News
Jurors hear closing arguments in landmark case alleging abuse at New Hampshire youth center
By HOLLY RAMER
BRENTWOOD — Jurors heard closing arguments Thursday in a landmark case seeking to hold the state of New Hampshire accountable for abuse at its youth detention center.The plaintiff, David Meehan, went to police in 2017 and sued the state three years...
The murky world of town and city flags in NH
By DAVID BROOKS
When the Monitor ran a story recently that some residents in Boscawen were disagreeing about the design of a town flag, it produced this reaction among an awful lot of readers: “Wait – towns have flags?!? Who knew?”Not many people, it turns out,...
Senate President Jeb Bradley won’t seek re-election
By MICHAELA TOWFIGHI
Senate president Jeb Bradley will not seek another term this fall, ending a 15-year run in the State House for the former U.S. Congressman.Bradley, a Wolfeboro Republican, informed colleagues of his decision at the end of the Senate session on...
Farmers and beekeepers divided over NH drone pesticide spraying bill
By SRUTHI GOPALAKRISHNAN
For Mary Ellen McKeen, the State Senate’s decision to endorse a bill permitting farmers to utilize drones for pesticide spraying without informing neighboring landowners was not the outcome she hoped for.“I was disappointed that the bees’ rights and...
Despite recent closure, LEAF Charter School in Alstead plans for graduation
By JAMES RINKER
A local charter high school that closed earlier this week still plans to issue diplomas and hold its graduation ceremony in June.LEAF Charter School’s board of trustees voted in an emergency meeting April 23 to dissolve the school on Baine Way...
Thieves steal American Legion money raised for charity in Meredith
By ADAM DRAPCHO
Police are investigating an apparent burglary at American Legion Post 33, in which thousands of dollars, intended for charitable purposes, was taken.Sgt. William Goulet, Meredith Police, said the break-in appears to have occurred sometime between...
Food insecurity on the rise in N.H.
By SCOTT MERRILL
Caitlyn O’Connor of Littleton has struggled at times to afford healthy food options to feed her family. The married mother with two young daughters, ages 4 and 9, works part-time and often plans ahead to purchase healthy food at the Littleton Co-op...
Man charged in shooting death of Conway woman
By DAYMOND STEER
The Mount Washington Valley community is rallying to help the family of a young woman who was shot and killed last Friday at River Turn Apartments in Conway.Alexis Leach, 23. leaves behind the 2-year-old son she shared with the 24-year-old man charged...
Biden administration to greatly ease marijuana regulations; here’s how N.H. would be affected
By JACOB FISCHLER and ETHAN DeWITT
The Biden administration plans to remove marijuana from a list of the most dangerous and highly regulated drugs, the Department of Justice said Tuesday. The Drug Enforcement Administration will propose moving the drug from a Schedule I substance,...
Update: Reactions for, against the more than 100 arrested at Dartmouth, UNH
By JEREMY MARGOLIS
Police arrested about 90 pro-Palestine protesters at Dartmouth College and a smaller number of protesters at the University of New Hampshire on Wednesday night and Thursday morning, which drew both praise and condemnation.“Use of police force against...
Franklin police arrest man after accidental shooting Wednesday
By CATHERINE McLAUGHLIN
Franklin Police have made an arrest after an accidental gun discharge Wednesday evening left one man with a hip wound. Police said Jacob Champney, 41, and an unidentified man, 46, were “displaying firearms to each other” inside a residence on Plains...
Concord High graduate leads Pro-Palestine protests at Brown Univeristy
By SRUTHI GOPALAKRISHNAN
Empowerment, sadness and joy swept over Niyanta Nepal when Brown University’s administration announced their intention to deliberate and vote on divesting from companies connected to Israel’s military actions in Gaza.“We have the power to really...
Spring sprouts downtown: outdoor dining, farmers market, First Friday
By CATHERINE McLAUGHLIN
Just as warm weather finally arrives in Concord, more than flowers will be blooming downtown this week: outdoor dining has returned, the Concord Farmers’ Market will officially launch for the season and this month’s First Friday will bring a boom to...
A time capsule to remember when the sun disappeared for 3 ½ minutes
By DAVID BROOKS
You just knew that Rik Yeames had one last solar-eclipse extravaganza in him.Yeames has spent more than five years getting New Hampshire excited about the eclipse we just experienced – the Monitor first wrote about his efforts in March 2019 – so it’s...
US poised to ease restrictions on marijuana in historic shift, but it'll remain controlled substance
By ZEKE MILLER, JOSHUA GOODMAN, JIM MUSTIAN and LINDSAY WHITEHURST
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration will move to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug, The Associated Press has learned, a historic shift to generations of American drug policy that could have wide ripple effects across the country.The...
Police: Man assaulted by suspect with handgun at food pantry
By ARIANNA MACNEILL
A Concord man is facing three felony charges after police said he assaulted another man while holding a handgun at the Christ the King Food Pantry Tuesday evening.Bluestone Rhau, 48, was arrested and charged with second-degree assault with a deadly...
Former office manager for Dartmouth student newspaper pleads guilty to embezzlement
By NORA DOYLE-BURR
A former office manager pleaded guilty in federal court on Tuesday to embezzling $223,000 from a student-run newspaper at Dartmouth College, according to a news release from the U.S. District Attorney’s Office.Nicole Chambers, 40, of Florida, who...
Citing lack of assets to pay creditors, LEAF motions to dismiss bankruptcy case
By CHRISTOPHER CARTWRIGHT
A local charter school that recently filed for bankruptcy and announced its permanent closure has submitted a motion to dismiss the case in federal court, saying it lacks any assets that could be used to reimburse creditors.LEAF Charter School, at 6...
Community members come together to clean up Tilton cemetery after vandalism
By GABRIEL PERRY
Residents of Tilton and Northfield came together over the weekend to clean up the Tilton cemetery in the wake of destructive vandalism at the Tilton family mausoleum earlier in April.Organized by members of the Tilton Historical Society, about 30...
Educators, politicians call for passage of bill that would increase state funding for schools
By JEREMY MARGOLIS
Three years ago, Rep. Jonah Wheeler was finishing his senior year at ConVal Regional High School in Peterborough. Ten minutes down the road, his friends in Jaffrey were wrapping up theirs at Conant Middle High School. While Wheeler received “good...
