Current News

Lake Champlain Committee Read on in our latest e-newsletter for a rundown of how road salt impacts infrastructure and how ice on Lake Champlain affects aquatic life. You can also get to know me a bit better, access our collection of educational materials on native aquatic plants, and see LCC’s policy work in action through a comprehensive presentation on phosphorus our water advocate made in January to the Vermont House Environment Committee. As a reflection on this past cold winter, we feature a Nature Note on beavers’ winter lodges, and in the spirit of spring thaw, you’ll find a Clean Lake Tip on keeping bacteria out of our waters by scooping up pet waste.  

Vermont Business Magazine Family-owned Lake Champlain Chocolates (LCC) has announced the 2025 Fair Trade Microgrant recipients: Cooperativa Agraria Granos de Oro Del Valle de Pangoa, and Aprovraem Café Y Cacao. Throughout the year, 1% of sales from LCC’s Fair Trade Certified Signature Bars will be donated to these two cacao and coffee farming cooperatives in Peru to fund the planting of over 46,000 trees with two separate agroforestry programs. Climate change has wreaked havoc on these two farming communities; planting trees will restore vegetation, help mitigate climate change, promote biodiversity in the region, and conserve areas of precious water resources. 

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine Vermont weekly unemployment claims for the week ending March 15, 2025, remained under 400 after a spike carried them over 600 late last month. New claims were 397, up 2 claims from the week before and are 19 more from last year. Claims, which tend to be lowest in the summer, were 181 at the end of September 2024. In Vermont for the weekly report, the Service industry accounted for the most claims last week with 61%, up 17 points. Construction was at 16%, down 6 points. Manufacturing accounted for 8% of claims, down 5 points. For the week, Vermont total unemployment insurance claims were 4,197 for the week (down 145 for the week and up 385 from this time last year). 

Vermont Business Magazine Speaker of the House Jill Krowinski provided a statement and media availability following the House vote and proposal of the new Budget Adjustment Act (H.489). The bill passed 91-55. The original bill was vetoed by Governor Phil Scott on March 14, 2025. He disagreed on several line items in the $163 million bill (which updates the $8.6 billion FY2025 budget passed last spring). His veto centered on funds for the continuation of the hotel/motel program for the homeless through the end of the fiscal year at the end of June. The Legislature is expected to present a new housing plan in the FY2026 budget "Big Bill" for passage this spring.

Vermont Business Magazine Howard Center announces its spring conference, Perspectives 2025: Confronting Stigma, Cultivating Compassion, on May 13, 2025, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. This year's event will be at the DoubleTree by Hilton in South Burlington, with a virtual livestream option. Registration is open at howardcenter.org. The conference will feature speakers Alexandra Collins, Ph.D.; Ashley C. Ford; Anne Lamott; and Damon Tweedy, M.D. Guests will also enjoy multicultural music, art by members of Howard Center’s Arts Collective, and a sponsor exhibition featuring businesses and organizations from Vermont and beyond. Sandy McGuire, Howard Center’s CEO will serve as event host. 

Vermont Business Magazine At its March meeting, the Vermont Housing & Conservation Board (VHCB) approved funding for the conservation of natural and agricultural land and affordable housing projects around the state, as well as one historic restoration project. $1,241,500 was approved to support the conservation of 533 acres, and $2,281,178 for the creation of 6 new affordable homeownership units and 36 new multi-family rental homes. The Board also voted to invest $110,00 million in a historic preservation project.

Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility As Americans, Vermonters, and business leaders, this is a disorienting moment. Recent federal actions have had a tremendous impact on Vermont's businesses, communities, and economy. As members of Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility (VBSR), we also draw tremendous strength from the philosophy and practice of “business as a force for good,” and invite you to join us in leveraging the power of business for positive impact.

Vermont Manufacturing Extension Center VMEC Center Director & CEO Patrick Boyle and Maple Landmark Woodcraft's President Mike Rainville, who is also the President of the VMEC Board of Directors, are the featured guests of NBC 5 Evening News Anchor and In Depth host Brian Colleran. Patrick and Mike will speak of the importance of VMEC's role the last 30 years in the world of VT manufacturing and the impact the industry has on the Green Mountain state's economy.

Burlington City Hall We are witnessing the real and predictable harms created by a severe lack of shelter options, including inadequate capacity in the General Assistance Emergency Housing Program (hotel/motel program). In Chittenden County, data indicates that approximately 250 people are sleeping outside on any given night this winter, primarily in Burlington. This equates to a 6.5-fold increase in unsheltered homelessness since 2023 and is a direct result of reductions in shelter opportunities through the motel program, as well as a structural lack of shelter capacity, both locally and statewide. 

Vermont Business Magazine Hula is proud to be part of a consortium of coworking spaces and innovation hubs receiving a $10,000 grant from the Leahy Institute for Rural Partnerships (Leahy Institute). This funding will catalyze a partnership with the University of Vermont (UVM) and coworking spaces across the state to build and strengthen partnerships, create new opportunities for student learners, and build a stronger connection among Vermont’s innovation hubs. The goal is to create a network of spaces that foster connections between regions and among Vermonters, whether you are a student looking for an internship, a start-up looking for funding, or a mid-stage company looking to hire new talent. 

Vermont Business Magazine U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont) today released the following statement on President Trump’s unconstitutional Executive Order to eliminate the Department of Education, which would require an act of Congress: “Donald Trump is pulling the rug out from underneath a critical element of our education system. Make no mistake, this new Executive Order will hurt students in communities of every size, educators and staff, and rural America. President Trump has already cut Department workforce in half. Shrinking the Department of Education further will only slow the critical services it provides to our kids, and slash opportunities to our next generation of students."

Vermont Business Magazine The Attorney General’s Office announced that Stephen Kingsbury, 23, of Rutland, Vermont, was arraigned today on one count of felony Aggravated Sexual Assault on a Child, one felony count of Use of a Child in a Sexual Performance, and six counts of felony Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material. The charges brought against Mr. Kingsbury were the result of an investigation conducted by members of the Vermont Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (VT-ICAC), in collaboration with the Department of Homeland Security and the Rutland Police Department.