The Granite Beat: Boston Globe's Amanda Gokee Shines a Light on New Hampshire's Stories: From Politics to Trans Healthcare

The Granite Beat: Boston Globe's Amanda Gokee Shines a Light on New Hampshire's Stories: From Politics to Trans Healthcare

On this week’s episode of The Granite Beat we spoke with Amanda Gokee, a reporter with The Boston Globe. When The Globe decided to open a New Hampshire bureau, Amanda’s local credibility and experience at the New Hampshire Bulletin was exactly what they needed to shine a light on what’s happening in the Granite State for local, regional, and national audiences. In her new role she has written about everything from politics to health, education to climate, and breaking news to trans healthcare.

Empowering Nonprofits to Make a Difference in New Hampshire Communities

Empowering Nonprofits to Make a Difference in New Hampshire Communities

New Hampshire has a lot of nonprofits that do amazing work to help people from all walks of life. Occasionally, those organizations need some help too — specifically in fundraising so they can keep doing what they do.

On this week’s episode of The State We’re In we talk about NH Gives – a 24 hour period where nonprofits across the state get together to raise funds to aid their work. Joining us to share more about NH Gives and what happens on that day is Kathleen Reardon, the CEO of the NH Center for Nonprofits, and Mary Jo Brown, former Board Member of the NH Charitable Foundation, and the founder and president of Brown & Company and Big Brown Books. Disclosure: The Granite State News Collaborative and NHPBS are participating in NH Gives and GSNC is a media sponsor.

The State We're In: Navigating the Digital Age: Finding the Right Balance for Children's Technology Use

The State We're In: Navigating the Digital Age: Finding the Right Balance for Children's Technology Use

Our relationship with technology is fraught with contradictions. It has the potential to do so much good, and make our lives so much easier. Yet there are dangers and pitfalls to almost everything we do online – especially when it comes to our kids. At what age is it appropriate for a child to have a phone? When should they be allowed to be on social media?

On this week’s episode of The State We’re In, we meet with school psychologist Dr. Nate Jones to discuss all things children, technology, and mental health, and get his recommendations on technology use and talking to your children about the pitfalls of using the internet.

The Granite Beat: Valley News Photojournalist Explores the Importance of Empathy in Photography

The Granite Beat: Valley News Photojournalist Explores the Importance of Empathy in Photography

A good photographer is someone who operates their equipment with technical skill, but a great photographer is one who balances that skill with empathy for the scene and people they are photographing. On this week’s episode of The Granite Beat, we speak with Valley News photojournalist Alex Driehaus, who has a portfolio of projects rich with empathy. She has spent time photographing people recovering from addiction in Ohio, marginalized young adults in San Francisco, and most recently, a former Special Forces soldier from Afghanistan now living as a refugee in New Hampshire's Upper Valley.

Political Organization No Labels makes efforts towards third-party presidential candidate on 2024 Ballot: Where do they stand in NH and what are experts saying?

Political Organization No Labels makes efforts towards third-party presidential candidate on 2024 Ballot: Where do they stand in NH and what are experts saying?

The United States is a two-party system. But there have been a couple of exceptions, most notably Green Party candidate Ralph Nader in 2000 and Reform Party Candidate Ross Perot in the 1990’s. 

But efforts on behalf of the political organization, No Labels, are geared towards another exception in history – the potential implementation of an independent Presidential Unity ticket on the 2024 ballot. 

How NH education funding got stuck for decades. Could 2023 court cases solve it?

How NH education funding got stuck for decades. Could 2023 court cases solve it?

Natalie Laflamme, a successful Concord-based attorney who graduated in the Berlin High School Class of 2007, finds herself in a bit of a paradox. Educated in one of New Hampshire’s poorest school districts, she launched a successful law career and is now partnering with well-known New Hampshire attorney and politician Andru Volinksy in the latest legal challenge to the state’s system of education funding.

The State We’re In: Experts discuss tick season and tick-borne illnesses in New Hampshire.

The State We’re In: Experts discuss tick season and tick-borne illnesses in New Hampshire.

Tick season has officially begun. If you like going out into nature, then you’ve likely encountered them, and these tiny bugs can cause huge problems for both people and their pets. Where are the little critters in New Hampshire and what kind of trouble do they cause? 

On this week’s episode of The State We’re In, we speak with Concord Monitor science and tech reporter David Brooks, Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center infectious disease and tick-borne illness expert Dr. Jeffrey Parsonnet, and Dr. Kaitlyn Morse, founder and executive director of BeBop Labs, a nonprofit that, among other things, is collecting and testing ticks. Dr. Morse was a principal author of a recent study about ticks, called “Passive collection of ticks in New Hampshire reveals species-specific patterns of distribution and activity,” in the Journal of Medical Entomology.

Tenants who won eviction appeal work out deal with landlord; save $14,000 in back rent

Tenants who won eviction appeal work out deal with landlord; save $14,000 in back rent

Two women, who won an appeal to the New Hampshire Supreme Court over evictions, are moving on with their lives and into new apartments, after reaching agreements Thursday with their landlord.

Crystal Tejeda Soto, 48, and Audrey Rackliff, 44, were in 9th Circuit Court – District Division – Manchester on Thursday where their cases were sent back by the Supreme Court for further hearings.

Journalist Bill Donahue's Unexpected Journey in Kenya: From Reporting on a Cycling Team to Predicting a Legendary Runner's Defeat

Journalist Bill Donahue's Unexpected Journey in Kenya: From Reporting on a Cycling Team to Predicting a Legendary Runner's Defeat

Journalist and author Bill Donahue's trip to Kenya to report on a cycling team and a legendary runner took an unexpected, and it turns out prescient, turn.  The Granite Beat’s  Adam Drapcho and Julie Hart recently interviewed Donahue where they talked about finding the hidden stories and how to be humble as a journalist working in another country.

Lack of Protections, Student Misbehavior Challenge Substitutes

Lack of Protections, Student Misbehavior Challenge Substitutes

When Megan Oxland was substitute teaching she felt unprotected and undervalued, she says. Oxland, a Sunapee resident, is a certified teacher who had worked full-time in a classroom in the past, but as a substitute she was paid the same as people with no specialized training. 

"I was getting paid exactly the same as anyone off the street, but my level of education was much higher than many other subs who were working,” she said. “How do you keep your work ethic up when you aren’t getting paid what you’re worth?”

Policy Changes and Workforce Development May Help Address Substitute Shortages

Policy Changes and Workforce Development May Help Address Substitute Shortages

Around the country, schools are getting creative with solutions to address what educators call a chronic shortage of substitute teachers. In New Mexico, the Governor called members of the National Guard into classrooms in 2022. In Oklahoma and North Carolina certain state employees can take paid time off in order to substitute.

Substitute Shortage Strains School Systems

Substitute Shortage Strains School Systems

When Kimberly Bleier or one of her three children wake up not feeling well, Bleier is “instantly in panic mode,” thinking not about their health, but about her students at Concord High School. 

Bleier, who teaches social studies to grades 9 through 12, knows that if she can’t go to school, one of three things will happen. Ideally, a substitute teacher will be called in for the day. But that’s uncertain due to an ongoing substitute teacher shortage. More likely, colleagues will forgo their prep periods to cover her classes. Rarely, if lots of teachers are out, there’s what Bleier calls a “warehouse situation,” where one adult oversees multiple classrooms of students in the cafeteria or another area of the school.

Survey finds young people in New Hampshire satisfied with quality of life, but identify areas for improvement in housing, childcare, and transportation

Survey finds young people in New Hampshire satisfied with quality of life, but identify areas for improvement in housing, childcare, and transportation

It’s no secret that the average age of a Granite State resident skews a little older than most states. That  has an impact on New Hampshire – and not always a positive one. It affects several sectors of life here, from housing and education to the economy. For years, several organizations and government entities have tried to find ways to welcome more young people to the state or get the ones here to stay.

On this week’s episode of The State We’re In, we dive into this issue with Will Stewart, Executive Director at the nonprofit Stay Work Play NH. Will’s organization recently teamed up with the Saint Anselm College Survey Center to conduct a survey checking in with young residents about their quality-of-life. Are young people satisfied with their quality of life in New Hampshire? Is the Granite State welcoming to young people and young families? We discuss the study’s interesting findings and what our state can do to lower the average age of our citizens. 

The Granite Beat: Sports journalist Joshua Spaulding on chronicling promising young athletes in New Hampshire

The Granite Beat: Sports journalist Joshua Spaulding on chronicling promising young athletes in New Hampshire

On this episode of The Granite Beat, Julie and Adam talk with sports journalist Joshua Spaulding. He’s worked 20 years as a sports editor for the Salmon Press, which publishes weekly newspapers throughout central and northern New Hampshire, and currently directs and produces sports coverage for 11 newspapers. Over the years he has chronicled the stories of promising young athletes, some of whom have risen to professional or even Olympic competition. If you played high school sports in the Lakes Region or Northern New Hampshire within the past two decades, it's almost guaranteed that Josh has published your name at least once. 

The State We're In: By Degrees Climate Summit: Exploring Solutions for New Hampshire’s Warming Climate

The State We're In: By Degrees Climate Summit: Exploring Solutions for New Hampshire’s Warming Climate

Spring is a time of rebirth and renewal — and the season seems to arrive a little earlier in New Hampshire every year. A look at temperatures recorded since 1900 by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows New England is warming faster than any other region of the world. Winters are shorter, summers are longer and these shifts in temperature are expected to wreak havoc on the New England economy, ecology and cultural heritage. The question is – what can be done?

Center for Women & Enterprise (CWE) Offers Resources and Support for Women Entrepreneurs in New Hampshire

Center for Women & Enterprise (CWE) Offers Resources and Support for Women Entrepreneurs in New Hampshire

On this episode of Get Resource Smart, Flo sits down with Chandra Reber, the director of New Hampshire’s Center for Women & Enterprise (CWE), to share what her organization has to offer existing or prospective female entrepreneurs in the building, growth, and maintenance of their companies. Joining Flo and Chandra is Liz Salas Evans, who used CWE as a resource while starting her own business and now serves as a CWE financial consultant.

Journalist behind Bear Brook true crime podcast talks about the importance of storytelling in journalism

Journalist behind Bear Brook true crime podcast talks about the importance of storytelling in journalism

On this week’s episode of The Granite Beat, Julie and Adam speak with Jason Moon, the journalist behind many intriguing long-form projects at NHPR, such as the Bear Brook true crime podcast that has been downloaded more than 17 million times.

New Hampshire Is On Track To Receive About $310 Million In Opioid Settlement Funds. Here’s How That Money Will Be Disbursed

New Hampshire Is On Track To Receive About $310 Million In Opioid Settlement Funds. Here’s How That Money Will Be Disbursed

After thousands of overdose deaths and millions of dollars in economic disruptions due to the opioid abuse crisis, New Hampshire is on track to receive roughly $310 million to address some consequences of the crisis. 

“These cases are geared toward stopping the next person from dying and to make sure there is help available to them,” said Deputy Attorney General James Boffetti. “It’s meant to help the living, keep them alive and stop this crisis.”