Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont’s Killington Resort, the largest four-season resort in Eastern North America, charges into summer with a loaded events lineup including golf tournaments, mountain bike competitions, food celebrations, free concerts and more. Summer attraction passes, including the year-round Beast 365 pass, are available so you don’t miss a minute of the fun. The action kicks off on Memorial Day weekend with the Total Archery Challenge at Pico Mountain and the Killington Stage Race culminating in Killington. Can’t miss events include the Fox US Open of Mountain Biking and the Killington Wine Festival, and the action continues all the way through October with the annual Harvest Faire during Indigenous People’s Weekend. 

Vermont Business Magazine Stowe Mountain Resort "greened up" the resort on Friday, May 3, before partnering with Green Up Vermont to clear a section of Route 100 from Gold Brook to Bear Run in lower Stowe Village, near the Moscow Road/Route 100 intersection. Each year, our resort teams and their family and friends gather to help clean up our local roads and waterways – on a mission to promote the stewardship of the state’s natural landscape and waterways, and the livability of its communities. Mount Snow and Okemo's Epic Promise teams also partnered with Green Up Vermont. 

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department says deer fawns are being born this time of year and asks that people avoid disturbing or picking them up. Most deer fawns are born in late May and the first and second weeks of June, according to Vermont deer biologist Nick Fortin. Fortin says it is best to keep your distance because the fawn’s mother is almost always nearby.  When people see a small fawn alone, they often mistakenly assume it is helpless, lost or needing to be rescued. Fawns do not attempt to evade predators during their first few weeks, instead relying on camouflage and stillness to remain undetected.  During these times, fawns learn critical survival skills from their mothers.  Bringing a fawn into a human environment results in separation from its mother, and it usually results in a sad ending for the animal.

Vermont Business Magazine Comcast Business today increased Internet speeds for customers, nationwide, at no additional cost. Comcast Business announced the introduction of its fastest Internet plans yet – Ultimate Speed for Business – with up to triple the speeds. Additionally, Comcast Business announced the roll-out of next-generation multi-gigabit symmetrical business Internet speeds, powered by Full Duplex technology, in select markets.

Saint Michael's College Three students from Saint Michael’s were selected as Fulbright winners for the 2024-25 academic year and will all depart in January 2025 for their selected countries. All three will be working as English Teaching Assistants. Abdimalik Hashi M’24, who is graduating from Saint Michael’s MATESOL program, will be in Kenya; Carson O’Neil ’23 will be in Costa Rica; and Willow Schaefer ’24 will be in South Korea. Political Science Professor Patricia Siplon supports applicants to the Fulbright program at Saint Michael’s and said each of this year’s three winners has a unique story to tell. Siplon said she is “looking forward to continuing the work to propel our campus into having a thriving and full-scale Fulbright culture.”

Vermont Business Magazine In an effort to better serve the Stowe community, Berkshire Hathaway Home Services Vermont Realty Group and the Trombley & Day Group are pleased to announce the opening of a new branch office in Stowe. The office is located in the old Springer Miller office building at 782 Mountain Road. The award-winning Trombley & Day group has been active in the Morrisville/Stowe area for the past 24 years, operating from their original office at 5 Park Street in Morrisville. They are thrilled to have the opportunity to now better serve the Stowe community with a convenient in-town space.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Senate today gave final approval to landmark legislation that holds the largest fossil fuel companies financially accountable for a portion of the costs of climate change: The Climate Superfund Act (S.259). Earlier this month, the House of Representatives voted in favor of the legislation on second and third readings. S.259, An act relating to climate change cost recovery, earned tripartisan support in both chambers. The bill now heads to Governor Phil Scott for action. He can either sign the legislation, veto it, or take no action for five days and the bill will become law without his signature. If Scott vetoes the legislation, the General Assembly could reconvene in mid-June to consider an override vote.

by Norah White, Community News Service Lawmakers appear to be putting the final touches on a bill that prohibits the possession of ghost guns — firearms without serial numbers built at home using separately purchased parts. Ghost guns are often built with ready-made kits or 3D-printed parts, and because the individual parts are not considered guns under federal law, they aren’t subject to the same regulations. Law enforcement has a harder time tracking these guns, say supporters of the bill, S.209. The bill would bar people from having guns, frames or receivers that lack serial numbers or transferring them to someone else. That would apply to unfinished parts, too. It would also require people who build a gun or a receiver to get it imprinted with a serial number. Legislators have been going back and forth on the punishments in the bill since it passed the Senate in February and the House late last month.

by Norah White, Community News Service Earlier this year, lawmakers were discussing a bill that would ban people from flying drones less than 100 feet above private property or using a drone to conduct surveillance. The bill — H.284 — missed the crossover deadline and didn't make it out of its House committee. But the bill’s proposals still have a chance of becoming law after legislators added the original bill’s language to H.878, which deals with “miscellaneous judiciary procedures.” That bill passed the House in late March, and senators have been discussing it across April.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine Weekly unemployment claims fell for the week ending May 4, 2024, as new claims remain relatively high. This could be the result of the extended ski season slowly winding down after a late surge of snow and the surge of eclipse visitors to the state. from April 8. The Service industry accounts for the vast majority of claims with 71%. For the week, there were 440 claims, down 46 for the week but 52 more than this time last year. Meanwhile, the state unemployment rate remains near historic low levels as employment and the labor force have increased (2.2 percent in March 2024). 

Vermont Business Magazine V/T Commercial real estate agents in Burlington have released their most recent transactions. They include: the sale of the former Little Morocco restaurant in Burlington; FEMA renewed its lease at 312 Hurricane Lane, Williston; The former Denny's Restaurant located at 714-730 Shelburne Road, South Burlington, was recently sold; announced the sale of the former Sirloin Saloon property at 2545 Shelburne Road, Shelburne to Jeff Hutchins.

Vermont Business Magazine When Northern Vermont University merged with Castleton University and Vermont Tech, leaders at the three institutions envisioned a feeling of collaboration between the new Vermont State University (VTSU) campuses. Less than a year into the VTSU’s first year, student leaders on each campus have been at the forefront of sharing ideas and creating a unified spirit among all students. Notably, the student government groups from the VTSU campuses have adopted a common constitution, which they formally adopted on Friday May 3.