Current News

Vermont State Police On April 17, 2024, Jon Schurger (22) of Saint Albans City, VT appeared before the Franklin County Superior Court Criminal Division regarding additional charges stemming from the fatal motor vehicle crash that took place during the early morning hours of June 18, 2023, involving Carson Smith (16) then of Berkshire, VT. Schurger was arraigned on additional charges of manslaughter, contributing to the delinquency of a minor and 2 additional counts of furnishing alcohol to a minor. Schurger entered a plea of not guilty on April 17, 2024, to the aforementioned charges. This case was transferred to the Washington County State’s Attorneys Office, after the Franklin County State’s Attorneys Office recused themselves from this case due to a conflict of interest.

Vermont Business Magazine On Monday, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) announced the selection of the Upper Valley Lake Sunapee Regional Planning Commission (UVLSRPC) as a recipient of a $1,188,443 Thriving Communities Regional Pilot Capacity Builder grant. In partnership with Two Rivers- Ottauquechee Regional Commission (TRORC), UVLSRPC will use these funds to support under-resourced and disadvantaged communities in identifying, developing, and delivering transportation projects to achieve locally driven economic development, health, environment, mobility, and access goals. These communities include Acworth, Charlestown, Enfield, Goshen, Lebanon, Lempster, Orford, and Plainfield in New Hampshire; and Bethel, Granville, Hancock, Hartford, Hartland, and Royalton in Vermont. 

VermontBiz U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) released the following statement today after the Senate voted to dismiss articles of impeachment against Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas:  

“Articles of impeachment should never be weaponized—they should be presented solemnly and rarely, and only when there is a sound, constitutional standing. The House’s sham impeachment did not rise to that occasion.  

VermontBiz Union Bankshares, Inc. (NASDAQ - UNB) today announced results for the three months ended March 31, 2024 and declared a regular quarterly cash dividend. Consolidated net income for the three months ended March 31, 2024 was $2.4 million, or $0.53 per share, compared to $3.0 million, or $0.66 cents per share, for the same period in 2023, a decrease of $560 thousand, or 18.8%.

VermontBiz Beginning today, the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets is releasing grant details for a new USDA initiative to build resilience in the food supply chain, provide more and better markets to farms and food businesses, support the development of value-added products, and promote equitable and safe jobs. These Resilient Food System Infrastructure grants, or RFSI, will reach all 50 states and territories. Vermont is awarding over $3.2 million in grants, broken into two rounds, to Vermont businesses and organizations that strengthen local and regional food systems.  

VermontBiz Becker’s Hospital Review has included the University of Vermont Health Network on its 2024 150 Top Places to Work in Healthcare list, noting it is among the hospitals and health systems that prioritize workplace excellence and the happiness, satisfaction, wellbeing, and fulfillment of employees – traits that lead to better care for patients.

VermontBiz Following the highly successful Building Bright Futures job fair hosted by the Vermont Retail Lumber Dealers Association (VRLDA), members of the association converged on the State's capital Tuesday to advocate strongly for Senate Bill 304, which has stalled in the House Education committee following its passage in the Senate. This bill aims to comprehensively overhaul the State's Career and Technical Education (CTE) system. Serving as a cornerstone of the VRLDA's workforce development efforts, it promises to establish pathways for Vermont students to access well-paying jobs, enabling them to forge successful careers and lives within our state.

VermontBiz Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak announced today the group of community partners who will advise the administration throughout the FY25 budget planning process. The Mayor’s Community Advisory Team will provide input on the City’s FY25 budget by offering expertise, analysis, and recommendations that help ensure the budget aligns with the City’s priorities and financial requirements. The team will play a supportive role to City staff and the Mayor, who will retain final decision-making power. 

VermontBiz Our villages are an essential part of Vermont’s communities, identity, and future. The Village Trust Initiative (VTI) is designed to promote the community-driven revitalization of the physical and social infrastructure that have been the foundation of success for Vermont’s small villages. 

VermontBiz Prepare to embark on an epic journey to a galaxy far, far away as Southern Vermont's premier event invites you to celebrate May The Fourth Be With You Day. Delight in interstellar concoctions, rebel-approved eclectic vendors, and a jedi-worthy feast. Savor exotic brews, gather around blazing lightsaber fire pits, and toast to the finest homebrews in the galaxy! All this and more awaits you at the 14th Annual Southern Vermont Homebrew Festival  on Saturday, May 4th on Depot Street in Bennington, Vermont.

Vermont Business Magazine Mack Molding, a leading custom plastic injection molder and supplier of contract manufacturing services, announced Tuesday that Josh Pang has been appointed Northern Division President. Pang will succeed Mack Molding President Jeff Somple when he retires later this year. As President of Mack Molding’s Northern Division, Pang will be responsible for the Company’s four Vermont facilities, as well as Mack Prototype, a prototyping and low-volume manufacturing facility in Massachusetts, and Synectic Product Development, an engineering services group in Connecticut. Mack Molding is part of Mack Group, which includes global provider of complex electronic manufacturing services, Mack Technologies, and is led by President and CEO Will Kendall. Pang will be reporting to Kendall, along with Mack Molding Southern Division President Bryan Campbell.

by Holly Sullivan, Community News Service Despite being one of the cloudiest and coldest states, Vermont has the country’s second-highest rate of new skin cancer cases per capita. Using more sunscreen could reduce the rate, and lawmakers want to make it easier to start the habit young. Senators passed S.187 last month to allow students to apply sunscreen freely without it being regulated like a medicine. The bill would let kids carry non-spray sunscreen in backpacks and slather it on whenever they see fit, as long as their parents sign an annual form. A House committee took up the proposal last week. Right now, putting on sunscreen in Vermont schools is a tall order.