Current News

Vermont Business Magazine This month, Vermont State University (VTSU) graduated 105 electricians and 80 plumbers from the university’s registered apprenticeship programs, offered in partnership with the Vermont Department of Labor. The university saw a nearly 30% increase in the number of apprenticeship graduates this year and a 20% increase in the number of employers represented in the graduating class. Across all four years in the plumbing and electrical apprenticeship programs, VTSU has 886 students enrolled, a headcount that has increased by over 200 apprentices in the last four years.

Pomerleau Real Estate Congratulations to the owners of The Old Lantern on the successful sale of their property and business. The 8,000-square-foot wedding venue and event barn has been purchased by Solomon Bayer-Patch, owner of Farmers & Foragers. Former owners Lisa and Roland Gaujac will continue to operate the charming bed and breakfast located behind the barn. Pomerleau Real Estate is pleased to announce a new lease at 261 Water Tower Hill in Colchester, Vermont. Detroit Mercy College, in partnership with the Vermont State Dental Society, has leased 20,000 square feet of space at the property. The Miller Realty Group LLP leased 60,000 sf of warehouse space at 6653 Shelburne Road, Shelburne VT to Green Mountain Animal. More.

Vermont Business Magazine The Attorney General’s Office today announced that Ayla Atherton, 30, of Richford, Vermont, was arraigned on one count of felony Medicaid Fraud. The charge brought against Ms. Atherton is the result of an investigation conducted by the Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud and Residential Abuse Unit (MFRAU), which found Ms. Atherton submitted false and inaccurate information on timesheets regarding the care she had reportedly provided to an individual. The submission of these false timesheets resulted in Ms. Atherton being repeatedly paid for services she did not actually provide, defrauding Vermont Medicaid of over $14,000 in public healthcare funds.  

Vermont Business Magazine Today, the Vermont Medical Society (VMS) joined a group of nine medical organizations and public health nonprofits to sue the federal government to stop the deletion of vital public health and science data. Since January, the federal executive branch has deleted numerous websites that medical providers, scientists and public health professionals rely upon, on issues ranging from pregnancy risks to opioid-use disorder to the AIDS epidemic. The lawsuit, filed today in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, would enforce federal law and require the administration to restore deleted websites and stop any further removal of public health data. 

Vermont Business Magazine The Sunday morning in late January started off like any other for David Goodman and his wife, Ronda: coffee in the living room of their Montpelier home. But when Goodman, 70, got up to make breakfast, walking into the couple’s kitchen to retrieve a frying pan, things took a strange turn. As he reached down to pick up a pan from the cupboard, Goodman realized that he could not feel anything with his left hand. “What was that?” Goodman thought.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Health reported last week that the number of COVID-19 hospitalizations remain low and under 5 cases statewide, after a spike during the winter. Wastewater testing indicates that virus levels, which had increased at the Montpelier facility recently, also fell after they had spiked in January. The Vermont pandemic death total stands at 1,291 as of May 10, 2025, with 1 reported death from the previous week (the most recent data available from the CDC). WHO also reported that COVID-19 deaths keep declining. 

Vermont Business Magazine On May 19, 2025, Governor Scott signed into law the Department of Financial Regulation’s (DFR) 2025 housekeeping bill H.137, an act relating to the regulation of insurance products and services. The new law includes important updates identified by the DFR’s captive insurance division, with stakeholder input, particularly from the Vermont Captive Insurance Association (VCIA).

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Senate voted today to advance legislation already passed by the House (H.238) that would outlaw the use of toxic perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in firefighting gear, dental floss, cleaning products, and fluorine-treated containers—a critical step in reducing Vermonters’ exposure to these harmful substances. The Senate expanded the bill as passed by the House by adding a provision that prohibits PFAS in firefighting gear beginning in 2029. The specialized gear and equipment used by firefighters often results in repeated exposure to toxic PFAS. Massachusetts and Connecticut have already passed similar restrictions and Vermont’s professional firefighters have offered their support for H.238.

Vermont Business Magazine Recently, Rutland Regional Medical Center’s Education and Clinical Excellence Team and Nursing Shared Governance honored four extraordinary nurses with the DAISY Award. The DAISY (Diseases Attacking the Immune System) Foundation was started in Glen Allen, California by family members of J. Patrick Barnes, who died from complications of Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP), a little-known but not uncommon auto-immune disease. As a way of thanking the nurses who cared for Barnes, his family established the DAISY award program to recognize nurses who demonstrate exceptional care and support.

Vermont Business Magazine The Southwestern Vermont Chamber of Commerce is proud to announce its inaugural Chamber Symposium: Civic Discourse and Journalism, a timely and dynamic panel event taking place on Tuesday, June 24, 2025, from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM at Stratton Mountain Resort. This two-hour symposium will bring together esteemed journalists, editors, educators, and media professionals to engage in a thoughtful discussion on the current state of journalism, the media’s impact on politics and public opinion, and the future of civic discourse in our communities.

Vermont Business Magazine This past weekend, Vermont State University (VTSU) proudly celebrated the graduation of its Class of 2025—an inspiring cohort of nearly 1,400 students from 231 Vermont communities and beyond. These graduates exemplify the heart of VTSU: resilient, purpose-driven, and committed to making a meaningful impact. Notably, more than 40% of this year’s graduates are the first in their families to attend college—a powerful reflection of VTSU’s mission to expand access and opportunity. That commitment is also evident in the 224 graduates who completed their degrees entirely online, balancing education with work, family, and other responsibilities.

by Devon Green, VP of Government Relations, VAHHS While H.266 maintains its 340B protections, it has also evolved into a mechanism to address the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Vermont (BCBSVT) financial crisis. BCBSVT presented on Vermont’s high drug prices and pointed to Vermont’s prohibition on white bagging (when a patient's medication is dispensed by a specialty pharmacy and then shipped to the healthcare provider's office or facility for administration) as the culprit. After hearing VAHHS testimony about the quality and safety issues around white bagging, the House Health Care Committee landed on a proposal to keep the white bagging prohibition in place, but to cap outpatient infusion therapies at 120 percent average sales price. BCBSVT estimates that this will net them about $46M.