Year: 2021

Covid-19 news

State health officials announced 213 new positive cases of Covid-19 in New Hampshire on Aug. 30. The state averaged 336 new cases per day over the most recent seven-day period, an increase of 26 percent over those from the previous week. As of Aug. 30, there were 2,927 active infections statewide and 119 current hospitalizations due to the virus. All 10 counties in the state remain at substantial levels of community transmission.

On Aug. 30, Gov. Chris Sununu, along with several other state officials and a few hospital CEOs, traveled to Kentucky for an “on-the-ground perspective on lessons learned and best practices” in one of the hardest-hit states in the country by the pandemic. According to a press release, the group met with health care officials at Frankfort Regional Medical Center and the University of Louisville’s Hospital, while Sununu also met with Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear to hear about how the state is handling its most recent Covid surge.

PUA lawsuit

Last week a lawsuit was filed against Gov. Chris Sununu’s administration for prematurely cutting off federal unemployment benefits available under the CARES Act, according to a press release. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of four plaintiffs in the Hillsborough County South Superior Court and seeks a declaratory ruling and injunctive relief to reinstate the benefits. New Hampshire is the 15th state to file a lawsuit against a Republican governor for prematurely ending Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, the release said, and in four of those states plaintiffs have been reinstated with their federally guaranteed assistance and have been granted back-pay by the courts. The Pandemic Unemployment Assistance covers workers who are not eligible for regular unemployment insurance benefits, such as self-employed people, independent contractors and gig workers. The four plaintiffs are Cassandra Caron of Manchester, Brandon Dean of Dover, Alison Petrowski of Manchester, and Aaron Shelton of Merrimack, according to the release, and they are being represented by Mike Perez of Perez Legal. “Pandemic Unemployment Assistance was created to help people with careers and businesses that were interrupted because of the pandemic, and who otherwise would not be eligible for the typical unemployment benefits,” Perez said in the release. “Neither state nor federal law gives New Hampshire Employment Security the authority to abandon PUA before it expires. … We did ask New Hampshire Employment Security to reinstate PUA before filing suit, but we have not heard back from them in response to that request.”

Law enforcement laws

Last week, Gov. Chris Sununu signed three reforms that arose from the New Hampshire Commission on Law Enforcement Accountability, Community, and Transparency: HB 471, relative to police disciplinary hearings and authorizing the Department of Justice to maintain an exculpatory evidence schedule; HB 530, relative to candidate background checks for law enforcement officers; and SB 96, relative to establishing a body-worn and in-car camera fund, amending juvenile delinquency proceedings and transfers to superior court, and establishing committees to study the role and scope of authority of school resource officers and the collection of race and ethnicity data on state identification cards, according to a press release. Regarding the latter, Senate Judiciary Committee members Sen. Becky Whitley (D-Hopkinton) and Sen. Jay Kahn (D-Keene) issued the following statement: “It is unfortunate that Senate Republicans drastically narrowed the scope of this legislation, removing key elements such as data collection and mandatory judicial trainings regarding implicit bias and racial profiling, two key recommendations from the LEACT Commission.”

Energy bills

Last week Sununu also signed HB 315, which raises the net metering cap for local renewable energy projects including hydro and solar, and SB 91, adopting omnibus legislation on renewable energy and utilities, according to a press release. “We now have the opportunity to take control of our local energy future,” Kelly Buchanan, Director of Regulatory Affairs for Clean Energy NH, said in the release. “HB315 is a common-sense piece of legislation that opens the door to expanding clean energy development, new investments, and new jobs.” Clean Energy NH worked with municipal members and partners to support this legislation, which the group said will keep energy dollars local, lower rates for residents, businesses and the public sector, and keep New Hampshire competitive in the expanding clean energy economy, according to the release.

Concord has been recognized as a Bronze NH Veteran-Friendly Business — the first municipality in the state to receive this designation, according to a press release. The NH Veteran-Friendly Business Recognition Program highlights businesses that value contributions of service members, veterans and their families; support military and veteran families by identifying veteran-friendly businesses; and help match veterans with positions in New Hampshire businesses, the release said.

Makers are still welcome to apply to take part in the annual NH Maker Fest, which is happening Saturday, Sept. 18, at the Children’s Museum of New Hampshire in Dover. According to a press release, the day-long festival invites all ages to explore the creativity and ingenuity of area makers, hobbyists, artisans, performers and more. Interested makers have the option of participating virtually through pre-recorded videos, online workshops, blogs and more, the release said.

The Manchester School District held an opening ceremony for the renovated stadium at Memorial High School Aug. 27. According to a press release, all Memorial athletics teams were in uniform and on the field for the ribbon-cutting, which was followed by a boys soccer game.

Latitude Learning Resources, a nonprofit that offers learning options for homeschoolers and after-school activities for all students, has opened in Derry with individual classes like home-school gym, grammar and math foundations for elementary-aged kids and Spanish, art, economics, philosophy, New Hampshire history and computer programming for older students, according to a press release. There are also cooperative learning options like Lego engineering, yoga, geography, dance, civics, politics, Shakespeare, creative writing and immersive history, and after-school activities like theater, Quest Scouting and a tween girl club, the release said.