Current News

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. 

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.