Current News

Vermont Business Magazine The Brattleboro Retreat has received two prestigious Lamplighter Awards from the New England Society for Healthcare Communications (NESHCo), as well as a major teaching honor for its Medical Staff President, Dr. Jarred Zucker. Together, these recognitions highlight the Retreat’s deep and ongoing commitment to education, both in the public sphere and in training the next generation of mental health professionals. The Unravelling podcast was recognized with a Silver Lamplighter Award. The podcast brings together expert insight and lived experience to tackle complex mental health topics. Launched in June 2024, the show has reached listeners in over 25 countries and earned a 5-star Apple Podcasts rating. It is also being used in professional development settings, such as at Brattleboro Memorial Hospital. 

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today signed S.53 regarding certification and Medicaid coverage for doulas, S.59 regarding amendments to the Open Meeting Law, but vetoed S.125, a bill regarding collective bargaining that was supported by the unions. In his veto message, Scott said, "This bill would effectively unionize a group of Judiciary employees with a simple definitional change. I’m concerned that despite unions testifying this was a priority for their organization, employees who would be impacted by this bill were not consulted or asked to testify."

Vermont Business Magazine Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) today released the following statement after President Trump bypassed California's governor to deploy National Guard troops to California: "Let’s be clear: Trump’s deployment of the National Guard in California is not about the protests there, ICE, or immigration. It is about using extremely dubious legal authority to expand his never-ending grasp for more power and his effort to move this country toward authoritarianism. This is a president who has usurped the constitutional responsibilities of Congress; threatened to impeach judges who rule against his policies; sued media that criticize him; extorted money from law firms that have represented his opponents; and is withholding funds from universities for teaching courses he doesn’t like."

Vermont Business Magazine We the Veterans and Military Families announced today that Governor Phil Scott has joined leaders across the nation in recognizing Military 250, a year-long national initiative celebrating the founding anniversaries of the U.S. Army, Navy, and Marine Corps. This movement seeks to elevate the voices of veterans and military families, promote civic participation, and foster a renewed commitment to service and community. As part of a statewide celebration, Governor Scott has reaffirmed Vermont’s steadfast dedication to active-duty service members, veterans, and military families through a proclamation that highlights its deep-rooted commitment to supporting service members and their families and will be celebrated from June 8 to June 14, 2025.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Captive Insurance Association CEO Kevin Mead today announced his intent to retire. He said there is no set date for his stepping down but wanted to give the VCIA board time to find a successor and allow for a transition. Mead has led the South Burlington trade association since February 2022. Vermont is the largest domicile for captive insurers in the nation. VCIA is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year.

Vermont Business Magazine Attorney General Charity Clark today announced she joined a coalition of attorneys general in suing the Trump Administration, and in particular the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), over its official plans to redistribute thousands of previously seized machine gun conversion devices to communities across the United States. ATF’s action involves Forced Reset Triggers, which allow even novice shooters to achieve the firepower of a military machine gun. Although ATF previously classified FRTs as machineguns, ATF—under directive from Trump Administration leadership—signed a settlement agreement that promises to stop enforcing federal law against FRTs and to redistribute thousands of FRTs that ATF had previously seized. 

Vermont Business Magazine U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont) this week led his colleagues in urging President Trump to expeditiously nominate a qualified Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator that will restore confidence in the agency as peak disaster season approaches. In their letter, the Senators expressed serious concern about the ongoing absence of a Senate-confirmed FEMA Administrator and steps the Trump Administration has taken to weaken and destabilize the agency, including the abrupt termination last month of Cameron Hamilton, the Senior Official Performing the Duties of FEMA Administrator.  

by Mike Donoghue A Chittenden County jury has cleared the University of Vermont Medical Center against claims of medical malpractice and negligent undertaking in the 2020 overdose death of the adult son for a world-renowned doctor based at the Burlington hospital. Dr. David N. Krag as executor of the estate of Peter M. Krag had sued the UVM Medical Center claiming the medical care provided by Dr. Halle G. Sobel was substandard and led to the death of the well-known local jazz musician from Shelburne five years ago. The jurors, after a one-week trial, deliberated about 90 minutes before the foreman sent a note to Vermont Superior Court Judge Megan J. Shafritz that they had a verdict Friday afternoon. 

Vermont Business Magazine As Vermonters and visitors alike hit the slopes this winter at the largest winter resort in the eastern United States, they likely crossed paths with a VTSU Resort & Hospitality Management student working on the mountain and gaining valuable hands-on experience to support their career aspirations. This weekend in Killington, 16 students proudly graduated from the program. 

Vermont Business Magazine Average gasoline prices in Vermont are $3.02/g, down 4.6 cents per gallon from last week's $3.07/g. The lowest price in the state yesterday was $2.73/g while the highest was $3.19/g, a difference of 46.0 cents per gallon. The national average price of gasoline has fallen 1.8 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.07/g today

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) is warning the public of a recent increase in scam messages that falsely claim the recipient has an unpaid traffic ticket and is at risk of driver’s license suspension. The DMV did not send these messages and does not send any text or email messages demanding immediate payment. 

Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets Join this free three-part webinar series that is designed to help independent and co-op food stores grow sales and meet margin goals in volatile times. While this series is designed for retail stores, it will be informative for anyone interested in learning about retail food sales. This free series is offered through Small Bites and the VT Grocers Project. It will be presented by Jeanie Wells, who is known as a national retail food leader with her Mighty Community Markets classes. The series is formatted with a mix of presented content and interactive discussions with ample time for conversations and Q&A. All webinars will take place from 3:00 - 4:00 PM EST. The series schedule is as follows: