Welcome to InDepthNH.org’s roundup of news that matters in New Hampshire for Jan. 10
Manchester school superintendent dispels layoff rumors (Union Leader)
MANCHESTER — Superintendent of Schools Dr. Bolgen Vargas dispelled a rumor Monday night that his 2017 budget might include more than 100 teacher layoffs.
Sullivan County Manager, Battling ALS, to Work as Long as Possible (Valley News)
Newport — In an interview with the Valley News in August 2015, Sullivan County Manager Jessie Levine said she was determined to live life on her terms, despite a diagnosis of ALS several months earlier.
Selectmen put $25k toward toll plaza battle (Seacoastonline)
No more coal at Schiller Station? (Seacoastonline)
Cheshire County grand jury hands up indictments (Keene Sentinel)
Lawyers trade blame in meningitis outbreak trial (Caledonian Record)
BOSTON (AP) — The former president of a compounding pharmacy blamed for a deadly meningitis outbreak in 2012 put “profits over patients” and ignored repeated warning signs that drugs manufactured by his company were being contaminated by mold, a prosecutor told jurors Monday in a federal racketeering trial.
Homicide suspect in court; Nashua man arrested, arraigned Monday (Nashua Telegraph)
NASHUA – Less than four hours after his Monday morning video arraignment on charges accusing him of fighting officers and urinating on the floor …
Patients Waiting in Emergency Rooms for State To Fix Mental Health System (NHPR)
Starting October 30, Andrew Dixon spent 13 days in the emergency room at Frisbie Memorial Hospital in Rochester.
Research Shows Some Bats Have Developed Resistance to Devastating Fungal Disease (NHPR)
New research from the University of New Hampshire suggests some bat species have developed a resistance to a devastating fungal disease known as white-nose syndrome.
Senator Hassan Co-Sponsors Legislation to Lower Prescription Drug Costs for Seniors (InDepthNH.org)
U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-NH, co-sponsored legislation to help reduce the cost of prescription drugs for seniors by allowing Medicare to negotiate the best possible price for prescription drugs.
NH1 News: Shaheen, Hassan, warn on confirmation process, call for more ‘action’ against Russia
EXETER – On the eve of a confirmation hearing frenzy in the nation’s capital, New Hampshire’s senior U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen warned that “the Republican leadership is talking about asking us to act on nominees who have not been through the vetting process.”
Shea-Porter, Kuster Blast New Rule Giving Members Personal Ownership of Office Records (InDepthNH.org)
U.S. Rep. Carol Shea-Porter and U.S. Rep. Annie Kuster, both New Hampshire Democrats, criticized a new House rule that passed virtually unnoticed last week making congressional office records “personal property” of the member.
Fight over right-to-work begins anew, but with more favorable odds (Concord Monitor)
The familiar debate over whether to make New Hampshire the 28th right-work-state begins today. But unlike past efforts, Republicans now control the House, Senate and governor’s office, giving the proposal the best shot at passage it’s had in years.
Concord’s city council backs YMCA grant application (Concord Monitor)
Man shot, killed in Alstead, police say (WMUR)
Autopsy shows Robert Wesley shot once in head
Firefighters’ union eyeing vote of no-confidence in fire marshal (Union Leader)
The union representing professional firefighters throughout the state will meet in Concord on Wednesday to set the stage for a vote of no-confidence in Fire Marshal Bill Degnan.
AROUND THE NATION AND WORLD
Days before hearings, ethics reports for four Trump nominees not yet public )Washington Post)
The lag in the release of the reports underscores concerns from the Office of Government Ethics that it is being rushed to approve the documentation.
FBI payments to Best Buy technicians in child porn case raise privacy concerns (Washington Post)
Customers turn to the Geek Squad to retrieve lost data. But over the years, a handful of Best Buy workers have also flagged the FBI after seeing signs of child pornography on devices, earning payments from the law enforcement agency. The practice has sparked concerns about privacy and the government’s use of informants.
U.S. increases support for Turkish military for fight against the Islamic State in Syria (Washington Post)
The decision follows weeks of talks and Russian airstrikes backing Turkey’s offensive. It also comes as the Obama administration is in the final stages of weighing direct weapons shipments to U.S.-backed Syrian Kurdish forces moving toward ISIS’s de facto capital of Raqqa.
Trump Names Son-in-Law as Senior Adviser in White House (New York Times)
Jared Kushner, Ivanka Trump’s husband, is planning to work on issues involving the Middle East and Israel, as well as consult on free-trade matters.
Compiled by InDepthNH.org, a nonprofit investigative news outlet published online by the New Hampshire Center for Public Interest Journalism 603-738-5635
