Current News

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Agency of Transportation (AOT) and the Vermont Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD), in partnership with the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources (ANR), are pleased to announce the award of $97,500 to the Town of Waterbury through the Better Connections Grant Program, which seeks to help towns build stronger communities that are more livable and walkable. The Town of Waterbury will create a multi-modal transportation safety and accessibility plan for Waterbury Center to strengthen connections among the village assets through a smart growth approach and will incorporate stormwater mitigation planning to improve water quality.  

Vermont Business Magazine Average gasoline prices in Vermont are $3.10 per gallon, up 4 cents per gallon from last week, up 3 cents/g from last month and down 34 cents/g from last year. The lowest price in the state this week was $2.59/g while the highest was $3.29/g, a difference of 70.0 cents per gallon. Prices were lowest in Rutland ($3.05/g) and Bennington ($3.03/g) counties, as they were last week, and highest in Essex ($3.17/g), Orleans ($3.18/g) and Franklin ($3.17/g) counties, according to AAA. The national average price of gasoline has risen 8 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.20/g today.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine May revenues for the General Fund, Transportation Fund, and Education Fund collectively totaled $201.7 million, falling short of the consensus target by $12.3 million (-5.8%). Administration Secretary Sarah Clark said: “Although revenues were below monthly targets, cumulative General Fund receipts continue to be above consensus expectations in May, with an end of year surplus likely remaining. The Education Fund also continues to be on track to slightly exceed its cumulative target for the year. The outlook for the Transportation fund is more mixed as federal tariff policy continues to unfold.”

Vermont Business Magazine In the midst of 2020 Covid measures, another change took place in Vermont: A law went into effect banning businesses from offering plastic bags to customers, with paper bags only available for a fee. A 2023 analysis of a survey of hundreds of Vermonters found the law appeared to have worked. Plastic bag use in the state dropped 91%, and three-quarters of those surveyed approved of the approach. Now, researchers at the University of Vermont have dug deeper into the 745-person survey conducted by the University of Vermont Center for Rural Studies. The researchers found the law’s strongest effect, by far, was a near-complete elimination of plastic bag use following the ban’s implementation—a 91% drop. 

Vermont Business Magazine The Green Mountain Care Board today issued its decision on BlueCross and BlueShield of Vermont’s (BCBSVT) large group insurance filing, which establishes the formula, manual rate, and associated factors the insurer will use to set premiums for large group renewals. BCBSVT provides health insurance coverage to individuals, small and large employer groups, and Medicare enrollees in Vermont. GMCB’s decision applies to the BCBSVT’s large group products, which are used to determine premium rates for employer groups with over 100 employees. GMCB ordered BCBSVT to make three adjustments, which are projected to lower the proposed rate increase from 17.3% to approximately 13.7%.

Local Motion Our work in the 2025 legislative session has wrapped up and we are excited to tell you about several significant wins for Vermont’s biking community. The major win from this session, starting in July 2026, people on bikes will be able to legally proceed through a signalized intersection when the pedestrian signal is active in their direction of travel, even if the light is red. Many people already do this, and it has been legal in Burlington for several years. This practice enhances safety for people biking by allowing us to clear intersections before cars begin moving. It also enhances visibility, as a person on a bike who uses it can position themselves in drivers’ line of sight, rather than being to their side, often in blind spots. Bicycle use of pedestrian signals is legal in California, D.C., New York City, and Burlington. This provision goes into effect on July 1, 2026.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department has announced the   2025-2026 migratory game bird hunting season dates and bag limits. A printable copy of the Migratory Bird Syllabus can be downloaded from the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department’s website  under “Hunt” – “Waterfowl.”  A printed version also will be available from license agents and post offices in August. A statewide Vermont open hunting season for resident Canada geese will occur September 1-25.  The daily bag limit is five Canada geese in the Connecticut River Zone and eight in the rest of the state during this September season.  The purpose of the September season is to help control Vermont’s resident Canada goose population prior to the arrival of Canada geese migrating south from Canada. 

Vermont Business Magazine AARP has announced seven organizations throughout Vermont will receive 2025 Community Challenge grants. The grants are part of AARP’s $4.2 million commitment to fund 383 quick-action projects aimed at making communities more livable for people of all ages, with a focus on the needs of older adults. The funds will support efforts to improve public places, transportation, housing, digital connections, and other key areas. Now in its ninth year, the Challenge has awarded $426,533 through 40 grants in Vermont since 2017 to nonprofit organizations and local government entities across the state. Grant projects will be funded in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Vermont State Police On 06/18/2025 at approximately 0743 hours, the Vermont State Police responded to a single ATV crash on North Hollow Rd, Granville, VT. Upon arrival on scene, the operator, Johnathan Belisle (35) of Hancock, VT was pronounced deceased. The initial investigation determined that Belisle was driving the ATV northbound on North Hollow Rd when his vehicle went off the left side of the roadway and struck a tree head on. 

Vermont Business Magazine With this year’s boating season underway, the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is reminding all boaters that it is critical to properly inspect and clean (or decontaminate) boats and other watercraft. This helps protect the state’s waterways from the spread of aquatic invasive species like zebra mussels or Eurasian watermilfoil plants. Aquatic invasive species are organisms that live in lakes and ponds and can have negative impacts when introduced to natural lake habitats. Boaters must follow the aquatic nuisance control transport prohibition law. That means they must decontaminate boats and other watercraft before moving between waterbodies. Volunteers at public boat launches, also known as public access greeters, can help boaters inspect their boats at no cost to help stop the spread of aquatic invasive species.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Agency of Transportation (AOT) today announced the awards for the SFY26 Municipal Roads Grants-in-Aid Program, which provides funding for municipalities to implement best management practices in accordance with the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Municipal Roads General Permit. This year, 233 municipalities are participating. A total of $5,273,500 in awards will be granted in this cycle. 

Vermont Business Magazine A New Hampshire couple pleaded guilty in federal court last week to robbery charges stemming from a crime spree in August of 2024. On June 10, 2025, Christopher Boisvert entered a plea of guilty to the charge of armed bank robbery during a plea hearing before Chief United States District Judge Christina Reiss. On June 12, 2025, Meghan Cox entered a plea of guilty to the charge of conspiring with her accomplice to interfere with commerce by robbery during a plea hearing before Chief United States District Judge Christina Reiss. At sentencing, if the District Court accepts the plea agreements Boisvert and Cox each face up to 20 years’ imprisonment.