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Climate strikes across the state urge state and national action on climate change
A climate strike in downtown Concord on Friday pushed for more aggressive state and federal action on climate change, as a part of a series of coordinated actions happening throughout the state and world. A youth-led group called Fridays for Future reported over 300 strikes in North America and nearly 1,000 in Europe. Six strikes […]
What can New Hampshire learn from a little island with a lot of renewable energy?
This story was updated on Sept. 24, 2021 at 3:45 p.m. to clarify that small-scale water storage is not an efficient way to store energy. About 10 miles off the coast of New Hampshire, there’s a little island that could be a snapshot of what our future on the mainland might look like when it […]
Proposed legislation would increase the amount of local food in schools
A bill that will be introduced during the next legislative session aims to increase the amount of New Hampshire-grown food that’s served in public schools. The proposal sets a statewide target that 10 percent of food served in schools will be grown in the state. Rep. Alexis Simpson, an Exeter Democrat, filed a request for […]
Consumer advocate threatens legal action over energy efficiency docket
The state’s consumer advocate has threatened legal action if the Public Utilities Commission doesn’t approve an energy efficiency docket that was supposed to take effect at the start of 2021. The commission chose not to approve the plan following opposition from Republican lawmakers. After a new commissioner was appointed in May, a September order determined […]
ACLU criticizes New Hampshire AG for signing letter threatening legal action over voting act
New Hampshire is one of 23 states, each with a Republican attorney general, that signed on to a letter threatening legal action if the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act becomes law. Devon Chaffee, executive director of the ACLU of New Hampshire, called the threat “unconscionable.” “Attorney General [John] Formella’s opposition to this critical legislation […]
Representative moves to repeal state’s ‘divisive concepts’ law
The Legislature will again be taking up the debate about critical race theory and discrimination in the upcoming session, after a proposal was filed this week to remove a contentious law regulating how racism is discussed in public classrooms and workplaces. Rep. Manny Espitia, a Nashua Democrat, filed a request for legislation this week to […]
Times are tough for farmers, and a new initiative puts the focus on their mental health
Jamie Robertson has already seen the demise of one family farm. His parents’ poultry farm in Gilford used to deliver eggs all over central New Hampshire, but when the market turned in the 1980s they were ultimately forced to sell. That wasn’t the end of farming for Robertson, who is now a fourth-generation farmer at […]
Between 100 and 200 Afghan refugees to arrive in state following screening process
New Hampshire is poised to receive between 100 and 200 Afghan refugees in the coming weeks, Gov. Chris Sununu announced during a press conference on Wednesday. “We imagine the next few weeks potentially that we’ll be seeing some of the initial Afghan refugees arrive here in New Hampshire after what is clearly a pretty thorough […]
Chicoine to stay on as interim head of the Department of Energy through October
Without a nomination for a commissioner during Wednesday’s Executive Council meeting, the newly formed Department of Energy is still lacking permanent leadership. Instead, Gov. Chris Sununu nominated Interim Commissioner Jared Chicoine, previously director of the Office of Strategic Initiatives, for a second term that will last through the end of October. The five-member Executive Council […]
Environmental group criticizes state decision to consider only first phase of proposed landfill
The Conservation Law Foundation is challenging the state’s decision to change course on the wetlands permitting process for a proposed landfill in Dalton. While the Department of Environmental Services was originally reviewing the wetlands impact for all three phases of the proposed project, the department requested an amendment in August to consider only the impacts […]
Nearly 70 percent of the state no longer experiencing drought or ‘abnormally dry’ conditions
While dry conditions have improved in the southern part of the state, the three northernmost counties remain abnormally dry. Parts of Coos County are still experiencing a moderate drought, and one little sliver near the border with Maine is in a severe drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Over the past few months, the […]
Casella requests extension on Dalton landfill permitting process as opponents work on new bill
The fight over the contentious proposal to put a landfill next to Forest Lake State Park in Dalton is far from over. Last week, New Hampshire state regulators asked Casella to submit an amendment to the wetlands permit application. The state is asking Casella to submit information about how wetlands would be impacted during the […]