Current News

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Health reported last week that the number of COVID-19 hospitalizations have edged back up to 10 cases statewide as the winter flu season continues. Other indicators through wastewater analysis show an increase in COVID-19, Norovirus and especially RSV in Vermont and nationally. There are no recently reported measles cases in Vermont and the rate nationally is low.

Vermont Business Magazine A newly released economic impact study conducted by Vermont Adaptive Ski & Sports and CRO Planning & Design shows that Vermont Adaptive contributes more than $10.3 million annually to Vermont’s economy while supporting 72 jobs and generating $1.8 million in state, local, and federal tax revenue. The study, conducted throughout 2025 and completed in December, measured the direct and ripple effects of Vermont Adaptive’s operations, programs and major events across the state. The analysis examined organizational spending, participant and volunteer spending related to winter and summer programs, and two of the organization’s largest annual events plus an additional fundraising event.

Vermont Business Magazine Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), today released a new report documenting how the Trump administration has broken its promises to American patients by gutting medical research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) while failing to lower prescription drug prices and engaging in political censorship. The report documents the defunding of more than 300 clinical trials, including research on pediatric brain tumors, dementia, Alzheimer’s, diabetes and heart disease.

Vermont Business Magazine Nine current or former students from the University of Vermont are set to compete in the 2026 Winter Olympics, which will take place in Northern Italy with competition starting Thursday, February 5 and running through February 22. UVM-associated athletes will compete in several sports, including hockey, Alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, and biathlon. Hockey action will take place in Olympic facilities in Milano (better known to English speakers as Milan). Alpine and other skiing competition will take place in and around the town of Cortina in the Italian Alps. The Milano-Cortina games mark the 19th consecutive appearance of UVM athletes in the Winter Olympics since UVM’s first Winter Olympian, Larry Damon, Class of 1955, skied cross-country for the USA in the 1956 games, which also took place in Cortina.

Vermont Business Magazine The Southwestern Vermont Chamber of Commerce hosted its Annual Membership Meeting on Friday, January 30, at Monument Arts and Cultural Center, bringing together more than one hundred Chamber members, board directors, staff, and regional stakeholders for an evening that marked a pivotal moment in the organization’s history. The centerpiece of the evening was the public unveiling of the Southwestern Vermont Chamber Foundation, a newly formed charitable organization dedicated to advancing the regional economy through workforce development, business growth, leadership, research, and community investment.

Vermont Business Magazine Champlain College’s Center for Financial Literacy has extended its free personal finance education program for educators and the public until April 30. The program launched in late 2025 and is a success. Recent regulatory proposals moved the Center to extend the online seminar for another four months. Participants will learn how to more successfully implement the personal finance education standards and obtain free curriculum tools that may be used with the intention to implement personal finance education in the classroom. Act 73 requires the Secretary of Education and the State Board of Education to recommend statewide graduation standards for Vermont by January 1, 2026.

by Treasurer Michael Pieciak Vermonters are counting on us to be bold in addressing today’s challenges. Rising property taxes, scarce housing, and skyrocketing health care costs all demand urgency, courage, and shared resolve from leaders in Vermont. As State Treasurer, I am committed to meeting this moment and using the full power of my office to invest in a future where Vermonters can afford to live with dignity, free from financial stress. Recently, I brought forward a proposal to strengthen this work—aimed at confronting Vermont’s health care affordability crisis and one of its greatest cost drivers: prescription drugs. The bill, H.577, would save Vermonters thousands each year on their over-the-counter prescriptions.

by Devon Green, Sr. Vice President of Policy & Strategy, VAHHS VAHHS testified against reinstating prior authorizations, noting that the committee should wait until the required 2027 report to make a decision on a newly implemented policy. VAHHS opposed site-neutral billing. Even using a conservative methodology, site neutral billing would have a $200M impact to hospitals. Furthermore, the proposal would limit much needed flexibility for the Green Mountain Care Board to implement reference-based pricing.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Association for Mental Health and Addiction Recovery (VAMHAR), in collaboration with Recovery Partners of Vermont (RPV), is proud to announce that Recovery Day will take place on February 11, 2026 in Montpelier. This year’s event will bring together people with lived experience, policymakers, providers, advocates, and community members from across the state to advance a shared vision for recovery and the continuum of care in Vermont. The theme of Recovery Day 2026 — Centering People, Connecting Systems — reflects a growing recognition that meaningful recovery-oriented change happens when systems are built around people, not silos. The day will focus on cross-sector collaboration, lived experience leadership, and the policies and practices that help individuals, families, and communities thrive.

Vermont Business Magazine According to the American Lung Association’s 24th annual “State of Tobacco Control” report, released today, Vermont’s grades show that the state must step up efforts to reduce tobacco use to protect communities. Vermont’s action on tobacco control and prevention is especially critical due to the dramatic rollback of federal tobacco prevention efforts in 2025. Tobacco use remains the nation’s leading cause of preventable death and disease, claiming the lives of more than 960 state residents each year. The report urges actions from lawmakers to strengthen tobacco control enforcement by improving retailer licensing, expanding on prevention and cessation programs and protecting our youth from tobacco.

Vermont Business Magazine The Steps to End Domestic Violence team in Burlington has announced that Lizzy Lyons is their new Executive Director. Lyons has been doing trauma-informed work in Vermont for nearly two decades. She has most recently supported Vermont children and youth as a program director at the Vermont Network and we are more than excited to welcome her to our team here at Steps! In her free time, Lizzy spending time in nature with her family, reading at home and wants to complete her personal goal of visiting every national park.

Vermont Business Magazine Howard Center has launched its Military and Veteran Program, a new initiative designed to support active service members, veterans, and their families. The program offers individualized counseling, care management, crisis intervention, and connection to community resources to help members navigate the challenges of reintegration, recovery, and wellness. Services are tailored to meet each member’s needs, ensuring they receive compassionate and effective care in a supportive environment. ALL veterans are welcome regardless of discharge status.