Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today signed four pieces of legislation into law, including H.488, the Transportation bill. When signing H.488, Scott issued the following statement: “This year’s transportation bill supports the maintenance and repair of our road and bridge infrastructure, makes important traffic and safety improvements, and continues to invest in programs and projects that reduce the transportation sector’s impact on our environment. I want to thank the House and Senate Transportation Committees, as well as my team at the Agency of Transportation, for their work on H.488.”

Vermont Business Magazine ICE Mortgage Technology today released its June 2025 Mortgage Monitor report. The analysis of mortgage, real estate and public records data shows U.S. mortgage holders carried a record $17.6 trillion in home equity entering the second quarter of 2025, with $11.5 trillion considered “tappable” — that is, available for borrowing while maintaining at least a 20% equity cushion. Vermont has the highest percentage of home equity in the US. Despite subdued withdrawal rates in recent years, early 2025 data points to shifting borrower behavior. First-quarter second lien equity withdrawals rose 22% year over year to nearly $25 billion in the US — the largest first quarter volume in 17 years — suggesting increased interest in home equity access amid improving loan affordability.

Vermont Business Magazine On Saturday, May 31, 2025, 244 members of Bennington College’s Class of 2025 gathered, along with their family members and friends, faculty, staff, and leadership, in Greenwall Auditorium on campus to receive their degrees. Graduates hailed from thirty-two states and twenty-eight countries, including Bangladesh, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Canada, Costa Rica, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Germany, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Kenya, Libya, Malawi, Mexico, Montenegro, Nepal, Pakistan, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Portugal, Russia, Spain, United Kingdom, United States, and Vietnam, and ranged in age from 20 to 61.

Vermont Business Magazine Today, Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak announced her intention to appoint Samantha McGinnis as the next Director of the Church Street Marketplace. Mayoral appointments will be brought forward to the City Council for approval at that meeting on June 2. McGinnis currently serves as the Assistant Director of Downtown Projects & Programs in the Department of Business and Workforce Development. Throughout her six years with the City of Burlington, McGinnis has led efforts to activate the Church Street Marketplace and City Hall Park, with 100+ free annual public programs and events, including the launch of the Winter Market in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.   

by Aly Richards, CEO of Let’s Grow Kids “Bolstered by the support of thousands of dedicated Vermonters, the 2025 legislative session resulted in real, continued progress towards solving our state’s child care crisis. At a time of widespread uncertainty, with reductions in federal funding for programs our communities rely on and a difficult fiscal year for our state, Vermont lawmakers continued to prioritize child care. This is a true signal of our state’s commitment to our youngest children and their families and an important moment to pause and reflect on that good work.

by Maggie Lenz and Nick Charyk If there was a metaphor too on-the-nose to ignore, the Vermont State House delivered it. Twice. On Thursday, May 22, just as the Senate prepared to take up a fragile compromise on education funding, phones buzzed across the building with a fire evacuation alert from Capitol Police. Lawmakers, lobbyists, and staff filed out. It was a false alarm. Fifteen minutes later, everyone returned, and the Senate resumed its search for common ground. No agreement came that day.

Vermont Business Magazine On May 16, 2025, president and CEO of Union Bankshares Inc, David S. Silverman, age 64, informed the Board of Directors of his intention to retire from the company during 2026. Union Bankshares, based in Morrisville, is the parent company of Union Bank, with branches in northern Vermont and New Hampshire. Silverman has served in various capacities during his 39 years with the company and its wholly owned subsidiary, Union Bank, including as president and CEO of both entities since 2012. Silverman will continue to serve as President and Chief Executive Officer until his successor is named and a transition period is completed.

by Devon Green, VP of Government Relations, VAHHS Although no one has gaveled out, this will be my last column of the session… for now. The health care bills are done, but if this session has made one thing clear, it’s that health care permeates Vermont’s economy, government, and communities. There is much work to be done in the off-session to make care more affordable while maintaining access to essential services. Below are the happenings from last week, as well as a summary of the health care bills that passed out of the legislature.

Vermont Business Magazine Average gasoline prices in Vermont are $3.07/g, up 1.1 cents per gallon from last week's $3.06/g. The lowest price in the state yesterday was $2.69/g while the highest was $3.19/g, a difference of 50.0 cents per gallon. The national average price of gasoline has fallen 3.8 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.09/g today. 

by Mike Donoghue, Vermont News First, Vermont Business Magazine A prominent world-renowned doctor based in Burlington is suing the University of Vermont Medical Center for medical negligence and wrongful death for the fatal overdose of his adult son five years ago. A jury will begin hearing testimony on Monday in the civil lawsuit brought by Dr. David N. Krag as executor of the estate of Peter M. Krag, a well-known local jazz musician in Vermont. The lawsuit maintains Dr. Halle G. Sobel, an adult primary care internal medicine physician, along with other unknown employees at the UVM Medical Center, had treated Peter Krag until he died in May 2020 at age 34.  Peter Krag started using opioids, including heroin and fentanyl when he was 27 until his death, the lawsuit notes.

by Joshua Brown, UVM Magazine There are no fruit flies in Davi Bock’s kitchen. But head down into the basement of his 1850s farmhouse, on the end of a dirt road in Glover, Vt., and you’ll find them by the millions. Well, not really. But—in one corner, on a laptop computer linked to the wider world with high-speed, fiber-optic cable—you can surf and plunge into 21 million photos of one fruit fly’s brain. Bock points to a spectral gray image, roughly the shape of Princess Leia’s hairdo.

by Scott Waterman, VT Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets Vermont dairy farmers have achieved a critical benchmark from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). This winter, the Vermont Agency of Agriculture Food and Markets (Agency) began a new USDA mandated milk sampling program.  The USDA goal was to proactively identify unknown highly parthenogenic avian influenza (HPAI) infected dairy cattle.  The Agency’s additional goal was to test all Vermont Grade A milk directly from each supplying Vermont dairy farm.  As of today, the testing had great news for farmers and consumers. The testing has NOT revealed any HPAI infected dairy cattle.