Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott, Senator Bernie Sanders, Senator Peter Welch, and Congresswoman Becca Balint, along with the Northern Border Regional Commissioner (NBRC), today announced the recipients of the NBRC’s Fall 2024 Catalyst Program and Forest Economy Program Awards. Seven projects in Vermont will receive a cumulative $3.88 million in funding, which will support projects including early childhood education, a new surplus crop processing center and food hub, and rural health care clinic upgrades. Established in 2008, the NBRC is a Federal-State partnership in northern Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and New York designed to stimulate economic growth and inspire collaboration to improve rural economic vitality across the four-state NBRC region. NBRC encourages projects that take a creative approach to accomplishing those goals. 

Vermont Business Magazine Average gasoline prices in Vermont are $3.12 per gallon, unchanged from last week. The lowest price in the state yesterday was $2.90/g while the highest was $3.35/g, a difference of 45.0 cents per gallon. The national average price of gasoline has fallen 0.9 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.08/g today. The national average is up 6.5 cents per gallon from a month ago and stands 1.8 cents per gallon lower than a year ago.

Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets Farmers looking to enhance their agritourism operations won’t want to miss an upcoming series of workshops hosted by the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets (VAAFM) and local marketing agency, Place Creative Company. These workshops will help farmers market their farm experiences and integrate their operations into Vermont's brand-new agritourism marketing campaign. Funded by a Federal State Marketing Improvement Program grant from the USDA, these workshops aim to support Vermont’s push to showcase our authentic food and farm experiences to visitors from near and far. 

by Maggie Lenz and Nick Charyk on behalf of Atlas Government Affairs Late Wednesday afternoon, the Scott Administration lobbed a big one into the legislative arena: a sweeping education reform proposal that aims to consolidate Vermont’s school districts into five regional entities, rewrite the funding formula, and simplify the property tax system. Ambitious? Absolutely. Risky? Well, that depends on who ends up holding the bag. Here’s the thing about a proposal like this: it’s a gamble. A big one. If it eventually works, someone will ride off into the sunset with a “bold reformer” badge pinned to their chest. But if it doesn’t? Chaos on the ground isn’t just likely, it’s pretty much guaranteed in the short term. Picture school boards grappling with vanishing autonomy, and taxpayers wondering why their bills suddenly look different.

by Emily Bradbury On a cold, bright day in January, Jesse returned home to Riverflow Community after visiting his mother for the holidays. “He just came running toward me and kissed my cheek and exclaimed, ‘Riverfloooow!’,” said Hannah Schwartz, executive director of the organization. “He went around to each person and said their name and hugged them. It was such a moment of joy for everyone. I was like, ‘Okay, we are doing this’.” Jesse, who has Down Syndrome Regression Disorder and will require lifelong supervision, is one of the four founding “Friends” at Riverflow, an intentional community for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Opened in October 2024 in Monkton, Vermont, Riverflow is one of a very few housing options for adults with developmental disabilities in Vermont, which has relied almost exclusively on a shared-living model since the closing of the institution at Brandon Training School in 1993.

Vermont Business Magazine The Rutland Regional Planning Commission (RRPC) has announced that the Agency of Natural Resources, Department of Environmental Conservation, Water Quality Division has awarded the RRPC a contract to administer water quality improvement programs in partnership with the 11 Regional Planning Commissions (RPCs) across the State of Vermont. Funded through the 604(b) Water Quality Management Planning Grant Program of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), this initiative aims to promote water quality planning and improvements statewide. 

Vermont Business Magazine Girls on the Run is a physical activity-based, positive youth development program that inspires students in 3rd through 8th grade to be joyful, healthy, and confident. The ten-week program incorporates movement into its curriculum to empower participants to develop critical life skills, build confidence, cultivate positive connections with peers, manage their emotions, and stand up for themselves and others. Volunteer coaches utilize a curriculum to engage teams of girls in fun, interactive lessons. Over 500 volunteer coaches will facilitate lessons for the spring season that begins the week of March 17 statewide. Teams meet twice a week for 90 minutes and the program culminates with all teams participating in one of two noncompetitive, celebratory 5K events in Essex and Manchester, VT. 

by Martin Hahn and Emma Paradis As Vermont grapples with growing community safety challenges, our state's nonprofit sector finds itself at the intersection of crisis and response. From Brattleboro to St. Johnsbury, from Rutland to Johnson, from Burlington to Barre, and from Thetford to Wilmington, nonprofit organizations are not just witnessing the impacts of these challenges – they're experiencing them firsthand while simultaneously working to address them. Last fall, Common Good Vermont convened a listening tour with nonprofit leaders across the state to learn more about their work and their communities. Last week, we hosted a statewide virtual call with nonprofit leaders to discuss how nonprofits are experiencing and responding to community safety challenges. What emerged from these conversations was a complex picture of organizations stretching beyond their missions to meet urgent needs, while themselves facing unprecedented operational challenges. 

Vermont Business Magazine Four Vermont contemporary art organizations are teaming up for the fourth year in a row to award The Vermont Prize. The prize is a collaborative initiative of the Brattleboro Museum & Art Center (BMAC), Burlington City Arts (BCA), the Hall Art Foundation, and The Current, intended to celebrate and support outstanding visual art being made in Vermont today. The Vermont Prize is awarded to one artist annually. The winner receives $5,000, and their work is showcased and archived at vermontprize.org. The competition is open to individuals as well as collaborating artists currently living and working in Vermont. Artists working in any visual medium are welcome to apply. There is no application fee. 

Vermont Business Magazine Ahead of voting against his nomination on the Senate Floor Friday evening, U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont) delivered remarks outlining his opposition to President Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Defense, Pete Hegseth. Hegseth was subsequently confirmed in a 50-50 vote with three Republicans voting against. Vice President Vance then broke the tie. 

Vermont Business Magazine The National Science Foundation (NSF) announced today that a joint initiative of Landmark College, Bennington College, the Community College of Vermont, and the Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation has been awarded $8 million in federal grant funding through the NSF Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR). This grant funding will be used to establish the Science and Technology Research Initiative for the southern Vermont Economy (STRIVE), a novel partnership of educational institutions, business leaders, advocacy groups, economic development corporations, and local governments committed to leveraging STEM research to grow the economy in Vermont’s four southernmost counties. 

Vermont Business Magazine The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that Teresa Youngblut, 21, and who is believed to be from Washington state, has been charged by criminal complaint with one count of using a deadly weapon while assaulting a United States Border Patrol agent, and one count of using and discharging a firearm during and in relation to that assault. Her initial court appearance has not yet been scheduled.