Good morning, Burlington.

A container fire at the CSWD drop-off center in Williston on Tuesday, Oct.

20 was quickly contained by the fire department (officials suspect a battery or capacitor sparked the blaze) and they urged proper disposal of hazardous materials.

VSP said one lane is blocked on I-89 south near mile marker 90 by the Winooski River Bridge, so drivers should expect delays + use alternate routes as the closure is set to last a long time.

Beta Technologies plans to expand its South Burlington campus to 100 acres if approved by the Development Review Board, adding about 1,000 jobs by mid next year.

The local company’s growth follows a year of major real estate buys near Burlington International Airport & a $1 billion financing round.

Curator Hotel & Resort Collection announced the addition of The Essex Resort & Spa on Oct.

20, marking its first Vermont property. The resort near Burlington offers a full-service spa, dining & outdoor activities for visitors.

Hinesburg inventor Neil Shah’s woodstove monitor Oru is now in mass production and will be showcased Saturday, Oct.

24 at Hula in Burlington; the device uses a lamp & app to send alerts for safe, efficient fire management.

BETA Technologies in South Burlington got FAA approval for its electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft last Tuesday+ it flew from Plattsburgh to Burlington in 20 minutes and is testing further for full certification for commercial use.

Vermont Information Processing in Colchester laid off 66 employees Tuesday as it shifts to artificial intelligence.

The company, acquired last year by Warburg Pincus and after taking over Encompass Technologies, is reorganizing resources to meet long-term priorities + drive innovation in the food and beverage industry.

UVM launched a free 24-week biotechnology course for 32 students that blends 7 to 10 hours of online lessons with weekly lab sessions at UVM (funded by a $2.7M federal grant) to train local technicians.

Registration opens Oct. 28 for a new cohort set to start in January.

Hany Farid will speak on deepfake detection at Vermont Tech Jam at Hula in Burlington on Saturday, Oct.

24 at 1 p.m. as Seven Days reporter Hannah Bassett moderates a Q&A session, and preregistration is required.

Vermont workers have saved over $10 million through Vermont Saves, a retirement program for employees without workplace plans.

Treasurer Mike Pieciak visited businesses at the Essex Experience during National Retirement Security Week — highlighting the program's record growth.

Local candidates are using AI tools to create fake pop culture ads for these midterms, offering a cheap, humorous way to criticize opponents (one video parodies Rep. Balint as Dr. Evil) while state lawmakers debate new rules.

On Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026, Rep. Becca Balint visited Milton Rescue to discuss how rural EMTs address social issues when older ambulances are replaced and gaps in care leave patients using 911 for mental health and food needs — she is proposing a bill to adjust Medicare reimbursements.