News
Farm bill season arrives: What’s the outlook for 2023?
WASHINGTON – Over the course of the next year, lawmakers on the U.S. House and Senate Agriculture committees will draft a new federal farm bill that will shape food, farm, conservation, and nutrition programs across the country for the next five years. The omnibus law that began 90 years ago as crop supports now has […]
Drought conditions cover 99 percent of state, with water restrictions in 78 communities
Drought conditions have engulfed New Hampshire, with around 99 percent of the state experiencing some degree of drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Conditions are worst in southern New Hampshire, with 14 percent of the state in severe drought along the Massachusetts border. Just north of that, another swath is in moderate drought, making […]
Planned maternity ward closure draws AG’s attention, raises concerns among health care leaders
The Attorney General’s Office is not alone in voicing concerns this month with Frisbie Memorial Hospital’s plans to close its labor and delivery services due to cost. Its concerns relate to their 2020 merger agreement with HCA Healthcare to keep those services in place for at least five years. Health care and community leaders are […]
U.S. House Democrats send sweeping climate, health and tax legislation to Biden
WASHINGTON – The U.S. House on Friday cleared Democrats’ long-sought climate, health care, and tax package, sending it to President Joe Biden for his signature. The roughly $750 billion measure is much smaller than the $2 trillion reconciliation package the House originally sent to the Senate in November. The final product left out dozens of […]
Search warrant shows Trump under investigation for possible Espionage Act violations
WASHINGTON – A federal judge on Friday unsealed the warrant that allowed the Federal Bureau of Investigation to search former President Donald Trump’s property at Mar-a-Lago in Florida earlier this week, revealing he’s under investigation for possibly violating the Espionage Act and obstruction of justice. The seven-page document, which includes a brief description of everything […]
Newport receives $6.1 million for wastewater facility upgrade
The town of Newport has received $6.1 million in federal funding to update its wastewater treatment facility. The update will help the town meet federal water quality standards and prevent contaminants from entering the Sugar River downstream from the facility. The facility has required remediation for a decade. While the town attempted to make the […]
State launches training workshops for paraprofessionals amid shortages
New Hampshire’s Department of Education is attempting to tackle a statewide shortage of paraprofessionals with a new training program, the department announced this week. In partnership with 321 Insight, a company that develops training courses, the state will be hosting a series of free, three-hour workshops next week to train new paraprofessionals and retrain existing […]
What the ‘largest climate legislation ever’ would mean for the state’s economy, environment
More electric vehicles on the road, heat pumps in many homes, and an increase in renewable energy on the landscape, such as wind and solar. That’s what the country could look like if the federal Inflation Reduction Act becomes law. The bill passed the Senate this week, the first time such significant steps to address […]
Berlin to use waste heat from Burgess BioPower to clear snow from streets, sidewalks
The city of Berlin won a $19 million federal grant to use waste heat from biomass plant Burgess BioPower to keep its streets and sidewalks clear of snow in the winter. Installing the heat system will also allow the city to replace around two miles of roads in the downtown area as well as a […]
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 […]
Fiscal committee declines to approve plan to compensate YDC victims
After citing multiple concerns, lawmakers declined Wednesday to approve the Attorney General’s Office’s proposed plan for compensating hundreds of people sexually and physically abused while held at the former Youth Development Center. Instead, the Joint Legislative Fiscal Committee asked Attorney General John Formella to come back after his office had addressed those concerns, which ranged […]
State ranked second for overall child well-being, but depression and anxiety on the rise
New Hampshire is the second best state for overall child well-being in the country, a four-year national survey released this week has found. The survey, known as the 2022 Kids Count Databook and conducted by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, offers other positive indicators for the state: Kids in New Hampshire are ranked fourth highest […]