Sad ice cream news
On June 24 the Food and Drug Administration announced a recall on ice cream made by Totally Cool, Inc. of Owings Mills, Maryland. In a press release, the FDA wrote that the company is voluntarily “recalling multiple brands of ice cream products, because they have the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems.” The recalled products include Friendly’s ice cream cakes, several Hershey’s ice cream cakes and cones, and Cumberland Farms’ ice cream sandwiches. For a full list of recalled products, visit fda.gov/safety.
QOL score: -1
Comment: Consumers who have recalled products in their possession are urged to return them to the place of purchase for a full refund. Consumers with questions may contact Totally Cool, Inc. at 410-363-7801 or regulatory@totallycoolicecream.com.
Number of deadly fires is up
WMUR reported in a June 29 online story that deadly fires in New Hampshire have increased significantly from the last two years, and that the number of deaths so far this year has surpassed the total number from last year. Quoting the State Fire Marshal’s Office, WMUR reported “13 deaths from 11 unintentional fires so far this year. In comparison, authorities recorded 12 deaths from 11 unintentional fires in all of 2023 and nine deaths from eight fires in 2022.” So far this year Hillsborough County has had the largest number of fatalities. WMUR reported, “From Feb. 20 to June 17, officials said there were five deadly fires in Hillsborough County.”
QOL score: -3
Comment: Worryingly, the Fire Marshal’s Office confirmed that several deaths occurred in buildings without working smoke alarms.
Kudos to Nashua and Manchester
In a recent ranking by WalletHub.com, an online financial services company, Nashua is the fourth best-run city in the United States. It was ranked No. 4 out of 148 cities included in the study, which focused on factors such as financial stability, education, health, safety and infrastructure. The study ranked Nashua as the safest city in America. Manchester came in at No. 18. See wallethub.com/edu/best-run-cities/22869.
QOL score: +1
Comments: Virginia Beach was the highest-ranking city on the list, and Detroit was the lowest.
Local organizations recognized with grants
In a July 1 press release, the Norwin S. and Elizabeth N. Bean Foundation, a philanthropic organization with a mission to aid nonprofit organizations in Manchester and Amherst, announced that it has awarded $178,000 across six local nonprofit organizations. This set of grant recipients includes Families in Transition (fitnh.org), Girls, Inc. of NH (girlsincnewhampshire.org), the Manchester Police Athletic League (manchesterpoliceathleticleague.org), NH Audubon Society (nhaudubon.org), the New Hampshire Historical Society (nhhistory.org) — all located in Manchester — and Opportunity Networks (opportunitynetworks.org), in Amherst.
QOL score: +1
Comments: Visit beanfoundation.org.
QOL score last week: 74
Net change: -2
QOL this week: 72
What’s affecting your Quality of Life here in New Hampshire?
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