Current News

Vermont Business Magazine One of the state’s premier wildlife watching opportunities is taking place in Vermont.  The steelhead rainbow trout have started their upstream migration to leap up waterfalls in a spectacular display of determination on their way to their spawning grounds. Steelhead can be spotted moving up the falls during warmer days in mid-to-late April and sometimes into early May.

Vermont Public Interest Research Group As the Vermont Senate Agriculture Committee considers H.739, legislation that would ban the toxic pesticide paraquat linked to Parkinson’s disease, health and environmental advocates gathered at the State House to call for action on the legislation. Only about 15% of people with Parkinson’s disease have a family history of the condition, meaning most cases are linked to environmental factors — including exposure to paraquat. In recent testimony, Dr. James Boyd, a neurologist with UVM Medical Center, underscored that chronic exposure to paraquat can significantly increase a person’s risk of developing Parkinson’s disease.

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 Watching wildlife is enjoyable, especially when young animals appear in the spring.  But it is best to keep your distance.  Picking up young wildlife can do more harm than good, according to the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department, and it is also against the law. When people see young animals alone, they often mistakenly assume these animals are helpless or lost, in trouble or needing to be rescued. Bringing young wildlife into a human environment often results in permanent separation from their mothers and a sad ending for the animal. Handling wildlife could also pose a threat to the people involved. Wild animals can transmit disease and angry wildlife mothers can pose significant dangers.

Vermont Business Magazine The Federal Nuclear Waste Policy (FNWP) Committee of the Vermont Nuclear Decommissioning Citizens Advisory Panel (VT NDCAP) will meet on Monday, April 20, 2026, from 12:00 Noon to 1:00 PM.  As permitted by ACT 133 of the 2024 Vermont Legislature, this meeting will be conducted solely as a webcast and teleconference.  Members of the public may join the meeting webcast via Zoom.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Fish and Wildlife staff are looking for volunteers to join them for a fun-filled day to get the Green Mountain Conservation Camps at Lake Bomoseen and Buck Lake ready for the 2026 season. The Spring Cleanup will take place on Saturday, May 16, and volunteers can choose to help at either camp location.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Natural Resources Council (VNRC) has published a new online dam tracking tool in collaboration with the Dam Task Force, a group of river and fish biologists, anglers, community members, freshwater advocates, conservation organizations, and state and federal regulators who are working to restore and reconnect our rivers to support thriving fish populations, improved recreational access, and a river’s natural capacity to handle flooding. The dam tracking tool, the Vermont Dam Mapper, takes the form of an online information dashboard and associated story maps, is hosted by VNRC and the Dam Task Force’s FreeVTRivers project website.

Vermont Business Magazine The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that on April 10, 2026, Jeffery Paul Coolidge, 61, of Montpelier, Vermont, was sentenced by United States District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr., to a term of 240 months of imprisonment to be followed by a lifetime term of supervised release. Coolidge previously pleaded guilty to Distribution and Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM). 

Vermont Business Magazine Union Bankshares, Inc (NASDAQ - UNB) today announced results for the three months ended March 31, 2026, and declared a regular quarterly cash dividend. Consolidated net income for the three months ended March 31, 2026, was $3.0 million, or $0.65 per share, compared to $2.5 million, or $0.55 per share, for the same period in 2025. The Board of Directors declared a cash dividend of $0.36 per share for the quarter payable May 7, 2026, to shareholders of record as of April 27, 2026.

Vermont Business Magazine Today, Speaker Jill Krowinski made the following statement on Act 181: “I am incredibly thankful for the work of Representative Amy Sheldon, Chair of the House Committee on Environment, the members of House Committee of Environment, and all the Vermonters that have reached out and shared their perspectives on Act 181. These conversations have highlighted a critical issue: while some aspects of the law are working, there are some that are not. Following extensive feedback from communities across Vermont, it is clear that the ‘Road Rule’ and ‘Tier 3’ need to be repealed."

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Agency of Transportation (AOT) is seeking grant applications for infrastructure projects that improve access and safety for bicyclists and pedestrians. In 2025, the Agency awarded approximately $6 million for bicycle and pedestrian construction and planning projects throughout the state. The AOT Bicycle and Pedestrian Program improves access and safety for bicyclists and pedestrians through the planning, design, and construction of infrastructure projects. The program improves transportation options for commuters, visitors to the state, and recreational users.

Vermont Business Magazine Champlain Housing Trust has begun work redeveloping a building at 322 St. Paul Street in Burlington to create 10 new, service supported apartments. The redevelopment is part of pilot project supported by the State of Vermont to address gaps in housing for individuals eligible to receive Medicaid-funded Developmental Disabilities Services. CHT has been working with the Developmental Disability Housing Initiative (DDHI), a parent advocacy group of over 100 families, to develop a model of service-supportive housing that will offer opportunities for residents to live as fully and independently as possible.