Current News

by Maddie Lindgren, Community News Service Not many would venture out into icy water during the middle of winter, but Silas Loomis made it just another day at work. When a car crashed through the ice, Loomis didn’t flinch. “I knew it was going to be a wet one,” chuckled Loomis. He took off his gear and braced himself for what was going to occur. Then the ice began to break. “I knew it was gonna happen,” he said. “We pulled him out of there by the hair on his head and saved him, but let me tell you, the water was cold. We were all fortunate that night,” Loomis said. For a little more than half a century, luck may have played a role in Loomis’ career, but his passion, instinct and strong ties to his community were what truly established his legacy. Whether he was rescuing someone from icy waters, cruising through town on his police motorcycle, or helping deliver not one, but three babies on the side of the road, Loomis became a local legend in his time.

National Life Group Join us for the National Life Group Do Good Fest on Saturday, July 12, featuring multi-platinum band The Fray as headliner, with two-time Grammy-nominated Plain White T’s and festival favorite Sammy Rae & The Friends, all on our beautiful back lawn. Now in its 11th year, Do Good Fest embodies our "Do good, Be good, Make good" values, raising over $2 million since 2014 (except during two pandemic years) by bringing national acts to Montpelier. Advance tickets are required, starting at a minimum donation of $5, with all proceeds benefiting the Vermont Foodbank to help end childhood hunger, one of National Life’s core corporate causes.

Vermont Business Magazine New Chapter, a Vermont-based vitamin and supplement company known for its commitment to science-backed, whole food-based vitamins and supplements, is expanding its retail footprint with a launch at Target. Three of New Chapter's best-selling supplements - Every Woman's One Daily Multivitamin, Every Woman's One Daily 40+ Multivitamin, and Magnesium + Ashwagandha - will now be available in select Target stores and on Target.com.

Vermont Business Magazine For the first time, Comcast is introducing the option to choose a five-year price guarantee when customers sign up for a new Xfinity Internet package. The nationwide offer includes Xfinity’s best-in-class WiFi gateway and unlimited data – for one simple monthly price starting as low as $55 per month. The rate is locked in for five years with no annual contract required, giving customers the freedom and flexibility to cancel at any time without penalty. The price guarantee is rolling out as part of Xfinity’s mission to deliver transparent, nationwide pricing that is clear and consistent, and increase the value customers receive from its fast, reliable, and secure Internet products.

VermontBiz Today, the Vermont House of Representatives voted to approve S.27, an act relating to medical debt relief and excluding medical debt from credit reports. 

The bill would relieve Vermonters of qualifying medical debt and protect them from the long-term financial impact of that debt on their credit reports. It allocates $1 million to contract with a nonprofit to purchase and forgive certain medical debts and prohibit reporting medical debt to credit agencies.

VermontBiz James M. Betts, ’69, MD’73, a pediatric surgeon, former Olympic Team Physician and volunteer firefighter drawn to helping communities hit by natural disasters, has been selected as the University of Vermont’s 2025 commencement speaker.   

Dr. Betts will address UVM’s newest graduates at the University Commencement Ceremony on Sunday, May 18. The UVM alumnus is one of three outstanding individuals receiving a 2025 UVM honorary degree. The university will also present its highest honor to former UVM board chair David A. Daigle ’89, whose leadership provided much-needed STEM facilities for UVM faculty and students; and Roy V. Hill II, for invaluable contributions to Vermont’s faith-based, educational, and community institutions. 

VermontBiz Chroma Technology, a leader in optical filter solutions, has announced a major upgrade to its Spectra Viewer, bringing powerful new tools and expanded functionality to researchers, engineers, and scientists. The enhanced Spectra Viewer makes it easier than ever to model optical filters, compare light sources, and optimize optical system designs with greater precision and flexibility.

VermontBiz U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Rural Development, Energy, and Credit, released the following statement on the Trump Administration’s efforts to reduce the workforce of U.S. Department of Agriculture-Rural Development (USDA-RD) offices in Vermont and New Hampshire through buyouts and early retirement offers:

"Across America, and especially in Vermont, USDA-RD is critical to the success of our rural economy. This small but talented office makes the impossible, possible—providing services, grants, loans, and technical assistance to help strengthen rural communities. Their expertise is far-ranging, and goes well-beyond the field—from disaster recovery, to affordable housing support and health care access, to business development, to funding new energy and infrastructure projects.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scot today announced that Commissioner Michael Harrington will be leaving his role leading the Department of Labor at the beginning of July.

Harrington was first appointed deputy commissioner by Governor Scott in 2017. In June 2020, Harrington was named commissioner of the Department of Labor.

“Mike has been a skilled and dedicated public servant, especially helping us lead through the pandemic where there was an unprecedented number of Vermonters unemployed all at once,” said Governor Phil Scott. “I’m grateful for Mike’s service to Vermont and wish him all the best.”

Vermont Business Magazine Yves Bradley represented the buyer of a 41,000 square foot office building at 38 Eastwood Drive, South Burlington.  JL Davis Realty represented the seller. Vermont Country Walkers signed a new 5-year lease at White Cap Business Park, 426 Industrial Avenue, Williston. Yves Bradley assisted in this renewal of 14,859 square feet. Yves Bradley, representing Investors Corporation of Vermont, leased two of their properties.  Crowe LLP leased 3,186 square feet at 40 Main Street, Burlington, and Steelberry LLC leased 1,576 square feet sqt 21 Gregory Drive, South Burlington. Pepper Place has leased 1,500 square feet at 63 Church Street, on the Marketplace, in Burlington.  Yves Bradley assisted the landlord, M&L Holdings and the tenant in this transaction.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine Today, the Vermont Department of Labor reported that the seasonally adjusted statewide unemployment rate for March was 2.6 percent. This reflects no change from the prior month’s revised estimate. February’s revised estimate decreased by one-tenth of one percentage point from the preliminary estimate. The comparable United States rate in March was 4.2 percent, an increase of one-tenth of one percentage point from the revised February estimate. Vermont continues to have the second lowest jobless rate in the nation, along with North Dakota and behind South Dakota (1.8%). Nevada has the highest rate at 5.7%. The civilian labor force participation rate in Vermont was 65.3 percent in March, a decrease of one-tenth of one percentage point from the prior month’s revised estimate. The US average is 62.4%, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. 

Vermont Business Magazine After three years of dedicated service to Vermont Law and Graduate School, President Rod Smolla will step down from his role as president, effective July 1, 2025, to focus on writing and teaching. Smolla assumed the position of president of Vermont Law and Graduate School on July 1, 2022. Under his leadership, VLGS launched an ambitious 50th Anniversary Giving Campaign, which has so far reached $18 million of its $20 million fundraising goal. The school received a transformational $2.5 Million gift from the Maverick Lloyd Foundation to expand its environmental law and policy programs through the Maverick Lloyd School for the Environment.