Category: News

Covid-19 news

State health officials reported 42 new cases of Covid-19 on March 7. The state averaged 151 new cases per day over the most recent seven-day period, a 49 percent decrease compared to the week before. Hospitalizations continue to be low, at just 56 statewide as of March 7.

Finding firefighters

A new ad hoc committee has been formed to improve the recruitment, hiring and retention of firefighters and EMS providers throughout New Hampshire, according to an announcement from New Hampshire Department of Safety commissioner Robert L. Quinn, Division of Fire Standards and Training & Emergency Medical Services director Justin Cutting and State Sen. Sue Prentiss, D-West Lebanon. The announcement stated that there was a net loss of nearly 200 EMTs and paramedics in the state last year, which was double the loss seen in 2020.

Until now, there has been no centralized collection of data of organized recruitment efforts to replace that workforce. The job of the committee, which is made up of a diverse group of stakeholders, elected officials and workforce and HR professionals, will be to analyze the trend and recommend actions to reverse it. Additionally, the Division of Fire Standards and Training & Emergency Medical Services is looking to hire someone for the newly created position of recruitment and retention coordinator, the release said.

The committee’s first meeting is scheduled for March 16, with recommendations to be submitted to the commissioner within 90 days.

Pharma settlement

The funds owed by Purdue Pharma and its owners, the Sackler family, for their role in the opioid crisis have been increased from the $4.325 billion owed under the original bankruptcy plan to a minimum of $5.5 billion as part of a national settlement, according to a press release from the office of New Hampshire Attorney General John M. Formella. If certain conditions are met, the family could have to pay up to $6 billion.

Between 2017 and 2019, the Sacklers were alleged to have sold prescription opioids through Purdue using a marketing campaign that downplayed the risks of abuse, addiction and death associated with prescription opioids. A bankruptcy plan issued by the Bankruptcy Court was approved for Purdue Pharma in 2021.

The settlement also states that the Sackler family must provide a statement of regret and allow the Sackler family name to be removed from institutions’ buildings and scholarships. New Hampshire would receive approximately $46 million from the settlement if it goes through, which is up from $27 million allocated in the original bankruptcy plan, to be used for opioid treatment and prevention programs in the state. “New Hampshire has been particularly hard hit by the opioid epidemic, and Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family bear significant responsibility for causing so much harm to our state,” Formella said in the press release. “While no amount of money will be enough to address the harm they caused, this settlement is a significant step toward holding the Sacklers accountable for what they did and will provide much-needed funds for our state to continue fighting this epidemic.”

Conditions outlined in the original bankruptcy plan, which required the Sacklers to dissolve or sell the company by 2024, make more than 30 million of their documents public, and disengage from manufacturing and selling opioids, will be upheld as planned.

Ukraine scam

Attorney General John M. Formella has issued a warning to New Hampshire citizens about scams on the rise taking advantage of the crisis in Ukraine. Fake charities may target well-meaning people looking to donate funds for relief efforts in Ukraine, or charities that intend to help but are not well-established may not be able to use donated funds for the purposes promised. Formella’s advice to donors is to research charities before giving, which should include checking the charity’s registration status with the Charitable Trusts Unit at doj.nh.gov/charitable-trusts/registered-charities, and checking the charity’s history and reputation of using donated funds as promised to donors. Donors should also avoid sending money online unless they know and trust the fundraiser, and should never share their personal financial information over the phone.

Load limits posted

As rising temperatures cause the frost that is built up under paved roads to dissipate, public roads will become susceptible to pavement breakage. To address this potential hazard for drivers, New Hampshire Department of Transportation commissioner Victoria Sheehan has ordered customary, state-authorized spring load limits on sections of the state highway system. Limits are posted based on research by NHDOT District engineers to determine the level of risk for each roadway. The maximum vehicular weight allowed in posted sections of the state highways is 30,000 pounds (gross weight) or the cumulative width, in inches, of the vehicle’s tires’ contact with the road’s surface, multiplied by 300 (whichever figure is less). Vehicles transporting home heating oil, processed milk products or maple sap and septic pumper trucks are exempt from the seasonal bans under State law with approval from the NHDOT District engineers. See newengland511.org for an updated list of posted roads.

AARP grants

Applications for AARP New Hampshire’s 2022 AARP Community Challenge grant program are being accepted now through Tuesday, March 22, according to a press release. The program, now in its sixth year, is part of AARP’s national Livable Communities initiative and awards grants to local organizations and governments to fund quick-action projects (projects that are expected to be completed by Nov. 30) designed to help communities across the state improve their public spaces, transportation, housing, civic engagement, Covid-19 recovery, diversity and inclusion and more. Communities that have demonstrated that they are inclusive, address disparities, engage volunteers and support their residents who are age 50 and older will receive preference. The application deadline on March 22 is at 5 p.m. Visit aarp.org/communitychallenge.

Maintenance work on the I-93 Exit 17 Hoit Road bridge in Concord will begin Tuesday, March 14. There will be lane closures throughout the project, which is expected to be completed in May, according to a press release from the New Hampshire Department of Transportation. Detour signs and message boards will be used to direct motorists, the release said.

Manchester Historic Association Executive Director John Clayton will be transitioning to a new position, according to a press release. “Director of Community Relations [is] a part-time position that allows him to concentrate on what he knows best: community relationships in all their iterations,” Manchester Historic Association board chair Colleen Kurlansky said in the release. “We are delighted that he will be maintaining this connection with the MHA.” In his time as executive director, Clayton helped more than double the Association’s grant support, memberships are at record levels, and the Millyard Museum has seen record numbers of visitors, the release said.

A bicycle fix-it station at the south entrance of the Salem Bike-Ped Corridor will soon be installed by 15-year-old Boy Scout Andrew Keegan as he works toward earning his Eagle Scout ranking. According to a press release, Keegan wrote on his GoFundMe page that he’s hoping to raise $2,500 for materials, permits and approvals.