Author: The Hippo Press

Election prep

The New Hampshire Secretary of State’s Office will host training sessions for local election officials in preparation for the New Hampshire state primary election on Tuesday, Sept. 13. According to a press release, the sessions, open to moderators, clerks, selectmen, supervisors of the checklist and inspectors of election (ballot clerks), will provide a detailed overview of election law and the processes to be carried out by election officials before, during and after the state election. The sessions will be held in person in Atkinson, Campton, Colebrook, Conway, Gorham, Haverhill, Keene, Manchester, Newport, Portsmouth, Rindge and Wolfeboro, though on-demand training webinars will also be available for election officials who cannot attend the in-person sessions. Visit sos.nh.gov/elections/elections/election-officials.

The New Hampshire Secretary of State’s Office also announced that it will offer the Accessible Electronic Absentee Ballot system for the 2022 state primary, which will enable New Hampshire voters with print disabilities to securely request, receive and mark absentee ballots electronically from their own homes. According to a press release, “print disability” is defined as a physical disability that prevents a voter from marking a ballot or completing election forms using pen and paper. Voters using this system will then mail or deliver their marked absentee ballot to their town or city clerk; no votes will be sent or processed over the internet. Applications to use the system for the upcoming election can be downloaded at sos.nh.gov/elections/voters/register-vote/absentee/accessible-voting. (Applicants are permitted to type their name for their signature on the application and email the completed application to their local clerk.)

Dept. of Ed news

The New Hampshire Department of Education is partnering with Tutor.com to provide 24/7, unlimited access to free online tutoring for every middle and high school student in the state to help students recover from missed learning due to the pandemic. According to a press release, more than 100,000 students attending New Hampshire public, private and charter schools as well as students enrolled in home education and Education Freedom Account programs will be able to use the service anytime, anywhere and from any internet-connected device. The tutoring is offered one-to-one for test preparation and homework help, with support available in multiple languages. Students can interact with their personal tutors through their preference of communication method, which may include two-way text or voice chat. All tutors recruited by Tutor.com are vetted and undergo background checks. “This tutoring will not only facilitate and enhance learning, but serve as a tremendous resource for students hoping to enhance their educational experience, or those students in need of individualized instruction,” New Hampshire Education Commissioner Frank Edelblut said in the release. “This partnership will also support teachers in their ongoing efforts to assist students who may be struggling and seeking additional guidance.”

The New Hampshire Department of Education has also formed two additional partnerships to promote and strengthen literacy among students in the state. A partnership with Lexia Learning Systems, based in Concord, Mass., gives eligible New Hampshire educators access to Lexia’s Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling (LETRS) professional learning programs. According to a press release, the programs are designed to provide early childhood educators, elementary educators and education administrators with a deep knowledge of literacy and language instruction and the science behind reading, including phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension and written language. A partnership with Güd Marketing, based in Lansing, Mich., has been established to launch a new statewide reading campaign. The campaign will include advertising, marketing and social media efforts as well as a video series, according to the release.

Opioid settlement

New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia and attorney generals from other states have reached a $450 million settlement with Ireland-based opioid producer Endo International and its lenders. According to a press release from New Hampshire Attorney General John M. Formella, Endo makes generic and branded opioids, including Percocet, Endocet and Opana ER, the last of which was withdrawn from the pharmaceutical market in 2017. The states allege that Endo used deceptive marketing for its opioid sales, downplaying the risk of addiction and overstating the benefits of opioids. The company, which has its U.S. headquarters in Malvern, Pennsylvania, filed for bankruptcy protection last week. In addition to the $450 million payment, the agreement in principle — pending final documentation and Bankruptcy Court approval — requires Endo to turn over millions of opioid-related documents for publication online in a public document archive and pay $2.75 million for the archival expenses and bans Endo from marketing opioids. “This settlement continues our efforts over many years to hold opioid manufacturers, distributors and dispensers responsible for their role in fueling the opioid crisis in New Hampshire,” Formella said in the release. “That crisis continues to wreak havoc in our communities and results in significant numbers of drug overdoses and deaths.” New Hampshire’s funds from the settlement will be dedicated to opioid treatment and prevention programs in the state.

The New Hampshire State Forest Nursery in Boscawen has continued to see record-breaking seedling sales this year. According to a press release, the total number of orders increased by 37.6 percent, income increased by 52 percent and the total number of seedlings lifted, sorted for quality, packaged and sold increased by 50.8 percent from 2021. Each year, the State Forest Nursery grows three million seedlings and has 20 acres dedicated to seed orchards and testing areas.

The New Hampshire Harm Reduction Coalition and Rights & Democracy Institute will host the Concord International Overdose Awareness Day Vigil on Wednesday, Aug. 31, which is International Overdose Awareness Day. Attendees are invited to gather at City Hall starting at 4 p.m., from where they’ll start walking to the Statehouse at 4:30 p.m. At the Statehouse starting at 5 p.m. there will be a program with music and speeches, culminating with the candlelight vigil at 6:30 p.m. Visit overdoseday.com/activities-2022.

The Bedford School District is faced with around 75 positions still left to fill before the school year starts. According to its website, paraprofessionals, custodians, food service workers and bus monitors are needed. Informational meetings will be held in the district’s SAU Boardroom (103 County Road) on Friday, Aug. 26, at 9 a.m. and Monday, Aug. 29, at 1 p.m.