Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Place Creative, a B Corporation-certified, woman owned, full service advertising agency based in Vermont, is celebrating 25 years in business in 2026. The milestone reflects the agency’s long-standing commitment to thoughtful problem-solving, its people, and the clients it serves, many of which are beloved Vermont brands and mission-driven organizations. “From the beginning, we set out to build a company that puts people, purpose, and problem-solving at the center of everything we do,” said Keri Piatek, Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer at Place Creative. “Twenty-five years later, we’re proud of the impact our work has had on Vermont brands and organizations that share those same values.”

Vermont Business Magazine Saba Marine will host its third annual Saba Marine Boat Show from March 20 to 22, 2026, at its showroom in Colchester. The event is open to the public and offers one of the first opportunities to step aboard and prepare for boating season across the region. Located at 390 Prim Road in Colchester, VT, the show will feature Vermont’s largest selection of new, pre-owned, and brokerage boats. Attendees can compare layouts side by side and speak directly with the sales team about inventory, trade-ins, financing, and what ownership looks like beyond delivery. Founded in 2010, Saba Marine is a locally owned, family-operated dealership serving Vermont and New York boaters. Each spring, the boat show arrives just before docks fill and demand increases across the region. For many, it is a chance to secure the right boat before the season is fully underway.

Vermont Business Magazine Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) will hold his fourth annual Youth Chess Day this weekend on Saturday, March 14 at Vermont State University in Randolph for students grades 1-12. This is a great opportunity for both experienced and beginner chess enthusiasts to test their skills and enjoy a recreational tournament with other students and Senator Sanders. The day will kick off at 11 a.m. with a Learn-to-Play Session for grades 1-8, followed by a break for lunch, which will be served free for all participants. In the afternoon, players will test their skills at the Recreational Tournament. Students with all levels of experience are welcome and highly encouraged to attend.

Vermont Business Magazine Surf Air Mobility Inc (NYSE: SRFM), a leading air mobility platform, and BETA Technologies (NYSE: BETA), an electric aerospace company based in South Burlington, Vermont, on Thursday announced an Aircraft Purchase Agreement and strategic partnership intended to accelerate the introduction of safe, reliable, and profitable advanced air mobility solutions. Under the terms of the Aircraft Purchase Agreement, Surf Air Mobility has signed a firm order for 25 all-electric ALIA CTOL aircraft and has the option to add up to 75 additional aircraft to its order. The aircraft will be introduced into Surf Air Mobility’s platform for regional operations. This order adds to BETA’s growing commercial aircraft backlog and highlights the versatility of its ALIA aircraft across passenger, cargo, and medical use cases.

Vermont Business Magazine The Attorney General’s Office today announced the conclusion of its independent review of a non-fatal officer-involved shooting that occurred on January 1, 2026, in Ludlow, Vermont. Attorney General Charity Clark has declined to prosecute Ludlow Police Department Chief Jeffrey Warfle for charges related to the use of deadly force in the non-fatal shooting of Jaime Gomez, 18. The incident began around 6:22 a.m. on January 1, 2026, when Chief Warfle traveled to the Fox Run Inn in Lulow in response to a 911 call to investigate a reported noise disturbance. The 911 caller had reported that the noise was coming from another occupant who lived in the first-floor unit directly below.

Vermont Business Magazine U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont), a member of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy, and Consumer Rights, cosponsored the Safeguarding Consumers from Advertising Misconduct (SCAM) Act, bipartisan legislation led by U.S. Senators Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) and Bernie Moreno (D-Ohio), to crack down on predatory online scams advertisements that cost Americans billions of dollars every year. The Senators’ legislation would require online platforms to take reasonable steps to prevent fraudulent and deceptive ads and strengthen accountability when scams slip through. The bill would also strengthen the Federal Trade Commission’s and states’ ability to enforce violations of consumer protection laws. The SCAM Act is supported by The Vermont Country Store.

Vermont Business Magazine Louise Winton (Forbes) Luring died March 10, 2026, after living for 9 years with pulmonary fibrosis. She
was born in Orange, N.J., May 5, 1940, the daughter of George and Marian (Holbrook) Forbes. As a child, she lived in Westfield and Middlesex, N.J., and graduated from Bound Brook (N.J.) High School in 1958. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Spanish from Jackson College of Tufts University in 1962 and
later received a master’s degree in teaching Spanish and English as a Second Language from the School for International Training.

by Jules Older For what feels like a long, long time, I've been saying this: We should stop automatically denigrating all things AI, stop wishful-thinking it will go away, stop denouncing it as the devil’s pitchfork. Then, we should start thinking about, talking about, planning and designing a different kind of world. And this: If I'm right about this job-deficient future, visionaries, philosophers, politicians, planners and governments need to think seriously about how people, mostly without jobs and work, will thrive. And the time to start thinking about what will replace jobs and work is right n-o-w.

Vermont Business Magazine The Attorney General’s Office today announced that it has reached a settlement with United Counseling Service of Bennington County, Inc (UCS), resolving allegations of service failures that resulted in serious safety risks to Medicaid recipients and to the public. Under the settlement, UCS will pay the State of Vermont $483,464 and implement dramatic organizational reforms, including appointing an external oversight monitor, hiring a new director of quality to take over day-to-day management of the division, and publicly reporting substantive corrections for up to three years.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine According to multiple reports, federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents (ICE) on Wednesday morning attempted to apprehend an alleged undocumented immigrant who had previously been deported and re-entered the US. A car chase involving ICE ensued near the South Burlington High School and Tuttle Middle School on Dorset Street and nearby off-road areas. The result of the chase was multiple-vehicle crashes with reportedly two subjects fleeing the scene. A small building on Dorset Street was then sited as the apparent location of the subjects and others rumored to being related to the subjects. ICE agents then waited several hours for a federal warrant to allow them to enter the building, which they eventually received. Local law enforcement as well as Vermont State Police were also on the scene as over 100 protesters eventually congregated. Once the warrant was served, law enforcement and protesters clashed, some protesters were arrested, there were minor injuries to protesters and law enforcement and the subject of the original arrest warrant was found not to be in the building and as of this writing remains at large.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine Average gasoline prices in Vermont are $3.50 per gallon, up 34 cents per gallon from last week, up 51 cents/g from last month and up 36 cents/g from a year ago, according to AAA, as the war in Iran has created chaos and uncertainty, drone strikes on shipping and pushed Brent crude over $100 a barrel. The national average price of gasoline has risen 34 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.59/g today. The national average is up 65 cents per gallon from a month ago and stands 51 cents per gallon higher than a year ago.

Vermont Business Magazine Today, Treasurer Pieciak stood with local leaders in Brattleboro to announce a major $4 million funding commitment from his 10% in VT program to support Phase 1 of The Village at Winston Prouty. The $9.5 million project will build 28 new units of workforce housing on the Winston Prouty campus. The treasurer’s investment is the most significant tranche of funding committed to date. Units will target 80 to 120% of area median income, supporting more affordable local housing options, a stronger hiring pipeline for Brattleboro employers, and economic growth for generations to come. Residents will have direct access to child and family services from The Winston Prouty Center and enjoy close proximity to trails and natural green space.