Category: News

Covid-19 update	As of January 25	As of February 1
Total cases statewide	62,768	66,058
Total current infections statewide	5,627	4,662
Total deaths statewide	990	1,059
New cases	4,904 (Jan. 19 to Jan. 25)	3,290 (Jan. 26 to Feb. 1)
Current infections: Hillsborough County	1,994	1,587
Current infections: Merrimack County	420	389
Current infections: Rockingham County	1,278	1,096

Covid-19 news

On Jan. 26, the first vaccine doses to Granite Staters in Phase 1B of the state’s distribution plan began. “New Hampshire’s rollout of Phase 1B has been very successful with over 300,000 individuals registering to receive their vaccine in just one week,” Gov. Chris Sununu said in a Jan. 29 press release. According to that release, the state sent out emails to people in Phase 1B who have received their first dose of the vaccine but had not yet scheduled a second dose, or scheduled an appointment that is several weeks away. “We are leaving no stone unturned when it comes to speeding up the process, including opening up additional appointments for individuals to receive their second dose,” Sununu said in the release.

As of Feb. 2, additional second dose appointments were made available at vams.cdc.gov. “In order to accommodate the entire statewide vaccination campaign, we’ve added additional locations in partnership with our hospitals,” Dr. Beth Daly, Chief of the Bureau of Infectious Disease Control of the New Hampshire Department of Health & Human Services, said during a Jan. 26 press conference, “so we currently have 22 sites that are open to the public.” During the same press conference, state epidemiologist Dr. Benjamin Chan said that, while the test-positivity rates and hospitalization numbers due to Covid-19 continue to be on the decline over the last several weeks, the overall level of community transmission remains very high statewide. The following day, Jan. 27, New Hampshire surpassed 1,000 deaths since the start of the pandemic last March, according to the daily public health update.

On Jan. 29, Sununu and the governors of each of the five other New England states and New Jersey issued a joint statement extending the suspension of all interstate youth hockey competitions for public and private schools through at least March 31. A regional suspension had previously been in place through Dec. 31 before it was then extended to Jan. 31. The prohibition does not impact interstate collegiate, professional or national hockey team activities, according to the statement.

Details on Sununu’s emergency orders, executive orders and other announcements can be found at governor.nh.gov.

Support local

The state has launched a marketing campaign called “Support Local: Go the Extra Mile” to help boost the local businesses as they struggle through the economic fallout of the pandemic, according to a press release. Economic development and tourism officials will run the campaign through March via ads on billboards, television spots and social media. The ads encourage residents to eat, shop and stay local, and there’s a new website with listings of New Hampshire businesses: supportlocal603.com. “While the resiliency, resourcefulness, and fierce determination of our industry has been on full display during these challenging times, we need the support of everyone in the state right now,” Mike Somers, president and CEO of the New Hampshire Lodging & Restaurant Association, said in the release.

Housing assistance

On Jan. 26, the City of Manchester launched the Manchester Emergency Housing Assistance Program, which will allow residents with low or moderate incomes who have lost income due to the pandemic to receive grants of up to $4,500 to cover rent, mortgage payments or utilities, according to a press release. “Preventing and ending homelessness starts with making sure that those who are struggling to make ends meet remain housed,” Mayor Joyce Craig said in the release. Eligible applicants will be selected on a first-come, first-served basis. According to the release, the program is being funded with a Community Development Block Grant and federal funds provided to the city through the CARES Act.

Interim supers

The Nashua Board of Education voted last week to hire Garth McKinney as Superintendent of Schools and Mario Andrade as Assistant Superintendent for Elementary, according to a press release. They are both serving in an interim capacity until June 30. McKinney is taking the place of Jahmal Mosley, who has taken a job as a superintendent in Massachusetts; he will continue in an advisory capacity to the Office of Superintendent until the end of the school year. McKinney is the current Assistant Superintendent for Elementary for the Nashua School District, and Andrade started the school year as Principal of Elm Street Middle School in an interim capacity, according to the release.

The Friends of Norris Cotton Cancer Center in Lebanon announced last week that registration is now open for the 40th annual Prouty, a fundraising event that combines cycling, walking, rowing, golfing and more. According to a press release, this year’s event will be virtual, with potential in-person options depending on safety and health guidelines. In honor of its 40th year, the Prouty will take place over the course of 40 days — June 1 through July 10 — and virtual participants can do whatever activity they want anywhere at any time. Visit theprouty.org.

The Christa McAuliffe Commemorative Coin became available for pre-order on Jan. 28, the 35th anniversary of the Challenger tragedy, at catalog.usmint.gov. According to a press release, the coin honors Christa McAuliffe, the Concord teacher who died aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger in 1986, and proceeds will promote STEM education.

The SEE Science Center in Manchester is hosting its adult science discussion series, Science on Tap, virtually on Tuesday, Feb. 9. The informal discussion this month is Covid-19: Lessons Learned. According to a press release, local science and health care professionals will talk about the virus and the vaccines, and how the response to this virus will impact the medical field in the future. Admission is free, but sign-up is required at see-sciencecenter.org.

Covid-19 update	As of January 18	As of January 25
Total cases statewide	57,864	62,768
Total current infections statewide	6,444	5,627
Total deaths statewide	933	990
New cases	5,557 (Jan. 12 to Jan. 18)	4,904 (Jan. 19 to Jan. 25)
Current infections: Hillsborough County	2,262	1,994
Current infections: Merrimack County	585	420
Current infections: Rockingham County	1,362	1,278

Covid-19 news

New Hampshire surpassed 60,000 overall cases of Covid-19 with its daily public health update on Jan. 21, according to state officials. Despite numbers continuing to climb, state epidemiologist Dr. Benjamin Chan said during a Jan. 21 press conference that overall test-positivity rates have been trending downward. “It’s at 6.8 percent, which is … at the same level that we saw back at the end of November,” he said. Hospitalizations have also been on the decline — 230 people were hospitalized as of Jan. 25, down slightly from the previous week.

With the state moving on to Phase 1B of its vaccine distribution plan on Jan. 22, opening up eligibility for roughly 300,000 Granite Staters to receive their first doses, Gov. Chris Sununu urged people to be patient during the registration process. “We put needles in arms as fast as we get them in … but we’re still only getting about 17,000 [doses] a week,” Sununu said. “As the federal government increases vaccines for the State of New Hampshire, we will add more reservation spots within our system and be able to move people up.” The online registration portal is accessed by visiting vaccines.nh.gov. As of Jan. 25, just under 200,000 Granite Staters have signed up to receive doses as part of Phase 1B, and more than 60 percent of those have already scheduled a location and time for their first shot. The first Phase 1B vaccines were administered Jan. 26. According to a press release issued by the state Department of Health & Human Services, the FAQs on vaccines.nh.gov have also been updated and clarified to note that only residents are eligible to receive the vaccine in New Hampshire.

On Jan. 22, Sununu issued Emergency Order No. 83, an order allowing local officials to postpone their 2021 town meetings and elections and to pre-process their absentee ballots due to Covid-19 concerns. The order, according to the paperwork, serves to “bridge the gap” by responding to timing challenges related to SB 2, which passed in the Senate on Jan. 6 but has an indefinite timeline for passing in the House. “The House of Representatives has scheduled a public hearing on Senate Bill 2 and expects to pass the bill in early February 2021,” the order states. “Some towns in New Hampshire have stated that an early February enactment date … would be too late for these towns to set their schedules.”

Also on Jan. 22, Sununu issued Executive Order 2021-1, extending the state of emergency in New Hampshire due to the pandemic for another three weeks through at least Feb. 12. It’s the 15th extension he has issued since originally declaring a state of emergency last March.

Details of Sununu’s emergency orders, executive orders and other announcements can be found at governor.nh.gov.

Education funding

Sixteen mayors and School Board chairs from cities across New Hampshire sent a letter on Jan. 21 to New Hampshire Department of Education Commissioner Frank Edelblut, Gov. Chris Sununu, Senate President Chuck Morse and House Speaker Sherman Packard regarding concerns over education funding. “Covid-19 has put tremendous strain on school districts across the state … and as districts begin the budgeting process for the next school year, there are three particular areas of concern that we … wanted to bring to your attention,” the letter starts. The first concern is lower enrollment in free and reduced lunch programs due to national expansion of program eligibility during the pandemic, which affects the amount of funding given to school districts. The second is that there has been an “unprecedented decrease” in school enrollment during the pandemic as many parents have chosen to send their children to private school or to home school until public schools are able to return to fully in-person education safely, the letter says. Since

adequacy aid is based on the enrollment of the previous year, districts are concerned that they will end up educating students for whom they did not receive adequacy aid. “For example, Nashua would see a reduction of $1.6M in adequacy aid in the 2022FY budget if enrollment numbers increase close to pre-pandemic levels for the next school year, as districts are anticipating,” the letter reads. The final concern is the rate increases for state retirement contributions. “This downshifting of costs from the State of New Hampshire to local municipalities and school districts will result in considerable budget shortfalls,” the letter says. The letter ends by asking the Department of Education and the state’s government to take the anticipated revenue shortfalls into account as they allocate funding.

Friends funding

On Jan. 24, the New Hampshire delegation — U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan and Reps. Annie Kuster and Chris Pappas — announced that the Friends Program in Concord has been awarded $149,811 in AmeriCorps funding. According to a press release, the funding is specifically in support of the AmeriCorps volunteers in the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program, which focuses on volunteers who are 55 and older. “These federal funds make important investments in New Hampshire’s community service programming, bolster volunteer opportunities for seniors and support the Friends Program’s mission to empower Granite Staters with the tools they need to give back to their communities,” Shaheen said in the release.

FIT grant

Dartmouth-Hitchcock Health has given a $20,000 grant to Families in Transition in Manchester, to support the nonprofit’s work with people experiencing homelessness, providing funding for its adult emergency shelter program. “More than ever during Covid-19 members of our community are struggling to meet their basic needs for shelter, food and social contact,” Greg Norman, MS, director of Community Health for Dartmouth-Hitchcock, said in a press release. “D-HH can help community-based organizations like Families in Transition continue to meet the safety net needs of our patients and other members of the communities we serve.”

Winter gear

On Jan. 20, Girl Scouts in Manchester placed about 180 scarves, hats, gloves and blankets around Veterans Park. According to a press release, the items were left on trees, fence posts and other places throughout the park with tags to let people know they were free to take.

Two new specialty clinics, NeuroOncology and Gynecologic Oncology, are set to open at the Dartmouth-Hitchcock location at the Catholic Medical Center’s Notre Dame Pavilion in Manchester. According to a press release, the clinics will focus on specific cancer diagnoses, including even the rarest cancers.

OLLI — the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, for people ages 50 and up — at Granite State College in Concord announced in a press release that it will offer 81 non-credit courses via Zoom during the spring term, which starts Monday, Feb. 22. There will be classes on history, politics, arts and literature, computer skills, health and food and more. Visit olli.granite.edu.

Dr. Jahmal Mosley, superintendent of the Nashua School District, has announced his resignation, effective at the end of this school year. According to a joint statement from the District and the Board of Education, Mosley has taken a job as superintendent in South Hadley, Mass. The board thanked him for the services he’s provided since 2017.

The Bedford Police Department recently issued an announcement reminding residents not to leave remote key fobs unattended in their vehicles. According to the announcement, Bedford Police have responded to three incidents in the last month where vehicle owners left key fobs in their vehicles, “allowing criminals to easily steal their vehicles.”

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.