Current News

by Helen Argraves, Vermont Business Magazine Like people in many sectors of the economy these days, agricultural producers in Vermont are trying to navigate the upheaval caused by the Trump administration’s tariffs. Uncertainty from the tariffs could add stress and financial burden for farmers in the coming year. They, along with state officials, are watching tariffs on products like feed, fertilizer and equipment closely to decide how to proceed. Many of these products come from Canada, the focus of some of the administration’s tariffs. Agricultural producers depend on predictability when deciding what and when to buy, said state Secretary of Agriculture, Food and Markets Anson Tebbetts.

Vermont Business Magazine Girls on the Run Vermont (GOTRVT), a statewide nonprofit organization for girls in 3rd-8th grade, will be culminating its spring season with a joyful 5K event at the Dana L. Thompson Memorial Park on Saturday, June 7th, 2025 that will celebrate the accomplishments of over 600 participants from central and southern Vermont GOTR and Heart & Sole teams this spring season. Girls will be accompanied by approximately 200 volunteer coaches, approximately 300 running buddies, over 100 volunteers, countless spectators and other supporters in the GOTRVT community, cheering them on through the finish line. This event is supported by GOTRVT’s 20+ year statewide sponsor, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Vermont and is presented by 15+ year partner, M&T Bank. 

Vermont Business Magazine The Town of Berlin purchased 115 acres of forest that the Perrin family conserved with the Vermont Land Trust (VLT), the two entities announced today. The land will be added to the Berlin Town Forest known as Irish Hill and fills a missing piece to connect more than 1,000 acres of conserved forestland. It will be permanently open to the public for recreation and education, including hiking, walking, birdwatching, cross-country skiing, hunting, snowshoeing, and wildlife observation. The acquisition was approved by a town vote and made possible through the efforts of the Town, its Conservation Commission, and VLT, with funding support from the Vermont Housing & Conservation Board (VHCB).

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Public is adding new locally hosted music programming to its weekend lineup: All Ears with Tad Cautious on Saturdays at 6 p.m., and Now Playing with DJ Llu on Sundays at 6 p.m. The new schedule will take effect Saturday, May 17. All Ears with Tad Cautious is an eclectic music discovery show for curious listeners open to myriad genres. Listeners can expect a mix of new and existing music for one hour every Saturday evening beginning at 6 p.m. Now Playing with DJ Llu will air Sunday evenings at 6 p.m. The show is a 60-minute mixtape curated to give you a listen to some of the best in rock, R&B, hip-hop, and RPM from the new releases of the week.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Smoke & Cure, the acclaimed maker of artisanal smoked meat products, announced a nationwide expansion, securing new partnerships with Walmart and Giant Food, while substantially growing its presence in Kroger stores. This multi-retailer expansion represents the largest distribution growth in the company's history, bringing its premium meat snacks to millions of new consumers in the second quarter of 2025. "This expansion across three major retail partners marks a transformative moment for Vermont Smoke & Cure," said Michael Schafer, Commercial Business Lead at Vermont Smoke & Cure. "Combined with our recent Costco Northeast Division growth, we're bringing our handcrafted products to more consumers than ever before, while maintaining our unwavering commitment to quality and craftsmanship."

Vermont League of Cities & Towns If you know of – or are – someone who's qualified to serve on the VLCT Property and Casualty Intermunicipal Fund (PACIF) board of directors, you have until Fri 5/23 to submit a nomination. The current vacancy is for Alternate Director. 

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine Vermont weekly unemployment claims for the week ending May 10, 2025, held at just under 400 after a recent spike sent them to their highest levels since the end of last year. A more recent spike at the beginning of March carried them over 600. New claims this week were 397, up 17 claims from the week before and are 52 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. 

The Vermont State Police has obtained an arrest warrant for the suspect in the January 2025 killing of Corey Crooker in Bradford. James D. Nickles Jr., 42, of Bradford faces charges of second-degree murder, unauthorized burial or removal of a dead body, and providing false information to police. A judge found probable cause for the charges on Friday, May 16, 2025. Nickles currently is in federal custody on firearms charges arising from this investigation. His arraignment on the state charges will take place in the Criminal Division of Vermont Superior Court in Chelsea and has yet to be scheduled. 

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott and the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) today announced the winners of the 2025 Municipal Planning Grants. Forty-six rural and urban communities will use $1,002,329 to write and update town plans and bylaws, plan for public space improvements, explore opportunities for new homes, and create resilience plans to combat the high cost of extreme weather. The Municipal Planning Grant program is administered by DHCD. This longtime program for planning and revitalization supports municipal management and rural capacity-building.  It offers cities, towns, and villages the funding they need to engage residents in decision-making and establish a solid vision for their future.

Vermont Business Magazine Today, Representative Becca Balint (D-Vermont-AL) and Budget Democrats successfully blocked the Republican Budget that would have slashed Medicaid, food assistance and other critical programs that Americans rely on. The Republican plan cuts over $880 billion in cuts that would decimate Medicaid, risking the health care coverage for over 13.7 million Americans to bankroll tax breaks for billionaires and massive corporations. These cuts would put rural hospitals at risk of immediate closure due to these cuts, including many of Vermont’s hospitals.  

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott issued the following statement in response to housing bills, S.127 and H.479: “For the last eight years, I’ve been sounding the alarm about our housing crisis. Vermonters across the state are impacted by a lack of housing options – from renters, to first time homebuyers, and retirees looking to downsize. That’s why, in January, I proposed legislation to move the needle on the housing we desperately need. This included expanding infrastructure for housing and flood recovery by modifying the existing TIF program to include a project-based option – so smaller towns with fewer resources can access this economic tool as easily as larger cities and towns along."

Vermont Business Magazine Attorney General Charity Clark today led a coalition of 40 attorneys general in a bipartisan letter to Congress voicing opposition to a budget amendment that prohibits states from enforcing artificial intelligence (AI) laws. The sweeping and dangerous U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee amendment to the budget reconciliation bill imposes a 10-year prohibition on states from enforcing any state law or regulation addressing AI and automated decision-making systems. If enacted, the amendment would strip away essential state protections without replacing them with a viable federal regulatory framework and silence state leaders who are best positioned to respond.