Current News

Vermont Business Magazine The 580 members of Middlebury College’s Class of 2025—universally described as resilient because of their perseverance through a global pandemic and other world events—celebrated Commencement in the presence of family and friends on May 25. In a ceremony that included long-held traditions, speeches, music, and the conferral of honorary degrees, the graduates were celebrated for their accomplishments including national fellowships and scholarships, academic honors, athletic and artistic achievements and community engagement.

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 2, 2025. Please remember to drive safely in all work zones. Lives depend on it. Improvements are underway at the Exit 17 interchange. Monday through Friday, I-89 will be reduced to a single lane in both directions near Exit 17 during off-peak hours from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. on I-89 North and 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on I-89 South. Travel lanes on U.S. 2 will shift south between Jasper Mine Road and U.S. 7, with the potential for lane closures with flaggers controlling alternating one-way traffic from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

by Bill Schubart As healthcare costs in Vermont gobble up more and more expendable resources needed for housing, education, property tax abatement etc. it’s time to ask hard questions and hold providers and their governing boards ethically and legally accountable for honest answers and transparency instead of further mission-failure and PR psychobabble. Key to understanding the current healthcare crisis today is its history. It’s important to understand that UVMHN is not a hospital but rather a lucrative healthcare business aggregator acquiring and running hospitals and healthcare service institutions to expand market share. The stated goal was, through collaboration and cost-efficiencies across the network, to lower costs, improve access, and enhance the service quality. 

Northeastern Vermont Development Association Governor Scott and the Department of Housing & Community Development announced recipients of the 2025 Downtown Transportation Fund grant awards. Eight Designated Downtowns & Village Centers will share funding to make investments in infrastructure and public spaces, making their communities more inviting to guests and residents. Hardwick received $200,000 to replace the deteriorated pedestrian bridge for safety and ADA compliance. The Town of Lyndon will use the $200,000 award to install four raised crosswalks with curb extensions and light posts at each crosswalk, and upgrade ten existing light posts for pedestrian safety. 

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine Vermont weekly unemployment claims for the week ending May 24, 2025, were back over 300, after falling to their lowest number this year the week before. There had been the usual end-of-ski-season spike in April. New claims this week were 371, up 86 claims from the week before and are 70 more than last year at this time. The end of the winter tourism season tends to increase claims, just as they do after holidays. Claims, which are lowest in the summer, were 181 at the end of September 2024. In Vermont for the weekly report, the Service industry accounted for the most claims last week with 61%, down 1 point from the previous week. Construction was 3%, down 3 points, as that industry ramps up. Manufacturing accounted for 26% of claims, up 10 points. 

Vermont Business Magazine Essential Vermont Malt Whiskey, part of the Switchback Spirits lineup from Switchback Brewing Co., has been awarded a Gold Medal at the 2025 San Francisco World Spirits Competition (SFWSC), the most prestigious and influential competition in the global spirits industry. Now in its 25th year, the 2025 SFWSC drew over 5,000 entries from around the world, making it one of the largest and most competitive editions to date. The results were officially announced, celebrating products that exemplify excellence, quality, and distinction. Judges praised Essential Vermont Malt Whiskey.

Vermont Business Magazine Over 300 Southern Vermont community and business leaders, representing 160 different organizations from across the state and region, joined hosts Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation (BDCC) and Bennington County Regional Commission (BCRC) at Mount Snow in Dover, VT, on May 20 for the 8th annual Southern VT Economy Summit. The theme of this year’s Summit, “Adapt and Thrive” was centered around the findings of the 2024 SoVermont Zone Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS), which stresses the need for our region to foster a shared culture of adaptation in the face of rapid economic, technological, and environmental change. 

Vermont Business Magazine The Attorney General’s Office today announced the first recipient of the Vermont Attorney General’s Award for Academic Excellence in Domestic Violence Response at the Vermont Police Academy Graduation in Pittsford, Vermont. Trooper Christopher Santic of the Vermont State Police earned the award for having achieved the highest score in the Police Academy’s Domestic Violence course.

Vermont Business Magazine In a win for Vermont water quality, the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit (DC Circuit Court) has rejected the hydropower dam company Morrisville Water & Light’s (MWL) challenge in which MWL argued that the Agency of Natural Resources violated a provision of the federal Clean Water Act in their relicensing of the Lamoille River Basin Project. This major decision strongly clarifies that when a utility voluntarily agrees that more time is needed to address issues related to Water Quality (401 Certificate) the state is not intentionally delaying a decision, and the utility can no longer use this argument to stymie the hydropower dam relicensing process.  

Vermont Business Magazine The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that a federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment charging Todd Hoyte, 54, of Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, with making interstate threats and stalking. Hoyte was arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation on April 1, 2025, in Saint Thomas. Hoyte initially appeared in federal court in the U.S. Virgin Islands where he was ordered detained. Hoyte left numerous voicemails for Victim-1, who worked in Vermont. The voicemails which were harassing, threatening, and intimidating, were made from outside of Vermont. Hoyte left the voicemails on Victim-1’s work phone, Victim-1’s voicemail box, and the voicemail box of the Vermont Department of Public Service. The voicemails included threats to injure Victim-1. 

Vermont Business Magazine Breeze Airways, the premium leisure carrier connecting underserved cities across the U.S., today debuted new nonstop seasonal service from Leahy Burlington International Airport BTV to Charleston, S.C. with fares starting from $59 one-way. The new route will operate twice weekly on Mondays and Fridays. Breeze began flying in Burlington in February 2024 and has since grown to five nonstop routes to popular destinations like Orlando, Raleigh-Durham, and Tampa. 

Vermont Business Magazine A testament to its global impact in environmental law and policy, Vermont Law and Graduate School has received its largest-ever donation — $10 million. An anonymous international foundation dedicated to solving environmental challenges will award VLGS this impactful gift over a three-year period to reinforce and grow the school’s expertise in agriculture and food systems and animal protection policy. In addition, the funding will advance a new aquaculture project. With a focus on research and advocacy, this endeavor aims to examine and tackle the environmental implications of aquaculture.