Current News

by Saylor Flannery, Community News Service Olympian Ryan Cochran-Siegle returns to Vermont every year to race with young skiers on the slopes of his family’s Richmond ski area. On March 29, just days from competing in an alpine skiing World Cup race, he was there at Cochran’s Ski Area for the annual Thank God for Snowmaking competition. Usually the race is hosted under a blue sky and beaming sun, but this year attendees were treated to a fresh 5 inches of heavy snow the night before. Cochran’s Ski Area, about 10 minutes off Interstate 89, has been bringing young people out on the snow for decades. The small mountain features seven trails, accessed by a T-bar and rope tow, and since 1998 has been home to one of the few nonprofit ski areas in New England.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Community Broadband Board (VCBB) is inviting residents to attend our first regular Digital Empowerment (DE) Quarterly Meeting. It’s an opportunity to get an update on our work, share ideas, and ask questions. Vermont’s DE Plan is the way Vermont will make sure every resident has high-quality, accessible, affordable technology resources and knows how to use them.

Vermont Business Magazine The Attorney General’s Office Tuesday announced that David Razinha, 55, of Ludlow, Vermont, was sentenced in Vermont Superior Court, Washington Criminal Division, after pleading guilty to two felony counts of Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material. The Court, Judge Michael J. Harris presiding, sentenced the defendant, after a contested hearing, to five to ten years in prison, all suspended expect for 12 months. After serving 12 months in prison, he will be placed on a ten-year term of probation with conditions that mandate completion of sex offender programming, limit his contact with children, limit his alcohol use, and restrict his access to the internet. If Razinha violates the terms of his probation, he may face up to ten years in prison. Razinha is also required to register as a sex offender for life.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today issued the following statement: “Yesterday Vermonters witnessed the arrest of Mohsen Mahdawi, a foreign national with legal status to be in the United States of America. That legal status, the Bill of Rights, and Constitution of the United States all grant him, and all people, fundamental rights – including due process. Facts matter.  If there is evidence that Mahdawi is a threat to the security of our nation, or Vermont, the federal government should make this information known, immediately. Probable cause based on real evidence is the only justification to deny someone their liberty, so if the federal government cannot produce that evidence, Mr. Mahdawi should be released."

by Jack Hoffman, Public Assets Institute Now that the House has passed an education reform plan, it will be easy to get bogged down in the minutiae that differentiate it from Gov. Phil Scott’s “Education Transformation Proposal.” But before Vermonters get lost in the weeds debating these proposals, they might want to ask themselves if they support the radical change that both plans represent: Are they ready to abandon the idea that taxation for public education should be based on residents’ ability to pay and that a person’s income is the fairest measure of that ability? Are they ready to take control of education spending away from local voters and cede it to the Agency of Education?

Vermont Business Magazine On Monday, U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), hosted a conversation at The Alchemist Brewery on the impact of President Trump’s trade war on Vermont’s outdoor and tourism economy. Vermont businesses voiced their frustrations with Trump’s tariffs, which are negatively affecting business in Vermont. Panelists shared firsthand the impacts of President Trump’s trade war with Canada and global allies, and discussed how Trump’s rhetoric against Canada has negatively impacted business in Vermont. Frustrations were shared about the uncertainty of the tariffs, rising costs, shifting supply and manufacturing needs, and ways the Trump Administration’s policies are hurting the services and programs Vermonters rely on.  

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Bond Bank released its 2024 Annual Report today. The Bond Bank recorded historic levels of activity over the year that resulted in a total of $199.6 million in loans to 52 borrowers across its programs. Included in this activity was the creation of three new programs including the Municipal Climate Recovery Fund to aid flood impacted municipalities, the Small System Capacity and Resilience Program for water systems, and the Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Program. The loans improved the communities of nearly 200,000 Vermonters while supporting, among other outcomes, 300,000 SF of facility improvements, 50 acres of park improvements, and 2 miles of streetscape and trails. This is in addition to improvements to culverts, bridges, and brownfields.

Vermont Business Magazine A new collective bargaining agreement between the University of Vermont and UVM Staff United has been approved by the UVM Board of Trustees and ratified by the union’s membership. The new three-year agreement includes updates to compensation and classification, enhanced and clarified employee benefits, and other improvements to the previous contract from 2022.

Vermont Business Magazine Citizens is recognizing 25 small businesses as winners of its eighth annual Small Business Community Champion Award based on their commitment to support their communities. Among the winners is Vermont Womenpreneurs in Burlington. Applicants proposed strategies for growing their business in tandem with supporting their local community and are now able to bring them to life. This year, 25 honorees received $10,000 each in addition to a one-year membership to Luminary, a global education and networking platform that uplifts and upskills professionals and entrepreneurs. Upon learning that they won this award, business owners have shared the ways it will support their business missions and local communities.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Health reported last week that the number of COVID-19 hospitalizations remains low, at under 5 after a spike in January. Wastewater testing indicates that virus levels edged up last week but have fallen steeply after a spike in January. The Vermont pandemic death total stands at 1,286 as of April 14, 2025, with 1 reported death from the previous week (the most recent data available from the CDC). Vermont has the second lowest state fatality rate in the US (146.7 per 100K; Hawaii 112.8/100K). Mississippi (464/100K) and Oklahoma (459.9/100K) have the highest rates. The US average is 307.2/100K (CDC data). There has been a total of 1,226,126 COVID-related deaths to date in the US (CDC) and 7,093,267 globally (WHO).

Vermont Business Magazine The Green Mountain Care Board (GMCB) announces the appointment of former Agency of Human Services (AHS) Secretary Mike Smith as the Independent Liaison to the University of Vermont Health Network (UVMHN).  On April 4, 2024, GMCB voted unanimously to approve a settlement with the University of Vermont Medical Center (UVMMC) that required, amongst other things, the appointment of an independent liaison to review and opine on UVMHN hospital budget submissions and material operations and management decisions, including funds flow to New York-based UVMHN hospitals.  The settlement additionally required the independent liaison to serve as a member of a workgroup that directs and oversees independent third-party efforts to evaluate and reform UVMHN operations to ensure cost-effective management and operations. 

Vermont Business Magazine Over 100 tourism and hospitality industry leaders gathered at the State House on April 10 to engage with legislators and raise awareness of the collective contributions of these industries to the Vermont economy. Tourism Economy Day, convened by the Vermont Chamber of Commerce, Ski Vermont and Vermont Speciality Food Association, brought businesses together to advocate for a thriving Vermont visitor economy. The Vermont visitor economy has a $4 billion annual economic impact and represents 10% of our workforce. In 2023 alone, 15.8 million visitors spent $4.0 billion across lodging, dining, retail, entertainment, recreation, and more. Their spending also contributed $282.3 million in state and local taxes—equivalent to approximately $1,039 per Vermont household.