Category: News

Covid-19 update	As of January 11	As of January 18
Total cases statewide	52,307	57,864
Total current infections statewide	6,118	6,444
Total deaths statewide	869	933
New cases	4,979 (Jan. 5 to Jan. 11)	5,557 (Jan. 12 to Jan. 18)
Current infections: Hillsborough County	2,217	2,262
Current infections: Merrimack County	618	585
Current infections: Rockingham County	1,237	1,362

Covid-19 news

On Jan. 15, Gov. Chris Sununu issued Emergency Orders No. 81 and No. 82. Emergency Order No. 81 extends the statewide mask mandate through March 26 for everyone over the age of 5 in both indoor and outdoor public spaces where social distancing is not possible. The extension comes as state health officials continue to report between 750 and 800 new infections per day on average. The mandate, which has been in effect since Nov. 20, has a few exceptions, including anyone with a medical condition or disability preventing them from wearing a mask, anyone engaged in strenuous physical activity, or anyone asked to remove a mask or face-covering to verify his or her identity for lawful purposes.

Emergency Order No. 82 is an order extending Emergency Order No. 52, which had been issued last June. Emergency Order No. 52 is an order regarding public health guidance for business operations and advising Granite Staters they are safer at home. The advisory had been set to expire on Jan. 15, but Emergency Order No. 82 has now extended it through March 26.

Starting on Jan. 22, individuals in Phase 1B of the state’s vaccine distribution plan can start scheduling appointments to receive their first dose, with the vaccine administrations themselves beginning on Jan. 26. State health officials have recently adjusted the eligibility of Phase 1B to now include everyone over the age of 65, per CDC recommendations. Corrections officers and staff, medically vulnerable people with two or more high-risk health conditions, and first responders and health care workers not already vaccinated also fall under Phase 1B. Visit vaccines.nh.gov or call your health care provider to schedule your appointment.

Education news

The New Hampshire Department of Education announced two new initiatives last week. First, residents who want to take the high school equivalency exam — the HiSET, which has been used in New Hampshire since 2014 — can now register, pay and schedule their test online, according to a press release. The eRegistration system will allow for more flexibility, including access to multiple testing sessions in different testing centers. Testing is open to any resident age 18 or older, and the exam can now be taken either at a test center or at home. A High School Equivalency Certificate is issued by the Department of Education upon successful completion of the exam. The Department of Education also announced a first-in-the-nation partnership that will provide free tutoring to New Hampshire high school students through schoolhouse.world, a platform that connects people around the world to free small-group tutoring sessions. According to a press release, schoolhouse.world was created by Sal Khan, founder of Khan Academy, and Shishir Mehrotra, cofounder and CEO of Coda, to help teachers, parents and students during remote and hybrid at-home learning. “Sal Khan is a legend in education, known mostly for the Khan Academy, which supports over 100 million students around the world,” New Hampshire Commissioner of Education Frank Edelblut said in the release. “Now New Hampshire students will have access to this live support and the ability to mentor other students. It is a timely solution that addresses so many needs.” Schoolhouse.world currently offers tutoring in high school math and SAT prep but plans to expand to more ages and topics.

Eviction education

A free weekly online Eviction Clinic is now available to the public, offered by New Hampshire Legal Assistance and the Legal Advice and Referral Center. According to a press release, the sessions started Jan. 20 and will continue each Wednesday for the rest of January and all of February via Zoom from 7 to 8:30 p.m., plus two afternoon sessions that will be held from 2 to 3:30 p.m. on two of those Wednesdays. (The schedule and Zoom link to attend will be available at nhla.org and NHLA’s Facebook page; registration is not required.) During the clinics, attorneys and paralegals will provide free legal information on tenants’ rights during the eviction process and will answer general questions. Legal aid advocates expect the number of evictions to increase when the federal eviction moratorium ends Jan. 31, according to the release.

Charles and Mabel Niebling have been named the 2021 Outstanding Tree Farmers of the Year for their 67-acre tree farm in Boscawen, the New Hampshire Tree Farm Program announced in a press release. As a certified tree farm, it has a written management plan that focuses on improvements for all four pillars of the program: wood, water, wildlife and recreation. Some elements of the Nieblings’ plan include improving the quality of timber, protecting wetlands, creating diverse wildlife habitats and providing a recreational resource for hiking, bird-watching, hunting, snowmobiling and horseback riding, the release said.

The Zonta Club of Concord has launched a vaccination education campaign, distributing “Can’t Wait to Vaccinate” pins in the greater Concord area, according to a press release. As part of its efforts, on Jan. 15 the Club presented 350 of its “Got the Shot” pins to staff and residents of the NH Veterans Home in Tilton.

Around 4:30 a.m. on Jan. 17, the Manchester Fire Department was called to the Queen City Bridge to put out a fire on top of and below the bridge that was caused by a propane construction heater, according to a press release. The heater was inside a temporary wooden structure that had been built as part of bridge repair construction and was operating at the time of the fire. The bridge was not damaged in the fire, according to the release.

Isabel Povey of Hampstead helped collect and donate 646 coats this winter and dropped them off last week at the Nashua Anton’s Cleaners, which is one of the locations in New Hampshire that is hosting the Coats for Kids program, according to a press release. Gently used warm winter coats are still being accepted through the end of February at any New Hampshire Anton’s Cleaners, Jordan’s Furniture or Enterprise Bank.

Covid-19 update	As of January 4	As of January 11
Total cases statewide	47,328	52,307
Total current infections statewide	6,200	6,118
Total deaths statewide	781	869
New cases	5,658 (Dec. 29 to Jan. 4)	4,979 (Jan. 5 to Jan. 11)
Current infections: Hillsborough County	2,358	2,217
Current infections: Merrimack County	693	618
Current infections: Rockingham County	1,265	1,237

Covid-19 news

On Jan. 4, Gov. Chris Sununu issued Emergency Orders No. 79 and No. 80. Emergency Order No. 79 allows registered and certified pharmacy technicians to administer Covid-19 vaccines under certain conditions. Now through the remaining duration of the state of emergency or until the order is terminated, technicians are authorized to administer vaccines while under the supervision of a licensed pharmacist who ordered it. The technician must also have a current certificate in basic cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

Emergency Order No. 80 authorizes Medicaid disaster relief for the continued administration of Covid-19 vaccines in New Hampshire, temporarily waiving certain legislative requirements in order to allow it to move forward.

Dr. Beth Daly, Chief of the Bureau of Infectious Disease Control of the New Hampshire Department of Health & Human Services, provided an update on vaccine distributions in the state during a Jan. 5 press conference. She reported that, to date, enough vaccine doses have been distributed to vaccinate about 73 percent of Phase 1A individuals, which include first responders, high-risk health care workers and residents of long-term care facilities. Those in Phase 1B, including individuals over the age of 75, corrections officers and staff, and people with two or more high-risk conditions like cancer, sickle cell disease or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, are expected to be eligible for their vaccines next.

Dr. Daly said that between March and May, people in Phases 2A and 2B will be able to receive the vaccine. Phase 2A includes K through 12 school and child care staff, as well as people from the ages of 65 to 74. Phase 2B includes people from the age of 50 to 65. Then, from May into the summer and beyond, Phases 3A and 3B will be eligible. Phase 3A will include those who are under the age of 50 but are at a moderate risk of developing severe complications of Covid-19. Phase 3B will include everyone else not already vaccinated.

With its daily public health update on Jan. 8, New Hampshire surpassed 50,000 overall cases of Covid-19 since the beginning of the pandemic last March. As of Jan. 11, there are 267 people currently hospitalized with the virus, while 45,320 have recovered and are off isolation.

Chief justice nomination

Gov. Chris Sununu has nominated Attorney General Gordon MacDonald to serve as the next Chief Justice of the New Hampshire Supreme Court, to succeed Chief Justice Bob Lynn, who retired in August 2019. Since then, the Judicial Branch has been led by Senior Associate Justice Gary Hicks. “Gordon has served this State with distinction as Attorney General for the last four years, and I am honored to nominate him to lead our State’s highest court,” Sununu said in a press release. Sununu had previously nominated MacDonald for chief justice, but on July 10, the Executive Council voted against the nomination. At that time, Sununu issued a statement saying that he had never seen a nominee who was so supported and that “political extremism” had been behind the vote. “It is clear that we need to take a pause on the judicial nominating process and not move forward with any nominees until I have confidence there’s appropriate perspective from the Council on their responsibilities to the process and to the state,” Sununu said at the time. MacDonald has served as the state’s Attorney General since April 2017, according to the Jan. 6 press release; prior to that, he was a partner at Nixon Peabody LLP in Manchester. “Gordon is exceptionally well-qualified for this important position. He has a long and well-deserved reputation as an outstanding lawyer. … He also brings to the Court a proven record of service in both the private and public sectors, including his admirable performance over the last four years as Attorney General of New Hampshire,” Lynn said in the Jan. 6 release.

Flags at state buildings in Concord and on all public buildings and grounds in New Hampshire were directed to fly at half-staff until sunset on Jan. 13, as a sign of respect for the sacrifice and service of U.S. Capitol Police Officers Brian D. Sicknick and Howard Liebengood and all Capitol police officers, according to a press release. “The American people will never forget Jan. 6, 2021 — a day when domestic terrorists attacked our nation’s capital,” Gov. Chris Sununu said in the release.

Disability rights activists gathered on Jan. 6 in Durham to protest the state’s House of Representatives drive-in voting session, according to a press release. The session was held in a parking lot at UNH, which activists said was not easily accessible to some. Acting New Hampshire House of Representatives Speaker Sherman Packard had said in a Dec. 28 letter to state representatives that the House had not adopted a rule that allows it to meet remotely, so it was obligated to meet in person.

Though Manchester schools were scheduled to return to in-person learning on Jan. 19, the district announced in a letter to the school community on Jan. 8 that because the number of cases of Covid-19 in the city is “extremely high,” that is unlikely to happen. According to the letter, cases must drop below the high-risk level, which is a rate of 10 or fewer new cases each day, but in recent days Manchester has seen between 65 and 72 new cases each day.

Despite having to cancel its annual plant sale and other fundraisers last year, the Nashua Garden Club voted to continue its tradition of charitable giving to four nonprofit organizations and one that focuses on gardening and landscaping education. According to a press release, the 2020 holiday contributions of $125 each went to Corpus Christi Food Pantry, Marguerite’s Place, Nashua Soup Kitchen and Shelter, Nashua Children’s Home and Grow Nashua.

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 [email protected].

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.