Current News

Vermont Business Magazine EastRise Credit Union has been selected to receive the maximum $11 million in funding as part of Inclusiv’s Clean Communities Investment Accelerator (CCIA) program. The funds from this program will allow EastRise to offer more options for affordable clean energy financing that can reduce energy costs for families in low-income communities. It will also support local economic development through partnerships with clean energy vendors. EastRise was one of 108 credit unions selected from around the United States and Puerto Rico to receive a combined $651 million in the first round of CCIA awards by Inclusiv.

Vermont Business Magazine On Thursday in a joint statement, the Vermont Woodlands Association (VWA) and Vermont Loggers Education to Advance Professionalism (LEAP) announced they are merging. "As many of you know, VWA and LEAP have always shared a common goal—supporting responsible forest stewardship and the professionals who implement the practices that keep our forests healthy, productive, and resilient. With the upcoming retirement of David Birdsall as Executive Director of LEAP, VWA and LEAP are working to bring LEAP under the VWA umbrella as a continued program."

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine Michael I. Goldberg, the court-appointed receiver for the sale of the Burke Mountain Hotel and Conference Center, on Wednesday released a statement on its possible sale, of which he said he is in the final stages of completing. The hotel is part of the $200 million fraud case brought by the federal government and the state of Vermont in April 2016 involving the former Jay Peak Resort owners. It included the several developments at Jay along with the proposed AnC Bio facility in Newport and the Burke Mountain Hotel. 

Vermont Business Magazine At Governor Phil Scott’s weekly press conference, the Scott Administration reiterated the need to address education reform this legislative session. Vermonters made it clear they want to fix the education system because our kids are not getting what they deserve from the $2.4 billion we spend – and neither are our teachers or taxpayers. By fixing the system, it will benefit taxpayers and give a high-quality education to all students.

Vermont Business Magazine Attorney General Charity Clark and a coalition of 20 attorneys general filed a lawsuit yesterday against numerous federal agencies for conducting illegal mass layoffs of federal probationary employees. “Probationary” refers to employees who were hired recently. Federal agencies claimed, in the form of termination letters, that these probationary employees were fired for unsatisfactory performance or conduct. The firings were instead part of the Trump administration’s attempt to restructure and downsize the entire federal government. In the lawsuit filed on March 6, the attorneys general argue that the administration was required to follow federal laws and regulations that govern large-scale federal “Reductions in Force” (RIF). 

Vermont Business Magazine The University of Vermont Board of Trustees today elected Cynthia Barnhart to serve as chair and welcomed four new members following a special meeting. Barnhart was first elected to the Board on August 1, 2014, then re-elected in December 2019 and October 2024. Her current term expires in March 2030. Barnhart succeeds Ron Lumbra, who served as chair since 2020 and will remain a member of the Board. Barnhart graduated from UVM with a BS in Civil Engineering in 1981 before going on to earn an SM in Transportation Systems and a PhD in Civil Engineering (Transportation Systems and Operations Research) at MIT. Her former UVM affiliations include serving as a member of the advisory board for Civil and Environmental Engineering and for the College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences. 

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont dairy teams shined at the United States Championship Cheese Contest, the premier technical cheese, butter, yogurt and dry dairy ingredients competition. The 2025 championships marks the 22nd biennial, the nation’s most respected and honored dairy processing competition hosted by the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association. This year, Vermont Cabot Creamery Cooperative/Agri-Mark teams racked up 15 ribbons, including seven first place finishes. The Cabot teams topped the nation in several cheese classes including cheddar, natural slices and shredded. Cabot also took first place in the "Sour Cream" category with their Cabot Creme Fraiche. The Agri-Mark team, based out of Middlebury, grabbed two first place finishes in the "Whey" category. 

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Community Broadband Board (VCBB) is proud to announce the kickoff of its Digital Empowerment (DE) Plan. The DE Plan is the way Vermont will make sure every Vermonter has high-quality, accessible, affordable technology resources and knows how to use them. Vermont’s DE Plan has five parts: research to understand what’s needed, devices for people who need them, a Digital Navigator Program to provide resources and teach digital skills, workforce training to maximize digital opportunity, and grants to organizations representing and serving Vermonters negatively impacted by the digital divide. These grants will support organizations to scale their capacity to provide services complementary to Vermont's Digital Empowerment plan. The goal is to support and improve existing efforts in a sustainable way.

Vermont Business Magazine Treasurer Mike Pieciak’s Task Force on the Federal Transition, the Association of Vermont Chamber Executives, Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility (VBSR), and Common Good Vermont, will host “Doing Business in Uncertain Times,” a webinar for Vermont employers to discuss how to navigate economic uncertainty caused by federal policy changes. The discussion will feature state and regional experts, focusing on the impact of tariffs, funding freezes, changes to federal contracts, federal workforce cuts, and changes relating to immigration. The webinar will take place Tuesday, March 11 from 2 to 3:30 PM.

Vermont Business Magazine The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that last month the final defendants convicted in connection with a Chittenden County drug distribution conspiracy, were sentenced in United States District Court for the District of Vermont. According to court records, from October 2022 through December 30, 2022, Christopher Purvis was the manager of a conspiracy to distribute cocaine and fentanyl in Burlington, and elsewhere around Chittenden County. The conspiracy used a residence belonging to Tyler Orvis in Milton, Vermont to store drug packaging materials. 

by Amy Spear and Megan Sullivan Vermont stands at a pivotal moment in its economic and demographic evolution. As our state grapples with an aging population and an increasing need for a vibrant, skilled workforce, we must leverage every opportunity to build a stronger future. Military retirees represent one such opportunity—a group renowned not only for their exceptional skills and discipline, but also for their potential to invigorate local communities. Historically, Vermont has been an outlier among states when it comes to taxing military pensions.

Vermont Business Magazine Casella Waste Systems, Inc (NASDAQ:CWST), a regional solid waste, recycling and resource management services company, today announced that it has priced the previously announced offering of up to $25.0 million aggregate principal amount of Vermont Economic Development Authority Solid Waste Disposal Revenue Bonds Series 2022A-2 to be issued under an indenture between the Issuer and the bond trustee, dated as of June 1, 2022. The Bonds represent the drawdown (which would no longer be available to the Company if not occurring by June 1, 2025) of the remainder of the Vermont Economic Development Authority Solid Waste Disposal Revenue Bonds Series 2022, the initial proceeds of which, in the amount of $35.0 million, were loaned to the company in June 2022.