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Vermont Business Magazine Average gasoline prices in Vermont are $3.36/g, up 38.0 cents per gallon from last week's $2.98/g. The lowest price in the state yesterday was $2.88/g while the highest was $3.89/g, a difference of $1.01/g. The national average price of gasoline has risen 51.1 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.45/g today. The national average is up 54.1 cents per gallon from a month ago and stands 41.6 cents per gallon higher than a year ago

Vermont Business Magazine U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont), Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, today demanded answers from The Strategy Group Company, Safe America Media LLC, and People Who Think LLC about potential corruption and conflicts of interest stemming from their involvement in no-bid contracts awarded by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The contracts, which totaled more than $220 million in taxpayer dollars, were awarded to produce an advertising campaign featuring recently-ousted Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem. Some of the firms involved have deep ties to Secretary Noem and her inner circle. 

Vermont Business Magazine From March 8 to March 14, the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) recognizes Flood Safety Awareness Week. With recent major flood events and spring flood season underway, DEC wants to remind Vermonters about the benefits of floodplain protection and how to reduce damage from flooding if your home or workplace is at risk of flooding. 

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Center for Emerging Technologies (VCET) will host the first-ever Northeast Meetup at SXSW in Austin, TX, March 13. The meetup will serve as a gathering space for founders, investors, and ecosystem leaders from across the Northeast. The goal is to strengthen the connective tissue within the Northeast region while visiting far-off places like SXSW. The Northeast Meetup marks the first coordinated meetup of its kind at SXSW, uniting anyone from the Northeast to share ideas, build relationships, and amplify the region’s impact. Since the vibe is Northeast, the event will be casual, but the time will feature networking opportunities, curated discussions, and of course, wicked fun games.

Vermont Center for Emerging Technologies Julie Jatlow is truly a queen. She is one of the owners of Fuse, a teen and young adult marketing agency helping brands reach the younger generation. Julie explains everything from working with the world’s biggest brands to strategies centered on youth culture, sports, and experiential marketing.

by Emily Bradbury High school seniors at home for winter break last month were likely asked–at least once–about their plans after graduation. While some Vermont students will go onto college and others directly into a job or military service, nearly 20 percent will graduate without a clear plan. In fact, Vermont has the lowest high school graduation rate and the lowest college-going rate in New England. At the same time, Vermont employers can't fill critical positions and communities need help with everything from housing to disaster response. The paradox has a solution: paid service that turns community challenges into career pathways.

Vermont Business Magazine Celebrating its 75th anniversary season this summer, Marlboro Music—the internationally renowned chamber music school and festival under the artistic leadership of pianists Mitsuko Uchida and Jonathan Biss—brings together some 80 exceptional musicians from around the world for seven weeks of intensive musical collaboration, exploration, and performance. Throughout the summer, Marlboro artists—of diverse ages, backgrounds, and perspectives—will explore chamber music works in great depth, with unlimited time and ideal conditions. Those groups that feel they have gotten to the very heart of the music will then present to the public the exciting results of their efforts during five weekends of concerts and open rehearsals from July 18 to August 16, on the Marlboro Music campus in beautiful southern Vermont.

Vermont Business Magazine Chocolate lovers, artisans, and makers will gather in downtown Middlebury March 14-15 for the first annual Vermont Chocolate Festival, a celebration dedicated to the craft, culture, and community of fine chocolate. Hosted in the brand-new wing of the historic Town Hall Theater, the Festival brings together chocolatiers, bean-to-bar makers, and enthusiasts for tastings, demonstrations, presentations, and hands-on experiences designed to deepen appreciation for chocolate as a global artisan product. Presented by Adagio Chocolates, a Middlebury, Vermont importer and boutique retailer specializing in intentionally curated fine and craft chocolate, the festival represents a new step in connecting chocolate lovers with the people who make it, fostering communal learning, discovery, and conversation.

Vermont Agency of Education Academic integrity is the number one concern school leaders raise about Artificial Intelligence (AI), and for good reason. There is no magic bullet, AI detection tools aren't reliable, and most students have easy access to AI outside of school systems. So what can you actually do? This workshop digs into practical strategies: shifting assessment toward process over product, building school-wide consistency around expectations, and rethinking what we ask students to do in the first place. We'll also explore why content knowledge is the real foundation here. When students lack that foundation, AI can become a crutch instead of a tool, and that's where both integrity and learning break down.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont ranks 49th in the US for fast-food restaurants per 100,000 residents, with just 27.65 outlets per 100,000 people - the lowest in the nation. While chains such as Subway, McDonald’s, and Taco Bell are present, the Green Mountain State has significantly fewer fast-food outlets per capita than anywhere else in the country. Known for its farm-to-table culture, independent eateries, and local produce, Vermont stands out as America’s least fast-food focused state. West Virginia is named the fast food capital of the US, with 49.04 fast food restaurants per 100,000 residents.

The Vermont Ski and Snowboard Museum will host the Vermont Ski & Snowboard Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and Reception on Saturday, May 30, 2026, from 5:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the K-1 Lodge at Killington Resort. After postponing last year’s celebration, the Museum looks forward to honoring the combined Classes of 2025 and 2026, along with the recipients of the Paul Robbins Journalism Award, First Tracks Award, and Bill McCollom Community Award. The 2025 and 2026 Hall of Fame inductees include Ned Hamilton, a ski industry retail entrepreneur; Harry “Rebel” Ryan, alpine ski racer and industry advocate; Hannah Teter, snowboard Olympian and philanthropist; Win Smith, ski resort leader and industry executive; and John Tidd, Nordic skiing innovator and instructional pioneer. The Paul Robbins Journalism Award will go to Gary Black. The First Tracks Award will go to Noah Dines. The Bill McCollom Community Award will go to Craftsbury Outdoor Center.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine Vermont initial weekly unemployment claims more than doubled last week to nearly 800. For the week ending February 28, 2026, the Vermont Department of Labor reported that there were 790 new claims, up 406 from the previous week and up 119 from last year at this time. New claims had leveled off at under 400 after the holiday season; ongoing claims remain high. Total claims were 4,688, up 403 from the week before and are up 204 from last year at this time. Nationally, all three major stock indexes suffered this week as the bombing in Iran continued, the jobs report was bad and, from last week, inflation was up. The Fed, which meets next week, had been expected to keep interest rates where they are. But the poor employment numbers coupled with a sagging stock market will put pressure on the Fed to cut rates to stimulate the economy. On the other hand, with inflation pushing up, the Fed must consider whether a rate cut would feed higher inflation.