Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Attorney General Charity Clark today announced that a nationwide coalition of attorneys general have secured a settlement of approximately $720 million with eight drug makers that manufactured opioid pills and worsened the opioid crisis. Vermont is expected to receive a total of approximately $1.832 million from this settlement. Based on the overwhelming participation by attorneys general across the country, all eight defendants have agreed to proceed with a sign-on period for local governments. 

Vermont Business Magazine A judge has ordered the release of José Ignacio “Nacho” De La Cruz and Heidi Perez. Both appeared in a Massachusetts immigration court today, where Immigration Judge Natalie Smith granted bond. On June 14th, Nacho and stepdaughter Heidi were delivering food to farmworkers in Richford, Vermont, when they were pulled over by officials from the U.S. Border Patrol. Agents smashed their car window and violently detained the two community leaders, according to the organization Migrant Justice. The detainment sparked frequent protests over the past several weeks, as hundreds rallied denouncing Border Patrol’s actions and nearly 8,000 signed a petition calling for their release. 

Vermont Business Magazine Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vermont) and Rep. Becca Balint (D-Vermont) today sent a letter to Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer urging her to release more than $300 million in congressionally appropriated funding for the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) currently held up by the Trump administration.

Vermont Business Magazine The Summer Gala, Southwestern Vermont Health Care (SVHC) Foundation’s signature fundraising event and the region’s premier philanthropic occasion, netted nearly $1 million during a special celebration on the hospital’s campus on June 21. The event, which raised more than $940,000, hosted over 350 people and marked a ceremonial groundbreaking for the building of a new regional cancer center on the campus of Southwestern Vermont Medical Center (SVMC), a member of Dartmouth Health. The new facility will be the Hoyt-Hunter Center for Oncology Care at the Dartmouth Cancer Center Bennington.

Vermont Business Magazine On June 23, the Vermont Climate Council adopted the updated Vermont Climate Action Plan. As required by the 2020 Global Warming Solutions Act, the plan identifies actions to reduce greenhouse gas emission and help Vermont prepare for the impacts of climate change, such as increased rain and heat. The initial Climate Action Plan was adopted in 2021 and must be updated every four years. The updated plan contains more than fifty priority recommendations, emphasizing actions that: Make Vermont more resilient to flooding and other climate-related hazards; Reduce climate pollution from transportation and buildings by moving from fossil fuels to electricity and strengthening the electric grid; Support climate-informed land use and conservation; Grow the climate workforce and identify funding to accelerate implementation.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott yesterday held a press conference at the Lyndonville Redemption Center to reflect on the anniversary of the 2023 and 2024 severe flooding events which impacted over 150 cities, towns and villages. "Good afternoon, thanks for being here. And thanks to Shane and Emily for hosting us. Two years ago, areas across Vermont were devastated by catastrophic flooding we hadn’t seen in nearly 100 years, and it wasn’t confined to a single day. There were multiple storm systems that continued to pound Vermont for almost two weeks. Then, one year later, to the day, more intense rain hit Vermont, devastating many of the same areas, as well as new regions, like the Kingdom."

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Independent Media (VIM), publisher of The Commons, a leading nonprofit newspaper dedicated to independent journalism and civic engagement serving Southern Vermont, announced today it has purchased The Deerfield Valley News, a loved and respected weekly that has been serving the Deerfield Valley community for almost six decades. VIM becomes the fifth entity to steward the publication.  Financial terms were not disclosed.

Vermont Business Magazine U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), a member of the Senate Finance Committee, on Wednesday spoke out against President Trump’s request to cut $9.4 billion in federal funding—which was already appropriated by Congress—including $1.1 billion for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. If Senate Republicans approve the President’s request, $700 million of federal funding for local public media would be rescinded, impacting more than 1,500 public radio and TV stations across the country. 

Vermont Business Magazine Alliance for Automotive Innovation released its exclusive state-by-state analysis of the U.S. electric vehicle market for Q1 2025. The Get Connected Electric Vehicle Report summarizes EV sales, purchasing trends and charging infrastructure across the country. Vermont ranks No. 10 in EV market share with 10.85 percent of new light-duty vehicle sales in the state and ranks No. 7 in ratio of EVs to public chargers.

Vermont Business Magazine Everblue, a leading provider of sustainability and clean energy training, has been selected to launch the Vermont Innovation, Efficiency and Weatherization (VIEW) Center. This initiative, funded by the Vermont Department for Children and Families' Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO), aims to support the state's ambitious goal of weatherizing 120,000 homes by 2030. Located at 41 Bailey Street, Barre, VT 05641, the VIEW Center will play a crucial role in diversifying and expanding Vermont's weatherization workforce. Over the next two years, the center plans to train 1,600 participants, with at least 40% coming from underrepresented groups. The program will offer industry-recognized credentials and support job placement for new trainees.

Vermont Business Magazine A crew of professional stewardship staff and community volunteers partnered in June to haul trash out of the Lamoille River. The cleanup, organized by the Northern Forest Canoe Trail (NFCT), was part of ongoing recovery efforts following severe flooding from the last several years. The work was carried out in partnership with the Lamoille River Paddlers Trail and funded in part by a Flood Recovery Grant from the Vermont Outdoor Recreation Economic Collaborative (VOREC). 

Vermont Business Magazine The Northeastern Vermont Development Association has worked with Montrose Environmental Group, Inc from Little Rock, AR, in the redevelopment of several properties. Montrose (NYSE: MEG) enhances environmental stewardship while supporting economic development. In towns from Tennessee to the far reaches of Alaska to Vermont's NEK, communities are reclaiming abandoned spaces and building brighter futures—thanks in part to Montrose Environmental Group. In 2025 alone, Montrose has helped secure nearly $17 million in U.S. EPA Brownfield Grants to transform underutilized or contaminated properties into vibrant, community-driven spaces.