Author: The Hippo Press

Town voting

Tuesday, March 12, is town election day in many New Hampshire towns. Check with your town’s city clerk’s office for your town’s hours, voting registration requirements and sample ballots.

Virtual ER

Elliot Hospital announced in a press release that it is unveiling a new online avenue called VirtualER for patients with non-life-threatening ailments or injuries (such as minor burns, cold and flu symptoms, or UTIs). Dr. Matthew Dayno, of Elliot’s Emergency Department, said in a statement, “The program brings board-certified emergency physicians directly to the fingertips of the patient to help assist with either attending to their care virtually or getting them to the right location at the right time.”

In a press release, Elliot said the VirtualER service is an online platform that will virtually connect patients to Elliot emergency-certified physicians to ensure they receive the same level of expertise they would expect from an in-person visit at their Emergency Department (ED). Patients can be treated virtually, through verbal or visual instruction, or be triaged to an urgent care center or the ED for a physical exam, according to the release.

Patients will need to have a MyChart Patient Portal account to use Elliot’s VirtualER but should know that it’s free to use the VirtualER service. Once logged into their MyChart account, patients will be able to request a same-day appointment by selecting from available time slots, which exist in 15- to 20-minute increments, according to the release.

Assistance ends

The New Hampshire Homeowner Assistance Fund (NH HAF) announced in a release that the program will stop accepting applications on Friday, March 8, because funding for the program is projected to be depleted. If an application has already been submitted, it will be placed on a waitlist and those applicants will receive a notice regarding their eligibility and the availability of funds, according to the release.

The NH Homeowner Assistance Fund program was launched two years ago in March 2022, and the fund has helped eligible New Hampshire homeowners through grants for past-due mortgage payments, utility bills, property taxes and association fees. The NH HAF has awarded more than $36.5 million in grants funded by the federal American Rescue Plan Act.

The NH Homeowner Assistance Fund is a temporary relief program federally funded through the NH Governor’s Office for Emergency Relief and Recovery and administered by New Hampshire Housing.

Crop loss help

On March 1, Gov. Sununu and Department of Agriculture, Markets, and Food Commissioner Shawn N. Jasper announced in a press release that the Crop Loss Program, totaling $8 million, would begin accepting applications that same day. Developed in collaboration with UNH Cooperative Extension, the Crop Loss program is designed to help New Hampshire farmers who suffered significant losses because of extreme weather conditions during 2023.

Surveys that were conducted by the Cooperative Extension after the severe weather found that fruit growers lost almost all their peach crop due to extreme low temperatures, according to the release. The release went on to say that this loss was followed by a late freeze that destroyed a significant portion of the state’s apple crop as farms saw additional losses throughout the growing season due to an excess accumulation of rain.

The release also stated that the program is open to any farm that suffered at least a 30 percent loss of any commodity, had a gross farm income of at least $30,000 in the previous three years, and was neither closed nor currently in bankruptcy.

Funding for the program was repurposed from ARPA funding and was approved at the Executive Council Meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 21. All applications, which will be reviewed weekly, must be received by May 15. Additional payments may be made if funding allows, according to the release, and no payments will exceed their loss, but they will include a reasonable allowance for an owner’s operator labor. Applications can be completed by visiting www.agriculture.nh.gov.

Pollinators in the city

The Tuesday, March 12, Science on Tap presentation from SEE Science Center will focus on “Sharing our cities with pollinators,” according to see-sciencecenter.org, where you can register for this free program, which takes place at 6 p.m. at Stark Brewing (500 Commerical St. in Manchester).

The Aviation Museum of New Hampshire in Londonderry is holding a volunteer open house on Tuesday, March 12, from 7 to 8:30 p.m.Volunteers are needed in aspects such as community outreach, aviation research, engineering and more. Those interested can contact the Aviation Museum of New Hampshire (27 Navigator Road, 669-4877) or email [email protected].

A new exhibition, “I live a journey of a thousand years,” featuring the work of French artist Raphaël Barontini, opens Thursday, March 7, at the Currier Museum of Art in Manchester. The exhibition comprises about 20 works, according to a press release, and will run through June 23. The museum will host an opening celebration on the evening of March 7 from 5:30 to 8 p.m. with the artist and Currier staff. The opening reception is $20 for non-members and $10 for members. Visit currier.org.

Carol Coronis returns to the Seacoast Artist Association at 130 Water St. in Exeter for their Second Friday artist reception on Friday, March 8, from 5 to 7 p.m. She will perform a Celtic music program to get everyone ready for St. Patrick’s Day, according to a press release. The public is invited, and donations are appreciated. See more at seacoastartist.org.

The Portsmouth Music Hall Lounge (131 Congress St.) will host bestselling author Andre Dubus III on Wednesday, March 13, at 7 p.m. to talk about his new book Ghost Dogs: On Killers and Kin. The event will be moderated by Lara Prescott, author of The Secrets We Kept. Tickets cost $50. Visit themusichall.org