State House
Election monitors appointed to oversee Windham, Bedford, and Laconia primaries
Election monitors have been appointed to oversee upcoming primaries in Bedford, Windham, and Laconia Ward 6 after the Attorney General’s Office found “significant deficiencies” in those elections in 2020. The election monitors will work with election officials during the Sept. 13 primary election and also review their handling of the upcoming election to ensure it […]
State primaries: Who is running in your district and what do they stand for?
On Sept. 13, voters throughout the state will cast ballots in the state primary elections to determine which candidates will advance to the general election. While voters may be familiar with candidates running for federal office, now is a good time to consider lesser-known candidates running in down-ballot races. Those include state representatives, state senators, […]
Effort to digitize town reports close to completion
This story was updated on Aug. 23, 2022, at 3:05 p.m. to include comments from the state librarian. In 1891, the town of Acworth returned $3.96 to two residents who’d been charged too much in property taxes. Berlin reported 123 marriages, 443 births, and 202 deaths in 1916. And in 1940, the city of Concord […]
Executive Council votes to allow live broadcasts
New Hampshire residents interested in hearing Executive Council meetings may now do so remotely, after the council voted Wednesday to provide live audio broadcasts “when feasible.” In an amendment to the council’s Manual of Procedures, councilors voted to allow the live audio “by telephone, the internet or other means which allows the public to listen […]
Towns, cities prepare for Aug. 23 zoning law changes aimed at boosting housing market
As New Hampshire’s school boards prepare for the school year, local planning boards are facing a different action deadline: Aug. 23. That’s the day towns and cities must start adhering to a package of new zoning and planning laws passed by the Legislature this year. There are new deadlines. There are requirements for better explanations […]
Sununu forms selection committee for next Health and Human Services commissioner
Gov. Chris Sununu has begun looking for a new Health and Human Services commissioner and has given those interested until Sept. 6 to apply. Commissioner Lori Shibinette, who was appointed three weeks before the pandemic hit, announced in July that she will step down in mid-December to spend more time with family after a grueling […]
Gunstock: A reopening and a reckoning
After a 13-day closure this summer, the issues that shuttered the county-owned Gunstock Mountain Resort in Gilford were resolved last week. The senior management team that had abruptly quit returned to work, Adventure Park ziplines reopened, and stages were erected so the Christian music festival SoulFest could begin. Come winter, the ski mountain is set […]
Election monitor to oversee Bedford primaries following AG’s review of uncounted ballots
An election monitor will be appointed to oversee the September primary elections in Bedford, following a review by the Attorney General’s Office that found “significant deficiencies” had occurred in the town’s handling of the 2020 general election. An election official accidentally moved a tray of 188 absentee ballots before they had been processed, which meant […]
Mount Washington Commission to hold public sessions on master plan
The Mount Washington Commission will hold two input sessions this month to take public comment on its master plan for the mountain’s summit, establishing the state’s vision and direction for the park over the next 10 years. The commission is required to prepare the plan every 10 years, per New Hampshire law, to address issues […]
For one town, tight state deadlines among barriers to affordable housing relief
Ben Osgood admits it: The proposed housing complex, pitched for Warner, is big. Three stories tall, with 24 apartments, the brown and cream-colored building would tower over the Dunkin’ it would sit behind, just off Exit 9 on Interstate 89. “It is a large-scale building,” said Osgood, a senior engineer at Ranger Engineering Group, which […]
House, Senate ‘veto day’ set for Sept. 15
New Hampshire lawmakers will return to the State House Sept. 15 to decide whether to override Gov. Chris Sununu’s eight vetoes – just two days after the state’s Sept. 13 primaries. House Speaker Sherman Packard announced the date in a message in the New Hampshire House’s weekly calendar. The special session, known as “veto day,” […]
Attorney who represented church abuse victims defends state’s YDC settlement plan
Attorneys on opposite sides of settling sexual abuse claims against the Catholic Church 20 years ago now fiercely disagree over the state’s proposed plan for settling claims from hundreds of people abused while at the former state Youth Detention Center. In a July 29 letter to Attorney General John Formella, attorney Chuck Douglas, who represented […]