High energy
New Hampshire Eversource customers saw an “unprecedented increase” in the supply portion of their bill on Aug. 1, according to an Eversource newsletter. The energy supply price, also known as the energy service rate, changes twice a year, on Feb. 1 and Aug. 1; most years, customers see a decrease in the Aug. 1 rate, but this year the rate has increased from 10.669 cents per kilowatt hour to 22.566 cents per kilowatt hour. For a residential customer who uses 600 kilowatt hours of power in a month, the total monthly bill will increase by approximately $67.63, which is approximately 50 percent. The cause of the increase, the newsletter said, is the record-high natural gas prices and energy supply pressures from the global economy. Eversource is working with the state to explore how it can provide financial assistance to New Hampshire customers this fall and winter, such as a credit on their electric bills.
Return to the Board
The Nashua Board of Education announced the nomination and selection of a new member. Dorothy Oden recently filled the seat that had been vacant since Sandra Ziehm resigned on June 30 and will fulfill the remainder of her term, which continues through December 2023. Oden was selected from a group of 17 Nashua residents who had submitted a letter of intent and presented their credentials to take the seat. She previously served on the Board from January 1992 to November 1995, and from January 2014 to December 2021. She was a longtime staff member at Amherst Street Elementary School in Nashua, hired as a paraeducator before working as a classroom teacher from August 1999 until her retirement in June 2013. “Having worked in the district as a para, a teacher and as a recent board member, I feel I am an ideal candidate and could quickly be a contributing member of the board with my recent and past experiences in the district,” Oden wrote in her letter of intent.
Free senior photos
The Boys & Girls Club of Manchester is offering free photo sessions for incoming high school seniors in the greater Manchester area on Wednesday, Aug. 17, from 2 to 5 p.m., at Stark Park in Manchester. According to a press release, local photographer Danielle Sheerin will be assisting the BGCM students, providing them with photography experience. The 15-minute shoots will give families professional-quality photos for their seniors to use throughout their last year of high school. They should register in advance at forms.gle/PB1oyN3m38ecyaui9. Seniors will also receive a complimentary membership to the BGCM’s teen program for the 2022-2023 school year, which offers a variety of activities, experiences, clubs and personal development programs, as well as opportunities to apply for post-secondary education scholarships.
Big money
The Mega Millions Jackpot ended on Friday, July 29, having generated more than $6.6 million in sales in its final week, with the New Hampshire Lottery selling the second-most Mega Million tickets per capita of the 47 lottery jurisdictions in the U.S. that sell the tickets. According to a press release from New Hampshire Lottery, New Hampshire players purchased $5.6 million in tickets at New Hampshire retailers and an additional $1 million through New Hampshire Lottery online sales, with more than 10,000 new players in the last month. Though the $1.337 billion winning ticket was purchased in Illinois, there were three winners in New Hampshire, including a $1 million winning ticket purchased at the Market Basket on South Broadway in Salem; a $20,000 winning ticket purchased at Circle K in Tilton; and a $10,000 winning ticket purchased at Shaw’s in Hampton. The jackpot set a record as the third largest U.S. Lottery jackpot of all time.
Suicide prevention for students
Gov. Chris Sununu signed SB 234 into law on Aug. 3, a bill that requires student identification cards to include the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. “Every student and family should have equal opportunity to access lifesaving services, and this bill moves us forward,” Sununu said in a statement. “New Hampshire is tackling our mental health challenges, and we are adding more and more investments every day.” New Hampshire recently implemented a new three-digit dialing, texting and chat code, 988, which connects callers experiencing suicidal, mental health or substance misuse crises to a national network of more than 200 call centers via the established National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.
The Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire, in partnership with the Andover Historical Society, has added a new historic marker for Potter Place in Andover, commemorating the life and work of Richard Potter. According to a press release, Potter was America’s first Black magician and ventriloquist and made his home in Andover in the early 1800s. The Andover Historical Society owns and maintains the historic grounds and family graveyard of Potter and his wife, Sally, as well as the Potter Place train station, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. An event celebrating Potter’s influence on American theater will be held at Proctor Academy in Andover on Friday, Sept. 30, and will feature a performance by ventriloquist Dan Ritchard and a presentation by John Hodgson, author of Richard Potter: America’s First Black Celebrity. Visit blackheritagetrailnh.org and andoverhistory.org.
Dartmouth Health’s Heart & Vascular Center hosts its fifth annual Love Your Heart Night at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium in Manchester (1 Line Drive) during the New Hampshire Fisher Cats game against the Erie SeaWolves on Saturday, Aug. 13. The event, centered around heart health awareness and reducing the risk of heart disease, will feature free heart-health screenings, CPR demonstrations, fun and educational activities and a video message from Kelly George, an Enfield resident who received a life-saving heart transplant. Attendees are encouraged to wear red. Gates open at 6 p.m., and there will be fireworks following the game. Visit nhfishercats.com.
Gov. Chris Sununu has named the new Ash Road Bridge over Interstate 93, just north of Exit 4 on I-93 in Londonderry, in honor of its designer, Robert J. Prowse. According to the Union Leader, Prowse is a longtime New Hampshire Department of Transportation designer and has designed 400 bridges over six decades.
