NH News Roundup for Wednesday, Dec. 21

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Welcome to InDepthNH.org’s roundup of news that matters in New Hampshire, Dec. 21

Historic Scammell Bridge left in the dark, but Portsmouth residents want it lit up (NH1)

PORTSMOUTH — Portsmouth resident Renee Plummer has waged a citizens campaign to get the Scammell Bridge’s lights turned back on. After recently noticing the bridge was pitch black, she took to social media to find out why.

Speaker Jasper Announces His GOP Leadership Team (InDepthNH.org)

Concord—In announcing his leadership team for the upcoming biennium today, New Hampshire House Speaker Shawn Jasper has called upon a number of veteran legislators as well as several lawmakers who will be serving in a leadership role for the first time.

Kearsarge Keeps Going (Valley News)

As some Vermont communities mull consolidation proposals, residents of one Upper Valley school district are celebrating 50 years of working together. Kearsarge Regional School District, which comprises the seven New Hampshire towns of Bradford, Newbury, New London, Springfield, Sutton, Warner and Wilmot, merged in the 1960s.

Attorneys: Proctor Academy student, victim and witnesses were drinking the night of alleged rape (NH1)

CONCORD — Prosecutors in the case against a former Proctor Academy student accused of sexually assaulting a female peer last year allege he was drinking on the night in question, as were witnesses and his alleged victim.

Former selectman sentenced for sexually assaulting teen girls (WMUR)

Judge praises those who came forward as ‘warriors’

Hassan named to Senate Commerce Committee, Joint Economic Committee (WMUR)

Gov. and U.S. Sen.-elect Maggie Hassan has received two new Capitol Hill committee assignments in addition to the two assignments she announced last week.

Two students injured in Litchfield bus crash (Nashua Telegraph)

LITCHFIELD – Two children were injured in an early morning school bus accident in Litchfield. Police Chief Joseph E. O’Brion Jr., said Monday.

Hike Safe Cards aim to help generate money for rescues (Keene Sentinel)

For hikers who get lost or require emergency assistance on New Hampshire’s trails, owning one card could be the difference between a free rescue and a fine of hundreds or thousands of dollars.

As New England Ages, Immigrants Make Up A Growing Share Of Health Workers (NHPR)

New England is an old region, and not just by historical standards.

NH heroin dealer a beneficiary of last minute Obama pardons and appointments (Union Leader)

WASHINGTON – Since Election Day, President Barack Obama has appointed 56 people to boards, commissions and offices in the hopes that they remain in those posts for years to come.

Rochester woman indicted in September drug death (Union Leader)

DOVER – A Rochester woman who admitted to selling cocaine and heroin to a 23-year-old man prior to his death has been indicted by a grand jury at Strafford County Superior Court.

Central ‘mall’ talk draws outrage, spurs aldermanic vote (Union Leader)

Tear down Central High and replace it with “a nice strip mall”?

COLUMNS

Help Us Adopt NH Cartoonist Mike Marland (InDepthNH.org)

Oh, no. Say it isn’t so. NH’s homegrown cartoonist is all done at the Concord Monitor at the end of the year and InDepthNH.org needs your help to make him a new home here with us at the New Hampshire Center for Public Interest Journalism.

Kenyon: Diversion Lessens the Sting (Valley News)

On a Friday evening in October, a young woman came into Moe’s Southwest Grill, a cafeteria-style Mexican restaurant on Route 12A in West Lebanon, and ordered a Bud Light.

My Turn: Tree of life (Concord Monitor)

When I was eight or nine, I helped my father clear a path to the top of the hill across the road from our house, land I later inherited.

AROUND THE NATION AND WORLD

Russia, Iran and Turkey Meet on Syria, Excluding U.S. (New York Times)

Obama bans oil drilling ‘permanently’ in millions of acres of ocean (BBC)

Outgoing US President Barack Obama has permanently banned offshore oil and gas drilling in the “vast majority” of US-owned northern waters.

Documents Reveal F.B.I. Reasoning in Clinton Case (New York Times)

The bureau told a judge shortly before the election that emails belonging to Huma Abedin, a top aide to Hillary Clinton, could contain classified information.

Emergency managers charged over Flint’s lead-tainted water (Concord Monitor)

A criminal investigation of Flint’s lead-contaminated water turned to former key officials at City Hall on Tuesday as Michigan’s attorney general announced charges against four people accused of keeping residents on a contaminated system that caused the crisis.

Developers in Miami-Dade won’t be forced to set aside units for families making less than $100K (Miami Herald)

Miami-Dade developers won’t be forced to build housing that’s affordable for people making less than $100,000 a year after county commissioners on Tuesday rejected legislation establishing a mandatory workforce-housing program.

Compiled by InDepthNH.org, a nonprofit investigative news outlet published online by the New Hampshire Center for Public Interest Journalism 603-738-5635