Current News

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 May 26, 2925. Please remember to drive safely in all work zones. Lives depend on it.   

by Maggie Lenz and Nick Charyk The Scott Administration's message to lawmakers last week was clear: if they do not pass an education bill the Governor is willing to sign, they will not be allowed to go home. And while that threat has been hanging over the State House all year, last week it became a fixed point. The Legislature is being told to stay until the education bill is resolved in a way the administration deems workable. The Governor is playing his energized hand in a building that is overcome with exhaustion.

by Amanda Kuhnert As an entrepreneur, it’s easy to lose sight of your business plan after the early stages of ownership, when daily operations start to overshadow long-term goals. But this is a missed opportunity, explained Dr. Stephen Brandon, who co-owns Health in Focus, a chiropractic care center  in Shelburne, with his wife, Dr. Shelley Crombach. The couple have been working consistently with Steve Densham, an adviser at the Vermont Small Business Development Center, since 2012, when they first purchased their business. “Steve taught us that the magic is when you consistently use your plan,” Brandon said. “As you get into it and realize that some of the things you had planned for were not 100% accurate, you can go back to VtSBDC and meet with them and work with what’s real.”

by Noah Diedrich, Community News Service Those large yellow buoys floating atop Lake Champlain aren’t for monitoring the weather, nor are they for decoration. Instead, they mark the final resting places of centuries-old ships that wrecked on the lakebed. The floats are part of the Underwater Preservation Program, a 40-year-old initiative run by the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum that aims to uphold the federal Abandoned Shipwreck Act of 1987. The act looks to prevent historic wrecks from being disturbed by treasure hunters and salvagers. The museum oversees shipwrecks on Vermont’s side of the lake. 

Vermont Business Magazine Black Flannel Brewing & Distilling Company announces a new brewers’ festival taking place on June 7, 2025. LAGERFEST brings together 23 of the top New England breweries focusing 100% on Lager style beers. With so much love given to IPAs, it’s time that Lagers take their rightful place in the spotlight. When many people think of Lagers, fizzy yellow beer comes to mind, but Lager styles are as diverse as beer itself - they come in a wide range of colors, strengths, and flavors. LAGERFEST will be held on the Green at the Essex Experience, in front of Black Flannel Brewing & Distilling. The tagline for the event is Peace, Love & Lager. There will be one session, from 4 to 8pm. Ages 21+, no pets.

Vermont Business Magazine The Board of Directors of Lyric Theatre Company has appointed Andrew Britt as the organization’s next Executive Director. Andrew brings a wide-ranging and distinguished career in the performing arts to Lyric, with experience spanning Broadway, Off-Broadway, national tours, regional theatre, and television. He holds a BFA in Theatre from East Carolina University and has worked with celebrated directors and creative teams on productions such as Bright Star, The Present, Waiting for Godot, and The Bandwagon. His television production credits include popular programming for HGTV and WeTV, where he developed skills in planning, logistics, and team leadership. Originally from North Carolina, Andrew’s passion for theatre was shaped by his early experiences in community-based performance.

Vermont Business Magazine In an era of rising cyberattacks impacting the websites of local businesses and individuals, Vermonters have a unique opportunity to understand how digital threats exploit weaknesses in web apps–ethically and safely–at a live demonstration hosted by Allegory Cyber LLC in Burlington. On May 30th, 2025 at 3:30 PM, a small group will gather at Hula in Burlington to witness a live, in-person demonstration of ethical web application penetration testing. This is the crucial process cybersecurity professionals use to identify and fix security flaws before malicious actors can exploit them. Led by Jeremiah Onaolapo, Cyber Training Consultant, the session titled “Break It to Fix It: Poking Holes in a Web App” will provide a practical look at how vulnerabilities are discovered in web apps, and what common tools, such as the industry-standard Burp Suite, are used in a completely secure, isolated environment.

by Joyce Marcel, Vermont Business Magazine I’ve been called “Vermont’s biographer.“ Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of writing about a diverse range of subjects. From the unexpected success of croutons to the cutting-edge technology of electric airplanes, I’ve explored the breadth of Vermont’s ingenuity. I’ve interviewed generals, jigsaw puzzle creators, doctors who make house calls and countless other Vermont legends. I’ve learned their stories, written about them honestly and then had the honor of seeing their pictures grace the cover of this magazine. Now that I’m 83, I’m retiring after writing more than 270 cover stories and being named three times as the best business profile writer in the country by the Alliance of Area Business Publishers. When I look back at the work I’ve done, I feel something quite close to awe. And I realize I’ve been writing the history of Vermont and its living economy for the first quarter of the 21st century.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont State Senate on Friday advanced H.472, a bill that includes officially creating an early childhood education (ECE) profession. The Senate passed the bill with overwhelming support from across the political spectrum. Vermont is the first state in the country to take this step. The ECE Profession Bill was introduced based on the recommendations of Vermont’s Office of Professional Regulation. The bill reflects feedback from more than one thousand Vermont early childhood educators.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott on Friday issued the following statement: “In January, I proposed a bold plan to reform our public education system, focused on improving quality and opportunities for our kids, stabilizing our funding system, and providing taxpayers with much needed relief. I have been clear: we cannot adjourn this legislative session without a bill that sets us on the course to accomplish these goals, and I’ve appreciated the constructive conversations we’ve had with both chambers to date. While the Senate moving this bill forward today is an important procedural step, I still cannot accept either the House or Senate versions. I do however remain optimistic about finding a path forward with the committee of conference."

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine People can believe anything, of course. Some people may believe the moon is made of cheese. Most days it’s a classic Vermont cheddar. Sometimes when it’s full and high it’s more of a crumbly white Wensleydale, tart on the tongue. Other times on a sultry summer evening it might rise like a tasty smoked Gouda. In the same vein, some people believe the 2020 presidential election was stollen. We can’t fully explain why people believe in these things, but in the case of the presidential election we can explain why other people would want them to.

Vermont Business Magazine Pure Energy Apothecary - the premium, plant-based, everyday essential skincare company built by CEO Dawn Lancaster and grown into a nationwide brand - is expanding with a new lifestyle brand: Ballou Family Apothecary. Williston, Vermont – Global products leader Bob Phillips, who made Elizabeth Taylor the first Hollywood influencer for White Diamonds® and helped turn Dove® and Axe® into billion-dollar brands, is now, at 86, on a deeply personal mission to promote wellness. Together with Pure Energy Apothecary CEO Dawn Lancaster, Phillips has launched Ballou Family Apothecary.