Current News

by Maggie Lenz and Gwynn Zakov The Great Squeeze By now we're all aware of the financial constraints the governor and legislature are facing as they finalize the FY26 budget adjustment act and dive deeper into the FY27 state budget. What's happening at the national, state, and local levels all has an impact on the state budget. For legislators, decisions made to address fiscal issues often depend on what district they're from, what political party they belong to, and even where their personal experience and knowledge base leads them. The governor has been clear in his administration's approach, which is fiscal constraint at all costs, and all agency and department heads know their marching orders. And don't forget, he also promised to veto a budget and not allow legislators to go home this year until he gets a new consolidated district map that's tied to forward momentum towards robust education reform.

Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets Interested applicants are invited to submit pre-applications to Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC) programs for Spring 2026 funding consideration. Pre-applications may be submitted for the following programs: The CATALYST PROGRAM stimulates economic growth and inspires partnerships that improve rural economic vitality across the four-state NBRC region. The FOREST ECONOMY PROGRAM supports the forest-based economy and assists in the industry’s evolution to include new technologies and viable business models across the four-state NBRC region. The TIMBER FOR TRANSIT PROGRAM advances the use of domestic forest products in transportation infrastructure projects across the four-state NBRC region to showcase the capabilities of wood in these applications.

by Kate Kampner, Community News Service A 10-minute walk from the State House, members of Rural Vermont are supporting legislation that keeps the working farmer in mind. The farmer advocacy group has been lobbying for new bills — and reevaluating old bills — since the first week of the legislative session. Founded in 1985, Rural Vermont has spent 40 years as an advocate and amplifier for farmer voices. The group has successfully pushed for legislation that legalized hemp and required labeling of GMO-enhanced foods, among others. This session, however, the group is focused on bills related to climate change funding, pollutants and the control towns have over farm operations, to name a few.

Vermont State Police An incident Friday, Feb. 6, 2026, at the South Burlington Post Office that initially was reported as a suspicious package turned out to have been a can of irritant spray that accidentally came open inside a USPS vehicle. The incident, which prompted numerous emergency crews including the Vermont State Police Bomb Squad to respond to the White Street facility, is not suspicious. The driver of the delivery truck, which was parked outside the post office, was treated and released after reporting moderate ill effects from exposure to an unknown liquid.

Vermont State Police is investigating a suspicious death in the Addison County town of Hancock. The investigation began at about 10:30 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026, when police received a report of an altercation at a property on Bettis Road. First responders located a man dead in a vehicle near the scene. Initial investigation indicates this incident arose from a dispute involving individuals who knew one another. Everyone associated with this matter is accounted for, and there is no identified danger to the public. 

Vermont Business Magazine FOX Weather meteorologists Ian Oliver and Bayne Froney will present episode four of season two of FOX Weather Ski House live from Stratton Mountain Resort in Stratton, Vermont on Wednesday, February 11th from 12-3PM/ET. Sponsored by VRBO, Oliver and Froney will broadcast live from one of the most popular ski resorts in the country to present viewers with the local weather forecast at the resort to best prepare for the weather conditions and show viewers the best way to enjoy their winter ski getaway at the resort. During the special, Oliver and Froney will interview former competitive snowboarder and Vermont Resident Griffin MacFayden who will discuss his rise in the industry that led him to win USASA national titles and will showcase his freestyle tricks on the slopes.

Vermont Ski & Snowboard Museum As part of the Vermont Ski and Snowboard Museum’s Red Bench Speaker Series, enjoy an evening of storytelling, cinematography, and photography that ties together three generations of a Stowe family of filmmakers on Thursday, February 12, at 6:30 pm. Lew and Freedle Coty will reveal how skiing and snowboarding have influenced their creative lives, with footage and pictures that capture the daring feats and epic adventures of skiers and snowboarders near and far. The story began with Vic Coty (1901–1987), a Princeton graduate who opted out of corporate life, moved to Stowe in the 1930s, and began filming skiers like Sepp Ruschp, Dick Durrance, and other well-known skiers of the time. He predated Warren Miller as a filmmaker. For more than 45 years, Vic showed his adventure movies at Stowe’s Akeley Memorial Auditorium, where he narrated scenes of bikini skiing on Mt. Mansfield’s Nosedive, dropping into Corbet’s Couloir in Jackson Hole, powder skiing in the Rockies, hang gliding, grass skiing, and whitewater kayaking.

by Geo Honigford Vermont strives to be a place where fairness matters. It’s part of a broader culture we nurture and gravitate to as residents in this state. That principle breaks down when it comes to our education funding system; public schools and publicly-funded private schools are held to two very different sets of standards. Public schools are required to meet a full set of standards designed to protect students and ensure accountability. This includes following curriculum guidelines, offering services to students with disabilities, and meeting rules around financial transparency, and hiring licensed teachers. Private/independent schools, many of which have around 90% of their students on the public dollar, are receiving the same public tax dollars but not held to those same standards.

Vermont Business Magazine For most students, competing against the dictionary sounds like a nightmare. For Phoenix Newell, an eighth-grader at the Riverside School in Lyndonville, it’s just another fun challenge. Already a two-time Vermont State Spelling Bee champion, Newell is now aiming for a rare “three-peat.” She secured her spot in the upcoming state competition by winning the Riverside School spelling bee on Feb. 28, earning the chance to defend her state title later this March. While the pressure of a third consecutive win might rattle some, Phoenix views the competition through a lens of curiosity rather than anxiety.

Vermont Business Magazine With extreme cold forecast this weekend, the State of Vermont, in partnership with community organizations across the state, is opening six shelters around Vermont. These shelters are part of the Department for Children and Families’ Extreme Cold Weather Shelter Program, administered through a partnership with Vermont Interfaith Action. Anyone who needs access to shelter should call 2-1-1 for up-to-date information about shelter locations and opening times. These low-barrier shelters have activated over 20 times this season. They provide a warm place to sleep and get out of the dangerous cold, as well as some limited amenities. Shelters will open on Saturday and Sunday nights and remain open beyond that depending on temperature and location.

Vermont Business Magazine Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vermont) and Rep. Becca Balint (D-Vermont) today announced more than $100 million in federal funding they secured on behalf of 69 projects addressing critical needs across Vermont. The funding for these Congressionally Directed Spending projects, or “earmarks,” was included in the three fiscal year 2026 appropriations packages passed by Congress and signed into law in November, mid-January and last week.

Vermont Business Magazine U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont), a member of the Senate Finance Committee, released the following statement on the launch of TrumpRx, a new direct-to-consumer prescription drug platform launched by the Trump Administration: “TrumpRx is yet another PR stunt and a money-making scheme for the Trump family. American seniors and patients will (once again) be left holding the bag,” said Senator Welch. “During his campaign, President Trump promised time and time again to bring down the price of prescription drugs. The reality is that he’s done nothing to address the health care crisis we face—if anything, he’s made it worse."