Category: Quality Of Life

From UNH to space!

As reported by the University of New Hampshire in a Sept. 24 press release, New Hampshire-built technology was aboard a rocket launched that morning. “Instrumentation designed and built by researchers, engineers and students from the University of New Hampshire (UNH) blasted off on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Kennedy Space Center in Florida,” the press release read. “The rocket is headed toward the sun as a part of NASA’s latest scientific mission to better understand the impact of space weather, cosmic radiation and their impacts on Earth.”

QOL score: +1

Comment: As reported by WMUR in a Sept. 25 online article, “Multiple spacecraft from the rocket are expected to reach their destination, a location between Earth and the Sun about one million miles away, by January.” Visit “UNH and IMAP-Lo“ on YouTube.

You might need to borrow a little more money

As reported by the Concord Monitor in a Sept. 24 online article, the cost of buying a home in New Hampshire has gone up. Again. “August marked the 67th consecutive month in which New Hampshire home prices were higher than in the same month a year earlier, according to the New Hampshire Association of Realtors,” according to the article

QOL score: -2

Comment: “Rockingham County topped the list as the most expensive area to buy a house last month,” the Monitor reported, “with a median price of $689,000. In Merrimack County, the median price was $527,500.”

Hoping you don’t work at the top of a hill

In a Sept. 28 post, the New Hampshire Department of Transportation announced on its Facebook page (facebook.com/NHDOT) that it was encouraging the drivers of New Hampshire not to drive. In a post titled, “Could You Go a Week Without Driving?” the DOT wrote that “from Sept 29 – Oct 5, NHDOT is stepping out of the driver’s seat and into the reality of millions who rely on walking, rolling, biking, transit, or carpooling every day.” They prompted temporary non-drivers to “sign up at weekwithoutdriving.org.”

QOL score: +1 for good intentions

Comment: The online responses included: “Well, that’ll be a really long walk to get groceries 35+miles away,” and, simply, “No.”

QOL score last week: 68

Net change: 0

QOL this week: 68

Things are getting thirsty

According to a Sept.16 online article from WMUR, this summer’s drought has hit a new milestone: some wells are starting to run dry. Quoting Ted Diers from the Department of Environmental Services, the article read, “Basically, this is a statewide drought. What we’re encouraging is for people to be very, very careful with their well water, be conservation minded, [and] use it gently.” The NHDES website posts a warning, “Drought conditions continue to worsen. Currently, 73% of the state is in severe or extreme drought. Please follow local water use restrictions and fire requirements, and conserve water where you can.

QOL score: -3 (because see also page 4)

Comment: More than half of New Hampshire residents depend on private wells for their water. Visit des.nh.gov/climate-and-sustainability/storms-and-emergencies/drought.

But relief might be on its way

As of Sept. 22, WMUR’s extended forecast shows a likelihood of at least one day of rain in the next week, with a 90 percent chance of rain. The National Weather Service is more cautious in its estimates, predicting a maximum of a 70 percent chance of rain.

QOL score: +1

Comment: According to the National Weather Service, Concord experienced 18 days in August (the latest data available) with temperatures above average, and 1.18 inches of rain, compared to the 3.36 inches of a normal year. Visit.weather.gov.

Is ‘stagnant’ as bad as it sounds?

In a Sept.11 report, the New Hampshire Fiscal Policy Institute (nhfpi.org) analyzed U.S. Census data and concluded, “While Granite Staters’ economic well-being did not worsen, it also did not improve. From 2023 to 2024, median household incomes were essentially flat when adjusting for inflation, poverty rates remained unchanged. These stagnant indicators suggest that while New Hampshire has avoided backsliding, many families continue to face persistent challenges meeting basic needs.”

QOL score: -1

Comment: According to the Institute’s report, “A limited supply of housing units in New Hampshire is contributing to both higher rental costs and increased sale prices for single-family houses across the state, making purchasing a home, and associated wealth-building opportunities, more difficult to access for those who currently rent.” Visit nhfpi.org/blog/acs2025.

‘I owe how much!?’

According to a recent study by the online finance website WalletHub.com, New Hampshire ranks second among states with the highest rate of student loan debt. “[New Hampshire] Borrowers owe an average of close to $40,000, the highest amount in the country,” the report read. New Hampshire came first in the average amount of student debt, second in the proportion of students with debt, first in the percentage of student loans past due or in default, and — perhaps a good sign — third in grant growth. Only Mississippi scored higher.

QOL score: -1

Comment: According to the WalletHub report, “At the end of the first quarter of 2025, total outstanding college-loan balances stood at over $1.66 trillion, according to the Department of Education. That comes out to an average of over $39,000 for each of the 42.5 million borrowers.” Search for “States with the Most and Least Student Debt (2025).”

QOL score last week: 72

Net change: -4

QOL this week: 68

What’s affecting your Quality of Life here in New Hampshire?

Let us know at news@hippopress.com.

It’s really dry

As noted by WMUR in a Sept. 11 online report, New Hampshire is very, very dry. According to the report, a small portion of Grafton County, about 7 percent of the state, is suffering from conditions of “extreme drought.” Conditions in much of the rest of the state are classed as “severe drought.” “Just three months ago,” WMUR reported, “100% of the state was not considered to be even abnormally dry, but the situation has progressively worsened since the end of May.”

QOL score: -2

Comment: The New Hampshire Department of Forests and Lands said on its X, formerly Twitter, feed (@NHForestRangers) on Sept. 11, “The predicted Fire Danger in all FDRAs [fire danger rating areas] is HIGH.” See a map of the different fire danger rating areas at

nhdfl.dncr.nh.gov; click on “Daily Fire Danger” under “Forest Protection.”

But there are lots of falcons

According to a Sept. 15 online report from NH Audubon, the number of peregrine falcons in New Hampshire has risen dramatically since last year. “NH Audubon staff and volunteers confirmed a record-high 37 territorial pairs statewide,” the report read, “up a remarkable 30% from 28 pairs found in 2024. This is the largest single-season jump for NH’s state-threatened Peregrine pairs in the last half century!”

QOL score: +1

Comment: NH Audubon counted a slightly smaller number of peregrine hatchlings in 2025 (44, as opposed to 50 in 2024), “but NH recovery data suggests that rebounds often follow down years,” the report continued, so more territorial pairs now could lead to more fledglings next year.”

Ending the season with a W (6 Ws)

The New Hampshire Fisher Cats have wrapped up their 2025 season in triumph. A Sept. 14 Fisher Cats press release game recap said, “The New Hampshire Fisher Cats (27-41, 56-81) ended the 2025 season with their first six-game sweep in franchise history by taking down the Chesapeake Baysox (28-41, 59-77) at Delta Dental Stadium on Sunday afternoon, 7-3.”

QOL score: +1

Comment: The Fisher Cats will open their 2026 season with a home game in Manchester on April 3 against the Binghamton Rumble Ponies.

QOL score last week: 72

Net change: 0

QOL this week: 72

What’s affecting your Quality of Life here in New Hampshire?

Let us know at news@hippopress.com.

A little off the back, and not so fluffy

WMUR reported in a Sept. 5 online article that a family of baby squirrels was rescued from a Manchester barbershop on Tuesday, Sept. 2. “[The squirrels] had become trapped inside the wall of a local barbershop after a repair accidentally sealed them in, locking their mother out,” the story read. Staff at the barbershop became aware of the problem — presumably by frantic scratching on both sides of the wall — and re-opened the wall.

QOL score: +1 for a happy ending

Comment: “Manchester Animal Control safely removed the babies and reunited them with their mother,” WMUR reported.

Emu spotted

The Concord Monitor reported in a Sept. 5 online article that an unidentified emu was spotted near the shore of Penacook Lake in Concord on Wednesday, Sept. 3. “The owner of the emu is still unknown,” the Monitor story read. “Authorities from the Concord Police Department said no one has reported an emu missing. While not their normal missing animal post, Granite State Dog Recovery did alert its followers that the emu was spotted on the loose in Concord. ‘Is anyone missing an emu?’ the alert read.”

QOL score: +1

Comment: Good luck catching the emu. According to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo website, “The emu is a fast runner and can reach speeds of up to 31 mph (50 km/hr). Their long legs enable them to walk considerable distances or outrun danger. Emus are also strong swimmers.”

Butterfly survey

In a Sept. 1 press release New Hampshire Audubon (84 Silk Farm Road, Concord, 224-9909, nhaudubon.org) conveyed the results of its Butterfly Survey earlier this summer. “On July 26, 32 volunteers divided into 5 teams and surveyed 14 sites across the Capitol Area,” the statement read. “Together, NH Audubon volunteers and staff counted a total of 482 individual butterflies of 35 species.” While fewer species were spotted this year than in 2024, that might be explained by our extremely wet spring, followed by the area’s hot, dry summer, the report concluded.

QOL score: +1

Comment: Highlights included “two Common Sootywing — a species which is uncommon in New Hampshire … [and] the newly described Midsummer Tiger Swallowtail,” the Audubon said.

QOL score last week: 69

Net change: +3

QOL this week: 72

What’s affecting your Quality of Life here in New Hampshire?

Let us know at news@hippopress.com.

Fashion-forward vultures

The New Hampshire Audubon Society announced in an Aug. 18 online article that it is celebrating its newest “”animal ambassador,” a turkey vulture, by sponsoring a T-shirt design contest. “We’re inviting artists, illustrators, designers, and creatives of all kinds to submit original artwork” the announcement read. “The winning design will be printed on the back of the T-shirt (with NH Audubon’s logo on the front) and offered in a variety of colors, like our previous Barred Owl artist-designed shirt.”

QOL score: +1

Comment: According to the announcement, his project is open to New Hampshire-based artists, and submissions must be original artwork and must include the label “Turkey Vulture” somewhere in the design. The deadline is Monday, Sept. 8. Visit nhaudubon.org.

Lights, camera, abduction!

New Hampshire Public radio reported in an Aug. 27 online article that the supposed alien abduction of Barney and Betty Hill in New Hampshire in 1961 is set to become the subject of a feature film starring Demi Moore and Colman Domingo, based on the podcast Strange Arrivals by New Hampshire podcaster Toby Ball. The Hills’ story was one of the first alien abduction stories to receive public attention.

QOL score: +1

Comment: This movie will be made by SeeSaw Pictures.

Colorful foliage predicted

An Aug. 19 forecast by NewEngland.com predicts an especially “vibrant foliage display in New Hampshire this autumn.” Apparently this is a result of this spring’s unusual weather. “It rained (or snowed) for 12 Saturdays in a row! Beautiful weather during the week, then … a wet weekend,” the report read. “If we get a string of warm, sunny days and crisp, clear nights leading up to the trees changing, it will set the stage for a spectacular color show,” the forecast concluded.

QOL score: +1

Comment: If dry conditions persist, the article reported, this foliage season will be brighter but shorter. Visit newengland.com/foliage.

QOL score last week: 66

Net change: +3

QOL this week: 69

What’s affecting your Quality of Life here in New Hampshire?

Let us know at news@hippopress.com.

Welcome, Titan

Manchester’s most recent police horse has a name. As reported by WMUR in an Aug. 21 online article, there was an online contest earlier in August to find a name for the Mounted Patrol’s 6-year-old equine officer and voters picked Titan.

QOL score: +1

Comment: Titan is the equine officer’s working name; his official registered name is Tally Ho Alphie’s Fritzmon.

Back to school, looking sharp

For many families, back-to-school shopping puts a strain on already strained budgets. This year, local businesses and organizations have stepped up to lend a hand. As reported by WMUR in an Aug. 24 online article, for the third year, Get Faded Barbershop (282 W. Hancock St., Manchester, 628-2867, getfadedbarbershop.com) organized a back-to-school event to provide returning students with free haircuts, braiding and other services. School supplies were also given away. Meanwhile, for the 30th year, the Nashua Soup Kitchen and Shelter (2 Quincy St., Nashua, 889-7770, nsks.org) held its annual Backpacks for Back-to-School program last week. As reported by Nashua InkLink in an Aug. 24 article, “Each backpack is loaded with age-appropriate school supplies”

QOL score: +1

Comment: According to the InkLink story, the NSKaS distributed 1,600 backpacks this year, and 42,000 since 1995.

Nature in Nashua

As part of this year’s City Nature Challenge (citynaturechallenge.org), communities across New Hampshire took time out to count how many species of wildlife they could find, and register them on a smart-phone app. According to an Aug. 15 article on Nashua InkLink, the Challenge “is a bioblitz-style competition where cities embark to find and document the most observations of plants and wildlife in their city.” This year, the article continued, Nashua residents found the most species: “405 observations of 184 species, such as staghorn sumac, American toads, blue herons and barred owls,” the InkLink article read.

QOL score: +1

Comment: See citynaturechallenge.org for information about 2026.

Last week’s QOL score: 63

Net change: +3

QOL this week: 66

What’s affecting your Quality of Life here in New Hampshire?

Let us know at news@hippopress.com.