Category: News

Omicron boosters

Covid booster vaccinations updated to protect against the omicron variant are now available in New Hampshire. According to a press release from the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, the boosters, also known as bivalent doses, were recently authorized by the FDA and are recommended by the CDC for anyone age 12 or older who received their primary series of Covid vaccines or a booster dose at least two months ago. “These updated booster doses more closely align to the new Covid-19 omicron variant and [are] the most effective way to prevent serious illness, hospitalization and death from Covid-19,” state epidemiologist Dr. Benjamin Chan said in the release, adding that a “fall surge” of Covid infections is expected. Almost 56,000 doses have already arrived at health care provider offices, pharmacies and urgent care centers throughout the state, and 100,000 additional doses have been ordered. To find a booster vaccination location near you, contact your primary care physician or visit vaccines.gov.

Colleges prepare for monkeypox

The New Hampshire College and University Council, a consortium of 21 public and private institutions of higher education in the state, is working with institution leaders to prepare for an outbreak of monkeypox among student populations on campuses. According to a press release, New Hampshire colleges and universities are closely monitoring for updated information about monkeypox and are ready to respond to an outbreak according to the guidelines that the Centers for Disease Control issued for higher education institutions in late August. “We are working to share information and guidance available to both administrators and students, to ensure they understand what this virus is, how it is transmitted and ways in which it can be treated and prevented,” Debby Scire, president and CEO of the Council, said in the release. “Although we have no information that suggests we are facing an outbreak, just like the lessons of the pandemic have taught us, it is important to be prepared.” Congregate living environments, such as colleges and universities that offer on-campus housing, have an increased risk of a monkeypox outbreak, according to the CDC.

Behavioral and geriatric care ER

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, a member of Dartmouth Health and New Hampshire’s only academic medical center, will open a newly constructed expansion of its emergency department to patients on Thursday, Sept. 15. According to a press release, the $7 million project, built over the course of 16 months, is focused on improving access to behavioral and geriatric health care. It includes nine new patient rooms, some of which feature enhanced safety elements for behavioral health patients that improve visibility and reduce risk of self-harm; space for a wider array of therapeutic interventions; greater privacy for communication with attorneys and the state court system; and a place for social activities for children and adolescents. Six of the new rooms have a window, which Christine T. Finn, M.D., a psychiatrist and director of Emergency Psychiatry Services at DHMC, said in the release is “critical for [behavioral health] patients who stay longer than a few hours” and beneficial for elderly behavioral health patients for whom a lack of natural light can contribute to increased confusion. Other additions include a treatment room with negative pressure capability for high-threat infection, a group therapy and activity room, a mass decontamination room and a single decontamination room.

Extra EZ-Pass Center

The New Hampshire Department of Transportation opened a temporary E-ZPass Walk In Center on the Spaulding Turnpike (Route 16) at Exit 16 in Rochester on Monday, Sept. 12, to help travelers prepare for the new 24-hour All Electronic Toll (AET), a cashless collection system, that will be implemented at Dover and Rochester toll plazas in late October. The Center is open Monday through Friday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., with customer service representatives ready to help travelers open E-ZPass accounts, accept payments if money is owed and answer questions about the upcoming changes to the toll system. All New Hampshire toll plazas currently operate as AET between the hours of 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. Visit nhaet.com to learn more about AET and the conversion projects in Dover and Rochester.

Praise for Northeast Delta Dental

Northeast Delta Dental has been recognized by Business NH as one of the Best Companies to Work For in NH in 2022, placing sixth out of 30, and marking the fifth time in the last seven years that the company has received the recognition. A nonprofit member company of Delta Dental Plans Association, Northeast Delta Dental provides dental insurance programs for more than 1 million people living in New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont. The company was awarded for creating an engaging workplace and for acknowledging the correlation between employees’ sense of fulfillment and their productivity, according to a press release.

Private movie showings are being offered for a limited time at O’neil Cinemas in Epping (24 Calef Hwy.), featuring new release films. Bookings are available Friday through Sunday at 12:30, 3:30 or 6:30 p.m., according to the website. Rates start at $200 for the theater rental, plus $9 per person. Party packages for groups of 10 or more people are also available. Visit oneilcinemas.com/epping-nh/programs/private-movie-showings.

Colby-Sawyer College in New London was recognized by U.S. News & World Report as one of the top colleges in the region, according to a press release. In the publication’s 2023 Best Colleges issue, the college ranked in the top 10 for two categories — Best Undergraduate Teaching (North) and Best Regional College (North) —and ranked 23rd in Top Performers on Social Mobility (North). Colby-Sawyer President Susan D. Stuebner announced earlier this month that tuition at the college would be cut by more than 60 percent to $17,500 for the 2023 academic year in an effort to increase transparency in higher education pricing.

The Manchester Historic Association presented the Red Arrow Diner with its Century Club Award during the 30th annual Historic Preservation Awards on Sept. 8 at Manchester Community College, according to a press release. The 24-hour diner, on Lowell Street, was established in 1922, and is celebrating its 100th year of business this year. It was named a City Landmark in 2000. The diner has expanded to include locations in Concord, Londonderry and Nashua. Visit redarrowdiner.com/100.

NH state primary

The New Hampshire state primary election is Tuesday, Sept. 13. Offices on the ballot include Governor, U.S. Senator, Representative in Congress, Executive Counselor, State Senator, State Representatives and County offices. The results of the primary election will determine the candidates from each party who will be on the ballot for the general election in November.

Voters may only vote in the primary for the party with which they are registered; voters registered as “undeclared” can vote in either primary, but not both. To be eligible to vote, you must be at least 18 years old on Election Day, be a United States citizen and reside in the city or town where you plan to vote. If you are not yet registered to vote, you may register in person at the polls on Election Day.

Registration involves filling out a Voter Registration Form and providing documents proving your identity and age, U.S. citizenship and residency. If, when registering to vote, you do not have those documents, you can sign an affidavit, affirming under oath that you meet the voting eligibility requirements.

If you are already registered to vote, the only documentation you will need to bring to the polls is a valid photo ID, in accordance with the New Hampshire Voter ID Law (a full list of valid forms of ID can be found on the Secretary of State website). Registered absentee voters can file their absentee ballots at their local clerk’s office in person anytime before Monday, Sept. 12, at 5 p.m.; assign a delivery agent to deliver the completed absentee ballot in the affidavit and mailing envelope to the clerk at the voter’s local polling place on election day, Tuesday, Sept. 13, by 5 p.m.; or mail their absentee ballot to their local clerk via the U.S. Postal Service, understanding that the ballot can only be accepted and counted if it is received by the clerk from the Postal Service by 5 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, Sept. 13. Use the Secretary of State’s voter information lookup tool at app.sos.nh.gov to check your voter registration status and party affiliation, the status of your absentee ballot, your polling location and hours and town clerk information and to see a sample ballot. For more information about voting, visit the Secretary of State website at sos.nh.gov.

Monkeypox vaccines

The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services has announced that people who are at high risk of infection for monkeypox and people with known exposure to a person with a confirmed monkeypox infection are eligible to receive the monkeypox vaccine. According to a press release, the vaccine, known as JYNNEOS, is currently being distributed through city health departments and participating provider clinics throughout the state. If you believe you are eligible to receive the vaccine, contact your primary health care provider for a referral to a participating clinic. If you do not have a primary health care provider from whom you can get a referral, you can still receive the vaccine at a participating Convenient MD location, which currently include Belmont, Concord, Dover, Keene, Littleton, Manchester, Nashua, Portsmouth, Bedford, Londonderry, Merrimack, Stratham and Windham, as long as you live, work or have a primary health care provider in New Hampshire. “We recommend that anybody who has been exposed to the monkeypox virus and anybody who is at high risk for being exposed get vaccinated as soon as possible,” New Hampshire State Epidemiologist Dr. Benjamin Chan said in the release. “The JYNNEOS vaccine is safe and effective at preventing monkeypox. However, because it takes time for vaccine protection to develop and because no vaccine is 100 percent effective, people should continue take steps to reduce their chance for exposure and limit their number of sex partners.” NH DHHS identified what it believed to be the first case of monkeypox in the state in late June, and the monkeypox outbreak was declared a national health emergency on Aug. 4. The virus can produce symptoms such as fever, headache, exhaustion, muscle aches, sore throat, cough, swollen lymph nodes and a skin rash and may last for two to four weeks. Transmission typically requires close interaction or physical contact. Anyone who is experiencing symptoms or has been exposed or possibly exposed to the virus should isolate at home and consult their health care provider. Visit dhhs.nh.gov/programs-services/disease-prevention/infectious-disease-control/monkeypox for more information and updates on the monkeypox outbreak in New Hampshire.

Biofab grant

A coalition led by the City of Manchester was selected from more than 500 applicants and 60 finalists to receive a Phase 2 Build Back Better Grant to support its Southern New Hampshire BioFabrication Cluster proposal. According to a press release, the award includes $43,999,995 in federal funding from the Economic Development Administration, matched with $12,542,521 provided by coalition and industry partners, for a total of $56,542,521. The coalition, which consists of the City along with the Advanced Regenerative Manufacturing Institute, the University of New Hampshire, Southern New Hampshire University and Southern New Hampshire Planning Commission, seeks to make Manchester the epicenter of the biofabrication industry. A growing manufacturing base is estimated to create 7,000 direct jobs and approximately 37,250 total jobs across southern New Hampshire over the next seven years, including a significant number of jobs for non-degreed, biofabrication and quality technicians.

DOT info meeting

The New Hampshire Department of Transportation will hold a public officials/public informational meeting with the Hooksett Town Council on Wednesday, Sept. 14, at 6 p.m. at the Hooksett Town Hall (35 Main St.) to discuss planned preservation work on five bridges located on Interstate 93 northbound between Exits 7 and 9 in Manchester and Hooksett and associated traffic control. According to a press release, this work will consist of pavement and membrane replacement, partial and full deck repairs, guardrail repairs, and joint replacements. The meeting will present information about the proposed project to the public and invite citizens and public officials to weigh in.

The University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension, with Gov. Chris Sununu and first lady Valerie Sununu, held a ribbon cutting ceremony to unveil and dedicate the New Hampshire Native Pollinator Garden at the Bridges House, at 21 Mountain Road in Concord, on Sept. 3. The certified pollinator-friendly garden — built by Master Gardener volunteers and the Sununu family — is dedicated to former first lady Nancy Sununu (wife of John H. Sununu, governor in the 1980s, and Chris Sununu’s mother), according to a press release. See friendsofbridgeshouse.org/pollinator-habitat.

Manchester Proud will host its annual CelebratED event on Saturday, Sept. 17, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Veterans Memorial Park, on Elm Street between Central and Merrimack streets in downtown Manchester. The annual event celebrates Manchester schools and features ceremonies, live music, food, robotics demonstrations, an activity station, an aerial show, an art show, a sensory tent, bookmobile readings and more, according to the website. Visit manchesterproud.org/celebrated.

The Thank You Project, a charitable organization that works to build wells in Nigeria, will host its 7th annual Water Walk on Saturday, Sept. 10, from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., at Greeley Park, on Concord Street in Nashua. According to a press release, the event raises funds to support the organization’s mission, providing easier access to clean drinking water for people living in communities in Nigeria, and to support a scholarship fund for students studying at the Dr. Michael Okpara University in Nigeria. Visit thankyouproject.org to learn more.