Current News

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.

by Kate Kampner, Community News Service Imagine a commute without the worry of traffic jams, potholes or detours, a path to town that’s nearby, maintained and linked to routes just like it all over the state. That’s the Cross Vermont Trail Association’s vision — to create a web of trails for bikers and walkers to have easy access and safe travels between north-central Vermont towns. “The goal of the work we do is to have trails that connect, that go where people want to go,” Executive Director Greg Western said, explaining how the organization joins existing trails with connector paths like jigsaw pieces. Groups like Cross Vermont are increasingly tailoring their work to people outside the usual biking and hiking crowd who want an alternative to roadways: commuters.

Vermont Business Magazine Average gasoline prices in Vermont are $3.10 per gallon, down 1 cent per gallon from last week. Prices are down 1 cent/g from last month and down20 cents/g from a year ago. The lowest price in the state this week was $2.69/g while the highest was $3.29/g, a difference of 60.0 cents per gallon. The national average price of gasoline were unchanged from last week, averaging $3.04/g today. The national average is down 22 cents per gallon from a month ago and stands 8 cents per gallon lower than a year ago.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets (VAAFM) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) have confirmed the presence of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), also known as H5N1 bird flu, in a non-commercial backyard (non-poultry) flock in Franklin County last week. Samples taken by VAAFM and USDA officials Thursday, December 19th were tested and confirmed for HPAI by the National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) in Ames, Iowa. This is the fourth instance of HPAI in a domestic flock in Vermont since spring of 2022 and emphasizes the ongoing need for vigilance as the disease continues to be an ongoing risk to domestic birds. The small flock of 24 birds suffered its first mortality Wednesday, December 18th and then experienced ongoing losses.

Vermont Business Magazine U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) recently introduced the Global Climate Resilience Act, legislation that would create a program to bolster the United States’ ability to provide climate finance and debt relief to countries in the Global South. This new program would enhance the United States’ ability to negotiate debt reductions with countries in the Global South that agree to undertake climate resilience initiatives. The legislation also directs the United States to use its influence with international financial institutions to promote debt reduction for nations at risk of climate change. 

Vermont Business Magazine Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vermont), and Rep. Becca Balint (D-Vermont), on Saturday, December 28 at 3:00 p.m., will recognize twenty young Vermonters who are being nominated to be members of the Class of 2029 at the United States Service Academies. At the annual reception held at the Vermont State House, students from across Vermont will receive nomination certificates signed by members of the Vermont Congressional Delegation. Prior to the ceremony, Sanders, Welch, and Balint will host the nominees and current Service Academy students from Vermont for a roundtable discussion.

Vermont Business Magazine The Brattleboro Ski Hill was one of the first ski areas in Vermont to offer lift service. Over 23 years before Stratton Mountain opened, busloads of Connecticut and New York skiers traveled to Brattleboro. Thousands of winter sports enthusiasts lined up each weekend, waiting to get whisked up the 1,100-foot rope tow. Today, Stratton is helping to preserve the soul of skiing by investing in the success of the Brattleboro Ski Hill.

Vermont Business Magazine Start off the new year on the right foot with Vermont State Parks’ First Day Hikes. On January 1, 2025, everyone is invited to join free, guided hikes taking place at state parks, state forests, and other public lands across Vermont. Hikes are led by knowledgeable guides eager to share their love of Vermont’s outdoors. Hikes will take place at locations across Vermont including Allis State Park, Bomoseen State Park, Brighton State Park, Button Bay State Park, Mount Mansfield State Forest, Groton State Forest, Willoughby State Forest, and more. For hike descriptions and registration information, visit the 2025 First Day Hikes page and see list below.