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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

The State We're In: Book Ban or Local Control?

The State We're In: Book Ban or Local Control?

Lawmakers are considering a bill, HB 514, which would remove exemptions to state obscenity laws from K-12 staff and teachers – a move that would potentially lead school officials to remove books proactively or face misdemeanor charges. Advocates say this puts more educational power in parents' hands, while opponents contend this amounts to a book ban that will silence minority perspectives. 

In this episode of The State We’re In, we dig into the history, impact, and ramifications of a bill that would require each local school board to develop policy for responding to parental complaints of obscene material and remove some protections for K-12 school officials in state laws against obscenity. Joining us is bill sponsor, State Rep. Glen Cordelli from Carroll County District 7, and New Hampshire Bulletin Reporter Ethan DeWitt, who has been following the topic closely.

Plymouth Voters to Weigh Funding Cuts to Some Local Nonprofits

Plymouth Voters to Weigh Funding Cuts to Some Local Nonprofits

A few local nonprofits will see cuts in support from the town if the 2023-2024 proposed budget is approved at the town meeting on March 14, 2023.

At a recent meeting, selectmen discussed a proposal that would cut just over $6,800 in support to a handful of local nonprofit organizations. After advocates from Pemi Youth Center objected to the town taking away $3,000 of funding it was expecting to receive, the town agreed to reinstate the funds back into this year’s proposed budget, leaving $3,000 to be cut from donations to other local nonprofits. The budget committee and selectboard also recommended adding an additional $3,000 to other nonprofits it supports.

Get Resource Smart: What is Digital Equity?

Get Resource Smart: What is Digital Equity?

After the success of Get Tech Smart, Flo Nicolas is bringing Granite Staters Get Resource Smart, a show dedicated to shining a spotlight on organizations offering often-overlooked resources to the residents of New Hampshire. In the inaugural episode, Flo welcomes Bob McLaughlin from the National Collaborative for Digital Equity, a non-profit that works to make technology more accessible to low-income students and families.

The Granite Beat: For The Love of The Game

The Granite Beat: For The Love of The Game

This week, The Granite Beat hosts Adam Drapcho and Julie Hart speak with Eric Rynston Lobel, an early-career journalist who already has an impressive breadth of experience. Since graduating from Northwestern he has written for Sports Illustrated as well as the Concord Monitor. They  discussed how he chooses his stories, sought his view on where the industry is heading, and heard what advice he would give an aspiring journalist. 

NH’s traditional town meeting endures despite the tug of modernity

NH’s traditional town meeting endures despite the tug of modernity

The classic New England town meeting, a form of government unique to our region, was considered by Norman Rockwell to be one of the purest expressions of free speech, immortalized in his famous series "The Four Freedoms."

But since the 1990s, some New Hampshire towns have abandoned their annual town meeting for election-day balloting at the polls on the second Tuesday in March. No one can deny that the Official Ballot Law of 1995, known as SB2, has led to larger voter turnout during town meeting season, but there's also no denying that something's been lost in the process.

Concentric Stories: Our Story NH Continues To Collect and Connect Tales of Pandemic Experiences

Concentric Stories: Our Story NH Continues To Collect and Connect Tales of Pandemic Experiences

Over the past two years, Sarah McPhee and Kirsten Durzy have heard scores of stories about Granite Stater’s lives during the pandemic. There was the new mom who delivered her child at the height of the pandemic; a woman diagnosed with breast cancer who had to muster a socially distanced support system; and the healthcare worker who spoke about his pain after caring for COVID victims. 

The State We're In: Be Warned: Town Meeting is Coming

The State We're In: Be Warned: Town Meeting is Coming

Town Meeting is a quintessentially New England form of government tracing back to colonial times. Residents would gather together to discuss, debate, and vote on the biggest issues in town — especially how to spend money. While Town Meeting has evolved with the times, it still functions in much the same way as it did in the colonial era.

On this week’s episode of The State We’re In we discuss the ins and outs of Town Meeting with Jack Rooney, the Managing Editor for Audience Development at The Keene Sentinel, and Margaret Byrnes, Executive Director of the New Hampshire Municipal Association. 

The Granite Beat: Through the Lens

The Granite Beat: Through the Lens

A picture is only worth a thousand words if the photographer did their job right. To do that, they need to see a scene as more than just a jumble of shadows and light. A good photojournalist knows they must try to accurately tell the story of a human being’s experience in that moment in time. Whether those experiences are triumphant or tragic, the photojournalist must capture the context and humanity with each quick click of a button in order to provide information that a written article alone may just not be able to on its own. It’s not easy and the camera is not a shield. The job can take a toll.

In this week’s episode, The Granite Beat’s hosts Adam Drapcho and Julie Hart chat with seasoned photographer Gary Geoffroy, whose 40+ year career  includes 12 years of freelancing in photography and videography for news outlets, most recently in the Lakes Region. Drapcho and Hart discuss with him what it’s like covering breaking, often traumatic news from behind the lens, how it compares to his decades as a firefighter, and who’s best suited for this line of work.

Voters to Decide on $13.1 Million Public Safety Building in Wolfeboro

Voters to Decide on $13.1 Million Public Safety Building in Wolfeboro

A warrant article asking the town for $13.1 million dollars will be voted on in March for renovations to the Wolfeboro Public Safety building. Wolfeboro’s police and fire chiefs say the upgrades are long overdue and desperately needed while some residents have expressed concerns about costs.  

“The current building is far too out of date to keep up with the latest technologies,” said Police Chief Dean Rondeau, who added that he hopes voters will approve the major renovation and an addition to the current building. “Science and equipment has changed dramatically over the past 50 years. The equipment is bigger and heavier. The floors can’t handle it, the building can’t handle it. We’ve simply outgrown [the building].”

The Granite Beat: We need to talk about This

The Granite Beat: We need to talk about This

As mass shootings and deaths by suicide involving firearms become a greater part of the public conversation, journalists find themselves tasked with reporting on these issues while also providing context. While these topics are never easy to cover, the uneasiness some people feel about discussing these issues with reporters, and thus publicly, not only make that harder, but can make it more difficult for a variety of points of view and experiences from becoming part of that public discussion.

In this week’s episode The Granite Beat hosts Adam Drapcho and Julie Hart spoke with Sheryl Rich-Kern, a writer, editor, producer, and journalism instructor at Southern NH University, about her extensive career in the industry. She shared insights into her recent piece Guns and suicide: A search for common ground to save lives in New Hampshire  and previewed what she’s working on next.

N.H. Supreme Court weighs confidentiality of police disciplinary files

N.H. Supreme Court weighs confidentiality of police disciplinary files

The New Hampshire Supreme Court heard arguments Tuesday in a right-to-know case that could have major implications for police transparency in the state.

The case involves one specific public-records request — the ACLU of New Hampshire’s pursuit of materials about a state trooper, Haden Wilber, who was fired in 2021. But it poses a larger question: whether the public ever has a right to view internal police personnel files that document misconduct.

The State We're In: Changes in Medicaid. What we know so far.

The State We're In: Changes in Medicaid. What we know so far.

Whether or not to renew recent efforts to expand Medicaid insurance coverage for Granite Staters is back before the state legislature. At one point this was a tough sell in the legislature. Fiscal conservatives were concerned it would create increased dependence on the government, while advocates said it improves insurance coverage, health outcomes, and saves lives. Lawmakers have voted twice to continue the program which was vital during the pandemic, and must decide whether to do so again this year. If they don't, benefits are set to end for tens of thousands of people according to officials. 

On this week’s episode of The State We’re In, Paul Cuno-Booth, who covers Health for New Hampshire Public Radio, insurance expert and president of Market Health Connect Keith Ballingall, and Amber Macquarie, one of the thousands of Granite Staters affected by the expansion will discuss what Granite Staters can expect.

Get Tech Smart: Breaking into cybersecurity

Get Tech Smart: Breaking into cybersecurity

Cybersecurity is a buzzword we’ve all heard, but what does it exactly entail? What is the state of digital security at the start of 2023, and how can the average person best protect themselves against cyber threats?

For this episode of Get Tech Smart, we invited CEO Patrick Hynds and CTO Duane Laflotte of Pulsar Security to shed some light on the world of cybersecurity and provide tips on staying safe online.

The Granite Beat: Tech, Local News and The Awesomeness of Culverts

The Granite Beat: Tech, Local News and The Awesomeness of Culverts

Our modern world advances at an ever-increasing pace and the news industry is not immune from the impacts. How do these shifts in technology and public sentiment change the media landscape? How can we keep up? We speak with David Brooks, the “Granite Geek” and columnist for the Concord Monitor, about the obstacles and opportunities of the union between tech media.

Will Exeter ban single-use plastics on town property? It's up to town's voters

Will Exeter ban single-use plastics on town property? It's up to town's voters

The town's Select Board has dropped plans to move forward with a town-wide policy to ban the distribution of single-use plastics on town property and instead will leave it in the hands of voters.

The board made the decision last week after members of the town's Sustainability Advisory Committee filed a citizen's petition to have the town adopt an ordinance instead at the March 14 Town Meeting. The committee believes an ordinance to ban the distribution of single-use disposable plastics — such as bottles, containers, and straws — on town-owned property would have more teeth than just a policy.

Despite slow start, Pine Hill Ski Club is hard packed and fast

Despite slow start, Pine Hill Ski Club is hard packed and fast

After a slow start to the season, Pine Hill Ski Club in New London is now open with miles of ski trails, groomed for classic cross-country skiing. 

Pine Hill Ski Club Board President, Susie Lowe-Stockwell, said the slow start because of a lack of snow has shifted over the last month. “We’ve had a good stretch of being open,” Lowe-Stockwell said. “The groomers have been out. Conditions have been hard packed and fast.”

New London Board Accepts Preliminary Application for Twin Pines Workforce Housing Project

New London Board Accepts Preliminary Application for Twin Pines Workforce Housing Project

Twin Pines Housing appeared before the New London Planning Board in January with a revised site plan to Long Meadow Commons, a 60-unit workforce housing project on County Road near New London Hospital.

The revised plan maintains the 60-workforce housing units spread among four buildings on land currently owned by the Cricenti family. The site plan, which had originally proposed a large courtyard in the center of the complex, has been replaced with a smaller cul-de-sac at the rear. A playground and pavilion, which was to be in the courtyard, has also been moved to the southern edge of the development.

Electric Bill Sticker Shock: Can ‘Community Power’ Provide Relief?

Electric Bill Sticker Shock: Can ‘Community Power’ Provide Relief?

Soaring electricity bills are seriously hurting our pocketbooks. This fall, the National Grid warned that New England consumers could see a 64% increase in electricity rates this winter. Eversource New Hampshire customers are now paying 22 cents per kilowatt hour for default service. This is more than double the previous rate. What is the solution to this escalating problem?  We will explore some options in the works in Hudson, as well as other communities in the state, called “Community Power.” This idea bands together New Hampshire towns and cities to increase their purchasing power and lower costs. For this episode of Get Tech Smart, we talk to Craig Putnam, the director for the Hudson NH Electric Aggregation Committee; Brett Gagnon, a former board of selectmen liaison for Hudson; and Henry Herndon, a consultant with the Community Power Coalition of New Hampshire. Will these efforts lower your electricity costs? 

Trees removed at Libby Museum in Wolfeboro

Trees removed at Libby Museum in Wolfeboro

Northern Tree Service was at the Libby Museum in Wolfeboro Dec. 21 to remove several old and diseased trees from the museum property.

Kari Lauber of the Friends of the Libby Museum (FoLM) looked on and took pictures to document the event as crews worked to remove the trees. “Just having these trees removed is definitely a good feeling,” she said.  “It’s our first big step forward in a long time, and our first step towards the restoration.”

Keeping History Alive

Keeping History Alive

The paint peels from the walls of the Libby Museum in Wolfeboro like loose sticky notes reminding the town there are renovations to be done. The fate of this building, one of New Hampshire’s oldest museums, will be in the hands of Wolfeboro voters at the 2023 town meeting.