Current News

Vermont Business Magazine The U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services, in coordination with the Vermont Department of Health, will conduct a special spring rabies vaccine bait drop beginning May 5 to help combat rising rabies rates in wildlife. The early distribution will deliver approximately 350,000 units of oral rabies vaccine bait in areas of Addison, Caledonia, Chittenden, Essex, Franklin, Grand Isle, Lamoille, Orange, Orleans and Washington Counties. Officials say that the increased frequency of bait drops will help slow the spread of the rabies virus among wildlife, but that it takes time for enough animals to become immune.

 Vermont Business Magazine Take advantage of a unique opportunity to network and sit down with a variety of SCORE Vermont mentors to help you with your small business idea or to ask specific questions for your small business. Take advantage of this unique opportunity to network and sit down with a variety of SCORE Vermont Mentors to help you with your small business idea or to ask specific questions for your small business. May 10 in St Albans.

Vermont Business Magazine An iconic element of Vermont’s public lands is set to undergo much-needed restoration this summer. Starting May 1, the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation (FPR) will launch the first phase of a project aimed at enhancing safety and performing restoration and maintenance on several state-owned fire towers. Originally constructed in the early 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps for forest fire monitoring, these towers now primarily serve a recreational purpose. FPR will use $450,000 of funding from the U.S. Economic Development Administration to complete maintenance and safety improvements at the Bear Hill and Burke Mountain fire towers. 

Vermont Business Magazine Vermonters looking for electric heating and cooling solutions have more choices thanks to VGS’s (Vermont Gas) trio of heat pump solutions, including ductless mini-split heat pumps, centrally ducted heat pumps, and heat pump water heaters. Heat pumps have experienced growing rates of adoption across the U.S. and northeast thanks to their efficiency and ability to perform in cold weather climates. VGS technicians have installed more than 450 heat pump systems since the company first offered electric heat pump water heaters in 2022. At the time, the company was the first gas-only utility in the U.S. to provide heat pump water heaters. In 2023, VGS began installing centrally ducted heat pumps. Ductless mini-split heat pumps followed in 2024.

Vermont Business Magazine In the wake of devastating honeybee losses nationwide and increasing threats to native pollinators, the One Hive Foundation, a Vermont-based private foundation, has announced over $1.7 million in grants to support urgent pollinator conservation work across the state. This landmark investment, awarded to 10 organizations for projects spanning one to three years, represents a major step forward for pollinator recovery in Vermont and beyond. The funded initiatives focus on key areas identified by the Vermont Pollinator Working Group, including pesticide reduction, habitat restoration, and expanding pollinator education statewide.

by Alison Despathy Open Letter to the VT House and Senate Energy Committees: On Thursday, March 27, the House Transportation Committee invited testimony on the Advanced Clean Car and Truck Regulations that were adopted by Vermont and several states choosing to follow California's Clean Air Act Waiver. It was made abundantly clear how devastating these mandates have been to the vehicle industry in New York and Massachusetts, who also adopted these rules and are currently a year ahead in implementation. We must prevent this widespread, small business economic destruction in Vermont. I implore you to watch this testimony to understand the urgent need to move House Bill 65 or Senate Bill 101 through this session and revoke the California Air Act Waiver. It is both disturbing and unclear why you have not received this testimony in your own committees. 

Vermont Business Magazine The Attorney General’s Office today announced that Gretchen E. Lewis, 58, of Williamstown, Vermont, was sentenced in Vermont Superior Court, Orleans Criminal Division, after pleading guilty to one misdemeanor count of Unauthorized Practice of Psychotherapy and one misdemeanor count of defrauding Vermont Medicaid by False Pretenses. The Court, Judge Rory Thibault presiding, sentenced the defendant to a two-year term of probation, payment of $22,750 in restitution to Vermont Medicaid, 100 hours of community service, and a prohibition on any further work as a Medicaid service provider.

Vermont Business Magazine United Way of Northwest Vermont (UWNWVT) recently reaffirmed its commitment to trust-based funding values and announced that it will continue providing local organizations with flexible, multi-year funding and support as Vermont nonprofits navigate an uncertain federal landscape. In 2025, a portfolio of 28 organizations will receive $715,500 from United Way in community funding for year two of a three-year grant cycle. This portfolio of organizations is meeting an array of interconnected needs in our community.   

Vermont Business Magazine Attorney General Charity Clark joined an open letter to the legal community yesterday, expressing support for law firms that have fought back against President Trump’s unconstitutional attempts to target law firms for advocacy and representation the Trump Administration disfavors. The letter also expresses the coalition’s profound disappointment that several of the country’s largest law firms have capitulated in the face of these dangerous attacks on the rule of law. The open letter to the legal community comes as President Trump has issued unconstitutional executive orders targeting several law firms for their advocacy and representation, and as some of the nation’s largest law firms have struck “deals” with the President and his Administration that commit the firms to provide free legal services to support the Trump Administration’s priorities.  

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Congressional Delegation, US Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), US Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont), and US Representative Becca Balint (D-Vermont-At Large) today issued the following statement in reaction to Judge Geoffrey Crawford ordering the release of Mohsen Mahdawi, who was detained by the Trump Administration.

by Vermont Auditor of Accounts Doug Hoffer The Legislature and Executive branches’ joint admonition that “the same State entity should not both promote and regulate a program” applies across state government, not just to EB-5, and in the closing weeks of the Legislative session, the Legislature has two immediate opportunities to improve government performance by decoupling promotion and regulation. 

Vermont Business Magazine The Lake Champlain Chamber has announced a new partnership with the Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing to promote Greater Burlington not just as a premier travel destination—but as a place to call home. Through a joint initiative called GROW, the campaign will help address workforce gaps in our region and prepare for the future by building a long-term pipeline of potential new residents. As Vermont’s workforce ages and hiring challenges persist, this initiative is an intentional step toward creating a more resilient, sustainable, and vibrant community.