Current News

by Sharron Harrington and Emilie Tenenbaum The 2025-2026 legislative biennium was one of historic investment and sustained progress for Vermont’s child care system. Even as our state faces immense challenges around public education, housing, healthcare, and federal funding uncertainties, child care champions in the legislature continue to prioritize investment in child care because of the measurable social and economic value it delivers. In two consecutive budget years, lawmakers stayed committed to building a stronger child care system and the results are meaningful. Their work is leading to new program openings, thousands of new child care spaces, hundreds of new jobs in the field and expanded benefits, and families saving thousands of dollars. The impact of Vermont's investment in child care is fueling our economy and powering our workforce.

Vermont Business Magazine Get ready for the most exciting night in Vermont entrepreneurship! Each year, hundreds of community members gather at Hula to support LaunchVT’s cohort at Demo Night, the program’s annual pitch competition and celebration of entrepreneurship. This year’s event will be held on Tuesday, June 16. The 2026 cohort will present their startups to the audience and a panel of investor judges including David Bradbury, president of Vermont Center for Emerging Technologies (VCET), Christine Dodson, CEO of Mamava, and Melissa Merkel, impact investing manager at the Center of Rural Innovation (CORI). Tom Messner, former NBC5 meteorologist and host and producer of Vermont Startup News, will serve as the evening’s emcee.

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 June 1, 2026.  Please remember to drive safely in all work zones. Lives depend on it.  

Vermont Business Magazine Girls on the Run Vermont (GOTRVT), a statewide nonprofit organization for girls in 3rd-8th grade, will be culminating its spring season with a joyful 5K event at the Dana L. Thompson Memorial Park on Saturday, June 6th, 2026 that will celebrate the accomplishments of over 525 participants from central and southern Vermont GOTR and Heart & Sole teams this spring season. Girls will be accompanied by approximately 165 volunteer coaches, approximately 300 running buddies, over 100 volunteers, countless spectators and other supporters in the GOTRVT community, cheering them on through the finish line. This event is supported by GOTRVT’s 23-year statewide sponsor, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Vermont and is presented by 15+ year partner, M&T Bank. 

Vermont Business Magazine Lake Effect Vermont, a farmer-owned cannabis market, is putting down permanent roots at a new location that has sat empty for several years: the McGregor Building at 334 US Route 2, South Hero, VT. To commemorate this rejuvenation in the Champlain Islands, the Lake Effect team is hosting a Grand Opening Ribbon Cutting followed by a community celebration on Wednesday, June 10. The day kicks off at 10 am with a ribbon-cutting ceremony for honored guests, including local lawmakers, representatives from the Lake Champlain Chamber and the Lake Champlain Islands Economic Development Corporation, and members of the press. Once the ceremony concludes, Lake Effect Vermont will open its new doors to the public at 11 am, inviting neighbors and customers to join the celebration and be the first to explore the newly renovated space.

Vermont Business Magazine The Shires 1-Minute Film Fest is returning this fall, inviting filmmakers, students, first-time creators, and storytellers from across the region to create an original film that is 60 seconds or less. Presented in collaboration by CAT-TV and GNAT-TV, the festival celebrates local creativity, accessible storytelling, and the power of community media to connect people through shared stories and creative expression. Selected films will screen publicly on October 17 at the Bennington Theater as part of a community celebration of regional filmmaking and creative experimentation.

Vermont Business Magazine At a time when local news and community storytelling are increasingly difficult to sustain, GNAT-TV is bringing people together for an evening that directly supports keeping that work alive. Hats Off to Summer – A Celebration of GNAT-TV takes place Wednesday, June 3 at 6PM at the Inn at Manchester Event Barn. The event serves as a fundraiser for GNAT-TV, a nonprofit community media center working to keep local information accessible at a time when coverage is increasingly limited. GNAT-TV provides coverage of local government meetings and community events, produces original programming including candidate interviews and in-depth conversations, and offers hands-on media education for youth and adults.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Public has been honored with five 2025 Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards from the Radio Television Digital News Association, recognizing work across video, digital reporting, podcasts, feature storytelling and news series. The awards highlight the breadth of Vermont Public’s journalism, from climate reporting and deeply human personal stories to immigration coverage, digital-first investigations and culture conversations. The RTDNA Edward R. Murrow Awards are among the most prestigious honors in broadcast and digital news. Recipients are recognized for work that reflects the spirit of excellence Murrow established as a standard for journalism.

Vermont Business Magazine Twenty-six Vermont-based nonprofits received a total of $115,000 in financial support from the Windham Foundation. Funded projects included programs focused on avian wildlife rehabilitation, statewide river conservation, workforce development, food assistance, economic development, and agricultural education. The Windham Foundation is a nonprofit based in Grafton that works to strengthen Grafton and advance the vitality of rural communities in Vermont.

Northeastern Vermont Development Association (NVDA) will hold two public hearings regarding the NVDA 2026 Regional Plan. The first hearing is scheduled for July 29, 2026, at 6:00 pm and will be a hybrid meeting: online and in-person at Do North (930 Broad St, Lyndonville, VT 05851). Pease register online. All are welcome to attend and provide input on the NVDA Regional Plan, which includes local housing targets and the Regional Future Land Use (FLU) map, but does not include any portions of Tier 3 or the Road Rule. Register for the July 29 hearing Here. Questions? Contact Liam Abbate.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine Vermont initial weekly unemployment claims rose slightly last week and have remained flat for a month. For the week ending May 23, 2026, the Vermont Department of Labor reported that there were 356 new claims, up 6 from the previous week and down 15 from last year at this time. The end of the winter tourism season typically brings a flurry of layoffs; claims had spiked in April. Meanwhile, total claims this week were 2,935, down 56 from the week before and down 116 from last year at this time. Initial claims, which tend to be lowest in the summer, were 186 in September 2025. Meanwhile, tax revenues exceeded targets in April by 1.6% and the state unemployment rate was unchanged at 2.6%, though the labor force and number of employed both fell again.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott on May 20, 2026, signed legislation H.385 (Act 106) to stop creditors from collecting on coerced debts. Coerced debt is a form of economic abuse experienced by survivors of domestic violence, human trafficking, older adults, foster children, and people with disabilities. It occurs when an abuser uses fraud, duress, intimidation, force, coercion, or identity theft to accumulate debt in the name of another person. The new law prohibits creditors and debt collectors from holding a person responsible for coerced debt. After a victim of coerced debt provides certain documents to a creditor or debt collector supporting a claim of coerced debt, any attempts to collect the coerced debt must stop.