Category: News

Covid-19 update	As of December 28	As of January 4
Total cases statewide	41,670	47,328
Total current infections statewide	5,508	6,200
Total deaths statewide	715	781
New cases	4,282 (Dec. 22 to Dec. 28)	5,658 (Dec. 29 to Jan. 4)
Current infections: Hillsborough County	1,908	2,358
Current infections: Merrimack County	609	693
Current infections: Rockingham County	1,264	1,265

Covid-19 news

On Dec. 30, Gov. Chris Sununu issued Emergency Order No. 78, an order authorizing certain military service members and EMTs to obtain temporary statuses as licensed nursing assistants. The order comes less than three weeks after a similar order was issued allowing qualifying nursing students to obtain temporary licenses.

Also on Dec. 30, Sununu, along with the governors in each of the five other New England states and in New Jersey, issued a joint statement extending the suspension of all interstate youth hockey competitions for public and private schools through at least Jan. 31. A regional suspension had previously been in place through Dec. 31. The prohibition does not impact interstate collegiate, professional or national hockey team activities, according to the statement.

On Jan. 1, Sununu issued Executive Order 2020-25, extending the state of emergency in New Hampshire due to the pandemic for another three weeks through at least Jan. 22. It’s the 14th extension he has issued since originally declaring a state of emergency last March.

State health officials reported a record number of hospitalizations due to Covid-19 last weekend, with the number reaching 335 people on Jan. 2 before it fell to 325 people a day later. According to the state Department of Health & Human Services’ overall summary report, as of Jan. 4, a total of 916 people have been hospitalized for Covid-19, or roughly 2 percent of all of the overall cases, since the start of the pandemic in March.

Inauguration changes

Gov. Chris Sununu’s 2021 outdoor inaugural ceremony has been canceled due to public safety concerns, according to a press release from the Office of the Governor. Instead, Sununu and the Executive Council will be sworn in during a small ceremony that will include the leaders of both houses of the legislature, while all other members will attend virtually.

“My first responsibility is ensuring the safety of my family and our citizens,” Sununu said in the release. “For weeks, armed protesters have increasingly become more aggressive, targeting my family, protesting outside my private residence, and trespassing on my property — an outdoor public ceremony simply brings too much risk.” In response to Sununu’s announcement, Brennan Christen, one of the organizers of Absolute Defiance — the group leading the demonstrations at Sununu’s house — sent an email to the media saying that Sununu is being misleading in his statement about armed protesters trespassing on his property. Christen said that the group has a “consistent track record of peaceful, non-violent, law abiding demonstrators on a small park across the street from his house.” He wrote that there was one man who was lawfully carrying a concealed weapon and that he was on a public sidewalk at all times. “It is our belief that the Governor was concerned by a massive protest planned by COSNH, Reopen NH, and Absolute Defiance that sought to rally over a thousand people to protest his inauguration,” Christen wrote. “We believe these distortions are a tactic for the Governor to avoid the protest in Concord, and to evade it by holding it at a more private location not accessible to the public.” Sununu’s inaugural address will be delivered live at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 7.

License renewal

The New Hampshire Division of Motor Vehicles has released a new online driver license renewal portal, according to a press release. Customers who have received a renewal identification number in the mail are encouraged to renew their license online at dmv.nh.gov for increased convenience and safety. Other DMV online services that customers can take advantage of include appointment scheduling, not guilty pleas, ticket pay and the REAL ID document checker.

Holiday food baskets were donated to 1,319 families in Concord and 17 surrounding communities through the Capital Region Food Program’s 47th annual Holiday Food Basket program. According to a press release, the baskets included holiday meal items as well as two or three days’ worth of additional food items.

Exhibits from the Mount Washington Observatory’s Weather Discovery Center in North Conway, which is now closed, are being moved to the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center in Concord, according to a post on the latter center’s website. From now through Feb. 12, the Concord center will be closed as the exhibits from the Weather Discovery Center are incorporated into their new home. The McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center’s planetarium system will be getting a major upgrade during that time as well, according to the website.

A new local morning show is now airing on 96.5 The Mill, a Manchester-based rock station. The show is hosted by Jason “JR” Russell and Laura Stelchook and features music, news, weather and listener interaction, according to a press release. It airs every weekday from 5:30 to 9 a.m.

The Upper Room in Derry will kick off a new Sober Curious Group later this month. According to a press release, the three-week group is for young adults ages 18 to 25 who want to explore a lifestyle that focuses on health and positive activities. To register for the free program, call 437-8477.

Covid-19 update	As of December 21	As of December 28
Total cases statewide	37,388	41,670
Total current infections statewide	6,688	5,508
Total deaths statewide	656	715
New cases	5,513 (Dec. 15 to Dec. 21)	4,282 (Dec. 22 to Dec. 28)
Current infections: Hillsborough County	2,290	1,908
Current infections: Merrimack County	929	609
Current infections: Rockingham County	1,580	1,264

Covid-19 news

During a Dec. 22 press conference, state epidemiologist Dr. Benjamin Chan reported that New Hampshire had seen an average of 750 to 800 new infections of Covid-19 per day over the last week, numbers that were slightly down from the week before. While the test positivity rate has remained stable, at 9.1 percent as of Dec. 22, the number of hospitalizations has been up, he said. Dr. Beth Daly, Chief of the Bureau of Infectious Disease Control of the New Hampshire Department of Health & Human Services, also provided an update on vaccine distributions in the state. Over the previous weekend the Moderna vaccine received emergency use authorization and it is now approved for people ages 18 and older. “We received 24,200 doses of Moderna vaccine … here in New Hampshire,” Daly said during the Dec. 22 press conference. “About half … will be distributed to our hospitals … and about half are going to be used to launch our state-run fixed vaccination sites, as well as our mobile teams.” According to a press release from the Governor’s Office, 13 sites across the state — most locally in Concord, Hooksett, Londonderry and Nashua — were set to open Dec. 29 to vaccinate first responders and high-risk ambulatory care providers. It’s part of Phase 1A of the state’s vaccination plan, which includes approximately 110,000 people and is expected to be completed by mid-January. Over the next few weeks, Daly said, state health officials expect to receive approximately 9,000 doses each of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, with the exact number subject to change by the week.
On Dec. 23, Gov. Chris Sununu issued Emergency Order No. 77, an order amending Emergency Order No. 37, which had been issued back on April 28 to temporarily halt the hiring of all full-time and part-time employees of the state’s executive branch for positions that are already vacant or will become vacant during the state of emergency, with a few exceptions, including employees in roles related to combating the pandemic and those working in child protective services. Emergency Order No. 77 adds that all full-time and part-time employee positions may be posted for internal and external applicants, provided they certify in writing that projected federal funds used to pay for the position can support it through the end of State Fiscal Year 2023, or however long the contract period lasts.

Drive-in House session

On Dec. 28, acting New Hampshire House of Representatives Speaker Sherman Packard sent a letter with details of the upcoming Jan. 6 House session to state representatives. According to a press release, the event will be conducted as a drive-in, with all representatives and staff staying in their own vehicles, spread apart across the largest parking lot on the UNH campus in Durham. The New Hampshire Supreme Court has said remote sessions are constitutional, but the House has not yet adopted a rule that allows it to meet remotely, which means it is obligated to meet in person, according to the letter. “Additionally … the anticipated cost in establishing a secure voting mechanism would be in excess of $300,000,” the letter reads. “In the absence of a rule which permits remote participation, such an expense cannot be justified at the present time, nor is it possible to resolve the significant logistical requirements of a remote session given the short timeframe and the unique challenges of the 400-member House.” On Dec. 29, Democratic House members held a press conference in response to the announcement of a drive-in legislative session, and Deputy Democratic Leader Representative David Cote released a statement saying that “This is the New Hampshire Republican Party saying that they are unable to do what the government has required individuals and businesses to do since the pandemic began … by working remotely to protect public health,” and that the plan does not account for Representatives who can’t drive or sit in their car for hours.

Supreme Court case

New Hampshire has filed a reply brief in the United States Supreme Court in response to Massachusetts’ position that the court should not hear New Hampshire’s case against Massachusetts for taxing New Hampshire residents who work remotely for Massachusetts companies, according to a press release from the Office of the Governor. “Massachusetts’ current position is a far cry from our country’s rallying call of ‘no taxation without representation,’ — which they seem to have forgotten originated in their state,” Gov. Chris Sununu said in a statement. The reply brief argues that Massachusetts is downplaying the seriousness of New Hampshire’s claim in that it contends that the Tax Rule does not impede any tax policy New Hampshire desires to implement, that the Tax Rule maintains the status quo because Massachusetts continues to impose an income tax on nonresidents solely for Massachusetts-sourced income, and that the Tax Rule addresses a temporary problem, according to the release.

Members of the Buntin Rumford Webster Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution gathered at the Old Fort Cemetery in East Concord on Dec. 19 to lay wreaths as part of the annual National Wreaths Across America Day, according to a press release.

It’s time to order from the 2021 State Forest Nursery seedling catalog, which is now available at nh.gov/nhnursery. According to a press release, the New Hampshire Division of Forests and Lands is expecting an increased demand this year and encourages anyone who wants to plant trees or shrubs in the spring to place orders now. All seedlings are grown onsite at the nursery, located on 16 acres of land in Boscawen.

The 27 men and women from Manchester who died as a result of experiencing homelessness in the past year were remembered during a virtual vigil held by Catholic Medical Center’s Health Care for the Homeless during Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day on Dec. 21, according to a press release.

A new primary care practice has opened in Nashua that will focus on “unhurried and patient-focused health care” for all ages and will help alleviate southern New Hampshire’s shortage of primary care providers, according to a press release. The Altrix Primary Care staff is made up of board-certified nurse practitioners who will offer a full range of primary care services.

Covid-19 update	As of December 14	As of December 21
Total cases statewide	31,875	37,388
Total current infections statewide	6,752	6,688
Total deaths statewide	604	656
New cases	6,059 (Dec. 8 to Dec. 14)	5,513 (Dec. 15 to Dec. 21)
Current infections: Hillsborough County	2,453	2,290
Current infections: Merrimack County	872	929
Current infections: Rockingham County	1,722	1,580

Covid-19 news

On Dec. 15, the first doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine were administered in New Hampshire to front-line health care workers, according to a press release. The state received 12,675 doses of the vaccine in the first shipment, according to the release, with more expected to continue to arrive on a weekly basis. The state is also expected to receive more than 24,000 doses of Moderna’s vaccine this week, according to a Dec. 19 report from WMUR, and the doses will be received in batches throughout the week. Vaccinations from both Pfizer and Moderna will be distributed to long-term care facilities this week, according to the report.

Dr. Beth Daly, Chief of the Bureau of Infectious Disease Control of the New Hampshire Department of Health & Human Services, reported during a Dec. 17 press conference that the state has averaged around 800 to 900 new cases of Covid-19 per day from the previous week. The day before, on Dec. 16, state health officials reported 21 deaths due to the virus, the highest single-day number of deaths in New Hampshire since the beginning of the pandemic.

Later during the same press conference, Gov. Chris Sununu provided an update on the final allotments of federal CARES act funding, which the state is required to spend in full by Dec. 31. An additional $7 million will be allocated directly to hospitals in the state, specifically those that have been hardest hit by the pandemic. “We know that a lot of hospitals have had to give up certain elective procedures, elective surgeries … to make sure that the beds are there,” Sununu said. “That $7 million, combined with additional over $70 million that the federal government is also allocating … creates a lot of economic opportunity for hospitals and doctors that have really been hard hit by this.” Sununu also said an additional $4 million will be allocated to the state’s university system to offset some unanticipated testing capacity costs, as well as $12 million allocated to nonprofit organizations. “We’ve spent it down almost to the penny, frankly,” he said of the federal funds. “The team at GOFERR did a great job of making sure that we had emergency funds available all the way to the end of the year.”

Speaker nomination

Last week, the House Republican Caucus voted to nominate Acting House Speaker Sherman Packard (R-Londonderry) as its nominee for Speaker of the House, to succeed the late Speaker Richard “Dick” Hinch, according to a press release. The nomination will be decided on Jan. 6. “Losing Speaker Hinch has been difficult for all of us, and this is not my first choice of how I wanted this session to go,” Packard said in a statement following the vote. “However, we must continue our work, we must continue his work, and I promise that I will continue to further Dick’s vision of how he would have run the House.”

Money for vets

The City of Manchester is encouraging veterans who have needs that are directly related to Covid-19 to reach out to Easterseals, which still has CARES Act funds remaining for military veterans. All funds must be spent by the end of December, according to a press release, and veterans who need assistance because of Covid-19, including help with mortgage and rental arrearages, car repairs, back car payments, utilities, food, gas, childcare arrangements, heating costs and more, can contact Easterseals at 315-4354 or mvsintake@eastersealsnh.org.

Low unemployment

Last week’s release of the November unemployment rates by the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed that New Hampshire ranked as the fifth lowest state in the nation, with an unemployment rate of 3.8 percent, according to a press release. “Balancing public health and economic success has been a priority of my administration from the onset of this pandemic,” Gov. Chris Sununu said in the release. “This latest economic news affirms that New Hampshire has taken the right approach and that our economy will come back stronger than ever as we near the end of this pandemic.”

Housing stability plan

The state’s new Council on Housing Stability finalized its initial report and action plan and sent it to Gov. Chris Sununu on Dec. 11, according to a press release. Sununu said in a statement that the council has created “an excellent foundation” for the state to begin updating its homelessness plan. He instructed state agencies to move forward with all recommendations that can be taken immediately through executive action, which includes applying for a federal waiver to support services that assist individuals and families in obtaining housing by May 1.

Changes at SNHU

Southern New Hampshire University announced last week new plans for its campus-based programs that it says will be more flexible, accessible and affordable — including a more than 50-percent reduction from its current tuition rate. According to a press release, SNHU will launch new and updated campus academic programs next fall, with greater emphasis on experiential and project-based learning. It will also move from merit-based to need-based financial aid awards, and a tiered tuition rate of just $15,000 or $10,000 per year. Starting in the fall of 2021, there will be more than 50 on-campus programs available. The $15,000 programs will feature face-to-face instruction, with flexibility to explore electives, internships, project-based courses, service learning, study abroad, and other experiential learning elements. The $10,000 programs will include at least 36 credits earned through required experiential learning components such as studio work, lab work, project-based courses, internships or certifications, and the remaining credits will be delivered in a mix of face-to-face classroom settings and online formats. There will be less time in traditional classroom settings, and faculty will be engaging with students in new ways, including as project leads, internship advisors and coaches. These programs are open to new, first-year students and rising sophomores. “This effort is the culmination of years of hard work to fundamentally reimagine a broken model that too often leaves students behind,” President and CEO Paul LeBlanc said in the release. “When we set out to radically reduce the cost of place-based higher education, we knew that it would require a holistic approach, and we are proud of the work our teams have done tirelessly during the pandemic to rethink the cost and delivery of our campus model to put higher education within reach for more learners.” SNHU is also aiming to increase campus enrollment from 3,000 students to 4,500 students by 2025, according to the release.

The First Congregational Church in Manchester is leaving its lights on from dusk to dawn, now through Sunday, Dec. 27, to showcase the recent renovation of its stained glass windows. According to a press release, the windows of the 1880 church are the culmination of a year-long restoration project, and the public is welcome to drive by and see them lit up. The church is located on the corner of Hanover and Union streets.

Rivier University in Nashua has been ranked as a top 100 school for nursing in the nation and as the top private nursing school in New Hampshire, according to a press release. The rankings come from the Nursing School Almanac, which evaluated more than 3,000 U.S. nursing schools.

Work has begun on a new 6,900-square-foot testing and engineering range at the Sig Sauer Academy in Epping. According to a press release from North Branch Construction, construction of the pre-engineered steel building is expected to be completed in late spring.

Covid-19 update	As of December 7	As of December 14
Total cases statewide	25,816	31,875
Total current infections statewide	5,386	6,752
Total deaths statewide	566	604
New cases	4,822 (Dec. 1 to Dec. 7)	6,059 (Dec. 8 to Dec. 14)
Current infections: Hillsborough County	2,015	2,453
Current infections: Merrimack County	703	872
Current infections: Rockingham County	1,296	1,722

Covid-19 news

On Dec. 10, Gov. Chris Sununu issued Emergency Order No. 75, an order authorizing certain qualifying nursing students in the state to obtain temporary licensure to join the frontlines of fighting the Covid-19 pandemic. For the duration of the state of emergency, senior nursing students who are scheduled to graduate on or before May 31, 2021, qualify for the licensure, provided they are practicing under a licensed health care provider.

Also on Dec. 10, the state Attorney General’s office announced in a press release the autopsy results for Speaker of the House Dick Hinch, who died the day before. Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Jennie V. Duval determined the cause of Hinch’s death to be Covid-19, according to the release. Hinch had been elected Speaker of the House just one week before his death. He was 71.

During a Dec. 10 press conference, state epidemiologist Dr. Benjamin Chan said that, statewide, New Hampshire has seen around 750 to 800 new infections per day in the last week. The state later reached 30,000 overall infections and 600 deaths — both reported from updates on Dec. 12 — since the start of the pandemic in March.

On Dec. 11, Sununu issued Emergency Order No. 76, so all health care providers administering the vaccine are required to participate in the New Hampshire Immunization Information System, reporting all vaccination events within 24 hours. All patient-level information relating to vaccine administration will then be stored in the system as a medical record. Also on Dec. 11, Sununu issued Executive Order 2020-24, extending the state of emergency in New Hampshire due to the pandemic for another three weeks through at least Jan. 1, 2021.

On Dec. 13, the state Department of Health & Human Services announced in a press release the arrival of the first doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine to New Hampshire. The vaccine was distributed the following day to at-risk health care workers in the state, including frontline clinical staff providing direct patient care. Two doses of vaccine, administered 21 days apart, demonstrated an efficacy rate of 95 percent during initial trials. According to the release, the timeline for widespread access to a Covid-19 vaccine is expected to be approximately six to 12 months.

Charter schools

Last week, the Joint Legislative Fiscal Committee voted to accept the first $10.1 million installment of a $46 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education to expand public charter school options in the state, with a focus on at-risk students, according to a press release from the New Hampshire Department of Education. The state was first awarded the grant in August 2019 but had been voted down by the fiscal committee along party lines numerous times. According to a press release from the Office of the Governor, the committee has a new Republican majority. “Charter schools are public schools, and this game-changing grant will open up doors of opportunity for school children across the state,” Gov. Chris Sununu said in a statement. House and Senate Democrats also released a statement after the vote, saying that the grant is unsustainable and is intended to double the number of charter schools in the state, which will create a $17 million gap in funding for the traditional public school system. “With declining enrollments across the state, it is imperative that we invest more in our existing public schools, not create more schools that will be left underfinanced,” Senator Lou D’Allesandro said in a statement. Education Commissioner Frank Edelblut said in a statement that charter schools are an important part of the state’s public school system, giving students non-traditional options to help them thrive. According to the Department of Education, there are 29 public charter schools in the state, seven of which have achieved the federal definition for high-quality charter school replication. The $46 million grant is intended to support efforts to increase the number of high-quality charter schools in New Hampshire, focusing on at-risk, educationally disadvantaged students, according to the press release.

Jury trials

All jury trials in the New Hampshire Superior Court have been canceled through the end of December, according to a press release. Chief Justice of the Superior Court Tina Nadeau made the decision based on the increase in Covid-19 infection rates, noting that there’s more than a 70 percent risk that one person in 25 will be infected in each of the remaining counties where jury trials were to take place in December. “As a result, based on scientific advice provided by the court’s consultant epidemiologist Dr. Erin Bromage, we can no longer conduct jury trial proceedings with adequate protections in place,” Nadeau said in the release. The court will continue to conduct virtual hearings, and as of now, jury trials scheduled to resume in January in Rockingham, Hillsborough Northern District, Cheshire and Merrimack counties will continue.

Here’s something to look forward to in the new year: Winter Fest will be returning to Concord for its third year in a row! Presented by Intown Concord and The Hotel Concord, the event allows spectators to watch ice-carving demonstrations and meet some of New England’s most talented ice carvers on Jan. 29, followed by an ice carving competition on Jan. 30, according to a press release.

The Goffstown and New Boston police departments now have pet microchip readers thanks to a donation from the NH Animal Rescue Alliance. According to a press release, the scanners will allow the police departments to reunite lost pets and their owners.

Several local businesses recently received recognition for being veteran-friendly. According to a press release, the state Department of Military Affairs and Veterans Services and NH Employment Security recognized 19 businesses and organizations as NH Veteran-Friendly Businesses at the first annual recognition event, which was held virtually last week. Among the local businesses that received platinum awards were BAE Systems of Nashua, HydraCor of Windham, New Hampshire Hospital Association in Concord and Veteran and First Responder Healthcare of Manchester.

Voting is now underway for the Manchester Holiday Lights Contest, with 43 registered residences vying to win the city’s first lights contest. An interactive map that shows you where to find the houses is available at manchesternh.gov, where you can also vote for your favorite. Voting is open until Monday, Dec. 21.

Covid-19 update	As of November 30	As of December 7
Total cases statewide	20,994	25,816
Total current infections statewide	5,145	5,386
Total deaths statewide	526	566
New cases	3,396 (Nov. 23 to Nov. 30)	4,822 (Dec. 1 to Dec. 7)
Current infections: Hillsborough County	2,246	2,015
Current infections: Merrimack County	462	703
Current infections: Rockingham County	1,118	1,296

Covid-19 news

In line with the CDC’s updated Dec. 2 guidance for quarantining, state epidemiologist Dr. Benjamin Chan announced during a Dec. 3 press conference that the required quarantining period for people in New Hampshire who have potentially been exposed to Covid-19 has been decreased from 14 days to 10 days. If someone has not experienced symptoms after the 10th day, the quarantining period can end. However, because of the continued rates of community transmission in the state, Chan said the state is not adopting the CDC’s option to allow people to end quarantining early with a negative test result. “If we were to start implementing a test out of quarantine option, the risk of missing somebody with Covid-19 and of spreading it … within our communities increases even further,” Chan said, “and that is not acceptable to us at this point in time.”

Later in the press conference, Gov. Chris Sununu reported that the first doses of Covid-19 vaccines will be arriving “very, very shortly” to New Hampshire. “The Pfizer vaccine will be the first one to arrive in the state of New Hampshire, sometime probably in the third week of December, with the Moderna vaccine to arrive likely sometime in the fourth week of December, early in that fourth week,” he said. The first doses will primarily be distributed to health care workers and those in long-term care facilities.

On Dec. 5, the New Hampshire Department of Health & Human Services issued a notice of potential community exposures connected to positive virus cases. At least eight people who have tested positive for Covid-19 visited Filotimo Casino & DraftKings Sportsbook in Manchester between Nov. 19 and Nov. 29. At least nine people who tested positive visited MacDougall’s Tavern in Keene between Nov. 20 and Nov. 24, and at least two people who tested positive visited the Chop Shop Pub in Seabrook during a live music event on the night of Nov. 21. Anyone who visited either of the three businesses on any of those days should be monitoring symptoms and should seek testing.

On Dec. 7, state health officials reported 1,045 new positive test results of Covid-19, the greatest number in a single day to date.

Also on Dec. 7, Sununu announced on his Facebook and Twitter pages that a member of his staff has tested positive for the coronavirus. According to Sununu, the individual was last in the governor’s office on Dec. 2. “Contact tracing found only one close contact within the office, who is currently quarantining,” Sununu said. “I will continue to monitor for symptoms, as will all other members of my staff.”

Finally, Sununu has joined several other governors in urging Congress to pass a new Covid-19 relief package immediately, according to a press release.

School funding report

Last week the Commission to Study School Funding released its final report, which includes policy recommendations for the 2021 legislative session. The commission was established in 2019 and was appropriated $500,000 for comprehensive research and public engagement processes, according to a press release. “For the first time in decades, this Commission engaged a national research team with expertise in education, public policy, and data analysis to help us understand the problem,” Commission Chair Representative David Luneau said in a statement. According to the press release, student outcomes “vary widely” based on the amount spent per student, as well as unique student needs and the characteristics of each school district. “For New Hampshire to meet its constitutional responsibility where all students have equal opportunity to an adequate education, its state aid distribution funding formula needs to be altered. Currently, most state aid is allocated to districts as a flat universal cost per student. The state can more effectively use its education funds by distributing higher portions of state aid to districts with greater student needs and less capacity to raise funds due to lower property valuations,” Sen. Jay Kahn said in a statement. The report proposes an Education Cost Model that would “assist state budget decisions regardless of the amount of funding distributed.”

DCYF Data Book

The state Division for Children, Youth and Families has released the second DCYF Annual Data Book, which shows that, for the first time ever, DCYF’s child protection workforce is approaching national caseload standards, according to a press release. Right now, the average number of assessments per Child Protective Service Worker is 16 — down from 90 in 2016. Recent legislation has funded more CPSW and supervisor positions, and DCYF’s staff now includes the largest number of CPSWs and supervisors ever, the release said. The Data Book also shows that there has been a reduction in the number of children in out-of-home care, more children being cared for in their own homes with their own families, more foster homes available, and, for the first time since 2015, fewer assessments involving caregivers struggling with substance use disorder, according to the release.

Manchester is holding its first Holiday Lights Contest this year, with anyone interested in participating asked to fill out a registration form prior to 5 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 10, at manchesternh.gov. According to a press release, all registered lights displays will be included in a Manchester Holiday Lights Map. Any Manchester resident can vote online starting Monday, Dec. 14, and there will be a Virtual Holiday Lights Tour online as well.

Jack Barry of Bedford is being recognized for his work with the Aviation Museum of New Hampshire, where he volunteers as the build manager for a student plane-building program that the museum hosts in partnership with the Manchester School of Technology. According to a press release, Barry, 72, is being honored with an Outstanding Volunteer Service Award from VolunteerNH in the senior category.

Make the most of the shortest day of the year with a Winter Solstice Luminary Walk, being held Sunday, Dec. 20, from 2 to 4 p.m. at Beaver Brook Nature Center in Hollis. There are six time slots for groups of 10 to 12 people, and the cost is $12 per person. Register at beaverbrook.org.

Last week, the City of Nashua held a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Dr. Crisp Elementary School and turned on the school’s new 534-panel solar array. According to a press release, that solar array, along with the 1,760 panels that were just installed on the roof of Fairgrounds Middle School, is part of the city’s transition to 100-percent clean energy. The two projects were completed at no cost to taxpayers by ReVision Energy, and they are the first public schools in the state to get all of their annual electricity needs from solar power, the release said.

Covid-19 update	As of November 22	As of November 30
Total cases statewide	17,598	20,994
Total current infections statewide	4,199	5,145
Total deaths statewide	512	526
New cases	2,569 (Nov. 17 to Nov. 22)	3,396 (Nov. 23 to Nov. 30)
Current infections: Hillsborough County	1,656	2,246
Current infections: Merrimack County	350	462
Current infections: Rockingham County	889	1,118

Covid-19 news

On Nov. 21, the New Hampshire Department of Health & Human Services issued a notice of potential community exposures connected to positive cases of Covid-19 at Grumpy’s Bar & Grill in Plaistow. According to the notice, the exposures likely occurred in the eatery’s bar and pool table areas on the evenings of Nov. 10 and Nov. 14. State health officials have identified three positive cases of the virus associated with Grumpy’s, and the state Attorney General’s Office is investigating multiple violations of food service guidelines.

New Hampshire surpassed 20,000 positive tests of Covid-19 over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, according to a Nov. 28 report from WMUR — these included a two-day total of 702 cases on Thanksgiving Day and the following day. WMUR also reported that state hospitalizations from the virus also reached a new high, of 160 as of Dec. 1.

Because people can begin experiencing symptoms of Covid-19 within two days of being exposed, state health officials say now is the time when you will see any direct links between the virus and Thanksgiving celebrations you had, according to WMUR’s Nov. 29 report. The incubation period of the virus can last anywhere from two to 14 days.

On Nov. 30, DHHS issued a notice of potential community exposures connected to positive virus cases at the Stumble Inn Bar & Grill in Londonderry, which occurred between Nov. 11 and Nov. 23. At least 11 positive cases have been reported so far at the Stumble Inn, which is currently closed, according to the notice.

New council

Last week, members of the newly established Council on Housing Stability were announced. According to a press release, the council is a “revamped effort of the State’s Interagency Council on Homelessness” and has been tasked with updating the state’s plan for addressing homelessness, including broader issues related to housing affordability and stability. The council is made up of dozens of members, including city mayors, representatives from several state departments, building and landlord association representatives, experts in the areas of homelessness and housing instability, and people who have experienced housing instability. The Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Business and Economic Affairs, and the New Hampshire Community Development Finance Authority will lead the council, according to the release. A preliminary plan is due from the council no later than Dec. 14; its first meeting is scheduled for Dec. 4.

NH-JAG awarded

New Hampshire Jobs for America’s Graduates has earned the national 5 of 5 Award, according to a press release. NH-JAG, which provides support for youth in the state who face significant academic, emotional and economic challenges, has met or exceeded JAG’s national standards. The program offers mentoring, employability skills instruction and leadership development activities and is available at eight New Hampshire high schools and one out-of-school health care training program. NH-JAG has served more than 300 students this year, and more than 19,000 students since its inception, according to the release. “In New Hampshire, JAG boasts an impressive 100 percent graduation rate and 76 percent full-time job placement rate, even amid a pandemic. We applaud the NH-JAG Specialists [teachers] for their hard work and unwavering support of their students, which helped NH-JAG achieve the 5 of 5 Award this year, despite the unprecedented challenges of Covid-19,” Ken Smith, president of JAG, said in the release. Smith presented the 5 of 5 Award to Gov. Chris Sununu during a virtual ceremony on Nov. 30.

Voluntary services

The New Hampshire Division for Children, Youth and Families announced last week that it has partnered with two social service agencies to provide community-based voluntary services for at-risk children and families. The partnerships with Waypoint, based in Manchester, and the Family Resource Center, based in Gorham, will bridge the gap between initial contact with DCYF and community-based voluntary services. According to a press release, voluntary services provide tools to families that are struggling with health and safety concerns that do not currently meet a finding of abuse or neglect today but could meet that standard without intervention. “Voluntary services help strengthen and preserve families, keep children safe at home and foster environments in which they will thrive,” DCYF Director Joseph E. Ribsam said in the release.

The Concord Regional Visiting Nurse Association has been named Nonprofit of the Year by the Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce, according to a press release. The award was presented virtually during the Chamber’s annual Pinnacle Awards last month.

The New Hampshire Food Bank will bring its drive-through mobile food pantry to Manchester on three Fridays in December: Dec. 4, Dec. 11 and Dec. 18. According to a press release, truckloads of food will be distributed to people in their vehicles in the Comcast parking lot at 676 Island Pond Road, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on those days.

Merrimack County Savings Bank is now holding its annual Mitten Tree drive at its locations in Bow, Concord, Contoocook, Hooksett and Nashua. Each branch will have a decorated box where community members can drop new handmade or store-bought mittens, hats, gloves and scarves; the bank will also contribute $2 to local food banks for every donated item, according to a press release.

The Upper Room, a family resource center based in Derry, is offering a series of free parenting and stress management workshops, according to a press release. The pre-recorded videos are available for viewing at URteachers.org.