Brownfields Financing: Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission launched a Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund with EPA money, offering low-interest loans and limited grants to clean up contaminated sites and turn them into housing and community facilities. Clean Water Planning: Vermont DEC opened a public comment window on draft Tactical Basin Plans for the Missisquoi Bay and Lamoille River basins, laying out dozens of restoration steps with hybrid meetings in late September. AI for Finance (Local Business Tech): MatrixLabX rolled out PrescientIQ for Financial Services, using governed multi-agent AI with human approval gates and an audit ledger, priced per approved workflow. Cancer Research: UVM researchers reported early clinical results for a new mesothelioma approach that aims to turn the cancer’s own defenses into a weakness. Transportation & Construction: Vermont’s first diverging diamond interchange at I-89 Exit 16 in Colchester opens to traffic with overnight signal and lane changes; separately, Putney Road roundabout plans were scaled back and pushed to a later start. Food & Agriculture: USDA announced a Stand-Up Program to help more states launch meat inspection programs, and Vermont farm updates included egg recall activity tied to Salmonella. Workforce & Education: A Vermont engineering-focused “college, minus the frills” model is planning a first campus next fall, while a girls’ aviation career tour at Heritage Aviation highlighted pilot shortages and pathways. Energy Storage: FlexGen and Lightshift expanded battery storage deployments across Vermont and New England with HybridOS energy management. Public Health & Aging: Central Vermont Council on Aging set its “Hit the Trail” fundraiser on Sept. 27 to support free services for older Vermonters.