Current News

Vermont State Police At about 7:41 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025, the Bristol Fire Department received a 911 call advising of a residential structure fire on East Street in the Town of Bristol. The Bristol Police Department was first to arrive on scene, followed shortly after by the Bristol Fire Department.  Arriving units found the structure to be fully involved. The departments received information that a man was still inside the residence. Due to the intensity of the fire, efforts to locate and remove the man were unsuccessful. The deceased victim, later identified as Steven C. Leopold, 78, was located inside the residence. His body will be transported to the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office in Burlington for an autopsy to determine the cause and manner of death. 

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Conservation Voters (VCV) has released the 2025 Environmental Common Agenda, which lays out this year’s top legislative priorities for the Vermont environmental community. VCV releases the Common Agenda every January when the legislature convenes in partnership with other environmental advocacy organizations from across the state. This year, 19 organizations participated in the process of developing and setting the agenda. Last legislative session, Vermont lawmakers passed significant environmental policies aimed at protecting climate, communities, and natural resources, including holding Big Oil accountable, enhancing flood safety, achieving 100% renewable energy by 2035, modernizing housing development through Act 250, and strengthening protections against harmful chemicals like PFAS and neonicotinoids. 

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Secretary of State Sarah Copeland Hanzas released Vermont’s first ever Civic Health Index – a report measuring how civically engaged Vermonters are across the state and in relation to the rest of the country. Organizations and individuals engaged in a range of civic activities across Vermont provided feedback and helped contextualize the data about Vermonters’ civic behavior and mindsets. In addition, the Secretary of State’s office administered the YMCA and Knight Impact Youth Civic Health survey, receiving over 2,500 responses from students in grades 7-12 across the state. With the release of the report, the Secretary of State’s office is holding several community conversations around the state, starting with Brattleboro, to gather feedback and further input on how to improve Vermont’s civic health.

Vermont Business Magazine Planned Parenthood of Northern New England (PPNNE), the region's largest provider of family planning services, today announced a plan to address the financial deficit with Vermont leadership and advocates. PPNNE’s CEO Nicole Clegg along with advocates and state leaders outlined how they will collaborate on addressing the organization’s projected $8.6M deficit. Speakers included advocate Kiah Morris, Senator Phil Baruth, Speaker Jill Krowinski, Senate Majority Leader Kesha Ram Hinsdale, Senator Virginia ‘Ginny’ Lyons, Attorney General Charity Clark, and Treasurer Mike Pieciak. Clegg cited a significantly broken health care system and endless political attacks as the main drivers to the deficit. She went on to name COVID-19, inflation, insufficient reimbursement rates, and an increased demand for PPNNE’s free and discounted care as factors that have worsened the financial situation.  

Vermont Business Magazine Today, Treasurer Mike Pieciak announced the “Treasurer’s Task Force on the Federal Transition.” Composed of policy experts, business and community leaders, and individuals with a deep understanding of Vermont’s economy, the Task Force will assess the economic impact of the incoming Trump administration’s anticipated policy changes and provide recommendations to the Treasurer. The Task Force will be co-chaired by Treasurer Pieciak and Sue Minter, former Executive Director of Capstone Community Action, one of Vermont’s leading social-services organizations. Minter also served as Vermont’s Chief Recovery Officer after Tropical Storm Irene, as well as a state representative and Vermont’s Secretary of Transportation. 

Vermont Business Magazine Acting Commissioner Sandy Bigglestone announced today that the Vermont Department of Financial Regulation and 47 other state financial regulatory agencies have taken coordinated action against Block, Inc., for violations of Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) and anti-money laundering (AML) laws that safeguard the financial system from illicit use. More than 50 million consumers in the United States use Cash App, Block’s mobile payment service, to spend, send, store, and invest money. In the multistate settlement signed this week, Block agreed to pay a $80 million penalty to the state agencies, hire an independent consultant to review the comprehensiveness and effectiveness of its BSA/AML program, and submit a report to the states within nine months.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont has a new solid waste plan that is more proactive and thorough than previous plans. Every five years, Vermont law requires the Agency of Natural Resources to update this plan. The 2024 Vermont Materials Management Plan will serve as a guide for the Agency’s and municipalities’ waste management-related actions from 2025 through 2029. The DEC Solid Waste Management Program, through the Plan, outlines annual requirements for both the State and Vermont’s municipal Solid Waste Districts, alliances, and independent towns that take responsibility for local or regional waste management.

by Commissioner Joan Goldstein The legislative session has officially kicked off! Last week, the Governor delivered his Inaugural Address outlining important policy priorities, including further housing reform and a new approach to education funding. This session is also an opportunity to meet flood recovery and housing needs by building on our successful Tax Increment Financing program. We look forward to continuing to work with Legislators over the next few months to meet shared goals with strategic solutions. The Governor also used the speech as an opportunity to highlight several successes, including a shoutout to the great work of the Brownfields Revitalization Fund! “Since October 2021, state funding for brownfields has helped clean up 42 contaminated sites, making way for over 700 new homes – adding economic value for communities after years of being an eye sore.” 

Vermont Business Magazine On Wednesday, Bolton Valley Resort’s Timberline Lodge played host to the inaugural Vermont Trail Accessibility Hub (TAH) Summit, bringing together more than 50 thought leaders and advocates to advance trail accessibility across Vermont. This collaborative event united representatives from more than 30 organizations and agencies, setting the stage for a transformative future in trail-based outdoor recreation. The Trail Accessibility Hub, which originated from a collaborative idea at the 2023 Trail Symposium, has rapidly grown into a pioneering initiative dedicated to improving access to outdoor recreation for everyone, especially for those with physical disabilities and mobility challenges.

Vermont Business Magazine Average gasoline prices in Vermont are $3.12 per gallon, up 2 cents per gallon from last week's $3.07/g, up 1 cent/g from a month ago and down 9 cents/g from a year ago. The lowest price in the state this week was $2.76/g while the highest was $3.49/g, a difference of 73.0 cents per gallon. The lowest prices in the state are in the southern counties of Bennington ($3/g) and Windham ($3.01/g) and rise as you go north. The highest average price is in Essex County ($3.38/g). The national average price of gasoline has risen 4 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.10/g today. The national average is up 8 cents per gallon from a month ago and stands 3 cents per gallon higher than a year ago.

Vermont Business Magazine The ACLU and Pregnancy Justice filed a lawsuit yesterday on behalf of a Vermont resident whose rights were violated by the Vermont Department for Children and Families (DCF) during an unlawful “assessment” of her parental capacity that was not disclosed to her and based on unsubstantiated claims about her mental health. Specifically, with the assistance of multiple direct service providers and without her knowledge, DCF surveilled A.V., lied to a state court about her pregnancy status, obtained legal control of A.V.’s fetus, tried to force her to undergo an involuntary cesarean surgery, and then took and retained custody of her newborn baby for seven months while attempting to sever A.V.’s parental rights. Filed under the initials “A.V.,” the lawsuit names the Vermont Department for Children and Families (DCF), as well as service providers Lund and Copley Hospital, both of which shared confidential information and assisted DCF in surveilling A.V. during her pregnancy. 

Vermont Business Magazine National Life Group’s philanthropic entity, the National Life Group Foundation, has increased its budget by 22%, raising the total to $2.8 million, reflecting its growth and expanding community impact. In 2024, the Foundation announced more than $1.16 million in grants to 115 recipients as well as contributing $455,470 to matching employee gifts to 595 nonprofits through its annual Share the Good campaign. The Foundation also funds awards for two special recognition programs: the National Life Group LifeChanger of the Year and National Life Group Do Good Heroes.