Author: The Hippo Press

Frozen tuition continues

The Community College System of New Hampshire Board of Trustees has voted to freeze tuition costs for all seven of the state’s community colleges for the fourth consecutive year. According to a press release, the tuition cost is currently at $215 per credit — which comes to $6,450 for a full-time course load — for New Hampshire-residing students, and has been so since 2018. Since 2011, the cost has increased a total of $5 per credit; factoring in inflation, tuition costs at New Hampshire’s community colleges are approximately 24 percent lower now than they were a decade ago, and community colleges remain the most affordable higher education offered in the state. “CCSNH has worked aggressively to control costs and keep higher education financially within reach, as part of its mission to ensure New Hampshire residents have affordable opportunities to remain in the state for college and careers,” Katharine Bogle Shields, chair of the CCSNH Board of Trustees, said in the release. Enrollment at New Hampshire’s community colleges is open and ongoing now through Aug. 29 for the fall semester, which will include on-campus and online course options.

Mental health series

Dartmouth Health continues its year-long monthly webinar series about mental health, “Heads Up: A Year-Long Mental Health Awareness Journey,” with a segment on the effects of social media on youth mental health. According to a press release, “Social Media and Youth — How do we strike a healthy balance?,” the third webinar in the series, features a panel consisting of Dartmouth Health Children’s child psychiatrist Steven Schlozman, MD; Heather Inyart, executive director of the Manchester-based youth development organization Media Power Youth; and Kenny Olibrice, a junior at Manchester Central High School and a youth advisor for Media Power Youth. The panelists discuss the ways in which social media can be emotionally constructive and destructive for youth; ways in which young people can de-escalate conflicts and create a more positive space online; and ways in which parents and caregivers can have open communication with teens about their social media activity and encourage healthy online habits. “What we do know, and what has stayed consistent across multiple platforms, is that teens are much more susceptible to the messages — both positive and negative — that are put out across social media platforms,” Schlozman said in the webinar. For more information on the “Heads Up” series, visit dartmouth-health.org/mental-health.

Attendance recovery

The New Hampshire Department of Education announced in a press release that it has partnered with Graduation Alliance to implement a school attendance recovery program in New Hampshire through September 2024. The $936,000 program, which is being funded with federal Covid-relief funds, will be offered to 2,000 secondary and middle school students throughout the state who are considered to be disengaged, chronically absent or at risk of not obtaining their high school diploma. Outreach counselors will provide personalized support to enrolled students and their families to help students improve their school attendance and academic performance. “New Hampshire, like most of our nation, has seen a dramatic increase in chronic absenteeism over the past few years, and ENGAGE New Hampshire will allow school districts to provide students with additional layers of academic and social-emotional support and adult mentorship without creating more responsibility for already overburdened teachers and staff,” Graduation Alliance CEO Ron Klausner said in the release. “We’re excited to promote school engagement and high school completion in the state of New Hampshire through this partnership.”

Return of the Yellowbirds

The Aviation Museum of New Hampshire will host a “Return of the Yellowbirds” event in Manchester, inviting former employees, family members, passengers and fans of Northeast Airlines to gather in celebration of its 50th anniversary. The pioneering Boston-based Northeast Airlines, which brought the first passenger air service to New England in the 1930s, is remembered for its famous 1960s “Yellowbird” pop art imagery and jingle. “You still hear it today — people who worked for Northeast loved the airline. They thought of it as one big family,” Aviation Museum Executive Director Jeff Rapsis said in a press release. “This summer’s reunion is a chance for Northeast veterans, as well as family, friends and the airline’s many fans, to celebrate a special company, renew old friendships, and also carry the Yellowbird legacy into the future.” The event will take place Sunday, July 31, from 4 to 8 p.m. at the DoubleTree by Hilton Downtown Manchester (700 Elm St.) and will include a gourmet buffet-style dinner, special guests, live music, a display of more than 250 historic Northeast Airlines artifacts and uniforms, the premiere of a video honoring Northeast Airlines and more. Tickets cost $75 per person. Call 669-4877 or visit aviationmuseumofnh.org.

USNH Trustees chair

Joseph G. Morone, former president and CEO of Albany International Corp., has stepped down from his position as chair of the University System of New Hampshire Board of Trustees, USNH announced in a press release, after serving 10 years on the board and the last three years as board chair. “Joe’s tenure as chairman occurred during a pivotal period in higher education when the safety of our students, faculty, staff and communities, and the continuity of our mission, were severely disrupted by the ever-changing effects of the pandemic,” Morone’s successor, Alex Walker said in the release. “Joe guided the board through strategic decision-making processes that will advantage the University System of New Hampshire during the fundamental shifts expected in higher education in the coming years. … His service will be long remembered by those who worked with him.” Walker, president and CEO of Catholic Medical Center, has served on the USNH board for six years and will serve as chair through June 2023. The board consists of 28 trustees, according to the release, and oversees three public higher education institutions in the state, including Keene State College, Plymouth State University and the University of New Hampshire, which enroll a total of 32,000 students.

A tornado, categorized as an EF-1, touched down in Chesterfield during an active Tornado Warning on Monday, July 18, the National Weather Service reported. The NWS defines EF-1 as a tornado having wind gusts between 86 and 110 miles per hour. This is the second tornado confirmed in New Hampshire this year; an EF-1 tornado touched down in Charlestown in May, according to a press release from the New Hampshire Department of Safety’s Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management.

A new mural painted on the Arms Park River Stairs in Manchester was unveiled on Friday, July 22. Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig attended the unveiling and posted about it on her Facebook page. “I am blown away by how beautiful and vibrant this mural is,” she said in the post, also thanking the artist, James Chase, and Manchester Connects, which commissioned the mural.

United Way of Greater Nashua, in partnership with the Teachers and Paws Project, will host its “Stuff the Bus” donation drive at its office in Nashua (20 Broad St.) and at the Staples stores in Nashua and Amherst, from Wednesday, Aug. 3, through Saturday, Aug. 6, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. Individuals and companies can “stuff the bus” — a real school bus on site at the United Way location — with school supplies that educators might otherwise have to pay for out of their own pockets. Visit tinyurl.com/uwgnschoolsupplies.