Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Get a jumpstart on your spring cleaning while protecting your family and the environment by disposing of unused, unwanted and expired medications safely and easily this Saturday, April 26, at more than 30 locations throughout the state. The event is part of National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, organized each spring and fall by the federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in partnership with the Vermont Department of Health, alongside state and local law enforcement. Vermonters can get rid of leftover prescription and over-the-counter drugs responsibly by bringing them to a community drop-off site between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Find a drop-off site near you by visiting dea.gov/takebackday.

Vermont Business Magazine Presented this year by beloved New England plant shop, Jordan’s Jungle, Bloom Flower & Home Market will return to Burlington this spring for a highly anticipated weekend-long pop-up event on April 26–27, 2025, at Hula, located at 50 Lakeside Avenue. Bloom will feature over 85 small and independent businesses from Vermont and across seven other states. The event brings together plant shops, florists, makers, artisans, home décor retailers, and local artists for a lively celebration of spring and community. 

Vermont Business Magazine The Department of Buildings and General Services will be auctioning a large assortment of State vehicles and equipment to the public beginning at 10:00 AM on Saturday, May 10, 2025. This in-person physical auction of State vehicles and equipment is expected to be very well attended. A major collection of State vehicles and equipment will be auctioned off to the highest bidder including dump trucks, plow trucks, pick-up trucks, vans, fleet passenger vehicles, boats, ATVs, snow machines, trailers, mowers and trimmers, golf carts, tools, tires, miscellaneous parts and more. In addition to the auction, there will be a sales booth set up from 8:00 AM – 10:00 AM for the surplus “airport sharps." The “airport sharps” include a selection of hand tools, hunting knives, pocketknives, pocket tools, and cork screws. 

Vermont Business Magazine The Northeast Dairy Business Innovation Center (NE-DBIC) announces the new Catalyzing Regional Dairy Workforce Grant program. This $800,000 grant program will expand dairy workforce development programming in the Northeast. This funding will enhance and expand existing dairy workforce programs, benefiting both current and prospective employees of dairy farms and processors. Eligible programs include federally and state-registered apprenticeships, pre-apprenticeships, internships, and other training initiatives. Key areas of focus include expanding current programs to reach more participants and underserved communities, adding new programs to increase impact, and providing financial support to participants to encourage greater involvement. 

Vermont Business Magazine Today, Cindi Wight, Director of Burlington Parks, Recreation and Waterfront (BPRW) announced her decision not to seek reappointment for Fiscal Year 2026. Her last day with the City of Burlington will be June 30, 2025. First appointed in 2017, Director Wight has led the BPRW team through moments of change and opportunity, including the COVID-19 pandemic, when our City parks and natural areas served as a vital reprieve, offering space to safely visit with friends and loved ones.    

Vermont Business Magazine Today, the Vermont Economic Progress Council (VEPC) has approved the Rutland Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Master Plan, marking a significant milestone in the city's efforts to revitalize its downtown. This approval paves the way for the next step: phase approval, which involves taking the first TIF project through the process with the Board of Aldermen and then to VEPC again. The first phase filing, if approved by the Board of Aldermen and subsequently by VEPC, will focus on infrastructure improvements in the northern section of Wales Street—a key area supporting the proposed hotel development. Planned upgrades include water, sewer, and stormwater improvements, as well as brownfield remediation to address existing environmental contamination.

by Morgan Kelly, Dartmouth Drought-fueled wildfires in Southern California, a devastating hurricane in the southern Appalachian Mountains, and catastrophic floods in New England are among the most recent disasters to bring the astronomical costs of climate change into focus. As a growing number of local and national governments struggle to recover from—and protect against—more frequent and destructive climate disasters, some have sought compensation directly from fossil fuel companies through civil cases and “polluters pay” laws. But many of these actions are being challenged or slowed in court, partly due to the difficulty in showing that specific climate impacts occurred because of any one company’s greenhouse gas emissions.

Vermont Business Magazine In the United States, roughly 15 workers lose their lives each day due to work-related injuries. In 2023, a reported 5,283 workers suffered fatal injuries while on the job site. On April 28, 2025, Vermont, along with the rest of the Nation, will honor Workers Memorial Day by acknowledging the family members, friends, and coworkers behind these somber statistics.  

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont’s catch-and-release bass fishing will be underway with some of the hottest bass fishing action in New England happening with the start of warmer weather. “Spring catch-and-release bass fishing is a really special time to be on the water in Vermont, and the fishing can be truly spectacular,” said Bernie Pientka, state fisheries biologist with Vermont Fish and Wildlife. “Combine warming weather, minimal boat traffic and feeding largemouth and smallmouth bass, and spring bass fishing is hard to beat.” Vermont’s catch-and-release bass fishing runs until June 14, when the regular bass season opens, and the harvesting of bass is allowed. Bass fishing regulations can be found in the 2025 Fishing Guide & Regulations, or by using the Online Fishing Regulations Tool found on Vermont Fish and Wildlife’s website.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont walleye fishing season opens on Saturday, May 3, marking the return of some of the best walleye fishing in New England. Excellent spring walleye fishing can be found in several Vermont lakes and rivers, including Lake Champlain and its tributaries – the Missisquoi, Lamoille and Winooski rivers and Otter Creek.  In the Northeast Kingdom, Salem Lake and Island Pond also have walleye populations that are on the rebound thanks to stocking by the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department. A trio of additional waters – Lake Carmi, Chittenden Reservoir and the Connecticut River, also offer quality walleye fishing. 

Vermont Business Magazine The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that Julio Pinto, 57, of Canada, has been charged by criminal complaint with illegally reentering the United States after having been previously deported. On April 22, 2025, Pinto appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle, who ordered that Pinto be detained during the pendency of this matter. According to court records, Pinto was served an Expedited Order of Removal in October 2023 and thereafter departed the United States. He was barred from entering the United States for five years. Nevertheless, he illegally crossed the United States-Canada international border on April 21, 2025, and was found in a gas station in Alburgh, Vermont.

Vermont State Police As the investigation continues into Wednesday night’s shooting in Milton, the Vermont State Police is able to identify the people involved. The injured Milton police officer is Sgt. Paul Locke, who has served with the department since he graduated from the Vermont Police Academy in 1999. Sgt. Locke is known for building connections throughout the Milton community and for his work as a drug recognition expert, a specialized field within law enforcement that focuses on identifying and reducing impaired driving. Sgt. Locke was shot twice when he arrived along with firefighters after smoke was seen coming from a window at 78 Main St. One round struck Sgt. Locke’s bullet-resistant vest, and the other passed through one of his legs. He was brought by Milton Rescue to the University of Vermont Medical Center, where he was treated and released late Wednesday to continue his recovery at home.