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End to eviction moratorium elevates importance of aid distribution
It took four days for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to issue a new moratorium on evictions after the previous one expired July 31. It took 23 more days for the U.S. Supreme Court to strike it down. Now, after the Supreme Court order, which allowed an earlier U.S. District Court decision ending […]
Housing market boom prices out middle-income Granite Staters
Late in 2019, Brandon Zalinsky had what seemed to be stability: a manufacturing engineering job in Manchester a year out of college, a partner with her own engineering career, an apartment in the city, and a strong desire to stay in New Hampshire and put down roots. It was time for the next step: a […]
Mask requirement question puts school districts in the middle of a great divide
Deep into a late-night school board meeting on the future of mask mandates in the Merrimack Valley School District, Chairwoman Seelye Longnecker paused to take stock of public opinion. A torrent of parents had emailed ahead of the emergency meeting with views on their preferred policy. The question was simple: Should masks be required? But […]
‘Laurie List’ bill and other law enforcement reform measures signed into law
Gov. Chris Sununu signed a bill Wednesday to gradually release the names of police officers with alleged credibility issues on New Hampshire’s secret “Laurie List” – part of a bevy of law enforcement reform bills that are now law. House Bill 471 will eventually make public the decades-long list of more than 270 officers whose […]
ACLU scores victory for woman who was detained by ICE in New Hampshire
(This story was updated at 5:08 p.m. on Aug. 24 to add information on the significance of the case within U.S. immigration case law, and to add the involvement of Sheehan Phinney in the case.) A federal appeals court ruled Thursday that U.S. immigration officials must prove that a person deserves to be detained in […]
Audit questions purchase of minivan by Secretary of State’s Office
New Hampshire’s Secretary of State’s Office used a state fund intended to educate residents about investment fraud to buy a $28,462 minivan, according to a state audit released Friday, an expenditure that may have been an improper use of the fund. In a 29-page financial audit of the office, New Hampshire’s Legislative Budget Assistant drew […]
Committee votes to table federal funds for substance abuse treatment and prevention
Lawmakers on a key committee tabled $6.3 million in federal funding for substance abuse prevention and treatment efforts Friday, after Republicans said they wanted more information to make sure the spending was justified. Joint Legislative Fiscal Committee members voted to hold off on greenlighting the money, which is meant to help early intervention, treatment, and […]
Lawmakers allow ‘education freedom account’ rules to move ahead despite lawyers’ concerns
New Hampshire’s “education freedom account” program is on track to roll out across the state this month, after a critical vote Thursday by the state’s Joint Legislative Committee on Administrative Rules (JLCAR). But the vote – which approved a set of interim rules designed to allow the program to become operational by the start of […]
What will the new census data mean for the state’s two congressional districts?
When the U.S. Census Bureau released raw data for New Hampshire’s once-in-a-decade count, the numbers revealed a slowly diversifying state, whose population is growing in the Seacoast area but shrinking in the north and west. But the numbers also set the stage for a redistricting effort, one that could affect the state’s congressional representation. According […]
Federal money awarded to create new charter schools in the state, expand existing ones
After years of controversy and delay, New Hampshire’s Department of Education has awarded the first tranche of a $46 million effort to double the number of charter schools in the state. On Aug. 11, the department announced the first seven recipients of the federal funding, which was approved by the Trump administration and is meant […]
Council to consider contract to address learning loss among students in nonpublic schools
New Hampshire students in nonpublic schools could soon benefit from federally funded “learning loss” programs to address any setbacks caused by remote instruction. Under a contract appearing before the Executive Council Wednesday, the New Hampshire Department of Education would set aside $1.58 million for in-school instruction and summer-school learning loss programs to help students at […]
In reversal, state’s NEA chapter supports COVID vaccine requirement for teachers
The New Hampshire chapter of the National Education Association is supporting a vaccine requirement for teachers, reversing an earlier position as cases of the Delta variant of COVID-19 continue to climb. In a statement Friday, NEA New Hampshire said that its board members agree with the national NEA’s decision Thursday to announce support for a […]