Category: News

Fire prevention

The New Hampshire State Fire Marshal’s Office, with the National Fire Protection Association, celebrates the 100th anniversary of Fire Prevention Week, which is nationally observed Oct. 9 through Oct. 15. According to a press release, more than 20 events have been planned throughout the state to educate the public on this year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign, “Fire won’t wait. Plan your escape.” “It’s important for everyone to plan and practice a home fire escape,” Sean Toomey, New Hampshire State Fire Marshal, said in the release. “Everyone needs to be prepared in advance, so that they know what to do when the smoke alarm sounds. Given that every home is different, every home fire escape plan will also be different. Have a plan for everyone in the home.” Check with your town or city fire department to see how they’re participating, and visit the Fire Prevention Week website, nfpa.org/fpw, for tools to help you create your household’s fire escape plan.

Community health grants

The Department of Health and Human Services will award more than $2.2 million in federal grants to improve access to community health and support services in New Hampshire, including a $1 million grant awarded directly to One Sky Community Services, a statewide network that supports individuals diagnosed with developmental disabilities or acquired brain disorders. According to a press release, U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, secured the funding through a congressionally directed spending request through the fiscal year 2022 omnibus package passed earlier this year. Sen. Shaheen also requested and received approval for more than $5 million in federal funding to assist New Hampshire law enforcement. Those funds, which are allocated through the Department of Justice’s Community Oriented Policing’s Technology and Equipment Program, will support the New Hampshire Department of Safety’s Division of State Police for Statewide Digital Law Enforcement Equipment and Technology Training and radio and communications infrastructure upgrades for the Merrimack Police Department, the Durham Department of Public Safety, the Cheshire County Sheriff’s Office and Strafford County, according to another release.

Help for kids

The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services’ Division for Children, Youth and Families announced that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Children’s Bureau’s Administration for Children and Families has approved its Family First Title IV-E Prevention Plan. The five-year plan focuses on family strengthening and providing services to families whose children may be at risk of entering foster care, according to a press release, and allows DCYF to secure federal reimbursement for the funding of those services. “Through Family First, we have an incredible opportunity to get services to vulnerable families in their own homes and communities, making them more resilient and reducing the risk of abuse, neglect and separation of children from their families,” DCYF Director Joseph E. Ribsam said in the release. “We are well on our way to implementing many of the new services designed to keep kids safe and keep families strong and together.”

Vax vans

Mobile vaccination clinics and the Homebased Vaccination Program have resumed in New Hampshire as part of the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services’ initiative to make Covid vaccines, including the updated booster doses, more accessible to all residents. “As we move into the fall and winter, we want to make sure everyone has access to the updated Covid-19 booster doses that better protect against the most recently circulating Covid-19 variants,” Patricia Tilley, director of Public Health Services, said in a press release. “We know there are barriers to vaccine access, and the homebased and mobile vaccination clinics, once again, will help to close that gap.” Three mobile vaccination vans providing free Covid vaccines — both the primary series and the updated booster dose — are available upon request to groups, organizations, workplaces and community events throughout the state. Visit on-sitemedservices.com/van. Additionally, the Homebased Vaccination Program will visit and provide free Covid vaccines and booster doses to residents throughout the state who have challenges leaving their home or have been advised by a medical provider to remain in their home. Visit on-sitemedservices.com/vaccine. Both programs are federally funded through the American Rescue Plan and will run through March 2023, according to the release.

NH National Guard

Two New Hampshire Army National Guard units have been deployed to the southern border for one year, according to a press release from the governor’s office. One unit of approximately 44 soldiers will provide command and control over four subordinate units — approximately 500 soldiers total — across around 250 miles of border extending to the Gulf of Mexico. The other unit of approximately 120 soldiers will serve at surveillance sites along the border, according to the release.

The New Hampshire Insurance Department will host its annual hearing on health insurance premium rates and cost driving factors on Friday, Oct. 20, at UNH Law School in Concord. An opening reception will begin at 8:30 a.m., followed by the program starting at 9 a.m. and concluding at 12:30 p.m. The event is open to the public and can also be watched online. To register to attend, in person or online, email [email protected].

The Bow Business Expo is happening on Saturday, Oct. 15, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Baker Free Library (509 South St., Bow). According to a press release, attendees will have an opportunity to connect with Bow small businesses and entrepreneurs in a casual setting and enjoy free samples and demonstrations. It’s free and open to the public. Visit bowbakerfreelibrary.org.

Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig joined city Director of Parks & Recreation Mark Gomez, representatives from the Board of Aldermen and members of the Shaw family at Brown & Mitchell Park (229 W. Mitchell St., Manchester) on Oct. 5 to rededicate the park in honor of Representative and Alderman Barbara Shaw. According to a press release, Shaw, who died in December 2021, was a teacher and education administrator who served on the Manchester Board of Mayor and Alderman for 11 years, from 2010 to 2021, and served in the House of Representatives for 11 terms.

Grants for new charter schools

The New Hampshire Department of Education recently released data revealing that $10.2 million has been distributed over the past two years to fund the formation of five new Board of Education-approved public charter schools in the state. According to NHPR, the funds come from a $46 million federal grant allocated for charter school startup costs, such as renovating buildings and recruiting staff and students, as part of an initiative to double the number of New Hampshire charter schools over five years. The newly approved schools include Heartwood Chartered Public School in Jefferson, Gathering Waters Charter School in Keene, Northeast Woodlands Charter School in Conway, Spark Academy of Advanced Technologies in Manchester and Lionheart Classical Academy, which opened in Peterborough this fall. Since 2020, four existing charter schools in New Hampshire closed their doors, the article said. The New Hampshire Department of Education expects to award another round of grants this month.

Lottery sales record

The New Hampshire Lottery broke its all-time sales record in the fiscal year 2022, generating more than $536.5 million in total sales, an increase of 3.3 percent, or $17.6 million, from the previous year, when it set a record high of $519 million. According to a press release, the New Hampshire Lottery also delivered a record high amount of $146.3 million to support education in the state in the last fiscal year. “We are pleased to break our sales and revenue records this year, as our success directly benefits schools statewide,” Charlie McIntyre, executive director of New Hampshire Lottery, said in the release. “Over the past year, as we worked to continuously engage current players and new audiences, we have launched countless new games, expanded and enhanced current offerings, introduced the state-of-the-art NH Lottery app, and have continued to build strong momentum with sports betting, all of which supports our ongoing efforts to maximize revenue for education.” New Hampshire Lottery sales have increased by nearly 60 percent, or nearly $200 million, over the past five years.

Underground Railroad site

The Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire announced in a press release that the National Park Service has accepted Ona Judge Staines’ burial site in New Hampshire as part of its National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom. The site is one of 17 sites added to the Network from its 44th round of applications and joins more than 700 sites, facilities and programs across 13 states that represent that diverse experiences of freedom seekers who escaped slavery and the allies who helped them. Ona “Oney” Judge Staines was enslaved at the plantation of first U.S. president George Washington in Mount Vernon, Virginia and escaped to Philadelphia, where the free Black community assisted her in relocating to and starting a new life in New Hampshire as a free woman. Information on the location of the site is restricted from the public to protect its historical integrity. Visit blackheritagetrailnh.org.

Pop-up pantries

United Way of Greater Nashua’s Pop-Up Pantries will transition from 13 outdoor locations to five indoor locations during the colder months, starting on Oct. 31, according to a press release. The weekly pantries distribute food, provided by the Nashua Soup Kitchen and Shelter, around downtown Nashua to families experiencing food insecurity. The indoor pantries will be located at Arlington Street Community Center at 36 Arlington St. on Mondays; at Girls Inc. at 21 Burke St. on Tuesdays; at Harbor Care at 45 High St. on Wednesdays; at Nashua Community Music School at 2 Lock St. on Thursdays; and at Crossway Christian Church at 33 Pine St. on Fridays. All pantries distribute food on a first come, first served basis starting at 11 a.m. and ending when all food has been distributed, except for Wednesday, when the pantry starts at 2 p.m. Visit unitedwaynashua.org.

Skydiving educators

A group of New Hampshire educators joined Commissioner Frank Edelblut of the New Hampshire Department of Education for a skydiving excursion at the Lawrence Municipal Airport in North Andover, Mass., on Sept. 28. Each participant was paired with a soldier from the U.S. Army’s Parachute Team, the Golden Knights, for a tandem jump at 12,500 feet. The jumps serve as an exercise in teamwork, courage, discipline and training for the soldiers, according to a press release. “The U.S. Army provides students with a number of life-building opportunities, including numerous educational benefits like tuition assistance for postsecondary education, and leadership and career development opportunities, to name a few,” Edelblut said in the release. “It was an honor to be here today and skydive with some of our great soldiers who are committed to bettering their academic and career paths while serving as role models for our youth.”

CPR kits donated

The Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon recently received a donation of 500 infant CPR home training kits from the American Heart Association, funded by the Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation, and is distributing the kits to families of babies treated in the hospital’s intensive care nursery upon discharge. According to a press release, the kit contains tools to help new parents learn lifesaving infant CPR and infant choking relief skills in as little as 20 minutes, including a self-directed learning program that allows the user to practice the skills on a manikin while observing a video demonstration. “Learning CPR is one of the most important things all of us can do. You never know when a hero may be needed,” Lauren G. Gilstrap, MD, MPH, a cardiologist at the Heart & Vascular Center at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, said in the release. “These training kits will allow parents to feel confident and empowered to perform CPR successfully should an emergency occur with their child.”

The New Hampshire Transportation Council will hold a public meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 12, at 9 a.m. at NHDOT, 7 Hazen Drive, Room 114, in Concord, to discuss the New Hampshire Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Deployment Plan recently approved by the Federal Highway Administration. The purpose of the meeting, according to a press release, is to explain the plan to the public, discuss public comments received during the plan’s development and answer questions from the public. The meeting will also be attendable via Zoom. Visit dot.nh.gov.

The Upper Room, a family resource center located at 36 Tsienneto Road in Derry, will host a three-part “Active Parenting for 0- to 5-year-olds” educational series for parents of young children. The series will run weekly on Wednesdays for three consecutive weeks, starting on Wednesday, Oct. 12, and sessions will run from 6 to 8 p.m. Participants will learn skills such as how to identify what a baby’s cry might mean, how to manage the “terrible twos” and more. Visit urteachers.org or call 427-8477, ext. 124.

UpReach Therapeutic Equestrian Center in Goffstown is looking for volunteers to assist in mounted programming, including Therapeutic Riding, Hippotherapy and Carriage Driving; unmounted (no riding) programs, which involve working with horses from the ground; and barn chores, such as mucking stalls, turnout, cleaning buckets, hay distribution, sweeping and more. Volunteer training sessions are scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 29, from 9 a.m. to noon, and Tuesday, Nov. 1, from 1 to 4 p.m., with an additional training required for those working directly with horses offered on Saturday, Oct. 29, from 1 to 4 p.m., and Wednesday, Nov. 2, from 1 to 3 p.m. Volunteers must be at least 14 years of age, and horse experience is helpful, but not required. Visit upreachtec.org.