Category: News

Statue unveiling

The Christa McAuliffe State House Memorial Commission announced that the unveiling of the Christa McAuliffe statue will be held on Monday, Sept. 2, at 10 a.m. Members of the public are encouraged to attend.

In a statement, Gov. Chris Sununu said, “The unveiling of this statue — the first woman to be memorialized on Statehouse grounds — will be a historic moment for the State of New Hampshire. We hope the whole community will come out for this event!”

Gov. Sununu signed Executive Order 2023-02, which established the Christa McAuliffe State House Memorial Commission, on Feb. 14, 2023, according to the press release. Benjamin Victor was selected by the committee to design the memorial. At the age of 26 Victor became the youngest artist ever to have a sculpture placed in the National Statuary Hall in the United States Capitol, and he achieved the distinction this year of becoming the only living artist to have four sculptures on display in Statuary Hall, according to the same release.

Updated NHDOT website

The New Hampshire Department of Transportation (NHDOT) announced the launch of an electronic permit system for driveway permits, right of way activities (formerly excavation and encroachment permits), special events (formerly parade permits) and Sponsor a Highway permits through the New Hampshire Permit Portal.

This initiative is part of an overarching statewide e-permitting system development effort to enhance customer service for Granite Staters interacting with state departments and agencies, according to the release.

The New Hampshire Permit Portal will replace paper applications for all applicants and started on Wednesday, Aug. 21, although paper applications will continue to be accepted through Monday, Sept. 16, according to the release.

The portal will allow applicants real-time insight on the status of their applications, improved transparency, and improved communication with the department, according to the release.

One feature of the new website is that you can request a business account, versus an individual account, according to the press release. A business account allows multiple users within the business to be connected, allowing all users the ability to view, access and interact with the account’s applications, and business accounts will also allow for self-management of account users through an account administrator; NHDOT is encouraging businesses to sign up for this function on initial registration.

Visit dot.nh.gov/services/permits.

Data Privacy Unit

Attorney General John M. Formella announced the creation of a new Data Privacy Unit (the “Unit”) to be housed within the Consumer Protection and Antitrust Bureau of the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office, with the Unit primarily responsible with enforcing compliance with RSA 507-H, the “New Hampshire Data Privacy Act.”

In a statement, Attorney General Formella said, “Ensuring accountability, transparency, and consumer choice regarding how companies handle and monetize the personal data of their customers is a priority of my office. For too long companies have earned unfathomable profits by harvesting the personal data of its users without providing a meaningful opportunity for consumers to make informed choices about how their data is or is not used. We thank the Governor and Legislature for providing us with these additional resources and we look forward to putting these new enforcement capabilities to work to protect the personal data of New Hampshire consumers.”

The Unit will be tasked with developing a series of FAQs that will assist consumers and businesses in understanding their rights and responsibilities once the Act becomes effective, according to the press release.

Beginning on Jan. 1, 2025, “the New Hampshire Data Privacy Act will create a substantial new set of consumer rights for Granite Staters whose personal data is controlled and processed by businesses that engage in trade or commerce in New Hampshire,” according to the release.

New Hampshire consumers will have the right to: confirm whether or not a business is controlling or processing their personal data; correct any inaccuracies in their personal data being processed by businesses; demand the deletion of personal data obtained from or about them; obtain a copy of their personal data being controlled or processed by the business in a portable, and readable format; and opt out of the future processing of their personal data for purposes of targeted advertising, the sale of personal data, or profiling, according to the press release.

The New Hampshire Data Privacy Act provides significant penalties for covered businesses that fail to comply with the consumer rights identified above, and the attorney general has the ability to seek civil penalties of up to $10,000 for each violation of the act. The attorney general can also seek criminal penalties if there is sufficient evidence that a business is purposely failing to comply with the requirements of the Act.

Attorney General Formella is currently accepting applications for an Assistant Attorney General position within the Unit and interested candidates should submit a resume and cover letter to Chief of Staff Sean Gill at [email protected].

The 2xtreme Monster Trucks Live Show happens at the Hopkinton State Fair on Thursday, Aug. 29, and Friday, Aug. 30, at 7 p.m. and Saturday, Aug. 31, at 11 a.m. It will include two-time Monster Jam world champion Bounty Hunter, queen of monster trucks Scarlet Bandit, and Shark Bite, and will introduce the Roaring Rex Dinosaur Monster Truck. Tickets are $24. Visit hsfair.org/monster-truck.

The New Hampshire Fisher Cats begin a six-game home series at Manchester’s Delta Dental Stadium (1 Line Drive) against the Portland Sea Dogs on Tuesday, Sept. 3, at 6:35 p.m. Visit milb.com/new-hampshire.

Jazz on the Patio at Nashua’s Spyglass Brewing Co. (306 Innovative Way) features Alex Minasian on piano, Marshall Wood on bass and Les Harris Jr. on drums on Sunday, Sept. 1, from 2 to 5 p.m. Minasian has played at many of the country’s most famous jazz rooms and has shared the stage with the likes of Questlove, Clark Terry and Hugh Masekela.

Stepp re-nominated

According to a press release, Lindsey Stepp of Holderness was re-nominated by Gov. Chris Sununu and was confirmed by the New Hampshire Executive Council on Wednesday, Aug. 7, to continue serving as Commissioner of the New Hampshire Department of Revenue Administration (NHDRA).

Stepp is the NHDRA’s first female Commissioner and she began her tenure as Commissioner in December 2017 after previously serving as Assistant Commissioner for nearly two years. Her new four-year term runs through Sept. 1, 2028.

In her role as Commissioner, Stepp leads the state’s tax agency, which is responsible for collecting in excess of $2.7 billion in annual revenue and ensuring equity in the $4.5 billion of property taxes collected by New Hampshire’s 234 municipalities; and directs a staff of more than 150 professionals that are charged with fairly and efficiently collecting taxes from the state’s citizens, businesses, utilities and hospitals, according to the release.

The marquee achievement under Stepp’s leadership to date has been the implementation of the Revenue Information Management System (RIMS) and the Granite Tax Connect (GTC) online user portal, which together modernized NHDRA’s entire information system and transformed the way New Hampshire taxpayers and tax preparers file and pay taxes through automation, integration and electronic filing.

Fire foam retrieval

According to a press release, the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) in partnership with the New Hampshire State Fire Marshal has launched a statewide initiative to destroy hazardous per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in firefighting foam.

During an event at the New Hampshire Fire Academy’s Aircraft Rescue Training Facility in Concord, NHDES Commissioner Bob Scott announced details of the new Aqueous Film-Forming Foam (AFFF) Take Back Program. AFFF is primarily used by fire departments to smother flammable liquid fires. Its high concentrations of PFAS compounds resist typical environmental degradation processes and cause long-term contamination of water, soil and air, according to the release.

The ban on the use of these “legacy foams” is possible because there are now PFAS-free foam alternatives available.

NHDES has contracted with Revive Environmental Technology to administer the collection and destruction of AFFF in the state. Following collection of the foam, Revive will consolidate the containers and ship them to its facility in Columbus, Ohio, where the foam will be treated with Revive’s PFAS Annihilator technology, originally developed by Battelle, which uses supercritical water oxidation (SCWO) to destroy the PFAS chemicals without generating harmful PFAS byproducts or transferring the PFAS elsewhere in the process.

The FAA doesn’t currently require airports like Manchester-Boston Regional Airport to transition to the new foam, but the airport is taking the initiative to switch over now in order to be a more sustainable and environmentally-friendly airport, according to the release.

New Hampshire’s AFFF Take Back Program is open to all New Hampshire fire departments, local governments, and government-owned airports. See des.nh.gov.

Ocean of hot sauce

According to a press release, the third annual New England Hot Sauce Fest, presented by The Spicy Shark on Saturday, July 27, at Smuttynose Brewery in Hampton, raised $17,942 for two Seacoast organizations dedicated to preserving ocean ecosystems, the Blue Ocean Society for Marine Conservation and Seacoast Science Center.

In a statement, Jen Kennedy, Executive Director of Blue Ocean Society for Marine Conservation, a Portsmouth-based nonprofit, said, “We’re so grateful to have been a part of this hugely successful event. We look forward to using the funds to expand our research on marine life and ensure a healthier ocean.”

RIP Bald Eagle

The New Hampshire Audubon Society (26 Audubon Way, Auburn, 224-9909, nhaudubon.org) announced on its website on Aug. 6 that its long-time ambassador bald eagle has died. “It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of our cherished ambassador Bald Eagle,” the post read. “He was 36 years old and had been a vital part of our conservation and education programs for 25 years.” The bald eagle came to NH Audubon in 1999. He was found injured in upstate New York, which led to his left wing being amputated at the elbow. A metal band on his left leg “identified him as a nestling from Ontario, Canada, in 1988,” NH Audubon wrote. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service website (fws.gov), bald eagles generally live 15 to 25 years in the wild.

Correction

In the Aug. 15 issue of the Hippo, a Q&A on page 6 with Kyle Dimick incorrectly described the injuries he suffered during a ski trip that led him to his invention. He had a concussion, as well as other injuries listed in the story, but not, as was initially stated in a press release about Dimick, a traumatic brain injury.

Go for a beginner wild mushroom walk at Prescott Farm Environmental Education Center in Laconia (928 White Oaks Road) on Saturday, Aug. 24, from 10 a.m. to noon. Led by experts from the New Hampshire Mushroom Co., this walk will take you along the farm’s scenic trails to search for, collect, identify and become familiar with different mushrooms. This event is for foragers 16 and older. $20 for members and $35 for nonmembers. Visit prescottfarm.org.

Tickets are on sale now for the NH Highland Games & Festival Sept. 20 through Sept. 22 at Loon Mountain in Lincoln. Special ticketed events at the festival include a whiskey tasting, a Cape Breton dinner and concert, Highland Brews & Bites and a Scotch Ale competition. See nhscot.org.

Talking Heads tribute act Start Making Sense will perform at The Range Live Music and Concert Venue in Mason (96 Old Turnpike Road, 878-1324, therangemason.com) on Saturday, Aug. 24, at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $39 in advance, or $45 on the day of the show.