Current News

Vermont Business Magazine On Tuesday, June 20, Burlington School District’s food services program, Burlington School Food Project, began providing meals at no charge to kids 18 and under. Meals are offered in four different locations around the city. Children simply need to stop by the site to pick up a free meal. No fees, no registration - just show up! The program runs Monday-Friday until August 7, with the exception of July 4. In addition to offering individual meals, Burlington School Food Project is excited to announce that we will be offering FREE, 7-day meal boxes this summer.

by Vermont Auditor of Accounts Doug Hoffer The Governor recently signed Act 57 into law. The bill relates to emergency management and flood response. We were especially interested in this legislation having completed recent audits of the State’s Hazard Mitigation Plan and the Agency of Natural Resource’s Dam Safety Program. Our audit of the 2018 State Hazard Mitigation Plan found that the State completed just 33% of the mitigation actions it called for. That included less than 50% of the actions identified as “priority” actions in the plan. We made a series of recommendations to the Administration to improve this performance. Our audit of the Dam Safety Program found that a number of State-owned and privately-owned High Hazard Potential dams are in poor condition and have been so for a long time. 

Vermont Business Magazine Vermonters concerned about the state’s threatened bees and other pollinators are celebrating the July 1, 2025, implementation of legislation to restrict the application of toxic neonicotinoid pesticides in the state. On June 17, 2024, Vermont legislators overrode Gov. Phil Scott’s veto of H.706 (now Act 182) that phases out the use of nearly all bee-killing neonic pesticides. New York State enacted similar legislation, known as the Birds and Bees Protection Act, in 2023. However, organizations are concerned that the Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets will miss a July 1 rulemaking deadline mandated by the Vermont Legislature to establish best management practices that would further reduce the use of neonics across all sectors, providing additional protections to pollinators and the environment.

Vermont Business Magazine The Attorney General’s Office today announced that David Ainsworth, 44, of Lyndonville, Vermont, was sentenced in Vermont Superior Court, Caledonia Criminal Division, after pleading guilty to one felony count of Promoting a Recording of Sexual Conduct and one felony count of Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material. The Court, Judge Michael R. Kainen presiding, sentenced Ainsworth to two to ten years in jail, all suspended except one month, and a 10-year term of probation with conditions that require completion of sex offender programming, limit his contact with children, and restrict his access to the internet. If Ainsworth violates the terms of his probation, he faces up to ten years in jail. Ainsworth is also required to register as a sex offender for 10 years after his successful completion of probation. 

Vermont Business Magazine First Children’s Finance VT is happy to announce the latest round of Make Way for Kids Infant/Toddler Capacity Building Grants, awarding over $360,000 to 29 child care programs across Vermont. These grants are designed to help early childhood entrepreneurs open or expand programs that serve infants and toddlers, addressing one of the most pressing shortages in Vermont’s child care system. 

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont State Colleges (VSC) Chancellor Elizabeth Mauch today announced the system will conclude development of its proposed Dental Therapy Program at Vermont State University, citing findings from a comprehensive feasibility assessment commissioned by the chancellor earlier this year that determined the program is not financially or operationally sustainable at this time. VTSU, meanwhile, continues with its plans to expand its existing Dental Hygiene Program, which already plays a critical role in providing preventive oral health care across the state. With $6.2 million in newly secured federal funding, the university will double enrollment in its dental hygiene program beginning in Fall 2027 from 24 to 48 students per year. 

Vermont Business Magazine The Attorney General’s Office today announced that Christopher Poczobut, 52, formerly of Rutland, Vermont, was arraigned today on one misdemeanor count of Neglect of a Vulnerable Adult and six felony counts of Fraud or Deceit Involving a Regulated Drug. The charges brought against Poczobut are the result of an investigation conducted by the Vermont Secretary of State Office of Professional Regulation. Poczobut was employed as a licensed practical nurse at St. Joseph Kervick Residence, a residential care facility for vulnerable adults located in Rutland, Vermont. In this role, Poczobut is alleged to have fraudulently obtained or misadministered a patient’s methylphenidate (Ritalin), and to have entered false information into the patient’s medical record.

Vermont Business Magazine Today, Friends of Vermont Public Education (FVPE) announced the filing of two formal ethics complaints against Senators Seth Bongartz and Scott Beck, citing serious concerns about conflicts of interest during the development and passage of H.454, Vermont’s far-reaching education reform bill. The complaints, filed with the Senate Ethics Committee by FVPE board member Geo Honigford, detail how both senators, while serving on the Committee of Conference that shaped the final bill, pushed for provisions that would directly benefit independent schools they are closely connected to.

by Mike Donoghue, Vermont News First, Vermont Business Magazine A Migrant Justice leader in Burlington, who was detained by the U.S. Border Patrol in Richford last month, is part of an ongoing criminal investigation into smuggling undocumented immigrants into Northern Vermont, according to newly filed records in federal court. Migrant Justice had claimed Jose Ignacio “Nacho” De La Cruz, 29, of Milton, along with his stepdaughter, Heidi Perez Alfaro, 18, a recent Milton High graduate, had been delivering meals to farm workers in Richford when they were stopped about noon June 14 by the Border Patrol. Now a sworn affidavit from a veteran Border Patrol Agent elaborates on the legal justification, including De La Cruz being linked to possible smuggling efforts. The 18-page affidavit includes details about an incident that netted six arrests in Richford in April by the Border Patrol.

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 June 30, 2025. Please remember to drive safely in all work zones. Lives depend on it.  NOTE: Most construction projects will pause work for the Fourth of July holiday weekend and resume on Monday 7/7. 

Vermont Business Magazine On June 28, over 30 Vermont-based homelessness prevention and response organizations issued an urgent appeal to Governor Phil Scott, calling for immediate and decisive action to address a looming crisis facing nearly 1,000 vulnerable Vermonters at risk of losing emergency shelter by July 1. As of this morning, there has been no substantive response from the governor. The organizations warn that Vermont's current shelter infrastructure is already overwhelmed and lacks the capacity to absorb those being forced out of the state’s General Assistance Emergency Housing Program (GA Program), which was made clear on June 27 when the state released information clarifying the scope of the crisis facing our state. According to this newly available data, 478 highly vulnerable households, including 666 adults and 304 children will lose their shelter by July 1. Without intervention, many families, seniors, and medically vulnerable residents will be left with nowhere safe to go.

Vermont Business Magazine It’s the time of year to start checking Vermont’s waters for cyanobacteria blooms before you swim, play, or bring your pets, so you can have fun in the water safely. Cyanobacteria (also known as blue-green algae) are tiny microorganisms that are a natural part of freshwater ecosystems. Under certain conditions, the bacteria can grow and create blooms that float on the water’s surface and wash up along shorelines, posing health risks to humans and animals. The blooms can produce harmful toxins, so if you see them, it’s best to stay out of the water. Swimming or wading in water with a cyanobacteria bloom may cause skin rashes, diarrhea, a sore throat, stomach problems, or more serious health concerns.