Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Saint Michael’s College has received a $240,736 grant from a private family foundation to launch a new Emergency Services Program, building on the College’s strong legacy in emergency medical services and the nationally recognized, student-run Saint Michael’s Fire and Rescue. The new program, led by Kate Soons, Director of Health Sciences, will create academic degree and certification pathways that address growing workforce demands while expanding partnerships with regional emergency service providers.

by DVHA Commissioner DaShawn Groves For the better part of a year, I have had the privilege of serving as Commissioner for the Department of Vermont Health Access (DVHA), which administers Vermont Medicaid and the health insurance marketplace through VT Health Connect. At a time of great uncertainty in our health care landscape, Vermont continues to be a nationwide leader in health coverage. According to the recent Vermont Household Health Insurance Survey, 97% of Vermonters are enrolled in health coverage and Vermont’s “underinsured” rate dropped significantly since 2021. The survey results show that our brave little state, amazingly, emerged from the pandemic with stronger, more stable coverage than we had going in.

by Kristen Munson, UVM Gender-diverse individuals not only fear losing their access to gender-affirming care but may resort to self-harm or questionable alternatives if it disappears, according to new research from the University of Vermont (UVM) published July 16 in JAMA Network Open. Teresa Graziano, a professor of nursing at UVM and lead author of the study, surveyed 489 gender-diverse Americans 18 and over about their expectations for medical care after President Donald Trump campaigned on rolling back protections for the nearly two million trans, nonbinary, and intersex individuals in the United States. Gender-affirming care (GAC) includes surgical procedures, hormonal treatments, or mental health services for individuals with gender dysphoria. 

Vermont Business Magazine Renalytix Plc, a precision medicine company focused on chronic disease, and MVP Health Care, a regional, not-for-profit health insurer serving the Northeast, announced last Thursday a groundbreaking partnership designed to expand access to innovative kidney care and improve health outcomes for individuals living with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease. By combining advanced diagnostics with MVP's commitment to equitable, high-quality care, the collaboration aims to identify patients at higher risk for progressive decline in kidney function earlier, enabling clinicians to target resources, therapeutic options, and care plans more appropriately. This approach will increase the chance for slowing disease progression and improving patient outcomes, including those associated with cardiovascular and metabolic conditions.

Vermont State Police At about 2:30 a.m. Monday, July 21, 2025, the Townshend Fire Department was dispatched to a report of a structure fire involving a residence at 1458 State Forrest Rd. The Townshend Fire Department responded to the scene, where crews observed the structure fully involved with fire. Suppression efforts were conducted, however due to the volume of fire, the structure was unable to be saved and is considered a total loss. No one was home at the time of the fire, and there were no reported injuries.  

by Mike Donoghue, Vermont News First, Vermont Business Magazine The gun-toting woman that is accused as part of the fatal shooting of a U.S. Border Patrol Agent in the Northeast Kingdom in January will not get a six-month extension for her defense team to try to block consideration of the death penalty in her case. Vermont’s chief federal judge, Christina Reiss, issued a ruling Friday afternoon rejecting the defense request on behalf of Teresa Youngblut, 21, of Washington State. “The overwhelming majority of courts have held that a federal court, due to the separation of powers doctrine, has no authority to interfere in the Attorney General’s Capital Case Review or dictate the protocol for that process,” Reiss wrote in her two-page decision.

Vermont Business Magazine The Attorney General’s Office today announced that Mark McClintock, 64, of Hartford, Vermont, was arraigned on four felony counts of possession of child sexual abuse materials and one count of promoting a recording of sexual conduct. The charges brought against Mr. McClintock are the result of a criminal investigation, including the execution of search warrants conducted by the Vermont Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (VT-ICAC), which included personnel from the Attorney General’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Hartford Police Department.

Vermont Business Magazine Attorney General Charity Clark today joined a coalition of 20 other attorneys general in suing the Trump Administration to stop its unlawful attempt to restrict access to critical health, education, and social service programs. Earlier this month, in a chaotic reversal of agency policy, the Administration issued notices prohibiting state safety net programs from serving all residents, regardless of immigration status. The change threatens access to critical services like Head Start, Title X family planning, adult education, mental health care, and Community Health Centers. Attorney General Clark and the coalition are asking the court to halt the new federal rules and act quickly to ensure continued access to some of the nation’s most crucial social services programs. 

by Vermont Senator Anne Watson It has been heartbreaking to see flash flooding occur in Vermont for the past three summers, and increasingly around the country as well. I, for one, don't want to let this kind of news begin to feel normal. This is not the Vermont I grew up in. It is already hotter and wetter from climate change and there are a number of things we can do as individuals, homeowners, and renters to be prepared for the next natural disaster. What the last three years have taught me is that flooding and erosion can impact anyone anywhere in Vermont, depending on what areas receive intense rainfall. So it's important that we are all prepared for that possibility.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Labor (VDOL) has awarded a $75,000 grant to the Associated General Contractors of Vermont (AGC-VT) to support the Heavy Equipment Simulator Training Initiative, aimed at expanding workforce training opportunities and engaging students in career exploration across Vermont. The initiative, totaling $128,405.80, will fund the purchase and installation of two cutting-edge Heavy Equipment Simulators. AGC-VT will contribute more than $53,000 in additional funding and is committed to raising further public and private investment to sustain the project.

Vermont Business Magazine With the 2025 legislative session now behind us, the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets is proud to announce the enactment of Act 61, a significant update to Vermont’s Right to Farm (RTF) law. While all 50 states have some form of RTF law, Vermont’s previous statute lacked clarity and strength. Act 61 changes that—providing clearer standards and stronger protections for responsible farming. Farmers across Vermont face the risk of nuisance claims, including that farm-related noise, odors, runoff, or dust interfere with a neighbor’s property use. These lawsuits can result in costly civil damages or even shut down farms.

Vermont Business Magazine Average gasoline prices in Vermont are $3.09 per gallon, up 0.6 cents per gallon from last week's $3.08/g. The lowest price in the state yesterday was $2.51/g while the highest was $3.25/g, a difference of 74.0 cents per gallon. The national average price of gasoline has fallen 1.7 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.09/g today.