Current News

Vermont Business Magazine The Community College of Vermont (CCV) is proud to announce its selection as one of the community colleges invited to join Year 7 of the prestigious Metallica Scholars Initiative (MSI), supported by a generous $50,000 grant aimed at enhancing career readiness among students pursuing IT and cybersecurity programs. CCV will award scholarships for the fall 2025 and spring 2026 semesters. Students in the following certificate programs are eligible: cloud computing, IT support, cybersecurity & networking, data analytics & AI, and web development. Registration for fall is open now, and courses begin September 2.

Vermont Business Magazine Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) today released the following statement after the Trump administration moved to cancel $7 billion in funding for the Solar for All program — legislation that Sanders wrote to provide loans or grants to working class families to help cover the cost of installing solar rooftops or participating in community-based solar projects: I introduced the Solar for All program to slash electric bills for working families by up to 80% — putting money back in the pockets of ordinary Americans, not fossil fuel billionaires. Now, Donald Trump wants to illegally kill this program to protect the obscene profits of his friends in the oil and gas industry. That is outrageous.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine Secretary of Administration Sarah Clark today released Vermont’s revenue results for June 2025. The General Fund, Transportation Fund and Education Fund all lagged their monthly consensus cash flow targets as adopted by the Emergency Board at its January 2025 meeting. The General Fund finished the fiscal year ahead of the consensus target despite the Personal Income Tax, the GF’s most important revenue source, falling well behind expectations for the month. For the fiscal year, the PI was $66.5 million or 5.1% ahead of targets as the GF finished the year ahead by $88.2 million or 3.7%. The state economists on July 31 presented their consensus revenue report for the next two fiscal years to the state Emergency Board. They expect the General Fund to remain strong, while the Transportation and Education funds will slightly weaken. Action by the federal government, they note, adds an unprecedented amount of uncertainty to the equations.

Vermont Business Magazine Food Connects Food Hub has achieved another milestone in its mission to strengthen regional food systems: earning cGMP (current Good Manufacturing Practices) certification through a rigorous third-party audit. This achievement positions the Food Hub to begin serving large institutional customers including the University of Vermont (UVM) through Sodexo and marks a huge step forward for local food distribution in the region. After years of strategic preparation and two years of intensive work, Food Connects scored an outstanding 99% on its cGMP audit, conducted by ASI Food Safety. This voluntary certification verifies that Food Connects’ facility, systems, staff training, and operations all meet stringent federal regulatory standards for food safety. 

Vermont Business Magazine In recognition of National Breastfeeding Month, Mamava, the creator of freestanding lactation pods, and Medela, a global leader in breastfeeding innovation, released findings from the 2025 State of Breastfeeding Survey. Now in its third year, the survey captures the realities of breastfeeding in the United States. This year's data, gathered from nearly 3,000 parents, reveals strong commitment to breastfeeding alongside persistent barriers in workplaces and public settings. Breastfeeding is associated with numerous health benefits for infants and mothers. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention currently recommends breastfeeding for up to two years when possible. However, survey data shows a steep decline over time: 54% of respondents breastfed for one year, while only 16% continued through year two.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Community Broadband Board (VCBB) has completed taking in applications for Vermont’s Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (VT-BEAD) Program. BEAD is a federal program that provides $42.45 billion to expand high-speed internet access by funding planning, infrastructure deployment, and adoption programs in all states and territories. Vermont’s allocation of those funds is almost $229 million. Federal changes to the program in June required states to complete an additional application round, which has recently ended. Vermont received bids to serve all currently underserved addresses in the state with a mix of technology, including fiber, hybrid-fiber coaxial, and low earth orbit satellite. 

Vermont Business Magazine A beloved Vermont summer tradition returns August 15 and 16 as Gifford Medical Center hosts the 20th Annual Last Mile Ride, Run and Walk—a heartfelt, community-powered event dedicated to supporting end-of-life care for patients and their families. What began as a small motorcycle ride in 2006 has grown into a two-day celebration of community, compassion, and purpose. Today, the Last Mile brings together hundreds of participants for a motorcycle ride, bike ride, 5K run, and one- and two-mile walks—all designed to raise essential funds for patients in life’s final chapter.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine In an article published Monday by Peter Hirschfeld at Vermont Public, the Scott administration has delivered personal information on Vermont SNAP beneficiaries to the federal government as demanded by the Trump administration. As Hirschfeld reported, both state officials and food advocates in Vermont felt that potential retribution by the federal government was too severe to challenge the request. About 64,000 Vermonters are served by SNAP, or nearly 10 percent of the state's population.

Vermont Business Magazine Today, the US Justice Department published a list of states, cities, and counties identified as having policies, laws, or regulations that impede enforcement of federal immigration laws. All the states and all the jurisdictions listed are in "Blue" states, with the exception of Nevada and Philadelphia, as Nevada and Pennsylvania flipped to "Red" in the last presidential election. Vermont is on the list. In recent months, the Justice Department has filed several lawsuits against sanctuary jurisdictions seeking to compel compliance with federal law, including one against New York City on July 24. Recently, the Mayor of Louisville agreed to revoke their sanctuary policies following a letter from the Justice Department threatening legal action.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Health reported last week that the number of COVID-19 hospitalizations fell to a near record-low number of cases statewide since the beginning of the pandemic over five years ago. Overall COVID trends are declining in Vermont and across the US. The Vermont COVID-19 pandemic death total stands at 1,301 as of July 26, 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 fell to very low levels after they had spiked in January. 

Vermont Business Magazine The Ministère de l'Environnement, de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques, de la Faune et des Parcs is informing the population of Estrie and Montérégie that it will carry out a vaccine bait distribution operation from August 6 to September 20, 2025. This vaccination operation aims to continue efforts to immunize raccoons, skunks and foxes. The goal is to slow the spread of raccoon rabies following the detection of several cases of the disease in raccoons in Québec since December 2024. Some of the vaccine effort is related to rabies cases in Vermont. Vermont conducted its rabies bait drop starting August 1.

Vermont Business Magazine When University of Vermont Health Network – Central Vermont Medical Center (CVMC) began a years-long planning process focused on adding more certified nurse midwives to its OB/GYN practice, the goal was clear: respond to the community’s call for more access to midwifery care by building a sustainable, collaborative model for reproductive health. In early 2025, when the hospital finalized the program’s expansion to four certified nurse midwives (CNM) to its medical staff, that vision was fully realized. The CNMs now provide 24/7 coverage and care for expectant parents with low-risk pregnancies, and physician-supervised care for those with moderate-risk pregnancies. The hospital’s reimagined and expanded Midwifery and gynecology programs are a direct response to community feedback and requests for expanded access to midwifery-based perinatal care.