Current News

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine Weekly unemployment claims increased for the week ending February 8, 2025, but remain under 400 as activity has leveled off. New claims were 370, up 22 claims from the week before and are 21 fewer from last year. The holiday season brings wild swings in claims as temporary workers are hired and then laid off. The stability of the last few weeks should last until the end of the ski season. Claims, which tend to be lowest in the summer, were 181 at the end of September 2024.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Attorney General Charity Clark today led a coalition of 20 state attorneys general in filing a “friend of the court,” or amicus, brief to support a lawsuit aiming to block the implementation of President Trump’s executive order banning transgender people from serving in the military. The brief argues that the executive order is unconstitutional, harms national security, and discriminates against transgender people honorably serving in our nation’s military, including the National Guard in every state. The amicus brief filed by Attorney General Clark and the coalition of states supports a request for a preliminary injunction filed by a group of current and prospective transgender service members. The plaintiffs filed suit in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. The Court set the date for a hearing on February 18, 2025.

Vermont Business Magazine Bennington College has announced a record number of early admissions for the Class of 2029. A total of 1,301 applications were received in the Early Action and Early Decision I and II rounds. This is the largest pool of early applications received in the institution’s history. Of those, 477 students were admitted, which relates to a 37 percent acceptance rate. When ranked, nearly half of students accepted are in the top 10 percent of their high school classes. For those submitting standardized testing, the average ACT score was 32 and the average SAT was 721 on the evidence-based reading and writing portion and 657 on the math portion. 

Vermont Business Magazine Applications for the 2025 Eric Rozendaal Memorial Award will close on 28 February, the Vermont Land Trust (VLT) has announced. The $5,000 award recognizes land stewardship, innovation and service to community. Farmers who are actively working on or managing a commercial farm operation in the state, are residents of Vermont, and have not received this award in the past are encouraged to apply. Applicants do not have to own a farm. A selection committee consisting of leaders in the Vermont agricultural community will review and score the applications and select a winner. The award will be announced at the Vermont Land Trust’s annual meeting in the fall. 

Vermont Business Magazine Casella Waste Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: CWST), a regional solid waste, recycling and resource management services company, has reported its financial results for the three and twelve-month periods ended December 31, 2024. The Company also provided guidance for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2025. Highlights include: Revenues were $427.5 million for the quarter, up $67.9 million, or up 18.9%, from the same period in 2023. Revenues were $1.557 billion for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024, up $292.7 million, or up 23.1%, from the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023. Solid waste pricing for fiscal year 2024 was up 5.7% from fiscal year 2023, driven by 6.5% collection price growth and 3.9% disposal price growth. Net income (loss) was $4.9 million for the quarter, up $6.7 million, as compared to $(1.8) million for the same period in 2023. Net income was $13.5 million for fiscal year 2024, down $(11.9) million, or down (46.7)%, as compared to $25.4 million in fiscal year 2023. 

Vermont Business Magazine A major winter storm is forecasted to impact Vermont over Presidents’ Day weekend and VGS (Vermont Gas) wants to make sure safety is top of mind.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Treasurer Mike Pieciak joined Rutland Mayor Mike Doenges on Thursday to return over $100,000 of unclaimed property to Rutland County employers. The event was held in connection with the Treasurer’s ‘Claim Your Money’ campaign, an effort to return at least $1 million of unclaimed property to Vermonters in the month of February. “Vermonters have over $130 million waiting to be claimed, and as employers face rising costs and workforce shortages, our office is working hard to return these dollars to communities like Rutland that need it most.”

Vermont Business Magazine The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that Mura Kvec, 39, Manix Razmias, 38, and Geto Kvec, 19, all citizens of Romania, pleaded guilty to a criminal complaint charging each of them with illegally entering the United States at a time or place other than designated for entering the country by immigration authorities.

Vermont Business Magazine Advocates working to expand the existing scope of optometrists in Vermont have again taken the conversation to the state's capital. Bill S.64, introduced in the Vermont Senate on Feb. 11 by Sen. Rebecca White and 18 others, urges lawmakers to statutorily empower optometrists to perform additional procedures in their offices. A House bill is expected to follow shortly. With an expanded scope, optometrists would be able to offer laser surgery for post-cataract haze, prevention of glaucoma and early glaucoma treatment.

Vermont Business Magazine The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that Juan Carlos Jacinto-Ramos, a citizen of Guatemala, and Qing Zhu, of China, have been charged by criminal complaint accusing Jacinto-Ramos with bringing three Chinese nationals into the United States at a place other than an open port for entering the United States, and Zhu with entering the country illegally. On February 10, 2025, the defendants appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle, who ordered that Jacinto-Ramos be detained during the pendency of his prosecution. Judge Doyle also ordered that Zhu be detained during the pendency of his prosecution, and also because Zhu is a material witness against Jacinto-Ramos.

Vermont Business Magazine Rep. Becca Balint (D-Vermont) introduced two amendments to the Republican Budget plan to hold Republicans accountable for protecting affordable health insurance and Social Security. Both were rejected by every single Republican on the committee. The first amendment introduced by Rep. Balint would protect healthcare for millions of Americans. It strikes language in the Republican budget that would take away the tax credits that help people afford their health insurance. The second would prevent the House of Representatives from considering legislation that would cut Social Security benefits, increase the retirement age, or privatize Social Security.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott’s education transformation plan is a comprehensive approach that involves changes to funding, governance, and education quality. ​ This report explains the proposed governance changes that support the education quality objectives that the revised funding formula is intended to support. ​ The governance model was developed to optimize support, promote equitable budgeting, foster local engagement, and develop a cohesive education ecosystem built upon strong public schools. ​ The proposal adopts a systems change approach that centers governance considerations around the goal of equity for students and taxpayers. ​ Changes are being proposed at the state, district, and school levels to promote alignment and build capacity of the whole Vermont public education system, fostering shared accountability, responsibility, and creativity. The implementation of the plan would not take place until September 2027, if approved.