Current News

Vermont State Police Further investigation into this incident including interviews with victims led the Vermont State Police to develop probable cause to arrest Dominic Stearns, age 24 of Westfield, VT, for three counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and three counts of reckless endangerment. Investigation revealed that during this incident Stearns brandished and pointed a firearm at three individuals at the South Beach at Lake Willoughby on 7/4/2025. No injuries were reported.

Vermont Business Magazine The State of Vermont today announced the launch of the Vermont Business Portal, a “one-stop” virtual help center for new and existing businesses. The Portal offers a central location for state government resources and requirements to start and manage a new business. It includes an interactive “New Business Checklist” to help identify the steps, applications, and supports for the business “startup” process.

Vermont Business Magazine Southeast Vermont Transit (SEVT aka the MOOver) is holding two public information meetings about the conversion of the Springfield InTown bus route to microtransit in early fall. Microtransit is a free Uber-like system of real-time public transit service open to all members of the public whose trip begins and ends anywhere in the Town of Springfield. Rides will be delivered in a lift-equipped small bus anywhere within the Town of Springfield and North Springfield boundaries from 6:00 am-6:00 pm Monday-Friday non-holiday. A software program will schedule trips and route shared trips based on shared trip algorithms.

Vermont Business Magazine Community National Bank CEO and President Chris Caldwell is proud to announce Community National Bank was ranked as the number one bank in Vermont according to Forbes’ America’s Best Banks in Each State published June 17, 2025. Forbes partnered with market research firm Statista to conduct interviews of approximately 26,000 U.S. citizens for all 50 states about the financial institutions where they have maintained a checking or savings account within the last three years.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Federal Credit Union has once again been named a Top Performing Lender by the Vermont Housing Finance Agency (VHFA) for 2024, marking its seventh consecutive year of recognition. This award celebrates Vermont Federal Credit Union's ongoing commitment to making homeownership accessible and affordable for Vermonters.

Vermont Business Magazine CPR Therapeutics Inc. (CPR-T), a Putney, Vermont-based development-stage medical device company, announced today that it has received a $1.2M National Science Foundation (NSF) Phase II Small Business Innovation Research Award for its project "A Multimodal Integrated System for Improved Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation." CPR-T is developing multimodal circumferential cardiopulmonary resuscitation, a more effective and safer automated mechanical CPR. Sudden cardiac arrest may be the leading cause of death in high GDP countries and there are currently no devices clearly more effective than the manual chest compressions provided by people using their hands. Intact survival after sudden cardiac arrest is below 10% in most communities.

Vermont Business Magazine Fiscal year 2025 was a record-breaking year for the Unclaimed Property Division of the Vermont State Treasurer’s Office. The Treasurer’s Office returned a record $9.9 million in unclaimed property to Vermonters, processing a record 31,593 individual claims. It was the second consecutive year that the office paid a record number of claims, up significantly from 19,010 in fiscal year 2024. Over $24 million in unclaimed property was also turned over to the State—the most ever received in a fiscal year. 

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Chamber of Commerce has released its 2025 Session Legislative Outcomes Report, a comprehensive review of key policy developments that impacted the state’s business environment during the recent legislative session. In a year defined by escalating fiscal pressures, a deepening affordability crisis, and a $9 billion state budget, the Vermont Chamber remained focused on championing a pragmatic, data-informed policy agenda. The rising cost of living, a severe housing shortage, and unsustainable healthcare and education expenses require more than short-term fixes. These challenges demand durable, systemic solutions that prioritize growth and elevate the voices of Vermonters, whether heard around family tables, in boardrooms, or on the factory floor.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) announced $3.5 million of funding to support low- and moderate-income Vermont homeowners in repairing or replacing their failed or inadequate on-site water or wastewater systems. This is the fourth round of funding for the program. Eligible homeowners may apply for this round of on-site funding by 3 pm on Wednesday, September 3, 2025. The application process includes submitting an online pre-qualification form. 

by Lauren Milideo, UVM The University of Vermont has secured over $5.5M in National Science Foundation funding to support researchers investigating next-generation artificial intelligence computing, human tissue mechanics, atmospheric science, underground robots, and renewable energy systems. The largest grant of $2.1M is for a new supercomputer for artificial intelligence research at UVM’s Vermont Advanced Computing Center. Named IceCore, the new, high-performance computing cluster is 100 times faster than existing UVM systems. Led by Chris Danforth of UVM’s College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences, this grant will enable about 1,000 UVM researchers and collaborators from across Vermont and New England to study such timely topics as infectious diseases, computational social science, and the behavior of large language models like ChatGPT.

Vermont Business Magazine The Brattleboro Retreat has announced the 2025 Brattleboro Retreat Gala, an evening of inspiration, recognition, and celebration in support of mental health care. Marking the Retreat’s first gala in a decade, the event will take place on Friday, September 19, 2025, at 5:30 PM at the scenic Stone Garden in Westmoreland, NH, and will feature the presentation of the Anna Marsh Award to longtime board member and advocate Elizabeth Catlin. Set against the stunning backdrop of the Connecticut River, guests will enjoy an elegant evening featuring live music, extravagant hors d’oeuvres, a thoughtfully curated dinner, and decadent desserts. This year's Gala will raise vital funds for the Brattleboro Retreat Endowment Fund, ensuring the long-term sustainability of the region’s leading mental health care institution. 

Vermont Business Magazine A grant from the Melissa Andrews Trust has funded a crucial software update for the Pulmonary Function Test machine (PFT) at Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital (NVRH), ensuring that patients with respiratory illnesses can continue to access essential diagnostic care close to home. Residents of Caledonia, Essex, and Orleans counties experience higher rates of chronic lung diseases such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) than the rest of the state. Contributing factors include higher smoking rates, widespread use of wood-burning stoves, and limited access to health care. Nearly 15% of adults in the NEK live with a lung disease, and over 60% of those cases are uncontrolled.