Current News

Vermont Business Magazine The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced its state and territory Small Business Persons of the Year for National Small Business Week (NSBW), which will take place from May 3 – 9, 2026. SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler will recognize the state, territory, and specialty award winners at a national awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. on May 3rd. The SBA will recognize Diane Abruzzini and Colin Riggs of Rigorous Technology Inc for their impact and economic contributions in Vermont. Rigorous is an industrial robotics company based in Williston. Since founding Rigorous in 2020 as a homebased business, Diane and Colin have grown their operations to include a team of 12, currently occupying 10,000 square feet across multiple buildings.

Vermont Business Magazine VTel Wireless (VTel) today announced it has chosen Ericsson as its 5G Core and Radio Access Network (RAN) provider, supporting the rollout of a 5G Standalone (SA) network, marking a transformative milestone for rural wireless connectivity in the United States. With this deployment of 5G Core and RAN from Ericsson, VTel is positioned to become the nation’s first rural carrier to support fully native 5G Standalone VoNR (Voice over New Radio) roaming with nationwide communications service providers (CSPs). The new deployment will mean subscribers of other national CSPs will be able to maintain 5G SA quality connectivity in the rural areas served by VTel. Unlike today’s roaming agreements, which rely on 4G LTE VoLTE underlays for voice, the new core network will enable end-to-end 5G roaming with VoNR. This removes legacy dependencies and delivers a modern, fully native 5G experience for nationwide users.

Vermont Business Magazine Connection to Recovery, a growing virtual mental health provider, is introducing new services in the Northeast Kingdom, offering compassionate, personalized support and meaningful connection for individuals, families, and couples across Vermont. With a mission rooted in connection, accessibility, and meaningful support, Connection to Recovery offers secure telehealth services designed to meet clients where they are, literally and emotionally. The organization provides individual therapy, family and couples counseling, and specialized Connection Groups across a wide range of mental health needs and life experiences, with offerings that will continue to evolve over time.

Vermont Business Magazine Dartmouth Health has rebranded its home healthcare and hospice service to better align its mission as part of the overall health system’s vision to set the standard for rural healthcare. Dartmouth Health Home Care, formerly known as Visiting Nurse and Hospice for Vermont and New Hampshire (VNH), will continue the organization’s long history of serving patients in the Upper Valley region. First established in 1907 in Windsor, VT, VNH provided personalized, value-based care to thousands of patients in their homes for nearly 120 years.

Vermont Business Magazine CPR Therapeutics Inc. (CPR-T), a development-stage medical device company based in Putney, Vermont, has announced the appointment of Scott T. Youngquist, MD, MS, FACEP, FAEMS, FAHA to its Board of Science Advisors. Dr. Youngquist is a Professor of Emergency Medicine and EMS Section Chief at the School of Medicine at the University of Utah and has served as Chief Medical Officer for the Salt Lake City Fire Department since 2011. He brings to the Company unparalleled expertise in emergency medical services, cardiac arrest resuscitation, and the clinical translation of novel resuscitation technologies.

Vermont Business Magazine Central Vermont Home Health & Hospice’s (CVHHH) Maternal & Family Child Health (MFCH) program has received funding to support remote postpartum hypertension monitoring for parents in its service area. Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP), a group of conditions in which a pregnant person develops high blood pressure before, during, and after childbirth, are on the rise in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 5-10% of people experience hypertensive disorders during pregnancy, reflecting a 25% increase over the last two decades. 

by Devon Green, Sr. Vice President of Policy & Strategy, VAHHS We’re in a bit of a holding pattern this week when it comes to bills in committee because legislators are “on the floor” of the House and Senate for long stretches to get all the bills that were passed out by crossover out to the other chamber so we can start the dance again. Here’s what happened last week: Reference-Based Pricing: After some amendment back and forth, the Senate is poised to pass out S.190 next week. The bill continues to target individual and small employer plans, which are struggling after federal subsidies were reduced earlier this year. An amendment garnered initial Senate support on Friday. In the amendment, hospitals will receive 250% of the base rate of Medicare, without add-ons. The bill also sets up a working group on the Critical Access Hospital Medicare cost sharing issue and ensures that the issue will not impact FY 2027 hospital budgets.

Dartmouth College Geisel School of Medicine Dartmouth College has announced a $5 million gift from Patty and Doug Sacks ’80 that will endow two early career professorships at the Geisel School of Medicine. The Patricia R. and Douglas L. Sacks Early Career Professorships will aim to attract exceptional faculty to Geisel whose research, teaching, or clinical work has shown immense promise in their respective fields. By offering flexible funding and long-term stability for a five-year term, the professorships will empower holders during a critical career stage, helping them establish a strong foundation from which to make significant and lasting contributions to Geisel, and to medicine, for years to come.

by Maggie Lenz and Gwynn Zakov Two weeks ago, we wrote about how the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Energy threaded a difficult needle with S.325, producing a unanimous committee vote on a bill that extends deadlines for Act 181's most contentious provisions while preserving the law's fundamental framework. Since then, the bill has moved through the full Senate, and the political dynamics have sharpened considerably. The week began with a "Repeal Act 181" rally on the State House lawn last Tuesday, where rural Vermonters, landowners, and farmers gathered to make their frustrations heard in person. The rally was the latest expression of an organizing effort that has been building for months through a vibrant Facebook group, op-eds, and public backlash. Bringing that energy physically to the State House steps, right as the Senate was preparing to take up the bill, underscored just how personal this issue has become for people in rural communities across the state.

Vermont Business Magazine Franklin County State's Attorney Bram Kranichfeld today announced his campaign for Chittenden County State’s Attorney, launching a campaign he said is focused on a justice system that is compassionate, accountable, and responsive to the whole community. Current Chittenden SA Sarah George said earlier this month that she is running for re-election. Kranichfeld had already announced he would not seek reelection to the Franklin County post. They both run as Democrats. The primary is August 11.

by Julie Lowell, Public Assets Institute The events this month during the ICE raid in South Burlington have prompted a lot of questions, and a number of investigations at the state and local levels about the conduct of Vermont law enforcement that day. One thing seems clear to all involved: the state was not prepared for what would happen when Vermonters resisted ICE’s aggressive tactics. In the wake of the tragic and avoidable deaths of protesters in Minnesota in January and others at the hands of federal immigration officers, state lawmakers have been considering some guardrails to protect Vermonters against indiscriminate immigration enforcement. To date, this legislation has largely followed standard processes and has not been treated with particular urgency.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Gas (VGS), the Champlain Housing Trust (CHT), and Evernorth are partnering to bring high efficiency, renewable geothermal energy to the occupants of a new permanently affordable housing development slated for construction in Hinesburg. Riggs Meadows is a forthcoming residential development in downtown Hinesburg that includes 44 townhomes and apartments for low- and moderate-income renters and owners. Geothermal systems will be installed to heat and cool four multi-family buildings constituting 36 of the residences on site. Riggs Meadow is the first phase of a planned development on 46 acres donated to CHT by Jan Blomstrann which will include another 30-plus homes, a childcare center, and conserved land with public access to trails.