Current News

Vermont Business Magazine It’ll soon be “lights out” on lighting rebates for Vermont businesses and nonprofits that have yet to switch to energy-saving LED lamps and bulbs. But farms, businesses, and nonprofits that act fast can still take advantage of increased incentives from Efficiency Vermont before rebates end. For a limited time, Efficiency Vermont is offering increased incentives for pre-approved commercial lighting projects. These offers are designed to be flexible for a dynamic pricing landscape and changing costs. Projects must be planned and approved before final rebate amounts can be determined.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Nuclear Decommissioning Citizens Advisory Panel (VT NDCAP) will hold its first regular meeting of 2025 on Monday evening, May 12th, from 6:00 PM to 8:45 PM.  At this meeting, U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) representatives will discuss the recently published Vermont Yankee (VY) Spent Nuclear Fuel De-Inventory Report.  The De-Inventory Report includes a comprehensive evaluation of transportation infrastructure near VY and enumerates the expected tasks necessary to transport VY’s spent fuel inventory to the Geographic Center of the United States (GCUS).  (The GCUS is used in lieu of a specific repository location for transportation planning purposes.) 

Vermont Business Magazine Cathedral Square’s Bayview Crossing in South Hero received Efficiency Vermont’s Best of the Best Award for Residential New Construction in the Multifamily Large Projects category at the Better Building by Design conference. Efficiency Vermont’s annual event brings together design professionals, leaders in building construction, and experts in climate workforce trades. Thirteen “Best of the Best” awards were given out to builders, architects, designers, and HVAC and plumbing installers for their commitment to energy excellence. Weinmann Lamphere Architects designed the project and ReArch Company was the construction manager. Both firms accompanied Cathedral Square staff in receiving the award.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Parks Forever, the only non-profit foundation for Vermont’s 55 state parks, is excited to announce a first-in-the-nation, privately funded pilot program that will provide free day-use entry to Vermont State Parks for over 100,000 income eligible Vermonters this 2025 park season. In partnership with Vermont State Parks, the Department for Children and Families’ Economic Services Division, and the Department of Health’s WIC Program, this initiative will run from the end of May through October and is available to families and individuals receiving services through the Economic Services Division and WIC. This pilot program is an expansion of Vermont Parks Forever’s Park Access Fund that has been creating a more equitable outdoor experience since 2016.

Vermont Business Magazine Attorney General Charity Clark today joined a coalition of 16 attorneys general in filing a lawsuit to stop the Trump administration from illegally terminating billions in congressionally approved funding for electric vehicle infrastructure. Unless the courts check the president’s overreach, Vermont stands to lose nearly $16 million in electric vehicle infrastructure funding. In 2022, Congress passed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, or IIJA, also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. One provision of the IIJA appropriated $5 billion for the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program, or NEVI, to facilitate electric vehicle charging infrastructure in the states. Under the U.S. Constitution, only Congress has the authority to appropriate funds. 

Vermont Business Magazine U.S. Senators Peter Welch (D-Vermont) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) this week introduced the Improving Access to Nutrition Act of 2025, legislation to help more Americans access the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), known as 3SquaresVT in Vermont. The Senators’ legislation would lift Republicans’ punitive three-month time limit on SNAP eligibility to allow able-bodied adults without dependents to receive benefits for longer than three months even if they are unable to find work. The bill would also repeal additional eligibility criteria that imposes the three-month rule on adults up to age 54 over a three-year period. 

Vermont State Police The Vermont State Police is continuing to investigate a shooting that occurred Tuesday afternoon, May 6, 2025, at a residence in St. Johnsbury. VSP is identifying the victim as Adam Belliveau, 30, of St. Johnsbury. He remains hospitalized Wednesday, May 7, and is receiving treatment for his injuries. Information on his condition is unavailable at this time. No arrests have been made to this point in the investigation. 

Vermont Business Magazine According to Burlington-based Migrant Justice, of the nine members of Vermont’s farmworker community detained by Border Patrol in April, three have been deported to Mexico while five others remain in immigration detention. Community supporters and elected officials are continuing to advocate for the release of those held in detention. On April 21st, Border Patrol agents entered a Franklin County farm and detained eight workers in one of the largest worksite detentions in recent Vermont history. Less than two weeks prior, on April 9th, Border Patrol agents pulled over and detained Arbey Lopez as he was driving to the same farm to deliver groceries to the workers. 

Vermont State Police Justin Stacy is scheduled to be arraigned at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 7, 2025, in the Criminal Division of Vermont Superior Court in Brattleboro. He was ordered jailed without bail pending his initial court appearance. The Vermont State Police is identifying the victim as Robert J. Francis, 75, who lived in the same home with Stacy. Further information is contained in the affidavit of probable cause, which is filed with the court and available for release following arraignment. The investigation began Tuesday, May 6, 2025, when an individual arrived at the Rutland Barracks and reported having information about a possible homicide that had occurred in February at a home near the intersection of Vermont Route 100 and Corse Road.

Vermont Business Magazine As President Trump continues his attempts to intimidate the media and those who are critical of him, Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Peter Welch (D-Vermont) today warned Paramount Global Chair Shari Redstone not to capitulate to Trump. Lawyers for Trump and Paramount, the parent of CBS News, have begun mediation over a lawsuit brought by Trump that accuses '60 Minutes' of deceptively editing an interview with Kamala Harris. Legal experts have called the suit baseless and an easy victory for CBS. But Paramount is entering the talks prepared to make a deal. It has been reported that Shari Redstone, the company’s controlling shareholder, is considering settling with Trump in return for his administration's approval of Paramount’s $8 billion sale to Skydance.

by Noah Diedrich, Community News Service Ask any Vermont legislator, and they’ll tell you that two of the issues that have dominated discussion in the last five years are climate change and Act 250 reform. Multiple ideas have been floated to solve these issues to no avail. But a recent bill in the House hopes to remedy both problems at once. The solution? Host the Olympics in Vermont. So says Rep. Brian Cina, P/D-Burlington, the author of H.367. The bill would create a Vermont Olympics Task Force to examine the possibility of hosting the Olympic Games and how they could address perennial problems surrounding land use and climate change.

Vermont Business Magazine 802 Cars has sold its Burlington Subaru and Burlington Hyundai dealerships in Vermont to Hoffman Auto Group. Both dealerships rank #1 in Vermont for their respective franchises and boast strong customer loyalty. In addition to Burlington Subaru and Burlington Hyundai, 802 Cars also owns 802 Honda, 802 Toyota and 802 Subaru – all located in Berlin – which will be retained by owner Dave Birmingham post-transaction.