Current News

by Zachary Moss, Community News Service Five years ago, an almost 500-ton truck clogged both lanes on Interstate 89. As the bright red behemoth traversed the highway, friends and family flocked to the University of Vermont for the 2021 graduation ceremony, hopefully dodging the inevitable traffic jam. The catalyst for the convoy was an internal failure at an electric substation near Sand Bar State Park. Engineers at the Vermont Electric Power Company moved quickly to find the root of the issue. They reached into their back pocket to transport a replacement part from a facility 62 miles away. The 12-hour journey across dirt roads, highways and city streets was no small feat, drawing large crowds who lined the guardrails to watch the transport pass.

Vermont Center for Emerging Technologies Jason “J” Levinthal started making skis in his parents’ garage at the age of 24. After founding a company, seeing it acquired, and realizing he wasn’t built to sit still, he launched J Skis, a direct-to-skier brand creating hand-crafted, limited-edition skis. With a background in brand marketing, J’s goal is to turn heads on the mountain and beyond, from brand partnerships to collaborations with musicians. He’s been through nearly every lesson that shapes a founder. Tune in, clip in, strap in. No matter how you ride, lock in.

Vermont Business Magazine This weekly report is a list of planned construction activities that will affect traffic on state highways and interstates throughout Vermont for the week of May 4, 2026. Please remember to drive safely in all work zones. Lives depend on it.  

ICE Out Vermont Alliance, a coalition of over 40 community, religious, and activist groups from across Vermont, is inviting all Vermonters to attend a statewide peaceful demonstration in St. Albans and a nonviolent sit-in at the St. Albans Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Offices on May 8, 2026. The Alliance demands that CBP and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) immediately cease their illegal conduct and adhere to human rights, moral rights, and constitutional law. 

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Brewers Festival is returning to Burlington’s Waterfront Park on July 17-18, 2026, for its 33rd year. Hosted by the Vermont Brewers Association, the festival will feature three tasting sessions, 40 world-class breweries and more than 200 specialty offerings against the backdrop of Lake Champlain. New for 2026: For the first time, the festival is introducing an exclusive VIP Experience Ticket ($115) for Session 1 on Friday, July 17.

The Williston/Richmond Rotary Club is hosting the 5th annual Memorial Day Observance on Monday May 25, 2026, at 9:00 AM. This event will be held in the War Memorial Park in Williston between the Town Hall and Town Hall Annex. We welcome the community to join us as we honor veterans who sacrificed for our safety and freedom. The program will include music, inspiration from club and community members as well as verbal recognition of deceased veterans from our community and veterans who are honored with an engraved brick on the patio of War Memorial Park. Light refreshments will follow.

Vermont Business Magazine The White River Craft Center (WRCC) invites the community to celebrate 25 years of creativity, learning, and connection at a daylong anniversary event on Saturday, June 13. What began as a place to uplift young people through hands-on making in trade and craft continues as a vibrant community hub where creatives, learners, and neighbors come together. This milestone celebration honors that history while looking ahead to the next chapter of the Craft Center. The day will feature an open house with studio tours, artist demonstrations, hands-on activities, and opportunities to connect with the artists and people who shape the Craft Center today. Visitors can explore working studios—including woodworking, weaving, photography, and more—and experience the energy of a space rooted in making and shared creativity.

Vermont Business Magazine Fatal car crashes in Vermont plunged 15.9%, that's 10 fewer deadly crashes to push the total from 63 down to 53. A new 50-state analysis from Anidjar & Levine ranks Vermont #2 for the steepest fatal crash decline in America.

Vermont Business Magazine In celebration of International Jazz Day, the Flynn today announced Around Town programming for the 2026 Burlington Discover Jazz Festival, with free performances taking place across Burlington from June 3–7. Around Town is the festival’s umbrella for free, public-facing local programming during the 43rd annual Burlington Discover Jazz Festival. Venues and organizations throughout the city produce programming, from Church Street and City Hall Park to neighborhood stages and independent venues. This year’s Around Town includes Downtown Jazz — presented by Burlington City Arts in partnership with the Church Street Marketplace — alongside independently programmed events at venues including Venetian Soda Lounge, Zero Gravity Biergarten, Lucky You, The 126, American Flatbread, Skinny Pancake, and others.

by Jules Older On April 25th, Vermont Business Magazine published my article, Older on AI. In it, I opined that AI is not a passing fad or flash in the pan. Rather, it is something new, extremely powerful and life-changing … in the way that the typewriter, the camera, television and the internet were, and still are, life-changing. Then, I summarized my view of Artificial Intelligence in eight short words: It’s dangerous, It’s useful, It’s here to stay.

Vermont Business Magazine Local health organizations and bicycle advocates are encouraging St Johnsbury residents to try bicycling to work on National Bike to Work Day. On Friday, May 15, ride your bike to work or wherever you are going and enjoy a free breakfast at the St Johnsbury Welcome Center (51 Depot Square). Breakfast and coffee will be served from 5:30am to 9:00 am, hosted by Ticket to Ride, a new local bicycle advocacy group. St Johnsbury businesses are invited to participate and to encourage their staff to join the celebration.

Vermont Business Magazine The Miss Vermont Scholarship Organization (MVSO) is proud to announce that two new state titleholders were selected this past weekend at the annual Miss Vermont Scholarship Competition held in Stowe at the Spruce Peak Performing Arts Center.  Miss Vermont 2026 is Hannah Roque and Miss Vermont’s Teen is Zoey Clopton. Hannah is a native of Middlebury and a graduate of St. Michael’s College with a degree in English and Secondary Education. She is the daughter of Miss Vermont 1996 Nikki Juvan. This is the first time the daughter of a former Miss Vermont has captured the state title.