Current News

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets (VAAFM) today announced the launch of Seek & Savor, a statewide agritourism marketing campaign designed to connect visitors with Vermont’s authentic farm and food experiences. Funded through a Federal-State Marketing Improvement Program (FSMIP) grant from the United States Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service (USDA AMS), the campaign will run through fall 2027 and aims to increase visibility, visitation, and engagement with Vermont farms, food producers, and agritourism destinations.

The Vermont State Police has cited a woman on multiple charges following an investigation related to her conduct, including driving a car, on Dorset Street in South Burlington during a law-enforcement operation and subsequent protest March 11, 2026. Connie Anania, 53, of South Burlington is due to appear at 8:30 a.m. Thursday, July 9, 2026, in the Criminal Division of Vermont Superior Court in Burlington to answer charges of simple assault, disorderly conduct, and grossly negligent operation of a motor vehicle.

The Vermont State Police is asking the public for any information related to a suspicious death that occurred last fall in Franklin County. Matthew Turner, 55, was found dead Oct. 7, 2025, after first responders were called to his home on Bedard Road in Sheldon. The Chief Medical Examiner’s Office in Burlington determined the cause of Mr. Turner’s death was stab wounds of the chest, while the manner of death was listed as undetermined. State police detectives are continuing to investigate this death as suspicious.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today vetoed H.727, An act relating to sustainable data center deployment. Although the bill is seemingly aimed at data centers, Scott said its broader message extends far beyond those facilities and into areas Vermont depends on for many of its best jobs. Vermont is actively trying to retain and expand jobs in advanced manufacturing, semiconductor manufacturing, energy and clean technology, and other innovation-driven industries that also require substantial energy and infrastructure.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott announced through a campaign email today that he is running for a sixth term as governor. He first assumed office on January 5, 2017. While several Democrats have lined up to challenge him, he has not been tested in a general election since his first run. Scott, 67, previously was lieutenant governor, state senator, a construction company owner and, until he entered politics, was best known as a stock car racer.

Vermont Business Magazine Today, Speaker Jill Krowinski issued the following statement announcing she will not seek reelection and will retire from the Vermont House of Representatives at the end of her term: “It has been a tremendous honor to serve my community and the State for the last 14 years. To the people of Burlington’s Old North End and Downtown - thank you for the privilege of allowing me to represent our vibrant community for all these years. “There are many moments that stand out during my tenure in the House, but the times I will remember most fondly are the moments when Vermonters showed true resolve in the face of adversity. 

Vermont Business Magazine Under Vermont’s 2024 Flood Safety Act, unencapsulated polystyrene foam is prohibited from use for floating structures in Vermont’s waters. To help property owners, businesses, and municipalities understand what the requirement means in practice, the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has released new guidance. The prohibition on unencapsulated foam applies to any individual or company that owns, distributes, or sells foam docks, buoys, or other floating structures in Vermont. Floating structures include but are not limited to docks, mooring buoys, anchor buoys, and navigation markers. This prohibition applies to floating structures on all lakes, ponds, rivers, and streams.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont’s annual, statewide Summer Free Fishing Day is Saturday, June 13 this year, and it will be highlighted by a free family fishing festival in Grand Isle as well as opening day of the state’s regular bass fishing season. A day on the water could lead to a lifetime of great experiences and healthy local food.” Free Fishing Day in Vermont also will be celebrated at the “Grand Isle Family Fishing Festival,” to be held at the Ed Weed Fish Culture Station at 14 Bell Hill Road in Grand Isle.  The festival will run from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine Average gasoline prices in Vermont are $4.51 per gallon, down 5 cents per gallon from last week, up 46 cents/g from last month and up $1.42/g from this time last year, according to AAA. The lowest price in the state this week was $4.18/g. Prices are lowest in Addison ($4.45/g) and Windham ($4.48/g) counties and highest in Essex ($4.57/g), Orange ($4.56/g), and Washington ($4.55/g), according to AAA. The national average price of gasoline has fallen 14 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $4.42/g today.

Vermont Business Magazine Treasurer Mike Pieciak announced today that he will run for a third term as Vermont State Treasurer. Pieciak won his first two terms with over 60% of the vote. He will kick off his campaign Thursday evening at 5:30 pm in his hometown of Brattleboro at the American Legion. He will be joined by Governor Peter Shumlin, Treasurer Beth Pearce, and 2016 Democratic gubernatorial nominee Sue Minter. Pieciak earned an early endorsement from Congresswoman Becca Balint

by Colleen Geddis As the creator and administrator of Rural Vermont Rising Facebook Group, I feel compelled to address the recent joint commentary from House Speaker Jill Krowinski and Minority Leader Pattie McCoy regarding the legislative debate surrounding Act 181. Our online group is run by me—Colleen, known to my grandbabies as "Meemaw"—an unaffiliated nobody whose usual passion is holistic dog health, not political theater. My goal, to give a voice to thousands of everyday landowners, farmers, and working families who are directly impacted by sweeping changes to land-use regulations. From our inception, our strict policy has been clear: we urge our 15,000 members to contact their elected officials respectfully, professionally, and productively.

Vermont Business Magazine U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on The Constitution, joined the Federal Death Penalty Prohibition Act, bicameral legislation led by Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and U.S. Representative Ayanna Pressley (D-MA-07), to prohibit the use of the death penalty at the federal level and require re-sentencing of those currently on death row. The lawmakers’ bill is particularly important given that last month, the Department of Justice (DOJ) under President Trump announced that it was bringing back firing squads and seeking to return to the use of electrocution and lethal gas for executions.