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Private well users were reimbursed by the state for PFAS remediation. Then they were taxed on it.
Hundreds of private well users have been reimbursed by the state after spending their own dollars to remediate PFAS contamination. But when tax season rolled around this year, they were mailed 1099 forms, telling them the money they received is considered federal taxable income. The tax forms caused widespread confusion. Laurene Allen, a co-founder of […]
House budget writers seek to cut Sununu’s housing fund, delay new prison, boost Medicaid rates
When Gov. Chris Sununu addressed lawmakers to deliver his budget address in February, he promised “a smart and targeted budget that sets us all up for an even brighter future.” But not all of the governor’s proposals have been embraced by House Republican budget writers. There’s a $40-million-a-year gap between Sununu’s revenue estimates and those […]
Discounted CSA shares available for limited-income NH residents
This story was updated on March 24 at 9:25 p.m. Recent data from the U.S. Census Bureau Household Pulse Survey estimates a current 7.8 percent rate of food scarcity in New Hampshire – approximately 80,000 people. The Northeast Organic Farming Association of New Hampshire says individuals and families across the state, regardless of income, should […]
Hound hunting is a time-honored tradition in NH. But not everyone likes it.
After nearly 10 miles of snowshoed steps, fresh powder crunching beneath his feet, Will Staats hears the calls of his hunting dogs in the distance. The sweetest music of all, he calls it – one of a tradition that dates back thousands of years. A retired wildlife biologist, Staats used to work for the state’s […]
Tick-borne disease babesiosis reaches endemic status in NH
New Hampshire saw a more than 370 percent increase in reported cases of babesiosis, a tick-borne disease, between 2011 and 2019, according to a new federal study released last week. Research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows the occurrence of babesiosis increased significantly during that time in the Northeast. Specifically, New Hampshire, […]
Oyster reef revival in Great Bay: How the program is expanding – and with more funds
One thousand acres of New Hampshire’s Great Bay were once covered by live oyster reefs. Today, 90 percent have vanished, lost to pollution, disease, and harvest. But the tidal estuary is now the site of a celebrated revival, where a pilot restoration project proved so successful, it’s getting a funding boost in the millions and […]
Easterseals school gets major energy efficiency upgrades, thanks to NHSaves program
A residential school in Manchester serving some of the state’s most vulnerable youth is reaping the benefits of free-of-charge energy efficiency upgrades, in more ways than one. A partnership between Easterseals’ Gammon Academy and two of the state’s utility companies recently brought environmental and cost-saving improvements to a facility aiding youth with complex needs, such […]
Four NH counties get disaster declaration after December storm damage
Belknap, Carroll, Coos, and Grafton counties have been granted a major disaster declaration in response to the late-December storm that “severely damaged communities,” Gov. Chris Sununu announced Wednesday. President Joe Biden granted Sununu’s request for the declaration, which allows communities in those counties to move forward with seeking federal funding assistance for the storm that […]
NH Fish and Game to hold public hearings on proposed hunting season rules
New Hampshire Fish and Game is reporting stable and increasing deer, bear, and turkey populations, and will propose additional hunting opportunities as a result. Hearings on the proposed changes for the 2023-2024 hunting season will be held in March and April in Concord, Keene, and Lancaster. Fish and Game recommends changes every two years based […]
NH community power: Rates will be 20 to 40 percent less than utility companies
Using a model that’s been called “transformative” for the energy market, the Community Power Coalition of New Hampshire announced this week its initial electricity rate will be 15.8 cents per kilowatt-hour, representing a 20 to 40 percent savings compared to the state’s utility companies. Ten communities will benefit from the new rate starting in May, […]
In these NH communities, you pay for how much trash you send to the landfill
Chip Chesley and his colleagues wondered if Concord residents had started taking their trash across city lines. Within one week, they saw municipal solid waste volume plunge by 40 percent. Chesley, general services director for the city, thought, “Holy cow.” He called around to nearby transfer stations, but no one was reporting an influx of […]
NH House spars over climate and energy bills. Here are the latest votes.
On full display at the State House this week was the persisting staunch divide between Republicans and Democrats on matters of climate change and energy – in a state that remains the only one in New England without legally binding climate goals. Republicans killed an effort to evaluate the future of electric vehicles in New […]