Current News

Vermont Business Magazine What's better than companies who want to preserve the world for future generations, unveiling the ice cream truck of the future? Rolling out two electric "scoop trucks," a sweet collaboration between Ben & Jerry's, Vermont's beloved ice cream maker, and Rivian, the all-electric automaker. Built on the Rivian Commercial Van, the new Ben & Jerry's scoop trucks will modernize everything people love about an ice cream truck. Fans will have a chance to check out the new scoop trucks when one debuts at South by Southwest (SXSW) in Austin, Texas this week.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine Weekly unemployment claims increased for the week ending March 1, 2025, and climbed over 600 as claims have doubled in the last two weeks. New claims were 671, up 256 claims from the week before and are 69 more from last year. Claims, which tend to be lowest in the summer, were 181 at the end of September 2024. It is not clear if this increase is the result of the dismissal of federal workers by DOGE, or an earlier than usual increase resulting from seasonal ski season layoffs. CNBC is reporting that nonfarm payrolls increased by a seasonally adjusted 151,000 on the month, better than the downwardly revised 125,000 in January but less than the 170,000 consensus forecast. CNBC said outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas reported earlier this week that announced layoffs under Musk’s efforts totaled more than 62,000.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Public Safety and the State Police Advisory Commission today are releasing the latest semiannual detailed summary of internal investigations involving members of the Vermont State Police. The release of these synopses provides greater transparency, public awareness, and oversight to the activities of the Vermont State Police, while balancing requirements regarding internal investigations and the need to have internal investigations completed before public dissemination. A report attached to this statement contains synopses of the 19 investigations that came before SPAC from Jan. 1 to June 30, 2024.

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.