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Sununu tells executive councilors they can set conditions for sale of Lakes Region Facility
A recent law change requested by Gov. Chris Sununu allows him to bypass the typical review process and sell the 220-acre former Lakes Region prison property in Laconia with just three votes of the Executive Council. But Sununu told councilors they can set any conditions they like on a future buyer. Councilor Joe Kenney, whose […]
Rollout of booster shots skewing state’s data on first and second vaccine doses
The state’s daily report of first and second COVID-19 vaccine doses has been an important tool for assessing risk and targeting vaccine outreach. That count will become less accurate and perhaps less useful with the rollout of boosters. The state knows some booster shots are being included in the state’s vaccination rate but not how […]
State in the process of buying Hampstead Hospital, a provider of mental health care for children
The state is in the final stages of purchasing the 111-bed Hampstead Hospital, which it has used throughout the pandemic to provide children in mental health crisis inpatient psychiatric care. It will remain a treatment facility for children, Health and Human Services Commissioner Lori Shibinette said. The price has not been determined, Gov. Chris Sununu […]
Council votes to restore funding for one family planning clinic
One of the family planning clinics defunded by the Executive Council last month saw its funding restored Wednesday after Councilor Janet Stevens reversed course and supported it. In doing so, Stevens praised the clinic’s broad, low-cost medical services, details that were discussed at length prior to her no vote last month. But that still leaves […]
Executive Council rejects $27 million in federal money for vaccine outreach, angering Sununu
The Executive Council’s Republican majority voted down $27 million in federal money for vaccine outreach Wednesday – some for reasons unrelated to the contracts – pleasing dozens of protesters in the room and angering Gov. Chris Sununu enough that he called one councilor’s rationale “un-American.” And while a heavy police presence kept more than 100 […]
Lawmakers want state to publicly track number of COVID cases among House members
The state reports COVID-19 infections by town, county, long-term care facilities, and schools. A group of Democratic lawmakers would like to add the Legislature to that list. Doing so would allow lawmakers and the public to better assess their risk of exposure, they said. They see another benefit, too. “I think one of the advantages […]
Executive Council to meet at police training facility, with vaccine-related contracts on agenda
The two vaccine-related contracts that led protesters to shut down the last Executive Council meeting remain on the agenda for this week’s meeting. But the new location suggests security will be more of a priority. The council is scheduled to meet at 10 a.m. Wednesday at the Police Standards and Training Council on the NHTI […]
AG says acceptance of grants does not mean state must comply with all federal COVID mandates
The state is not required to comply with all current and future federal COVID-19 mandates if it accepts $27 million in federal grants for vaccine outreach, the state attorney general said Friday. The analysis did not satisfy the group that has successfully stalled acceptance of the grants on the grounds their terms threaten the state’s […]
Vaccination rates continue to lag among state’s young people
At the end of the month, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration will consider Pfizer’s request to authorize emergency use of its COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5 to 11. If New Hampshire’s vaccination rate of its younger residents is any indication, FDA approval won’t be the only hurdle here. The state is already struggling […]
Officials outline preliminary plan for $30 million, 24-bed hospital for forensic patients
Patients with mental illness being held at the prison’s forensic hospital for security reasons could be moved to a new 24-bed hospital on the state hospital grounds by late 2023, state officials said Thursday. The hospital will be managed by the Department of Health and Human Services – not a private company – and a […]
New Hampshire contributes to a record year for abortion restrictions
New Hampshire is one of 19 states to enact a total of 106 abortion restrictions in the past year, the most in a single year since Roe v. Wade was decided in 1973, according to an analysis by the Guttmacher Institute. The prior record was set in 2011, when 89 new laws were enacted by […]
‘It’s like a time of war’: Public meetings throughout the state marked by anger and harassment
This story was updated Oct. 7, 2021 at 7:30 a.m. to add two events attended by members of extremist groups. Yes, hate groups and right-wing extremists have made appearances in the increasingly angry fight in New Hampshire against vaccine mandates, mask policies, pandemic shutdowns, lessons on racism, unproven voter fraud, and even pronoun use. But […]