Category: News

Covid-19 news

As of Oct. 11 there were 3,941 active infections of Covid-19 statewide and 142 current hospitalizations. Two additional deaths were announced on Oct. 11, bringing the total to 1,499.

On Oct. 8, following the postponement of an Executive Council meeting the previous week regarding federal grants for vaccine funding, New Hampshire Attorney General John M. Formella issued a memo to Gov. Chris Sununu saying that the state is able to accept the money without being locked into any future federal mandates. Anti-vaccine protests had forced the postponement of the Sept. 29 meeting, according to a report from WMUR. “I appreciate that the Attorney General has been very clear in his determination that these contracts do not bind the New Hampshire state government to any sweeping federal mandates, ensuring our state’s sovereignty in how we manage the Covid pandemic,” Sununu said in an Oct. 8 statement.

HealthCost

Last week the New Hampshire Department of Insurance launched the state’s new HealthCost website (nhhealthcost.nh.gov), which helps people compare prices across health care facilities with additional medical procedures and new information on hospital quality measures. According to a press release, the site also includes information on health insurance and an interactive tool to compare hospitals’ quality of care, cleanliness and customer satisfaction.

Spirit at MHT

Manchester-Boston Regional Airport has expanded its services. On Oct. 7 the airport celebrated the first flight of Spirit Airlines, which provided transportation between Manchester and several Florida locations. In the security area at Spirit’s gate, Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig, Spirit’s Vice President of Guest Experience & Brand Lania Rittenhouse, and Airport Director Ted Kitchens gave their remarks on the expansion. According to a press release, Spirit is the first new passenger airline that Manchester-Boston Regional Airport has welcomed in 17 years.

Juvenile justice

Last week Gov. Chris Sununu signed an order establishing the formation of the Juvenile Justice Reform Commission, an advisory group to update and replace the State Advisory Group for Juvenile Justice. According to a press release, the New Hampshire Juvenile Justice Reform Commission will “assist the state in aligning New Hampshire’s juvenile justice system with advances in scientific understanding of adolescent development and youth offenders.” The group’s primary role is to advise the state on its use of federal juvenile justice grants and supporting compliance with federal juvenile justice requirements. The original advisory group had been in place for more than 20 years, created by Gov. Jeanne Shaheen, and the formation of this new group is an effort to bring in fresh perspectives and ideas, the release said. “I would like to thank all new members for agreeing to serve the state in this incredibly important mission, and I have full confidence they will meet the challenges and opportunities facing the state as we create a juvenile justice system designed to meet the needs of the individuals, families, and communities in a safe, data-driven, and evidence-based manner,” Sununu said in a statement.

Organic certification

The state has terminated the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New Hampshire’s certification program for organic processor/handle and livestock operations, according to a press release from NOFA-NH, which noted that the decision could impact as many as 45 state-certified organic farms, processors and handlers as well as farms that were in the process of transitioning to and becoming certified organic. An “adequate transition plan” was not put in place, the release said, and the farms affected will have to contract with a new certifier in the coming year.

Career schools

Smaller career schools in New Hampshire will no longer need to be regulated or licensed by the New Hampshire Department of Education’s Office of Career School Licensing, or pay licensing and licensing renewal fees. According to a press release, career schools are defined as post-secondary institutions that provide training in trades and vocational skills that expand students’ employment opportunities. The Senate Bill 148, signed into law by Gov. Chris Sununu in August, applies to private career schools with an adjusted gross income of less than $100,000 per year, of which there are 41 existing in the state. Newly established career schools meeting those criteria will not need to apply for a license from the state. “This change will make it easier for smaller career schools to operate and promote the creation of new vocational schools in New Hampshire with minimal risk to participating students,” Stephen Appleby, Director of Educator Support and Higher Education with NH-DOE, said in the release. Career schools may still opt to remain licensed or apply for licensure if they want to participate in federal programs that require it. Any schools affected by the law that grow to exceed an AGI of $100,000 in the future will at that point be required to go back and receive regulation and licensing by the state again.

Choose Love

The New Hampshire Department of Corrections has joined with the Jesse Lewis Choose Love Movement to provide its programming to incarcerated residents. According to a press release, the Corrections Choose Love Program will include daily activities that will reinforce and support social and emotional learning skills, to improve the residents’ relationships and interactions with their families and communities. Funding for the program was awarded to NHDOC’s Family Connections Center from the state Department of Health and Human Services’ Community Collaborations to Strengthen and Preserve Families. Choose Love has been incorporated into schools, state and local departments and various organizations across New Hampshire, the release said.

Last week Gov. Chris Sununu visited Jeremiah and Jamie Crosby’s home in Springfield to highlight the state’s investment in broadband upgrades, after allocating short-term CARES Act funds to broadband expansion. According to a press release, $13 million went to 16 projects that benefitted over 4,500 households, and the state is expected to receive an additional $122 million in one-time federal funds to provide broadband access to every household in the state.

To commemorate the founding of Daughters of the American Revolution, on Oct. 11, 1890, 10 members of the local Buntin-Rumford-Webster chapter gathered at the Old Fort Cemetery in East Concord on Oct. 8 to clean and reset gravestones. According to a press release, two of the stones that were cleaned belonged to American Revolutionary War patriot Moses Eastman and his wife, Elizabeth.

UpReach Therapeutic Equestrian Center will host volunteer trainings at its facility in Goffstown on Saturday, Oct. 16, from 9 a.m. to noon and Tuesday, Oct. 26, from 1 to 4 p.m. According to a press release, volunteers must be at least 14 and be physically able to lead a horse at the walk and provide support as needed to mounted participants. Supplemental trainings are required for volunteers who want to handle or lead a horse, on Saturday, Oct. 16, from 1 to 2:30 p.m. and Wednesday, Oct. 27, from 1:30 to 3 p.m. Email kathryn@upreachtec.org or call 497-2343.

Southern New Hampshire University in Manchester officially opened its new Esports Arena with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Oct. 8. According to a press release, the arena is equipped with live broadcasting and streaming capabilities and 18 high-end gaming PCs, giving SNHU esports players a place to practice their gaming skills and compete against varsity opponents across the U.S. and Canada.

Covid-19 news

During a Sept. 29 press conference, state epidemiologist Dr. Benjamin Chan reported that New Hampshire had averaged between 400 and 500 new positive tests of Covid-19 per day over the previous few weeks, with the total number of infections now exceeding 120,000 since the beginning of the pandemic. “The test-positivity [rate] has been slowly declining the last several weeks,” Chan said. “Hospitalizations have also remained elevated … and, in fact, the majority of deaths that we are identifying and reporting out on a daily and weekly basis continue to be community-associated deaths.” Chan renewed state recommendations to seek vaccination against the virus, citing a recent CDC study highlighting the fact that unvaccinated people are five times more likely to be infected and 10 times more likely to be hospitalized. “People who have been naturally infected do have some protection … against recurrent infection,” he said, “but studies have shown that vaccination after natural infection provides higher levels of protection and likely longer duration of protection and immunity.” As of Oct. 4, there were 3,502 active infections of Covid-19 statewide and 141 current hospitalizations. All 10 counties remain at substantial levels of community transmission.

Vaccine protest

Gov. Chris Sununu postponed the Sept. 29 Executive Council meeting after anti-vaccine mandate protesters disrupted the meeting, which was being held at Saint Anselm College. “I will not put members of the Executive Council or state agencies in harm’s way,” Sununu said in a statement after the postponement. “State Police had to escort state employees to their cars after unacceptable, unruly behavior. This meeting is being postponed until our state employees can go before the Council in a safe and orderly manner. The items on today’s agenda will be brought up at a later date.” That afternoon, at the state’s Covid-19 briefing, Sununu said protestors had threatened state employees, and that the employees who needed to be escorted to their cars were career DHHS employees, WMUR reported. Sununu said the protesters’ claim that approving federal funds for state vaccination efforts would compromise New Hampshire’s sovereignty was “not true,” and that the protesters’ behavior was “incredibly disappointing” and “not what New Hampshire is about.” Republicans Ted Gatsas, Joseph Kenney and David Wheeler exited the room shortly after the protests began. According to WMUR, Executive Councilor Cinde Warmington said protesters were to be expected at the meeting due to the controversial nature of the topic, but were not expected to be a danger to the lives of state employees. “‘Saying to people, ‘I know where you live,’ I think that’s threatening and intimidating,” she said. “I was very surprised by that.”

Women’s march

Rallies were held across New Hampshire on Saturday as part of a nationwide Women’s March organized to protest recent laws restricting and banning abortion, including the ban on nearly all abortions in Texas and the ban on most abortions after 15 weeks in Mississipi, which is to be brought before the U.S. Supreme Court. According to NHPR, speakers at a rally held in Concord addressed issues affecting the Granite State, including a recent state law that will go into effect in January requiring people to get ultrasounds before an abortion and banning abortion after 24 weeks, and the Executive Council’s recent vote to stop funding some reproductive health clinics. Gov. Chris Sununu has stated that he wants to hold another vote for the latter, NHPR reported.

Indigenous Peoples Day

Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum, located at 18 Highlawn Road in Warner, will recognize Indigenous People’s Day with a public panel to celebrate and honor Native American people, histories and cultures, according to a press release. The panel is set for Monday, Oct. 11, from 1 to 3 p.m. Topics of discussion will include the Abenaki Trails Projects, efforts made by Warner and other New Hampshire towns to support local Native voices, and the contemporary goals of local Indigineous People. The event is free. Visit indianmuseum.org.

NH Hospital

The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Administrative Services and New Hampshire Hospital officials will discuss a proposal to build a secure 24-bed forensic hospital next to New Hampshire Hospital in Concord during a virtual public information session on Thursday, Oct. 7, at 6 p.m. on Zoom. According to a press release, the new facility will be the first in the state appropriate for treating acute mental illness in forensic patients, including patients who are civilly committed for treatment, in a safe and secure environment. The session will also cover state leadership for the plan, the progress that has been made and a timeline for the project.

NAMIWalks NH

NAMIWalks NH, the state’s largest mental health awareness and suicide prevention event, will remain a virtual event this year, according to a press release. NAMIWalks NH Your Way – A United Day of Hope is planned for Saturday, Oct. 9, and invites people to participate independently through kayaking, hiking, horseback riding, skateboarding, knitting, playing, drawing, painting or any other activities they enjoy, and to share their activities on social media while raising awareness about mental health and suicide prevention. For more information and to register for the event, visit naminh.org.

The Doorway

The Doorway of Greater Manchester is now available to clients in the city 24 hours a day, seven days a week, replacing the Manchester Safe Station, according to a press release from the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services. Previously, individuals seeking recovery services after hours would have to go to the fire station, but now they can call 2-1-1 for immediate access to services, including screening and stabilization at The Doorway facility on Rogers Street or at an overnight respite facility. The Manchester Fire Department will continue to provide mobile, field-based recovery and substance misuse outreach services as needed, according to the press release.

Memorial Elementary School in Bedford and Grantham Village School in Grantham have been named 2021 National Blue Ribbon Schools. According to a press release, the Blue Ribbon award recognizes schools for their high performance in academics. “These two innovative schools have managed to thrive throughout the pandemic, finding creative ways to not only achieve high academic results, but successfully engage with students and support their overall needs,” New Hampshire Department of Education commissioner Frank Edelblut said in the release.

Girls Inc. NH, based in Manchester and Nashua, has a new school bus thanks to a grant from Fidelity Investments. According to a press release, the bus will be used to transport girls to after-school programming and field trips and replaces a retired bus that needed repairs exceeding its value.

Homeowners searching for a contractor or handyman for home improvement projects can get free help from 411 Contractor Referral Network (411mycontractor.com) of Brookline. According to a press release, the company’s website provides information about companies that have been screened and have agreed to a code of ethics. The screening includes tracking licenses and insurance coverage, records checks and references from at least three local homeowners.