National data show that half the population will likely need treatment for substance abuse or a mental health issue in their lifetime.

A report from the University of New Hampshire reveals that people with such issues are increasingly using emergency care for treatment.

NHPR's Dianne Finch has more.

Almost six months ago, Stratham dairy farmer Lorraine Stuart Merrill was sworn in as the state’s new Commissioner of Agriculture, replacing longtime commissioner Steve Taylor. Merrill takes the reins at a time where high fuel prices have been putting a renewed focus on local agriculture. We’ll talk with Commissioner Merrill about her time months on the job and what the department is doing to support local farms and farmers.

Guest

• Lorraine Stuart Merrill, New Hampshire’s Commissioner of Agriculture, Markets & Food

The House has rejected two Senate bills that some say are nothing more than attempts to increase the role of money in politics.

But New Hampshire Public Radio’s Dan Gorenstein reports, a handful of lawmakers will be watching to see if these measures resurface in the next two weeks.

For decades, millions of college bound students have relied on government or private loans to afford higher education. But lately some private lenders are scaling back: they’re in enough trouble with today’s unstable credit markets and can't spend additional capital on students. We’ll look at how we got here, what Granite Staters are doing to cope, and the current debate over student loans in Congress.

Guests

• Paul Basken, Senior Federal Government Reporter for the Chronicle of Higher Education
• Tara Payne, director of the New Hampshire Higher Education Assistance Foundation

We'll also hear from

• Jerry Little, President of the New Hampshire Bankers Association
• Ken Ferreira, Executive Director of Student Financial Services at Franklin Pierce and President of the New Hampshire Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators

Free golf, spotless lawns, dinner menus fixed on early bird prices... and no kids allowed! Members of America’s 55+ crowd are moving their lives and tax dollars to age-segregated "geritopias" in big numbers. And with 10,000 boomers reaching retirement age every day, this "lifestyle" industry is preparing for more.

Writer Andrew D. Blechman went behind the gates of the world's largest age-segregated retirement community in Florida, and came away with a new book, "Leisureville: Adventures in America's Retirement Utopias." He joins Word of Mouth with a suprising look behind the white-picket fence.

We also speak with Tom Anderson, president of the board of Summerfield of Amherst, a retirement community in southern New Hampshire.

(Photo from The Villages in Florida)