Current News

Vermont State Police On Monday, Feb. 23, 2026, the Vermont State Police Drug Task Force and the Brattleboro Police Department arrested Justin Nation, 33, of East Hartford, Connecticut, and Mark Kriskov, 63, of Brattleboro.  The arrests stemmed from a months-long drug investigation conducted by detectives with the Vermont Drug Task Force into the distribution of fentanyl and cocaine from 32 Fairground Rd. in Brattleboro. The VDTF investigation involved the use of confidential informants who purchased cocaine from Kriskov on four occasions and from Nation on one occasion. Two separate searches of an apartment at 32 Fairground Rd. yielded 885 bags of suspected fentanyl, weighing about 22 grams; 111 grams of crack cocaine; a firearm; and evidence of manufacturing cocaine base. 

The Vermont State Police has continued to investigate a wrong-way multi-vehicle crash that occurred Dec. 17, 2025, on Interstate 89 in Bolton and resulted in the death of one motorist. State police determined that the wrong-way driver, 45-year-old Timothy Wooster of Jericho, had been traveling north in the southbound lanes for about 1.5 miles before colliding head-on with a southbound vehicle driven by 21-year-old Hailey Westcot of Northfield, who died at the scene. As a result of VSP’s investigation, on Friday, Feb. 27, 2026, troopers issued Wooster a citation which included a charge for second-degree murder.

Vermont Business Magazine U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont) and colleagues have introduced the E-Access Act of 2026, bicameral legislation to promote energy efficiency and help consumers save money by improving access to their energy consumption data. “Energy usage data is an important tool that families and businesses can use to improve their efficiency and lower their utility bills. But it’s too difficult for many Americans to access that data,” said Senator Welch. “We’re working to make it easier for consumers to make informed choices that will help lower their energy bills and speed our transition to an energy-efficient economy.”

Vermont League Of Cities & Towns With Town Meeting Day and the legislature’s annual crossover break just a few days away, in this Weekly Legislative Report we prepare you to meet with your local lawmakers and advocate effectively for the most urgent issues for local government. Make the Most of Town Meeting Week Next week’s legislative recess means lawmakers will be back in their home districts to meet with constituents. Our advocacy team has worked hard over the last several months to push for VLCT’s top priorities. We need your help talking to legislators about these top concerns.

Vermont Business Magazine On Tuesday, March 3, 2026, Community National Bank’s President and CEO Christopher Caldwell and Executive Vice President and CFO Louise Bonvechio will ring the Nasdaq closing bell at Nasdaq MarketSite in Times Square, New York City, surrounded by several directors and members of the bank’s leadership team. This moment will mark an important milestone in the bank’s history and highlights its continued commitment to serving its communities with strength, integrity, and long‑term focus.

Vermont Business Magazine Today, Vermont Conservation Voters (VCV) released the Vermont Congressional delegation’s scores for the League of Conservation Voters’ 2025 National Environmental Scorecard, which highlights our state’s leaders’ work to protect our environment and democracy. Since 1970, LCV’s Scorecard has been the primary tool for evaluating the environmental records of members of Congress. The 2025 Scorecard highlights Vermont’s leaders' work to protect our environment despite an unprecedented year with a record number of attacks on our environment and democracy. Our delegation fought against Republicans in Congress who repeatedly chose loyalty to the Trump administration and Big Polluters over making life more affordable, safer, and healthier for their own constituents.

Vermont Business Magazine A Vermont man was released from detention by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement after filing a petition for writ of habeas corpus with the U.S. District Court in New Hampshire through his attorneys from the Center for Justice Reform Clinic (CJRC) at Vermont Law and Graduate School. U.S. District Judge Joseph N. Laplante on Friday ordered the release of Pastor Steven Tendo, who was held in New Hampshire for 16 days after inadequate ICE notice of revocation of his longstanding order of supervision. Tendo was arrested on Feb. 4, 2026 — just two days before his previously scheduled in-person check-in with ICE.

Vermont Business Magazine The Chittenden Solid Waste District (CSWD) has been awarded a $111,323 grant from the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to help offset the costs of providing convenient facilities and public education for the safe and proper disposal of hazardous waste generated by residents and qualifying businesses. The grant is part of a solid waste assistance fund provided by the state to help towns and solid waste planning entities implement their solid waste plans, as required by state law. The grant is awarded annually by the DEC, an arm of the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources. CSWD uses the grant to help fund the District's hazardous waste collection program, which includes the Environmental Depot, a facility located in South Burlington that accepts hazardous waste year-round from households and Chittenden County businesses, and the Rover, a mobile collection program that complements the Depot. 

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Chamber of Commerce and the Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing have announced the winners for the 2026/27 Vermont Signature Events program. These signature events offer experiences that fuel the Vermont visitor economy. In 2024, visitor spending hit a record by contributing $4.2 billion to Vermont’s economy.

Vermont Business Magazine Champlain College today announced that BETA Technologies (BETA) president and chief executive officer, Kyle Clark, will deliver the keynote address to the Class of 2026 at the College’s commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 9. Clark, an Essex, Vermont native, will also be presented with an honorary doctorate of technology and innovation honoris causa. Clark is an aerospace engineer, pilot, and entrepreneur who founded BETA, a Vermont-based company that designs and manufactures electric aircraft, their critical systems and components, such as motors and batteries, as well as the ground support equipment to charge them. Under his leadership, BETA has grown from a small startup in Burlington into a nationally recognized pioneer in electric aviation that is redefining the aerospace industry and working to make electric aviation a reality.

Vermont Business Magazine At the State of the Union address on Feb. 24, Chief Warrant Officer 5 Eric Slover, a graduate of Norwich University’s College of Graduate and Continuing Studies (CGCS), stood in the U.S. Capitol as the nation’s highest military honor – the Medal of Honor – was placed around his neck. CW5 Slover joins a prestigious alumni community that has been honored with the Medal of Honor. President Donald Trump cited CW5 Slover’s remarkable heroism during a high-risk military operation in Venezuela, which resulted in the capture of Nicolás Maduro. During the mission, CW5 Slover sustained serious wounds but continued to lead and fly his CH-47 Chinook under fire to ensure mission success. 

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today announced his appointment of Jon Murad to serve as the permanent corrections commissioner after serving as interim commissioner since August. Born and raised in Underhill, Murad served in law enforcement for twenty years. He held a variety of police roles in the New York City Police Department, retiring as an assistant commissioner, and then served as the chief of police in Burlington before becoming interim commissioner.