Author: The Hippo Press

Covid-19 news

As of Sept. 27 there were 3,595 active infections of Covid-19 statewide and 143 current hospitalizations. All 10 counties remain at substantial levels of community transmission.

On Sept. 22 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized single booster doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for certain populations, including for people over 65, as well as for those with underlying health conditions and who are regularly exposed to the virus, according to a press release. Booster doses can now be administered at least six months after receiving the second shot. “This pandemic is dynamic and evolving, with new data about vaccine safety and effectiveness becoming available every day,” Acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock said in a statement. “As we learn more about the safety and effectiveness of Covid-19 vaccines … we will continue to evaluate the rapidly changing science and keep the public informed.”

With steadily climbing infection and hospitalization rates in the state, the New Hampshire Hospital Association issued a press release on Sept. 24 signed by dozens of health care professionals renewing their calls to get vaccinated, to wear a mask in indoor settings where social distancing is not possible, and to stay home when you are not feeling well. “There is no one solution that can completely eliminate the risk of spreading Covid-19, but when layered together, these interventions will have a significant impact,” the press release read in part.

Motion denied

On Sept. 27, the Hillsborough County Southern District Superior Court denied a motion to require that New Hampshire reinstate the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Program and dismissed the case. According to a press release from the Office of the Governor, the state had announced it would be ending participation in the enhanced federal unemployment benefits over four months ago and gave citizens over a month’s notice to prepare for the termination as was required by the United States Department of Labor. According to the release, the court noted that “the plaintiffs have not demonstrated a likelihood of success on the merits of their claims because neither of the statutes on which they rely require the defendants to act. … Moreover, because all of the plaintiffs’ claims for relief are premised on flawed interpretations of RSA 282-A:127, I and 15 U.S.C. § 9021(c), the Court further finds that the plaintiffs cannot succeed on the merits of their claims as a matter of law. In other words, the plaintiffs have failed to state claims for which relief may be granted.” Gov. Chris Sununu thanked the court in a statement following the decision and said that “The New Hampshire Department of Employment Security has done a phenomenal job throughout the pandemic assisting out-of-work Granite Staters receive benefits and find work, and this ruling will allow them to continue helping our citizens unobstructed as we move forward.”

Economic support

The first two of the four planned Collaborative Economic Development Regions in New Hampshire have been established to promote economic expansion post-pandemic, according to a press release from the New Hampshire Department of Business and Economic Affairs. The regions were created as part of the state’s Economic Recovery and Expansion Strategy and will help facilitate collaboration among economic development partners with business retention and attraction; workforce development; entrepreneurship; infrastructure and business advocacy. “While the pandemic has taken a significant toll on the Granite State, New Hampshire has proven resilient,” BEA Commissioner Taylor Caswell said in the release. “CEDRs are an intentional approach that builds an infrastructure for the state’s entities to work together and deliver on our collective missions to support those employers.”

$10 million, found

Between November 2016 and July 2021 more than $10 million was located for New Hampshire residents who used the National Association of Insurance Commissioners’ Life Policy Locator tool, according to a press release from the New Hampshire Insurance Department. More than 1,000 consumers in the state searched for deceased relatives’ policies. Christopher Nicolopoulos, commissioner of the New Hampshire Insurance Department, said in the release that finding life insurance policies can be a challenge. “The Lost Policy Locator Tool is a powerful resource that has helped New Hampshire residents settle important details of the estates of deceased friends and family members,” he said.

Associated Grocers of New England’s distribution facility in Pembroke was scheduled to cut the ribbon on a new 1,292-kilowatt solar array on Sept. 29. According to a press release, the 3,400 solar panels are expected to generate more than 1,450,000 kilowatt-hours of clean energy every year, which is the equivalent of planting 17,000 trees or removing 224 cars from the road each year.

Granite United Way coordinated a Volunteer Day at two camps in Bedford last week. According to a press release, on Sept. 23 volunteers from several local companies, including Geneia, Enterprise and McLane Middleton, spent time at Camp Kettleford and Camp Allen working on end-of-season projects like landscaping and painting.

Members of the Manchester Garden Club recently planted fall flowers at several locations around the city: the Manchester Historic Association, the Manchester City Library and the Mary Gale Apartments. According to a press release, the club was established in 1933.

The Nashua Regional Planning Commission is holding a Household Hazardous Waste Collection on Saturday, Oct. 2, from 8 a.m. to noon at the Nashua City Park & Ride at 25 Crown St., according to a press release. Residents of Amherst, Brookline, Hollis, Hudson, Litchfield, Merrimack, Milford, Mont Vernon, Nashua, Pelham and Windham. There is a $15 user fee per vehicle, with additional charges for waste that exceeds 10 gallons or 20 pounds. Visit nashuarpc.org/hhw for a complete list of accepted items.

Covid-19 news

As of Sept. 20, there were 3,769 active infections of Covid-19 in New Hampshire and 139 current hospitalizations. All 10 counties still showed substantial community transmission levels.

During a Sept. 15 press conference, state epidemiologist Dr. Benjamin Chan reported that New Hampshire has averaged more than 400 new infections of the virus per day over the previous seven-day period, while hospitalizations and deaths have also continued to creep up in recent weeks. “The vast majority of these infections … are occurring in people who are unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated,” he said. “In fact, since the end of January when we started tracking vaccine-breakthrough infections, only about 3 percent of the infections that we’ve identified have been in people who are fully vaccinated. … Low vaccination is contributing to continued spread of Covid-19 in our communities.”

State Department of Health & Human Services Commissioner Lori Shibinette also provided an update on state officials’ findings and lessons learned from their Aug. 30 trip to Kentucky, one of the hardest-hit states in the country by the pandemic. “One of the things that was really noteworthy was that … their surge was largely due to outbreaks in the rural areas that had low vaccination rates, and their small rural hospitals couldn’t manage that load so they would transfer their patients into the city centers,” she said. “So what we did … is we very, very clearly did a strategy to target all of our communities with a vaccination rate of under 50 percent. … So what you’re going to see is mobile clinics and vaccine vans that are going out working with Town Hall officials, local fire and EMS, and trying to raise the vaccination rates in those towns and cities.” Shibinette also pointed out that ongoing staffing challenges in Kentucky’s health care system have mirrored those in New Hampshire’s. To combat this, Gov. Chris Sununu announced a few solutions, including continuing to issue temporary licenses for 120 days to out-of-state health care workers with licenses in other states; issuing student nursing licenses to New Hampshire students in their last year of their RN or LPN programs; and reissuing licenses to retired or inactive health care professionals, which would be valid through Jan. 31, 2022. “We’re going to keep doing whatever we can … but right now, expanding and maintaining a healthy and vibrant health care workforce is one of the top priorities in the state, without a doubt,” he said.

Pfizer and BioNTech announced “positive, topline results” for its vaccine trials in children ages 5 to 11, according to a Sept. 20 press release, and plans to share its findings with the FDA “as soon as possible” to obtain authorization. “Since July, pediatric cases of Covid-19 have risen by about 240 percent in the U.S., underscoring the public health need for vaccination,” Pfizer chairman and chief executive officer Albert Bourla said in a statement. According to the release, trial results for children under the age of 5 are expected as soon as the fourth quarter of this year.

Fighting violent crime

Federal, state and local agencies are stepping up efforts to fight violent crime in Manchester, and they want the public to stay informed about what they’re doing. After a scheduled press conference to address these efforts was canceled last week, a press release was issued instead to provide an update to the community. According to the release, Manchester started using the CompStat 360 program earlier this year, a national initiative that focuses on reducing violent crime and addressing public safety issues. As part of the program, Manchester police have held community meetings and created a community-centered Problem Solving Team that includes law enforcement partners, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the County Attorney’s Office, community leaders, public health officials, public works personnel and community organizations. The purpose of the team is to discuss and develop responses, including non-law enforcement responses, to these issues, according to the release. In addition, Manchester police, New Hampshire State Police and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office have increased officer presence and community engagement in the neighborhoods that need it most, conducting more than 4,000 directed patrols. “For most residents of Manchester, these efforts should be a message of hope for the future,” Acting U.S. Attorney John J. Farley said in the release. “But for those who choose to pursue a path of violence, I have a different message. We will not tolerate violent crime in our community. We will investigate you. We will prosecute you. And you will go to federal prison.” Partners in these initiatives will continue to update the community about their ongoing efforts, the release said.

ATC options

The New Hampshire Therapeutic Cannabis Program announced last week that New Hampshire-registered patients can now make purchases at any alternative treatment center in the state. Previously, patients were restricted to purchasing from a single ATC, according to a press release, and this change results from the passage of SB 162 earlier this year. “Patients have been requesting this reform for many years, and it’s great to see that it is finally becoming a reality,” Matt Simon, Director of Public and Government Relations for Prime Alternative Treatment Centers of NH, said in the release. “Allowing more options for patients can only be a good thing as the program continues to grow and mature.”

StubHub settles

Last week New Hampshire Attorney General John M. Formella announced a settlement with StubHub, one of the biggest ticket reselling companies in the country. New Hampshire, along with nine other states and Washington, D.C., has resolved a complaint with the company regarding its refusal to pay refunds to consumers for concerts, sports events and other events that were canceled as a result of the pandemic. According to a press release under its “FanProtect Guarantee,” StubHub offered consumers full refunds of the purchase price and fees they paid for tickets if their events were canceled, but in March 2020, after the entertainment industry shut down, it stopped honoring its refund guarantee and instead told customers that they would receive account credits equal to 120 percent of their purchases to be used for future events. As part of the settlement, StubHub has reversed its decision and notified its customers that if they purchased tickets prior to March 25, 2020, and their events were canceled, they would receive full refunds unless they elected to retain their account credits. This includes 2,175 consumers residing in New Hampshire or purchasing tickets for an event in New Hampshire, according to the release.

The New Hampshire Veterans Home in Tilton will hold an outdoor craft fair on Saturday, Sept. 25, according to a press release. There will be more than 80 vendors, a raffle and a white elephant table. The craft fair supports the NHVH Resident Benefit Fund.

“Stuff-A-Cruiser” with non-perishable food donations at two locations in Concord as the New Hampshire Food Bank and the Concord Police Department team up for Hunger Action Month in New Hampshire. According to a press release, there will be a police cruiser at Shaw’s on Fort Eddy Road on Friday, Sept. 24, and one at Hannaford on Fort Eddy Road on Saturday, Sept. 25, with donations being accepted both days from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. There will also be a food collection box at the Concord Police Department on Green Street.

Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig hosted a groundbreaking ceremony on Sept. 20 for the city’s planned solar array at the former landfill on Dunbarton Road. According to a press release, the more than 8,000 panels will supply approximately 3.8 million kilowatt hours of clean energy to the power grid on an annual basis once it’s completed.

Clarity Community Connections in Londonderry is hosting its first annual fundraiser car show on Saturday, Sept. 25, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Matthew Thornton Elementary School (275 Mammoth Road, Londonderry). There will be cars, food trucks, local artisans, a bake sale, kids’ activities, vendors, raffles and more. The cost is $3 per person or $10 for a family bundle, and veterans get in free. All proceeds benefit Clarity Community Connections. Find the event on Facebook.