Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Secretary of State Sarah Copeland Hanzas visited a variety of small businesses in Chittenden County on Monday as part of a statewide listening tour following the upgrade of her office’s online business filing system. Several recently formed businesses in Chittenden County were selected by the Secretary of State’s office for visits, with the chance to offer direct feedback to Secretary Copeland Hanzas about their interactions with her office and state government in general.

by Joanna Cummings, UVM New England consumers depend on hundreds of dairy farms to produce milk for a variety of products they rely on every day. However, dairy products could be unavailable if the regional milk supply was interrupted by a devastating livestock foreign animal disease outbreak. While bird flu (H5N1) outbreaks are affecting dairy herds in the Midwest and western United States (U.S.), a team of researchers at the University of Vermont (UVM) is focused on the impacts of foreign animal disease outbreaks on regional dairy production in the "New England milkshed.” The milkshed is defined by all sources of milk processed or manufactured into dairy products within New England, including farms in eastern New York state that ship milk into the region.

Vermont Business Magazine In celebration of its 25th anniversary in 2024, Mack Prototype, a wholly owned subsidiary of Mack Group in Gardner, MA, has announced it is making a major investment in its machining, inspection, and facility efficiency. With a total investment exceeding $475,000, the company is revamping its CNC technology, expanding its quality lab with a state-of-the-art CMM machine, and implementing energy-efficient heating solutions to ensure this long-standing fixture of manufacturing in the community is ready to take on its next century. Mack Prototype is upgrading its CNC machining capabilities with the addition of a Haas VF2-SS high-speed mill, which enhances the ability to machine both plastics and metals. The unit can also perform tight-tolerance secondary operations on injection-molded parts, including PPSU, PEI, and composite materials.

Vermont Business Magazine The Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) is releasing the 2024 Fair Housing Analysis which examines challenges when it comes to fair housing, progress made, and recommendations for improvement. DHCD based the 2024 Fair Housing Analysis on data compiled via survey responses from housing professionals and the general public, as well as listening tours conducted at libraries in twelve counties. Feedback was also gathered from the immigrant and refugee population and those who work with vulnerable Vermonters. Other data sources include, but are not limited to, fair housing complaints received by U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and Vermont’s Human Rights Commission, the Vermont Real Estate Commission, and the U.S. Census Bureau.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Community Foundation (VCF) proudly announces the establishment of the David R. Coates Fund for Vermont Disaster Relief—a permanent fund ensuring Vermont communities and individuals have a reliable, immediate resource to prepare, respond, and recover when natural disasters strike. Naming the fund after David Coates, the founding chair of the Vermont Disaster Recovery Fund (VDRF), honors one of Vermont’s most trusted and respected leaders. Coates’s impact spans numerous organizations, causes, and issues. His leadership was instrumental in the flood recovery efforts of 2011. Through this fund, we hope to carry forward the values Coates exemplifies.

Vermont Business Magazine The Northeast Dairy Business Innovation (NE-DBIC) announces a $1.1 million investment in regional dairy processing through the Dairy Co-Packing Grant. This funding supports the development of new and expanded co-packing capabilities for processors, ultimately leading to more dairy products for consumers across the region. The Dairy Co-Packing grants is open to applicants in 11 Northeast states: Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont. 

Vermont Business Magazine Following the filing of Attorney General Charity Clark’s lawsuit earlier Monday, a federal judge in the U.S. District Court for Massachusetts issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) against the National Institutes of Health (NIH), barring its attempt to unilaterally cut billions in funding for biomedical and public health research. The TRO comes less than six hours after Attorney General Clark and a coalition of 21 other attorneys general sued the Trump Administration for violating laws that preserve NIH grants for medical research against arbitrary and unilateral cuts of the type attempted by the Trump Administration. The TRO stops the NIH from taking any steps to implement or enforce their attempted across-the-board reduction in research grants within the Plaintiff states until a further order is made by the Court.  

Vermont Business Magazine In the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) at University of Vermont Children’s Hospital, things look different this year – specifically, fewer newborns and infants admitted in need of critical respiratory care after catching one of the season’s most aggressive respiratory viruses: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). But this year, RSV-related hospital admissions for these youngest patients are down significantly, said Dr. Bell – and the reason is clear: A new monoclonal antibody prevention medication approved in July 2023 by the Food and Drug Administration. The medication, called nirsevimab, is given via injection to infants under eight months old and uses lab-made antibodies to block RSV from infecting cells. Unlike a vaccine, the immunization provides a ready-made supply of antibody protection to babies without triggering an immune system response. Protection against severe RSV infection begins immediately.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Health reported last week that the number of COVID-19 cases, deaths and hospitalizations increased mildly after spiking a few weeks ago to their highest levels since early November. There were 5 fatalities since the previous week's report, which reported 4 deaths. Hospitalizations held at just over 10 after being at their highest levels since October. Wastewater testing continues to show higher levels than in the fall, especially in Montpelier, but have also eased. Outbreaks at long-term care facilities and schools decreased. The pandemic death total stands at 1,252 as of February 1, 2025 (the most recent data available). The 5 reported deaths last week were all of people over 69. This cohort also reported the most cases and had by far the most per capita. The youngest cohort, 0-9, also had relatively high reports of cases.

Vermont Business Magazine The University of Vermont’s Professional and Continuing Education division (PACE) is launching a new Hospitality Management Professional Certificate to immediately address workforce challenges in Vermont’s hospitality sector and support the state’s need for a skilled, career-oriented tourism and lodging workforce. This customizable six-course certificate offers a pathway to career transformation for those interested in pursuing an extended career in hospitality and will focus on sustainable operations, marketing and sales, food and beverage, facilities, revenue management, human resources, and more.  

Vermont Business Magazine The Attorney General’s Office announced that Amber Mason, 33, of Bennington, Vermont, was arraigned yesterday on one felony count of Sexual Exploitation of a Child, one felony count of Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Materials, and one felony count of Promoting a Recording of Sexual Conduct. The charges brought against Ms. Mason are the result of a criminal investigation, including the execution of search warrants, conducted by Homeland Security Investigations and the Vermont Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (VT-ICAC), which included personnel from the Attorney General’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations and the Bennington Police Department.

Vermont Business Magazine Senate President Pro Tem Phil Baruth today issued the following statement: “Vermonters have made clear that they want transformation in the educational system, changes that will address property tax rates and education spending while improving the quality of education for Vermont’s kids. What Vermonters did not demand was an expansion of school choice in our state. Put simply, insisting on recasting choice in Vermont has the potential to sink education transformation efforts. Allowing that to happen would be an unforced error, and would set our reform efforts back substantially."