Current News

Vermont Business Magazine With this year’s construction season ahead, the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) wants to remind Vermonters about requirements to help protect the state’s waterways. “We know that it is a year-round challenge to protect water quality at construction sites,” said DEC Commissioner Misty Sinsigalli. “To safeguard Vermont’s waterways and their many benefits, it is key to use measures that reduce erosion and keep soil on construction sites.”

Vermont Business Magazine The Attorney General’s Office announced that Spencer L. Bates, 38, of North Ferrisburgh, Vermont, was arraigned today on one felony charge of sexual assault and one felony charge of aggravated sexual assault. The charges brought against Bates are the result of an investigation conducted by the Middlebury Police Department.

Vermont Business Magazine The Hammond Cove Shooting Range in Hartland, Vermont will open on April 2, at 10 am. The range operates under rules set by the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department.  Range users must sign in with an onsite range safety officer and have a valid Vermont hunting or fishing license or be the guest of someone who does. Before using the range, shooters are urged to review the range rules on Fish and Wildlife’s website.  The range is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays as well as all state and federal holidays.

Vermont Business Magazine Jimmy Ylimaki, 36, of Quebec, Canada, made his initial appearance in the U.S. District Court for the District of Vermont on March 24, in connection with an indictment charging him with participating in a “grandparent scam.” Ylimaki was apprehended in Nicaragua and was removed to the United States. Ylimaki entered a plea of not guilty to the charge before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle for the District of Vermont, who ordered that Ylimaki be detained pending trial. According to court records, a “grandparent scam” is a telemarketing fraud scheme involving phone calls made to elderly individuals. The initial callers typically pose as a member of the elderly victim’s family (usually a grandchild) and claim – falsely – to be in legal trouble, such as a motor vehicle accident.

Vermont Business Magazine Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak today provided an update on the City of Burlington’s ongoing review of the March 11 incident in South Burlington involving federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and state and local law enforcement, including the Burlington Police Department (BPD). “The past couple of weeks have been deeply unsettling. In the days since this incident, we have heard clearly from our community about the fear, pain, and uncertainty this situation has caused. I unequivocally condemn ICE’s actions and the danger they created for our community. My administration is taking this situation seriously, and we remain committed to a process grounded in transparency, accountability, and respect for all people in our community. "At the March 23 City Council meeting, interim Chief of Police Shawn Burke provided information on the BPD’s involvement in the incident, including why our officers were called to the scene, a timeline of events, and how our internal review process works.

Vermont Business Magazine Today, Vermont Speaker of the House Jill Krowinski provided a statement and presented an overview of the bills that have made the legislative crossover deadline. They include: H.577: The bill establishes a Prescription Drug Discount Card Program, administered by the State Treasurer, that pools purchasing power with other states and organizations to negotiate lower drug costs for all Vermont residents; H.211; The bill is an update to Vermont’s first in the nation data broker law which limits data brokers ability to sell Vermonter’s data; H.949: This bill sets the homestead and nonhomestead education property tax rates and yields for fiscal year 2027 and reserves $104.9 million in the Education Fund to help offset property tax rate increases over the next two years; H.723: The bill makes it easier for Vermonters to post their land, by no longer requiring dates on postings and ensuring that minor issues with postings will not result in land being open; H.887: The bill aligns definitions in safe leave in the Parental and Family Leave Act, so that it matches the Fair Employment Practices Act.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Immigration Legal Defense Fund (VILDF) today announced that it has raised more than $850,000 from thousands of donors across the state since its launch on May 8, 2025. The organization has a goal of raising $1 million in one year to create a sustainable immigration legal defense system in Vermont. The incredible grass roots support reflects Vermonters’ motivation to uphold the right to due process for all persons as it is enshrined in Bill of Rights of the United States Constitution.

Vermont Busienss Magazine The Shires of Southwestern Vermont Destination Marketing Organization (DMO), an affiliate of the Southwestern Vermont Chamber and in partnership with Matte Olive and Hearst StoryStudio, is celebrating the successful completion of a major destination marketing campaign designed to attract new, diverse, first-time visitors to Southern Vermont through inclusive storytelling, targeted promotion, and data-informed strategy. The campaign was made possible through a State of Vermont tourism marketing grant focused on helping destinations reach new audiences through integrated, research-driven promotion.

Vermont Business Magazine On Wednesday, March 18th, Village Garage Distillery’s Founder Matt Cushman, Director of Sales Douglas Goble, and head of Marketing Tom Remp were in attendance at the Vermont State House for the reading of H.C.R.187, a House concurrent resolution congratulating VGD on “winning a silver medal at the 2025 San Francisco World Spirits Competition for Bonfire… a smoked maple bourbon.”

The Vermont State Police investigated the death of a man who was in the custody of the Vermont Department of Corrections. VSP was notified at about 9:40 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, that Gregory H. Penn, a 68-year-old inmate at the Southern State Correctional Facility in Springfield, had died while receiving palliative care in the prison infirmary for a terminal illness. The Vermont Chief Medical Examiner’s Office in Burlington, determined the cause of death to be from complications of an ongoing medical issue. The manner of death was classified as natural.  

Vermont Business Magazine Dedicated to supporting people with developmental disabilities and their families, Families First in Southern Vermont will celebrate its first year serving the Bennington County community in May. So far, FFSV has welcomed 32 people who have benefitted directly from person centered support, adult learning opportunities and coordination to help people with disabilities to find and keep meaningful employment.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Health reported last week that the number of COVID-19 hospitalizations have fallen below 5 cases statewide, their lowest reading this year. There were no measles cases after one reported in Vermont in February in Washington County and the rate nationally is low. While there was no measles virus detected recently, COVID-19, RSV and Norovirus remained elevated at all the Vermont wastewater testing sites. Outbreaks increased slightly from mid-summer and have recently subsided, especially in residential care facilities. School outbreaks in recent months have been rare.