Current News

by Henry Miller, Community News Service There are only 25 TetraSkis in the world and now there’s one in Vermont. Green Mountain Adaptive Sports and the Northeast Disabled Athletic Association fundraised for years to make it happen. A TetraSki is a sit-ski designed for athletes with complex disabilities. Skiers control their turns and speed with a joystick or a “sip and puff” mouthpiece. It’s a lot like steering a wheelchair down the mountain. Vermont skier Chuck Petipas recently raced at the international TetraSki championship in Utah. Before the competition, Henry Miller hit the slopes with Petitpas to see the TetraSki in action.

Vermont Business Magazine This weekly report is a list of planned construction activities that will affect traffic on state highways and interstates throughout Vermont for the week of April 28, 2025. Please remember to drive safely in all work zones. Lives depend on it. 

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Construction Academy will host an official launch event on Monday, April 28, bringing together industry leaders, educators, and state officials to mark the opening of Vermont’s only post-high school hands-on training and certification center for the skilled trades. “Construction is more than a job—it’s a career with purpose, pride, and potential,” said Josh Reap, President and CEO of ABC NH/VT and President of the Vermont Construction Academy Board. “The Vermont Construction Academy is about investing in people and equipping them with the skills and support to thrive in an industry that’s essential to our state’s economy and future.”

Vermont Business Magazine FoodScience, LLC, a leading provider of premium health and wellness solutions for pets and people based in Williston, has announced the acquisition of Natural Dog Company, a brand known for its high-quality dog care products. Founded in 2006 and based in North Carolina, Natural Dog Company has earned loyal customers through its dedication to effective solutions. This marks the first acquisition for FoodScience since becoming a portfolio company of Morgan Stanley Capital Partners (MSCP) in November 2024.

Vermont State Police An autopsy was completed Friday, April 25, 2025, on Aaron LaRoche, 38, who shot and injured a Milton police officer Wednesday night before barricading himself inside his apartment on Main Street.  The Chief Medical Examiner’s Office determined LaRoche died of a gunshot wound to the head, and the manner of death is a suicide. The injured officer, Sgt. Paul Locke, is home and recovering.

The Vermont State Police has taken the lead role in investigating a shooting that occurred Thursday evening, April 24, 2025, in Barre City following the death of the victim Friday morning. The victim is a 45-year-old man from Barre. He was shot once in the abdomen at about 5:25 p.m. Thursday inside a home at 879 N. Main St. First responders brought the victim to Central Vermont Medical Center and later transferred him to the University of Vermont Medical Center in Burlington, where he died at about 4 a.m. Friday. His name is being withheld at this time pending notification of relatives. An autopsy was completed Friday afternoon at the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office in Burlington. The cause of death was determined to be a gunshot wound to the abdomen, and the manner of death is pending. During the initial investigation, police detained Donna Robinson, 43, of the town of Washington.

Vermont Business Magazine Walmart is deepening its commitment to Vermont by investing in local stores, empowering associates and enriching the communities it serves every day. Today, Walmart unveiled details of a planned store remodel this year in Vermont and new investments focused on enhancing the associate experience and community engagement. The Walmart in Bennington will be getting a remodeling. These initiatives underscore Walmart’s goal of being Vermont’s favorite place to shop.

Saint Michael's College announces 2025 Commencement speaker: Fr. Gregory Boyle, founder of Homeboy Industries. Fr. Gregory Boyle, S.J., the founder of the largest gang rehabilitation and re-entry program in the world, will deliver the Commencement address at Saint Michael’s College to the Class of 2025. Also receiving honorary degrees – Phish and Dismas of Vermont founder.

Vermont Business Magazine This morning, President Trump directed the FBI to arrest trial court judge Hannah Dugan in Milwaukee. She is being charged with obstructing law enforcement, a federal crime. Let’s be clear. Trump‘s arrest of Judge Dugan in Milwaukee has nothing to do with immigration. It has everything to do with his moving this country toward authoritarianism. He is illegally usurping Congressional powers. He is suing media that he dislikes. He is attacking universities whose policies he disagrees with. He is intimidating major law firms who have opposed him. He is ignoring a 9-0 Supreme Court decision to bring Kilmar Abrego Garcia back from El Salvador, where he was illegally sent. He is threatening to impeach judges who rule against him.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine Vermont weekly unemployment claims for the week ending April 19, 2025, rose and are at their highest level since the end of February. A spike at the beginning of March carried them over 600. New claims this week were 496, up 64 claims from the week before and are 42 more from last year. The end of the winter tourism season tends to increase claims. Claims, which are lowest in the summer, were 181 at the end of September 2024. Vermont total unemployment insurance claims were 3,689 (up 75 for the week and up 394 from this time last year). 

Burlington Business Association Based on tax filings, economic activity is down about 10%. This reflects what we have been hearing from our BBA members, with some reporting even softer sales numbers. When compared to the same period last Fiscal Year (Jul. to Feb.) The city raised the taxes on these sales. In an effort to raise revenue and with the assumption that sales numbers would stay the same or grow. The result is the city is getting about 19% more tax revenue even though sales are lower.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Corrections (DOC) today announced the death of Gene Peterson, a sentenced individual receiving palliative care at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center (DHMC) in New Hampshire. Gene Peterson, 67, of Readsboro, Vermont, was lodged at Southern State Correctional Facility on June 2, 2021. On April 20, 2025, Mr. Peterson was transported to Springfield Hospital to receive medical care. He was subsequently transferred to DHMC and transitioned to comfort care measures on April 23. Mr. Peterson was pronounced deceased at DHMC on April 24.