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NBT Bank recently celebrated the unveiling of its new office at 1330 Shelburne Road in South Burlington with a ribbon cutting. Regional President Dan Werme said, “Our team, with a combined 34 years of banking experience and deep community roots, is ready to help our neighbors achieve their financial goals.”

In addition to meeting space to connect with NBT financial experts, this new full-service office features a drive-through, 24-hour ATM and night drop services. Other local NBT offices are located in Burlington, Williston, and Essex.

Vermont Business Magazine National Life Group has donated a total of $50,000 to two Los Angeles-based organizations in support of first responders and wildfire recovery efforts, reinforcing the company’s commitment to its core values: Do good. Be good. Make good. As part of its Do Good Heroes program, National Life Group contributed $25,000 to the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation. The funds will help purchase advanced single-layer Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), a high-priority need identified by the department in the aftermath of the January 2025 wildfires. This specialized gear reduces firefighters' exposure to harmful chemicals commonly found in traditional turnout gear while still offering vital protection during non-emergency calls. In addition, the company’s Independent Distribution sales team donated $25,000 to the Dream Center Foundation.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont State University (VTSU) Center for Schools is proud to announce the ninth annual Early Childhood Educators Institute, taking place online on July 29 & 31 and August 5 & 7, 2025. This flexible, four-day virtual format enables early childhood professionals from Vermont and beyond to connect, collaborate, and grow together. The institute is designed for anyone providing support, services, and education in the early childhood field. This includes educators (from birth through grade 3) working in public schools, private early childhood and after-school settings; Early Head Start and Head Start professionals; special educators, developmental educators, specialized child care providers, home visitors, related service providers including speech language pathologists; and the administrators who supervise and support them.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Secretary of State Sarah Copeland Hanzas announced a major upgrade to her office’s online Election Management System today, inviting Vermonters to visit the new “Vermont Voter Portal” at vote.vermont.gov. The new, state-of-the-art system combines the formerly distinct voter registration page and the “My Voter Page,” which gave all registered voters information about voting (dates, polling locations, etc.) and allowed them to perform functions like updating their address and tracking a mail-in ballot. All of these public-facing functions are now combined in the upgraded Vermont Voter Portal at vote.vermont.gov. Eligible Vermonters can register to vote, get details about upcoming elections, and manage their information all in one place. 

Vermont League Of Cities & Towns Unable to find consensus on education transformation, the legislature has entered a ‘token session’ and will not reconvene again until the veto session, which is already scheduled to begin on June 16. Before gaveling out late Friday night, both chambers passed the most significant investment in municipal infrastructure in state history. In this Weekly Legislative Report, we will recap the final, dramatic hours of the regular session and break down the historic housing bill S.127. The final day of the regular session got off to a sluggish start, came to a boiling point, and ended with a fizzle.  

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Health reported last week that the number of COVID-19 hospitalizations remain low and falling statewide, after a spike during the winter. Wastewater testing indicates that virus levels also fell after they had spiked in January, with the exception of the Montpelier site, which showed an increase last week. The Vermont pandemic death total stands at 1,293 as of May 24, 2025, with 1 reported death from the previous week (the most recent data available from the CDC). WHO also reported that COVID-19 deaths keep declining. There has been a total of 1,228,393 COVID-related deaths to date in the US (CDC) and 7,096,187 globally (WHO), with only 190 reported in the last week.

Vermont Business Magazine U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont) joined Planned Parenthood of Northern New England (PPNNE) for a roundtable highlighting the harmful consequences of Republicans’ reconciliation bill for patients in Vermont. The Republican budget would prohibit Planned Parenthood’s participation in Medicaid, end the Affordable Care Act’s Premium Tax Credits, and take away healthcare from children, seniors, Americans with disabilities, veterans, and rural Americans. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office determined that “defunding” Planned Parenthood would cost $300 million, increase the deficit and rip away health care coverage for more than 25 million Americans.

Vermont Business Magazine The 2025 Law Enforcement Torch Run (LETR) for Special Olympics Vermont will take place June 3–6, bringing together members of the law enforcement and first responder communities from across the state to raise awareness and support for Special Olympics Vermont athletes. Officers and supporters will carry the Flame of Hope through towns and communities as it makes its way to Opening Ceremonies at Saint Michael’s College, where they will light the cauldron and mark the beginning of our 2025 Special Olympics Vermont Summer Games! 

by James Rea, UVM On June 17, hundreds of innovators and leaders from all sectors and all corners of the region will come to the University of Vermont’s annual RISE Summit to explore the theme “Research as a Public Good.” RISE stands for Research, Innovation, Sustainability and Entrepreneurship, all of which will be on display as participants discuss the ways in which university-community partnerships can be harnessed to advance the well-being of our communities.

Vermont Business Magazine U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont), Ranking Member of the Senate Agriculture Subcommittee on Rural Development, Energy, and Credit, joined a forum hosted by the Energy Action Network (EAN) and the EAN Climate Workforce Coalition on how Congressional policy and budget decisions may impact Vermont’s energy transformation and climate action initiatives, including Vermont’s climate workforce. Republicans’ reconciliation bill will repeal clean energy programs established through the historic Inflation Reduction Act and raise energy costs for American households and businesses. It will eliminate jobs in manufacturing, clean technologies, and budding industries, and has already sown economic uncertainty throughout the energy sector.  

Vermont Business Magazine The Attorney General’s Office today announced that Cody Laduc, 22, of Orwell, Vermont, was arraigned on one felony count of felony Lewd or Lascivious Conduct with a Child and one felony count of Lewd and Lascivious Conduct. The charges brought against Laduc were the result of criminal investigations conducted by the Vermont State Police. Laduc pleaded not guilty at the arraignment today in Vermont Superior Court, Addison Criminal Division. The Court, Judge Robert Katims presiding, ordered conditions of release that limit his access to minor females under the age of 16.

Vermont Business Magazine The Attorney General’s Office today announced that Daniel Ciofreddi, 39, of Middlebury, Vermont, was arraigned on one felony count of Promoting Child Sexual Abuse Material, one felony count of Luring a Child, and one misdemeanor count of Dispensing Cannabis to a person under the age of 21. The charges brought against Ciofreddi are the result of an investigation conducted by the Vermont State Police in collaboration with the Department of Homeland Security. Ciofreddi pleaded not guilty at the arraignment today in Vermont Superior Court, Addison Criminal Division. The Court, Judge Robert Katims presiding, ordered conditions of release that limit his access to social media and minor females under the age of 16.