Current News

Vermont Business Magazine For five years, the Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD) has hosted a dedicated group of new and emerging leaders from across the state who are focused on transformative, community-scale climate economy projects. From tool lending libraries to starting an energy committee, Climate Catalysts have made significant contributions to their communities. VCRD is now accepting applications for the sixth Climate Catalyst Leadership Program. The six-month program engages participants with in-person and virtual gatherings and one-on-one support. In order to make sure there are no barriers to participation, the program is free and stipends are offered. Since the program’s inception in 2020, nearly 75 Vermonters have participated in this program sparking innovative projects in their hometowns and beyond.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine Average gasoline prices in Vermont are $3.14 per gallon, up 3 cents per gallon from last week, unchanged from last month and down 24 cents/g from last year. The lowest price in the state this week was $2.81/g while the highest was $3.27/g. Prices are lowest in Rutland ($3.01/g) and Windham ($3.03/g) counties and highest in Essex ($3.25/g), Franklin ($3.26/g) and Grand Isle ($3.29/g) counties. Vermont gas prices are expected to keep rising as the switch to the summer formulations will cause prices to rise in the Northeast as they already have nationally.

Northeastern Vermont Development Association Join VECAN for a noon webinar April 9 to hear from Ann Janda, Senior Project Manager of Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission, on RBES in more detail and what is being done at the state and local levels. This session is presented on behalf of all regional planning commissions via the Vermont Association of Planning and Development Agencies (VAPDA) as part of a project led by Energy Futures Group.

Vermont Business Magazine New tariffs imposed by the Trump administration, plus tariffs implemented since January, will cost Vermont households an estimated $1 billion annually, according to an estimate provided by the State Treasurer’s Office. The White House yesterday announced a sweeping range of tariffs and “reciprocal” tariffs that the administration claims will “free” the U.S. from foreign goods, imposing a minimum 10% tax on all imports, and substantially higher tariffs on major U.S. trading partners, including an additional 34% tariff on Chinese goods. Economists have raised concern that the tariffs—taxes on foreign goods imported into the U.S.—will ultimately increase prices, which will be passed down to American businesses and consumers. 

Vermont Business Magazine The Attorney General’s Office announced that Julie Maskell, 66, and Stephen Maskell, 65, both of Eden, Vermont, were separately arraigned, each on one count of felony Medicaid Fraud in Vermont Superior Court, Lamoille Criminal Division. The charges brought against the Maskells, as co-defendants, are the result of an investigation conducted by the Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud and Residential Abuse Unit (MFRAU). The investigation revealed that Stephen Maskell provided care to a Medicaid recipient who he was not authorized to care for. It’s alleged by the State that this scheme enabled his wife, Julie Maskell, to submit false timesheets to Vermont Medicaid, claiming payment for thousands of dollars as though Ms. Maskell was the one providing care while she was actually being paid by Medicaid to provide care to another individual.

Vermont Business Magazine U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont) joined U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), and John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) in leading a bipartisan group of 60 senators to reintroduce the Creating Opportunities Now for Necessary and Effective Care Technologies (CONNECT) for Health Act. The CONNECT for Health Act will expand coverage of telehealth services through Medicare, make COVID-19 telehealth flexibilities permanent, improve health outcomes, and make it easier for patients to connect with their doctors. Current flexibilities are set to expire on September 30 unless Congress extends them.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont House of Representatives on Wednesday passed H.91, An act relating to the Vermont Homeless Emergency Assistance and Responsive Transition to Housing Program, legislation that reforms the emergency housing program away from a hotel/motel focused program to a prevention and supportive service-based model. The strong bi-partisan vote reflects months of hard work, deep collaboration amongst state and community partners, and thoughtful input from Vermonters. The bill calls for a $10 million appropriation. Speaker of the House Jill Krowinski and Representative Theresa Wood, Chair of the Committee on Human Services, highlighted the importance of the bill: “The passage of H.91 is a huge step forward in moving our emergency housing program to a more cost effective, prevention-based program that some of our most vulnerable Vermonters desperately need."

by Vermont Agriculture Secretary Anson Tebbetts By the end of the month, we’ll have a clearer picture of how Vermont’s sugar makers view this season. How was the yield? What will prices look like? Where will the markets be? In June, the U.S. Department of Agriculture will release the official results of its annual survey. Last season, Vermont producers made more than three million gallons of syrup—accounting for over half of the total U.S. production. Last month, we had a spectacular time at Pure Gold Sugaring in Sutton. Governor Phil Scott, U.S. Senator Peter Welch, lawmakers from the Northeast Kingdom, and sugar makers from across Vermont gathered around a sturdy maple tree to celebrate the start of the season. Governor Scott, along with the Solinsky family and other producers, tapped the tree in honor of the hardworking Vermonters who craft the finest maple syrup in the world.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont’s trout fishing season opens Saturday, April 12. Despite lingering snow cover in some areas of the state, the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department says anglers can still have fun and be successful early in the season if they keep a few strategies in mind. Good adds that finding a small to medium low-elevation river or stream that is not too murky from spring runoff can be key.  Trout are coldblooded and may be slow to bite especially with cold water temperatures, so it is important that they can also see your bait, lure or fly. Larger baits can often be more effective for enticing early-season trout into biting.

Vermont Business Magazine Tuesday, April 1st marked the end of Vermont’s winter manure spreading ban, but as spring weather arrives, challenging field conditions may persist in parts of the State. Trends in Vermont’s weather show increasing precipitation through the spring season, rising temperatures, and more extreme precipitation events. The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets (VAAFM) is issuing a spring stewardship reminder to Vermont farmers and custom applicators to adhere to the Required Agricultural Practices (RAPs).

Vermont Business Magazine Two public information meetings will be held by the Agency of Natural Resources (ANR) this April to discuss how upcoming dam safety rules may affect the management of state-owned, manmade dams that have been impacted by beavers. The Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is responsible for implementing Act 161 of 2018, including the development of technical standard dam safety rules for a wide range of dams outside of federal ownership. Included under the rule are approximately 100 dams owned by ANR such as the dam at the popular Bristol Pond Access Area in Monkton.

Vermont Business Magazine A painting by Cassy Pan of Lyndon, won the Best of Show in the Vermont competition of the 2025 Federal Junior Duck Stamp Conservation and Design Art Contest. The judging was held at the North Branch Nature Center on March 27th. Cassy, a student at Lyndon Institute, entered a painting of a common merganser. The Vermont Best of Show artwork will now compete in the National Federal Junior Duck Stamp Conservation and Design Art Contest. Cassy’s artwork will be included in an exhibit that will tour the United States for the coming year. The youth waterfowl conservation and design program is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. It is part of a program that teaches students in grades K-12 about wetlands and waterfowl conservation. The art contest is modeled after the Federal Duck Stamp Contest for adult artists.