Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Following continued investigation, the Vermont State Police has arrested Jose Armando Lopez Moreno, 22, of Panton on a charge of first-degree aggravated assault. He was taken into custody and brought to the Criminal Division of Vermont Superior Court in Middlebury for an arraignment scheduled for 12:30 p.m. Friday, July 18, 2025. The victim is identified as Marcos Diaz Lopez, 23, of Panton. He remains hospitalized and is listed in critical but stable condition. 

Vermont Business Magazine Norwich University announced today that General Thomas A. Bussiere, an alumnus and the Commander of Air Force Global Strike Command, has been nominated by the White House to serve as the Vice Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force. If confirmed by the U.S. Senate, Bussiere would become the second highest ranking officer in the U.S. Air Force. His nomination reflects a lifetime of selfless service. A 1985 distinguished graduated of the Air Force ROTC program at Norwich, Bussiere has led combat missions, overseen the Air Force’s nuclear deterrence program, and continues to inspire the next generation of leaders. Prior to attending Norwich University, the Vermonter went to high school at St. Johnsbury Academy.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine Today, the Vermont Department of Labor reported that the seasonally adjusted statewide unemployment rate for June was 2.6%. This reflects no change from the prior month’s revised estimate. The Labor Force and Employed were both down, offset by a decrease in Unemployed from May. The civilian labor force participation rate was 64.9% in June, a decrease of one-tenth of one percentage point from the prior month’s revised estimate. Vermont has the third lowest jobless rate, behind South (1.8%) and North Dakota (2.5%). Nevada has the highest rate again, tied with California, at 5.4%. Washington DC has the overall highest rate at 5.9%. The national rate is 4.1%.

Vermont Business Magazine Green Mountain Habitat for Humanity today announced that David Mullin, who has served as Executive Director and more recently as CEO of the organization for over 25 years, will retire in February 2026. Under his leadership, the affiliate has dramatically increased the number of homes built and families served each year with over 121 families now living in homes built by GMHFH locally. The Affiliate also expanded its home building service area to include Franklin, and Lamoille Counties.

Vermont Business Magazine Following Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to the United States last week, U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont) joined U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), and Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) in issuing the following statement in response to the Israeli Higher Planning Council’s directive on June 18 to reject all zoning and building permits in Masafer Yatta that are not compliant with Israeli military training needs.

The Two Rivers-Ottauquechee Regional Commission (TRORC) held their 2025 Annual Meeting on June 25, 2025, outside of our offices in Woodstock, Vermont. The Board, comprised of representatives from our 30 member towns, was joined by TRORC staff and community members for the election of officers, announcement of scholarship awards, and recognition of our Volunteer of the Year. Our dedicated Executive Committee officers will continue their excellent service. The officers include Bill Emmons, Chair (Pomfret); John Echeverria, Vice Chair (Strafford); Peter Berger, Treasurer (Fairlee); and Nancy Jones, Secretary (Bradford). Brian Loeb (Norwich), Nancy Malmquist (West Fairlee), and Ken Alton (Business) will continue to serve as Executive Committee Members-At-Large. We are grateful for their strategic insight and community involvement.

Vermont Business Magazine Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), on Thursday introduced the Pensions for All Act, sweeping legislation that would provide comprehensive retirement coverage to the more than 56 million working-class Americans who currently have no retirement plan through their employer. In our country today, nearly half of older workers between the ages of 55 and 64 have no retirement savings at all and no idea how they will be able to retire with any shred of dignity or respect.

Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing The Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing has been working with the Coraggio Group for the last 7 months to develop a Destination Management Strategic Plan for the state of Vermont. Receiving feedback from residents, industry partners, and community leaders has been crucial to every step of this process. For the next step, we are asking once again for your feedback to ensure the final plan is comprehensive, inclusive, and reflective of our community's needs and aspirations.

Vermont Business Magazine Attorney General Charity Clark today joined a lawsuit challenging an unlawful final rule promulgated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) that would create significant barriers to obtaining healthcare coverage under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The Trump Administration’s final rule would make amendments to rules governing federal and state health insurance marketplaces which the administration estimates will cause up to 1.8 million people to lose their health insurance, while causing millions more to pay increased insurance premiums and out-of-pocket costs like copays and deductibles. The final rule also excludes coverage of gender-affirming care as an essential health benefit (EHB) under the ACA.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Corrections (DOC) today announced that Southern State Correctional Facility (SSCF) Superintendent Michaela Merrill was placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation into an allegation of misconduct. Per State policy, the Department of Human Resources (DHR) will conduct an independent investigation into the allegation. Per Department protocol and Vermont statute, DOC’s Corrections Investigative Unit (CIU) will review the Springfield facility’s compliance with Department policy and procedures.  

Vermont Business Magazine Early this morning, U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont) voted against President Trump’s rescissions bill, which claws back more than $9 billion in congressionally appropriated funding for global health, foreign aid, and public media. The rescissions package, requested by President Trump and supported by Senate Republicans, would claw back millions of dollars in humanitarian assistance, foreign aid, and global health initiatives. This bill cuts funding for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID); the World Health Organization (WHO); United Nations peacekeeping missions; migration and refugee assistance programs; the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria; international food aid missions; the United States Institute of Peace (USIP); the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF); and more.  

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Congressional Delegation, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont), and Representative Becca Balint (D-Vermont) today announced a $22.7 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to help replace the Winooski River Bridge in Chittenden County. The federal funding, provided through DOT’s Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) Grant Program and made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will replace and upgrade travel lanes and incorporate shared-use paths to improve safety on the bridge for cars, bikes, and pedestrians.