Current News

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department is asking for help in monitoring Vermont’s wild turkey population.  The department runs an annual online survey during July and August for reporting turkey broods. If you see a flock of turkeys in Vermont, the department asks you to go to the turkey brood survey on its website to report your observation, including where and when you observed the turkeys with the number of adult and young turkeys you saw.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine Average gasoline prices in Vermont are $3.99 per gallon, down 7 cents per gallon from last week, down 47 cents/g from last month and up 85 cents/g from this time last year, according to AAA. The highest price in the state this week was $4.59/g. The lowest price gas in Vermont has shifted from the southern counties to the north over the last month. Prices are lowest in Addison ($3.90/g) and Orleans ($3.91/g) counties and highest in Windsor ($4.05/g), Washington ($4.01/g), and Windham ($4.01/g), according to AAA. The national average price of gasoline has fallen 8 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.83/g today.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott yesterday attended a naturalization ceremony where 15 individuals officially became citizens of the United States of America. At this ceremony, there were 13 countries of origin and all 14 counties of Vermont represented. Governor Scott said: "As we celebrate our 250th birthday this week, I can think of nothing more American than this ceremony. It’s great to be here to recognize our nation’s newest citizens. Each of you worked very hard to get here today. And as I look around the room, it’s clear to see how proud your families and friends are of you. And you should be proud of yourselves as well for your strength and courage to see this process through. The oath you’re taking today is powerful."

Vermont State Police Emergency crews resumed search and recovery efforts Thursday morning after two people went into the water Wednesday night at Arrowhead Mountain Lake in Georgia and did not resurface. The Vermont State Police is leading the operation. Crews arrived on scene before 8 a.m. Thursday. The effort includes VSP’s Underwater Recovery Team and Unmanned Aircraft Systems Program. Game wardens from the Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife are assisting. Conditions on the water are challenging following strong thunderstorms overnight that caused water levels to rise and strengthened currents.

Vermont Business Magazine U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont) will host an event highlighting the importance of the Community Development Block Grant–Disaster Relief (CDBG-DR) program, administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Senator Welch will visit the location of a new housing project funded by the CDBG-DR program and discuss the importance of flexible funding for Vermont’s flood recovery. He will celebrate CDBG-DR funding for Vermont alongside local and state leaders, and discuss Vermont’s recovery progress after the 2023 and 2024 floods. Also next Wednesday, Welch and U.S. Representative Becca Balint (D-Vermont) and other local leaders will join the Climate Action Campaign (CAC) and its Vermont partners for an Extreme Weather People’s Hearing.

Vermont Business Magazine Burlington Electric Department (BED) issued a peak alert for today, Thursday, July 2, as part of its Defeat the Peak program launched during summer 2017, encouraging members of the Burlington community to reduce their energy usage from 5:00pm to 8:00pm. The purpose of the Defeat the Peak program is to reduce our energy costs by reducing usage during a peak event. Burlingtonians can lend a hand by reducing consumption on what is projected to be an unusually hot summer da

Vermont Business Magazine ISO New England is expecting exceptionally tight operating conditions on the regional electric grid over the evening peak today, Thursday, July 2, 2026. While current system forecasts show the region able to meet expected consumer demand and required operating reserves, there is little surplus generating capacity available to deal with unanticipated events. The extremely hot and humid weather is also affecting systems to the west and the north, including New York and Quebec, increasing uncertainty regarding energy imports to New England. All available generating and demand-reducing resources are expected to be operating during the late afternoon and early evening hours. Consumers across New England can help reduce stress on the power system by limiting their energy use from 4 to 8 p.m.

Vermont Business Magazine In the evening hours of Tuesday, June 30, 2026, while troopers were conducting follow-up investigation related to the disappearance of Nicole Richardson, troopers were dispatched to a report of a woman in distress in the Clyde River near Vermont Route 105 in the village of West Charleston. A short time later, a bystander and a Vermont game warden located the woman a short distance downriver. She was unresponsive when she was brought to shore. The woman was identified as Nicole Richardson. She was transported by ambulance to North Country Hospital in Newport, where she was pronounced deceased.

Vermont Business Magazine Dr. Sherry Kollmann officially began her tenure as president of Vermont State University today, where she will build on the rich history of the university’s legacy campuses while continuing the university’s forward momentum. As president, Dr. Kollmann is committed to advancing an enrollment growth strategy that expands access and opportunity for learners across the state. This includes a strong emphasis on growing enrollment across Vermont State University’s programs, learning modalities, and campuses—ensuring the university meets learners where they are through flexible, high-quality pathways, including online, hybrid, and campus-based experiences. She comes from New Mexico State University.

Vermont Business Magazine Burlington Electric Department (BED) issued a peak alert for tomorrow, Thursday, July 2, as part of its Defeat the Peak program launched during summer 2017, encouraging members of the Burlington community to reduce their energy usage from 5:00pm to 8:00pm. The purpose of the Defeat the Peak program is to reduce our energy costs by reducing usage during a peak event. Burlingtonians can lend a hand by taking steps to reduce electric consumption. Vermont Electric Cooperative has also asked its members to reduce their consumption through Friday.

Vermont Business Magazine Today, Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak, Burlington Electric Department (BED), and International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 300 announced the successful negotiation of a new, three-year collective bargaining agreement. The contract was signed this afternoon at a ceremony at BED. The contract extends the longstanding partnership between the union workforce of 85 staff members and BED from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2026. IBEW Local 300 ratified the contract prior to the Burlington City Council’s approval of the agreement at its June 29, 2026, meeting. The agreement was reached through an efficient and collaborative bargaining process that concluded in advance of the start of the City's new fiscal year.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Economic Development Authority finished the fiscal year with a strong performance in the Fourth Quarter (April 1 through June 30) supplying Vermont businesses and agricultural operations with $11,639,299 in financing. Projects include equipment purchases and upgrades, solar projects, renovations, new construction, and ownership transitions. Thirty-five projects in 35 towns will benefit from this funding.