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Portsmouth Activists Plan Accessible Black ...

A Black Lives Matter protest more accessible to those in the disabled community is being organized for next Friday in Portsmouth.

Portsmouth Activists Plan Accessible Black Lives Matter Protest

COVID-19

Pinkerton Academy Launches On-Site Childcare For Staff

Pinkerton Academy Launches On-Site Childcare For Staff

During a year when many New Hampshire families are struggling to find childcare solutions that allow parents to work while students learn remotely, the school wanted to ensure that its 510 employees wouldn’t have to choose between working and supervising their own kids, said Timothy J. Powers, headmaster of Pinkerton Academy. The independent school has contracts with six towns — Auburn, Candia, Chester, Hampstead, Hooksett and Derry — to provide education to their high schoolers. The program, called Junior Astro Scholars, allows students enrolled in remote learning to come to work with their parents. The kids complete their assignments in a spare space at Pinkerton Academy, helped by a certified educator who was already employed by the school. The program is free for staff.

NH Food Bank: Number of Families in need seeking food in NH increases

NH Food Bank: Number of Families in need seeking food in NH increases

The number of families seeking food from the New Hampshire Food Bank has nearly tripled since the COVID-19 pandemic began, increasing from about 200-250 families per week to 500-650, according to Nancy Mellitt, director of development for New HampshireNH Food Bank, which runs the food bank. She said 1-in-7 Granite Staters or 14.2 percent of the population are food insecure, meaning they don’t know where they will get their next meal.

(The New Hampshire Food Bank's main headquarters is located on East Industrial Drive in Manchester./Pat Grossmith photo)

N.H. committeeman among those targeted by Washington D.C. protesters

N.H. committeeman among those targeted by Washington D.C. protesters

After the fireworks following President Donald Trump’s address to close out the Republican National Convention, Chris Ager started to walk back to his Washington, D.C. hotel along streets erupting with protesters. Ager, the Republican National Committeeman representing New Hampshire, walked with his jacket draped over his left arm and carried a pair of red heels belonging to the woman to his right. A crowd followed the pair in an exchange that was caught on video and viewed on social more than 3 million times by Friday afternoon.

(This image taken from Twitter shows Republican National committeeman, Chris Ager, who represents New Hampshire, trying to get back to his hotel from the White House Thursday night. Jonathan Van Fleet—Courtesy)

Veteran Homeschool Parents Offer Advice

Veteran Homeschool Parents Offer Advice

As a founding member of Granite State Home Educators and chairman of the Home Education Advisory Council (cq), a liaison group that connects home educators with the New Hampshire Department of Education, Michelotti has lots of experience with homeschool. She also educates her three sons, ages 13, 10 and 6. Despite her enthusiasm for homeschooling, she says that the parents who are opting to homeschool this year because of the pandemic face unique challenges.

(Kitty Michelotti and her husband Nathan Glaser, of Derry, homeschool their three sons, Riley, 13, Jack, 10, and Morgan, 6. They find that involving the boys in homeschooling decisions keeps them engaged. Courtesy photo, Kitty Michelotti.)

Revivalists Nice, Following Rules in town, locals say

Revivalists Nice, Following Rules in town, locals say

The religious tent revival has drawn hundreds of out-of-staters to New Ipswich since it started last week. News of the coming crowd caused town officials as well as officials from neighboring towns to speak out against it, saying it is a health risk during the COVID-19 pandemic. The tent revival was one of the reasons Gov. Chris Sununu issued an emergency order last week that requires face masks be worn at any scheduled gatherings of more than 100 people. Additionally, a road sign flashing a COVID-19 warnings -- including “COVID RISK HIGH” -- was provided by the New Hampshire Department of Transportation through the Attorney General’s office.

Tradeswomen Want To See More Females In Construction

Tradeswomen Want To See More Females In Construction

The economic impact of coronavirus has been centered on industries that employ a disproportionate number of women. More women than men have lost their jobs due to the pandemic, with 11.5 million women newly unemployed between February and May compared to 9 million men, according to data from Pew Research Center. That’s different from the 2008 recession, when men were twice as likely to lose their jobs. Hispanic women have been especially hard hit this year, seeing a 21% reduction in employment between February and May.

(When she walks onto a job site, Krista McCullough says she has three disadvantages: she’s young, female, and working in safety. Courtesy photo, Krista McCullough.)

Post-lockdown, Schools Focus on Social and Emotional Learning Opportunities

Post-lockdown, Schools Focus on Social and Emotional Learning Opportunities

The pathogen that provoked lockdowns this past spring is only one of many worries for public school students who may be nervous watching their parents lose jobs or seeing family members get sick, or possibly die. Some students are tangled in abusive home lives they can’t escape from. They may be falling behind in their academics because of the lack of routine or a quiet place to study.

(Peer leadership students at John Stark High School work on a mental health awareness project for younger grades. (Courtesy photo))

New Hampshire Ski Areas Prepare for A Socially-Distanced Season

New Hampshire Ski Areas Prepare for A Socially-Distanced Season

Many areas already got a taste of what can happen with COVID-19 when the novel virus shut down most of the outdoor activities prematurely at the end of the 2019-2020 season. This season, the pandemic is giving many mountains and cross-country areas a new look. Changes will be coming in restaurants, ticket areas, rest rooms, rental areas and possibly lift lines in order to help people maintain social distance.

(Downhill ski areas have the luxury of of expansive space for plenty of social distancing. Courtesy photo by Gunstock Mountain)

Thousands of NH families could qualify for additional food benefits and may not know it

Thousands of NH families could qualify for additional food benefits and may not know it

Thousands of Granite State children may be eligible for food benefits, even if their families are not already receiving SNAP assistance. Some legal advocates in the state are trying to get the word out about the pandemic related program over fears families may not be applying because they don’t think they are eligible.

Too hot outside, not safe inside: grappling with COVID and heat waves

Too hot outside, not safe inside: grappling with COVID and heat waves

The summer of 2020 has been unlike any other. For many, typical plans and activities have been cancelled or altered in accordance with COVID-19 and related risks. Cooling centers, it seems, is yet another casualty of the pandemic. Typically during heat waves, towns will set up central areas to be designated as “cooling centers” where elderly and vulnerable populations as well as anyone who needs to cool off can come and do so. Some common locations are libraries or community centers, and these centers operate from a few hours per day to 24 hours per day.

From lines around the corner to nothing but crickets, Covid makes for a mixed up tourist economy

From lines around the corner to nothing but crickets, Covid makes for a mixed up tourist economy

If there is one thing that is consistent in this topsy-turvy Covid-19 world it is there is no rhyme or reason to what will work for businesses. There is no explanation why one business will see lines around the corner while another has employees leaning on their elbows waiting for customers. With summer in full swing many establishments are seeing exactly where they stand from now until Labor Day. Some have been pleasantly surprised while others are witnessing what they expected - a slow and unpredictable season.

(Visitors to the outlets in North Conway wear masks while shopping. Courtesy of Mt. Washington Valley Chamber of Commerce)

Not all museums can open, but most offer digital content to make up for loss of physical presence.

Not all museums can open, but most offer digital content to make up for loss of physical presence.

To stop the spread of the coronavirus, museums, like many other cultural institutions, extinguished the lights in mid-March. Some in New Hampshire opened cautiously this month, with limitations. Meanwhile, behind the scenes, curators and educators are ramping up programs to keep members and visitors engaged online and soften the financial blow from the pandemic’s blunt arrival.

(The Currier Museum in Manchester prepares to open its doors to the general public on August 20 with timed ticketing and strict safety protocols. (Courtesy Currier))

While school is in recess, NH teachers prepare to talk about racism

While school is in recess, NH teachers prepare to talk about racism

Protests over George Floyd’s killing at the hands of a police officer in Minneapolis amplified efforts to discuss racism in the classroom. However, the journey for educators to understand how racist systems perpetuate inequities began long before multicultural crowds rallied in the streets to support the Black Lives Matters movement. Kyra Dulmage is a fifth grade teacher at Oyster River Middle School (ORMS) in the Durham region, and a member of the newly-formed Seacoast Educators for Equity (SEE), whose mission is to create more inclusive versions of history.

At-Home STI Testing Launched In New Hampshire

At-Home STI Testing Launched In New Hampshire

While coronavirus is the public health issue that’s most concerning for many New Hampshire residents, the state is quietly experiencing an outbreak of other viruses, including the sexually-transmitted infections syphilis and gonorrhea. To help combat that and overcome the fact that fewer people are coming to health clinics for STI testing during the pandemic, Planned Parenthood of Northern New England has started offering at-home STI testing.

Legislature Finishes Historic Session, Sends Omnibus Bills to Governor’s Desk

Legislature Finishes Historic Session, Sends Omnibus Bills to Governor’s Desk

With an abbreviated timeline that prevented further deliberation, the Legislature combined legislation left on the agenda since March and sent both single-issue and omnibus bills to Governor Sununu. The Senate compiled both bills originating in the Senate and the House into larger bill packages, and the House’s schedule only permitted concurrence or rejection of bills relayed to it by the Senate, rather than an amendment process through Committees of Conference. The result was a series of bills covering a wide variety of topics, including future COVID-19 vaccines, expanded dental benefits for Medicaid recipients, raising the minimum wage, unemployment compensation for COVID-19-related reasons, paid family and medical leave, protections for renters behind on payments during the pandemic, telehealth services, New Hampshire Employment Security’s computer systems, and importation of prescription drugs from Canada.