Current News

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine Vermont weekly unemployment claims for the week ending May 17, 2025, fell to under 300, which is the lowest number this year. There had been the usual end-of-ski-season spike in April. New claims this week were 285, down 112 claims from the week before and are 4 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. 

Vermont Business Magazine RunVermont announces its 2025 Hall of Fame inductees, who will be formally recognized on May 23rd, 2025, at the Sports & Fitness Expo hosted by RunVermont at the DoubleTree by Hilton in South Burlington, VT. This year’s inductees are Tim Eno in the Coaches category and Keith Woodward in the Athletes of Distinction category. The Vermont City Marathon Hall of Fame was formed in 1995 to recognize individuals who had participated in every Vermont City Marathon since its inception in 1989. In 2008, the RunVermont Board of Directors broadened the scope of the Hall of Fame by opening consideration to people whose efforts, consistent with the mission of RunVermont, have supported running in Vermont. At that time the name was changed to the RunVermont Hall of Fame. 

Vermont Business Magazine Fidium has expanded its multi-gig, symmetrical speed internet service to Enosburgh, Sheldon and parts of Berkshire, bringing its future-proof fiber network to more than 3,200 homes and businesses. Fidium’s expansion of its all-fiber network, which began in January, brings all the benefits that come with access to a fiber broadband connection. Today, more than 134,000 Vermont homes and businesses have access to Fidium, including more than 14,000 Franklin County homes and businesses across Enosburgh, Sheldon, Bakersfield, East Fairfield, Fairfax, Fairfield, Fletcher, Georgia, Saint Albans and Swanton. 

Vermont Business Magazine Early this morning, Rep. Becca Balint (D- Vermont-AL), member of the House Budget Committee, released the below statement after the passage of the Republican budget that guts Medicaid, food assistance and other critical programs that Americans rely on. The Republican plan includes over $800 billion in cuts that would decimate Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act. These cuts will put rural hospitals at risk of immediate closure. It would kick nearly 14 million Americans off their health insurance and throw at least 3 million people off food assistance, all to bankroll tax breaks for billionaires and massive corporations. The bill passed the House with all Democrats voting no.  

Vermont Business Magazine Today, Burlington Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak announced her intention to appoint Deputy Chief Michael Curtin as the next Fire Chief Engineer of the Burlington Fire Department. Curtin joined the Burlington Fire Department as a firefighter in 2002. Throughout his more than two decades of service, Curtin has demonstrated capable leadership, serving in the ranks of Lieutenant, Captain, and Battalion Chief, prior to his promotion to Deputy Chief of Operations in August 2024. Since 2005, he has also served as an instructor at the Vermont Fire Academy, where he has delivered course material and conducted live fire training burns for firefighters across the State of Vermont.    

Vermont Business Magazine NBT Bank celebrated the unveiling of its new office Thursday at 1330 Shelburne Road in South Burlington. 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. NBT officials also presented a donation to the South Burlington Food Shelf, located nearby at 356 Dorset Street. The food shelf provides food assistance to South Burlington residents who struggle with hunger.

Vermont Business Magazine U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont) today led U.S. Senators Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) in sending a letter to bipartisan leadership of the Senate Appropriations Committee urging Congress to provide robust federal funding for programs supporting the Lake Champlain basin. In their letter, the lawmakers emphasized the importance of federal programs to Lake Champlain that support critical work in the basin, from fostering a climate-resilient watershed to promoting outdoor recreation and wildlife conservation.   

Vermont Business Magazine Green River Reservoir State Park has received a generous donation of a new Esquif cargo canoe, equipped with a Torqeedo electric outboard motor and battery system from The Friends of Green River Reservoir State Park. This gift is a vital contribution to the park’s operations and will help protect its remote and ecologically sensitive environment. Green River Reservoir is a paddle-only park known for its undeveloped shoreline, remote campsites, and focus on low-impact recreation. Visitors cherish the wilderness-like feel, quiet coves, opportunities to observe nesting loons, and peaceful paddle-in camping experiences. The new canoe replaces an aging gas-powered craft, enabling park staff to patrol and maintain the reservoir while staying aligned with its conservation-centered mission.

Vermont Business Magazine U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont) announced today that the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) has allocated $30.2 million in new emergency relief funding to the Vermont Agency of Transportation and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to help Vermont communities impacted by the July 2024 floods. The funding, allocated through DOT’s Federal Highway Administration Emergency Relief Program, will reimburse the state for costs associated with repairing roads, culverts, headwalls, bridges, and trails.  

Vermont Business Magazine ISO New England, operator of the region’s electric grid, expects sufficient energy supply to meet consumer demand for electricity this summer. The ISO predicts electricity demand to reach 24,803 megawatts (MW) under normal weather conditions, and up to 25,886 MW during any periods of above-average summer weather, such as an extended heat wave. While the ISO anticipates adequate electricity for homes and businesses this summer, several consecutive days of hot and humid weather, loss of generation, or other factors could cause periods of tight supply margins. ISO New England grid operators have several tools available to manage these stresses and maintain reliability on the system. The ISO expects approximately 29,000 MW of capacity to be available to meet consumer demand for electricity and required reserves, this summer. 

Vermont Business Magazine Last week, the Vermont Outdoor Business Alliance (VOBA) hosted 50 small business leaders and service providers from across the State at Bolton Valley Resort for a workshop on immediate actions businesses can take to navigate tariffs, working capital, and visitor marketing to remain viable among the myriad of market challenges facing them today. Attendees came for networking, education, and technical assistance to support the outdoor sector on trade and tourism decision making, contingency planning, financing strategy, customs, human resources, and legal advice, and marketing analysis.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) invites the public to comment on draft updates to the state wetland maps in 107 towns. The map update covers over 20% of Vermont and shows the approximate location and shape of wetlands. It includes major parts of Washington, Chittenden, Addison, and Rutland counties and a lesser part of Lamoille, Orange, Caledonia and Bennington counties and the towns of Berkshire and Franklin. Using new technology and high-quality aerial images, DEC will continue to update maps for the entire state to better identify wetlands and thus protect, restore, and reduce impacts to them. The updates are required by the Flood Safety Act, Act 121, passed in 2024.