Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Today, the Vermont Asylum Assistance Project (VAAP; www.vaapvt.org) is proud to announce that Vermont attorneys Erin Jacobsen and Margaret “Maggie” Frye are joining our staff as Practice Development Fellows. This innovative initiative strengthens Vermont’s immigration legal services ecosystem by investing simultaneously in durable practice infrastructure and an immediate expansion of direct legal services. The program pairs advanced-career attorneys interested in launching solo or small immigration law practices in Vermont with systems-building, mentorship, and supported representation experience—ensuring both near-term impact and long-term capacity.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont State University (VTSU) achieved distinction from the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges (COPLAC) and is officially recognized as a leading public liberal arts institution. COPLAC comprises 26 colleges and universities across 25 states and one Canadian province. The organization drives awareness of the value of a high-quality, public liberal arts education in a student-centered, residential environment. COPLAC designation is a significant milestone and affirms VTSU’s commitment to providing excellent liberal arts and sciences education. This achievement identifies VTSU's role within the national consortium and expands VTSU's historic participation in COPLAC to the entire university.

Vermont Business Magazine The Chamber & Economic Development of the Rutland Region's (CEDRR) regional marketing initiative, Real Rutland, has been awarded $150,000 through the Grants for Relocation Outreach Work (GROW) program. The two-year grant, administered by the Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing, will support relocation and retention efforts through 2027. CEDRR’s commitment to increasing the population of Rutland County helps ignite economic growth and strengthen the region for everyone. Since the launch of Real Rutland in 2016, more than 250 individuals have relocated to Rutland County, filling available job positions, opening businesses, starting families, and encouraging friends and relatives to make the move as well.

Vermont Business Magazine Green Mountain Power's Energy Storage Lease program has been a great way for Vermonters to add battery backup to their solar array with no up-front cost. And now, GMP customers have a choice: they just added Enphase IQ batteries to the program, in addition to Tesla's Powerwall. Enphase is a great choice for many SunCommon customers who are likely to have the company's microinverters as part of their solar array already. GMP's lease program allows you to lease two batteries for $55/month, providing you with 20 kWh of stored energy on your Enphase IQ batteries. Now is a great time to prepare for possible power outages due to snow storms. Leasing a battery is a great option for homeowners that are interested in battery storage but may not want to invest upfront.

Vermont Business Magazine Have you checked out Vermont Electric Co-op’s incentives for electric technologies recently? These incentives are designed make the purchase of certain types of electricity-powered equipment more affordable for members. Almost 7,000 VEC members have taken advantage of incentives since the co-op began offering them in 2017. Since the program began, VEC’s incentives have eliminated the consumption of almost 24 million gallons of fossil fuel. That’s the equivalent of taking over 42,000 cars off the road for a year.  

Vermont Business Magazine David S. Silverman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Union Bank of Vermont and New Hampshire, announced today that the Board of Directors of Union Bankshares, Inc. has appointed Steven P. Cote, President of Chalmers Insurance Group, to the Union Bank Board of Directors, effective January 1, 2026. "We are pleased to welcome Steve to our Board," said Silverman. "His decades of leadership in the insurance industry, along with his commitment to strategic planning, client service excellence, and community engagement, make him an outstanding addition. Steve's experience and values are strongly aligned with Union Bank's mission to deliver exceptional, community-focused banking." 

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont’s state-wide Free Ice Fishing Day is Saturday, January 31, 2026. Free Ice Fishing Day is held annually on the last Saturday in January.  The day is geared toward giving new ice anglers an opportunity to try ice fishing before purchasing equipment or a fishing license, but any angler may ice fish on any waterbody open to ice fishing statewide without a license on Free Ice Fishing Day. To celebrate Free Ice Fishing Day, the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department is holding an Ice Fishing Festival at Elmore State Park in Elmore.  The festival will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.  The event is free and open to all ages as well as families with kids.

Vermont Business Magazine Waterfowl hunters who did not remove their hunting blind from the waters of the state earlier must do so before February 15 on Lake Champlain or May 15 on inland waters according to a reminder from the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department. State law requires removal of the blind together with its contents and any surrounding debris located on or in the water before these deadlines to protect natural areas and to prevent boating accidents after the ice melts.

Vermont Business Magazine The Agency of Natural Resources Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) announced today that MAX LLC, owner and operator of Price Cutter, a gas station in Brattleboro, was fined $8,250 for multiple violations of the Vermont Underground Storage Tank Rules. DEC’s Waste Management and Prevention Division oversees the operation of Underground Storage Tanks to protect human health and the environment. Anyone who owns or operates underground storage tank systems must obtain a permit from the Division, and permit holders must comply with Vermont’s Underground Storage Tank Rules. The rules establish standards for the design, installation, operation, maintenance, monitoring, and closure of underground storage tanks to prevent fuel leaks and spills.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Agency of Education released new guidance to help schools and educators navigate artificial intelligence (AI) thoughtfully and responsibly. The guidance is a resource for educators, school leaders, and communities, as they explore how AI tools can support teaching and learning while preserving the personal interactions that define high-quality education. The guidance provides a practical framework to support local decision-making as schools continue to innovate in ways that reflect Vermont values. The document emphasizes the importance of maintaining human agency, educator judgment, and student well-being as schools consider the use of AI tools.

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 finding that the Trump administration’s school privatization agenda threatens our nation’s public schools and harms working-class students, students with disabilities and students from diverse religious backgrounds. President Trump’s so-called “Big Beautiful Bill” created the nation’s first federal school voucher program at a cost of up to $51 billion a year — more than it currently spends on the Title I program serving low-income students and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) combined.

Vermont Business Magazine Lund is proud to announce the launch of First Steps, an early childhood workforce development program designed to train and support the next generation of early childhood educators. Originally created by the City of Burlington’s Early Learning Initiative (ELI), the program will now expand under Lund’s leadership to serve residents across all of Chittenden County, with the potential for statewide growth. Vermont is facing a critical shortage of early childhood educators—an issue made more urgent by Act 76’s expansion of childcare access, which is increasing demand for qualified early childhood professionals across the state. First Steps helps address this challenge by offering tuition-free, culturally responsive training, individualized advising, and career support to help participants earn credentials and secure employment in early childhood settings.