Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Disability Rights Vermont and the Vermont Developmental Disabilities Council are excited to invite anyone interested to a special screening of Disability Rights Vermont's first documentary "Forgotten Promises: Vermonters Call for Investment in Community Living." This powerful film explores the pressing need for greater investment in home and community-based services, highlights the challenges of institutional reliance, and advocates for preventive solutions like affordable housing and timely access to care. Following the screening, a panel of professionals and community members will lead a discussion to continue the conversation and drive meaningful action.

Vermont State Police On Monday at approximately 1706 hours, the Vermont State Police-Shaftsbury Barracks was notified of a multiple-vehicle crash in the area of US Route 7 near mile marker 28.4 in the Town of Sunderland, VT. Through investigation, it was revealed Operator #1 (Kathryn Brown) was operating Vehicle #1 traveling north along US Route 7, and Operator #2 (Frost) was operating Vehicle #2 traveling south along with Operator #3 (Ivey) operating Vehicle #3. Brown succumbed to the injuries sustained in the crash.

Vermont State Police The Vermont State Police investigation into the shooting of St. Johnsbury Police Department Capt. Jason Gray remains open and active. Evidence collected at the scene indicates Capt. Gray fired his duty weapon during the encounter at a Portland Street apartment Friday, Dec. 13, 2024, in which he was shot and seriously injured by Scott Mason. Following standard protocols for police-involved shootings, upon completion of the investigation VSP will turn over the case to the Vermont Attorney General’s Office and the relevant State’s Attorney’s Office for independent reviews of Capt. Gray’s use of force. 

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today announced the five new appointments to the Land Use Review Board, which was created in Act 181 of 2024. This new Board is a reorganization of the Natural Resources Board, the organization responsible for the administration of Act 250, Vermont’s land use and development law. The Land Use Review Board’s primary responsibility is to promote and enhance operational accountability for fair, efficient and effective administration of Act 250’s land use permitting program, including management of five Act 250 District Offices, recruitment, training, and supervision of staff and providing administrative and technical guidance and oversight support to nine District Environmental Commissions.

Vermont Business Magazine Average gasoline prices in Vermont are $3.09 per gallon, up 1 cents/g from last week's $3.08/g. The lowest price in the state yesterday was $2.60/g while the highest was $3.35/g, a difference of 75.0 cents per gallon. The national average price of gasoline has fallen 3.0 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $2.98/g today.

Vermont Business Magazine On Monday, Campaign for Vermont Prosperity (CFV) released a report looking at education data in Vermont to help identify opportunities for cost savings and better performance. The new report builds on a similar report the organization published in 2014 that showed larger school districts did not necessarily perform better. Today’s report shows that the trend has continued, however statistical analysis shows some potential cost and performance improvements could be had through supervisory union consolidation and increasing class sizes.

Vermont Business Magazine U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont) today released the following statement on the passing of former President Jimmy Carter, the 39th President of the United States and a renowned humanitarian leader: “I met Jimmy Carter in 1976 at the Hotel Coolidge in White River Junction. It was just before the New Hampshire primary, and I was struck by his empathy, his compassion, and his dedication to public service. I wasn't surprised when this humble peanut farmer defied the odds and won. During his presidency, Jimmy Carter was an early advocate for energy efficiency, solar power, and environmental protection. He wanted to safeguard our planet for future generations, far before such advocacy was common. He was a veteran and worked to foster peace and stability around the world—defying expectations to broker the landmark Camp David Accords between Egypt and Israel."      

by Myla van Lynde, Community News Service To Richard Skarrow, the Meals on Wheels program is pretty straightforward: People need nutritious food, and volunteers like him deliver it to their homes. It’s simple, he said, but incredibly important. Along with a hot meal, his clients receive something else: a sense of connection. “It’s a service for people that need help,” Skarrow said. “People need food, and they need to have companionship.” On a recent delivery run, Skarrow delivered a meal to an older man whose wife is homebound. The man came outside, eager to talk about the program.

AW Rich Funeral Home Alexander Stanley Kroll, Sr. passed away at 87 years old on December 17th at his home in Charlotte, VT surrounded by his family and other loved ones. Devoted husband and beloved father and grandfather, Alex’s achievements are truly too numerous and amazing to detail here and, frankly, no summary could give a clear picture of the man. Born in Leechburg, PA on November 23, 1937, to Alex and Eva Kroll in the final throes of the Great Depression, Alex was an imaginative boy who would sometime crawl inside the radio cabinet and deliver false news reports to his family. But it was football that captured his imagination, and by high school he had transformed his body from a slender frame to a strapping 6ft 3in middle linebacker and center. 

by Wyatt Obering, Community News Service It wasn’t long ago that Saja Almogalli lost her father, fled her home of Iraq after threats to her mother and was stopped from going to school as she waited in Turkey for a chance at resettlement. Now Almogalli, a refugee who’s been in Vermont since 2017, has a job aimed at helping kids feel safe in school after all those years growing up in fear. Late this fall she was selected as the district liaison officer for the Winooski School District, a role in which she hopes to ensure the safety of students K-12 in visits from the city police station, where she’s based.

Vermont Business Magazine Tony Blake of V/T Commercial, representing Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc., announced that VHB signed a lease for 17,167 square feet at 20 Winooski Falls Way from MWG Champlain Mill, LLC.  Steve Donahue of Donahue & Associates represented the landlord in this lease.

Vermont Business Magazine Today, Representative Laura Sibilia (I-Dover) officially notified the Secretary of State of her candidacy for Speaker of the Vermont House of Representatives. In accordance with Vermont law (2 V.S.A. § 12), this ensures that her name will appear on the ballot for the Speaker’s election, scheduled for the first day of the legislative session, January 8, 2025. If there are two candidates, the election will be conducted by secret ballot, managed by the Secretary of State.