowest in the summer, were 181 at the end of September 2024. In Vermont for the weekly report, manufacturing accounted for 15% of the total (about 38 claims), down from 67% or about 315 claims from the previous week. The Vermont Department of Labor is not authorized to disclose from which firm(s) those layoffs came. The Service industry, which typically accounts for the most claims, last week reported 55% from the previous week, or about 138 claims, up from about 35 claims. Construction was 8%, up 4 points.
by Camryn Woods, Community News Service A new logging plan for the Green Mountain National Forest could harvest almost 5 million cubic feet of timber, or enough trees to fill 5,000 school buses. The Telephone Gap Integrated Resource project was approved on June 13 after seven years of assessment. It will manage 72,000 acres of federal, state and private land primarily in the towns of Brandon, Chittenden, Goshen, Killington, Mendon, Pittsfield and Pittsford, according to the U.S. Forest Service’s Final Decision Notice, a document outlining the new plan. The Forest Service said in its final plan that the Telephone Gap project would improve wildlife habitat, restore soils and wetlands, allow for prescribed burns and trail building and increase logging. But the project has received both praise and pushback from environmental organizations in Vermont over the last few years of its development.
Vermont Business Magazine Today, the City of Burlington announced cooling centers in anticipation of a heat advisory issued by the National Weather Service. The forecast projects midday heat index values in the mid-to-upper 90s beginning Sunday, August 10 and lasting through Wednesday, August 12. These conditions can cause increased health risks during outdoor activities and for anyone without access to air conditioning.
