Current News

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. 

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott announced Thursday he had vetoed H.219, An act relating to establishing the Department of Corrections’ Family Support Program. This is his first veto of the session and the veto was based on constitutional concerns, even as he supports the program. The governor also announced he had signed into law two bills: S.27 related to medical debt and S.36 related to AHS services. 

Vermont Business Magazine On May 15, Governor Phil Scott signed into law S.27, a proposal brought forward by Treasurer Mike Pieciak to eliminate up to $100 million in medical debt for middle- and working-class Vermonters and remove medical debt from credit scores. The bill passed the Legislature on a unanimous, bipartisan vote and requires no additional taxes or fees. Individuals who carry medical debt are less likely to seek care when they need it, leading to worse health outcomes, more expensive care in the future, and missed time at work. A 2021 survey by the Vermont Department of Health found that 85,000 Vermonters delayed or avoided care due to fear of medical debt. Medical debt is the leading cause of bankruptcy in the U.S.

by Mike Donoghue, Vermont News First, Vermont Business Magazine Dartmouth Health in Lebanon, NH, is being asked to pay more than $2 million in legal fees and interest after a Windsor County fertility doctor successfully sued over her disability discrimination firing in 2017. A federal court jury in Burlington awarded $1 million in economic damages to Dr. Misty Blanchette Porter of Norwich on April 10 for lost income and expenses. The jury also said Porter was entitled to an additional $125,000 in non-economic damages for the loss of enjoyment in life, mental anguish or pain and suffering. Now Porter’s lawyers have filed to recover their lawsuit-related costs in the contentious legal battle which has ricocheted through Federal District Court in Vermont and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in New York City over the past eight years.

Vermont Business Magazine The Associated General Contractors of Vermont (AGC/VT), the state’s leading construction industry association, has proudly announced its third consecutive record-breaking year for workforce training and development. In the first half of 2025 alone, AGC/VT delivered safety, skills, and leadership training to more than 2,500 Vermonters—an increase of 18% over the previous year. This unprecedented achievement solidifies AGC/VT as Vermont’s premier provider of construction workforce education, with more than 100 in-person and online training courses ranging from OSHA 10 and OSHA 30 certifications to Blueprint Reading, Flagger Training, Lean Construction Education, Advanced Safety Management, Mental Health Awareness, and cutting-edge programs in emerging construction technologies.

Vermont Business Magazine For the past couple months, Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission (CCRPC) has been gathering input on a new draft Future Land Use Map and draft Housing Targets for Chittenden County. We've received many comments so far, and with the comment deadline of Monday, May 19 quickly approaching, we wanted to reach out once more to remind everyone of this feedback opportunity. In addition, our Regional Safety Action Plan is underway, with a virtual public meeting scheduled for Tuesday, May 20, and a survey out through June 6.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation (FPR) has amended the Mt. Mansfield State Forest Long Range Management Plan to allow for the relocation and restoration of the historic Goodell House through an innovative partnership with Vermont Huts and Trails (VHT). Following a public comment period in fall 2024, during which FPR sought input on potential uses for the Goodell House, the department amended the plan to define its future use. The restored Goodell House will facilitate year-round, publicly accessible lodging options within Mt. Mansfield State Forest. The structure will be moved approximately 600 feet downhill to a site better suited for increased use, where environmental impacts can be minimized. 

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Community Broadband Board (VCBB) has been notified that Vermont’s $5.3 million Digital Equity Capacity Grant has been canceled as of May 9, 2025. The grant was being used to implement Vermont’s Digital Empowerment (DE) Program. The DE Program potentially impacts 95% of Vermonters. The Digital Equity Act, passed by a bipartisan majority of Congress, aims to help people who have barriers to accessing the internet, including people living in rural areas, people who are 60+, people with a low-income, veterans, people with disabilities, those with language barriers, members of racial and ethnic minorities, and incarcerated people.