Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Average gasoline prices in Vermont are $3.90 a gallon, up 5.9 cents per gallon from last week's $3.84/g. The lowest price in the state yesterday was $3.63/g while the highest was $4.19/g, a difference of 56.0 cents per gallon. The national average price of gasoline has risen 2.4 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.95/g today. The national average is up 97.9 cents per gallon from a month ago and stands 83.8 cents per gallon higher than a year ago.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Corrections (DOC) announced Sunday evening the death of Jonathan Stone, a sentenced individual hospitalized at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center (DHMC). Jonathan Stone, 37, of St. Johnsbury, VT, had been incarcerated since 2019. On March 16, Stone was hospitalized at North Country Hospital in Newport, VT. He was subsequently transferred to DHMC. On March 29, medical staff at DHMC pronounced Stone deceased. Stone's death does not appear suspicious at this time. 

Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets The Working Lands Enterprise Board (WLEB) announces 34 awards totaling $1,047,320 to Vermont businesses and organizations in 2026. The award categories are: Service Provider & Producer Association Grants - $370,000 awarded to 10 businesses and nonprofits. These grants fund service providers and producer associations that work directly with working lands enterprises to support them as they grow, pivot, and adapt to an ever-changing marketplace. In 2026, grants will support apprenticeships for future foresters, farm and forest business advising, a Vermont specialty foods tradeshow, and more.

Vermont Business Magazine Rep. Becca Balint (D-Vermont) and U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore), introduced a bill on Friday to strengthen privacy protections against unreasonable government searches and seizures that could chill reporting critical of the government. The bill follows Donald Trump’s Department of Justice (DOJ) raiding the home of a Washington Post reporter. Under the Privacy Protection Act of 1980, the government cannot search or seize journalists’ documentary or work-product materials, except in certain narrow circumstances. Congress passed that law out of concern about the chilling effect of government raids on the press, and required the government to use less intrusive methods.

The Vermont State Police is investigating the death of a skier at Sugarbush Resort in the town of Warren. At about 3:26 p.m. Saturday, March 28, 2026, the Vermont State Police in Berlin was notified that a skier had died following a fall on Stein's Run at Sugarbush Lincoln Peak. Subsequent investigation revealed the male victim fell and slid into a wooded area off the trail. The male was found unresponsive by ski patrol members, who brought the victim to the base of the mountain, where they were met by the Mad River Valley Ambulance. The victim was pronounced deceased due to his injuries. 

by Michael Donoghue A hospitalized gunman, who officials say was wounded after firing at a U.S. Border Patrol Agent last month in Northern New Hampshire near the Vermont border, is now due for his first federal court hearing on Friday April 10. Blu Zeke Daly, 26, also known as Cullan Zeke Daly, of Manchester, N.H. is facing felony charges of attempted murder of a federal officer and assaulting a federal officer with a dangerous weapon in connection with the shooting in Pittsburg, east of Canaan, Vt., federal court records note. A court affidavit notes Daly reportedly opened fire at the U.S. Border Patrol Agent during the early morning hours of Sunday Feb. 22 when confronted at the closed international port of entry in Pittsburg, which is New Hampshire’s northern most town. It borders Vermont, Maine and Quebec.

by Kate Kampner, Community News Service S.219, a bill that would kickstart the design of an energy coaching program, passed on the Senate floor on March 19. Spearheaded by the Vermont Public Service Department, the program would give energy navigator services to Vermont residents. Energy navigators are trained professionals or volunteers who inform residents how to make their homes more energy efficient, such as with weatherization projects or installing heat pumps. Under the bill, they would also inform clients about rebates and incentives. Sen. Ruth Hardy, D-Addison, who sponsored the bill, said there are already existing programs across the state, but they have varying methods, successes, accessibility and ways to receive funding.

Vermont Business Magazine The Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation (BDCC), in partnership with the Vermont Small Business Law Center, will host two upcoming educational workshops designed to help small business owners understand legal issues that commonly arise in day-to-day operations.  The virtual sessions will take place on Thursday, April 23 and Thursday, May 14 from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM. They are open to entrepreneurs and small business owners throughout Vermont and the region. These two workshops will provide practical education to help businesses understand common legal considerations, reduce risk, and explore options when challenges arise.

Vermont Business Magazine A new report from the Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund (VSJF) finds that Vermont produces substantial quantities of wool each year, yet much of it remains underused due to limited processing capacity and barriers to market access. The report, Vermont Wool Production: Challenges and Pathways Forward, is based on a statewide survey and interviews with farmers and processors that reveal both the potential and persistent bottlenecks within the sector. The study finds that Vermont produces meaningful quantities of wool each year, yet a significant portion remains unused or undervalued. Limited processing capacity, high costs, and barriers to market access continue to make it difficult for farmers to turn raw wool into viable products.

Vermont Business Magazine The Southwestern Vermont Chamber of Commerce and The Shires Young Professionals are celebrating another highly successful St. Paddy’s Day Pub Crawl after the 5th annual downtown event generated strong traffic, increased sales, and visible energy for participating Bennington businesses. The 2026 crawl, hosted and organized by the Shires Young Professionals, featured six downtown stops — Kelli’s Tavern, Madison Brewing Company, Ramunto’s Brick Oven Pizza, 421 Craft Bar & Kitchen, Union South Pub & Provisions, and Pearls at the Garage — and invited residents and visitors alike to spend the day moving through Bennington’s hospitality district in a festive, highly social, and locally focused experience.

by Roxy Vanderhoff, Community News Service Under a new bill, Vermont school boards would give votes to those who know the schools the best. The experts in question? Teenagers. Students and representatives alike took to the statehouse Jan. 30 to discuss H.640, a bill created by high schoolers to have student representation on school boards. The bill was first envisioned at last summer’s Global Issues & Youth Action Institute, part of the long-running Governor’s Institutes of Vermont program.

Vermont Business Magazine The restoration of a historic synagogue in Burlington’s Old North End has led to the launch of a new Vermont-based design and manufacturing business focused on rethinking one of the most overlooked elements in commercial interiors: exit signage. Entrepreneur and designer Kitter Spater completed the renovation of the 19th-century synagogue in November 2025, transforming the long-vacant building into a mixed-use property with a vintage clothing market on the upper floors and residential apartments below. The project emphasized preserving architectural character while adapting the space for modern use.