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Above The Fold
Friendly reminder: (Still? Only?) 137 days ‘til the state primaries
And if this week’s any indication, it’s not going to be pretty.
You’d be forgiven if you’re having trouble keeping up with the strange and bitter accusations flying around in the Democratic 1st Congressional District race — which include claims about a smear campaign, anda since-disproven rumor about rodents at the Puritan Backroom. In any case, NHPR’s Josh Rogers has the details on the Democrats’ intraparty drama here.
And if nothing else, we’ve learned that chicken tenders may be the one great unifier of #NHpolitics.
We may be on opposite sides in politics, but @chrispappasNH runs a great shop. Stop attacking his business you jerk https://t.co/WLgv5OKQxP
— Sen. Andy Sanborn (@SenatorSanborn) April 27, 2016
(Something to keep in mind during the next budget showdown?)
In case you felt like we were overdue for another school funding fight
The latest in a long line of education lawsuits is heading to court next week.
This time, the City of Dover’s challenging the state’s decision to cap how much money it pays to school districts based on enrollment — and for those of you who aren’t fluent in education jargon, NHPR’s Jason Moon breaks down what you need to know in plain English.
Party like a political nerd
Something tells us this already isn’t too difficult to do in New Hampshire.
No matter, two guys from Keene want to make it even easier — with a new, slightly not-safe-for-work board game satirizing the presidential primary. (It's been described as "Candyland meets Cards Against Humanity" meets the campaign trail.)
It’s got gaffes, debates, delegates and even Vermin Supreme, boot and all.
Lots of talk, but also some action, on the addiction front
You can now buy naloxone, an overdose reversal drug,without a prescription at CVS Health. (You could already do thisat a lot of local Rite Aid locations, too.)
Meanwhile, at the State House,a bunch of drug-related bills were up for debate again this week. If one of those proposals stays alive, police departmentsmight have to wait for a criminal conviction before seizing money from someone connected to a drug bust.
Gov. Maggie Hassanwants lawmakers to tap into the state’s rainy day fund to pay for more drug treatment and other programs to fight addiction. New Hampshire’s attorney general and U.S. attorney alsowant to start treating the sites of drug overdoses like crime scenes — which, in turn, could mean tougher penalties for drug dealers linked to a death.
The issue even surfaced in the Senate campaign: Jim Rubens, a Republican challenging Sen. Kelly Ayotte in the primary, put his support behind a “harm reduction” approach to drug policy over one that favors punishment.
“What Happens in Corbin’s Park Stays In Corbin’s Park”
Really. Such are the rules of a super-secret game preserve in New Hampshire’s Upper Valley — which stretches across an area that’s bigger than most of the state’s small towns —where millionaires have apparently escaped to hunt elk and Eurasian wild boar for more than a century.
On this week's Outside/In, NHPR's Sam Evans-Brown tries find out more about what's inside.
In Other News...
…By the numbers.
$17,570 — The price tag for an LED-illuminated, 16-seat, somewhat-controversial dining hall table recently installed at the University of New Hampshire. (One student’s review: “I ate at it once. It lit up. I ate my food and I left.”) The school, facing pushback, now says the furniture purchase was “a mistake.” (The New Hampshire/Union Leader)
$17,624 — The price tag, for comparison, on in-state tuition for the 2016-17 school year at the University of New Hampshire. (UNH Undergraduate Admissions)
$9,800 — The overtime tab incurred by Farmington police who provided security for a pre-primary Donald Trump rally, about a third of the agency’s annual overtime budget. Town officials had hoped the Trump campaign might provide reimbursement — but so far, no such luck. (WMUR)
3,000 — Give or take, that’s how many times people powered up at the Tesla electric car charging stations in Hooksett in a whole year. Just to put that into context, an estimated 20 million cars speed by the same rest stop during a given year. (NHPR)
1,300 — The number of people who were counted as part of a one-day homelessness tally done by the state. That’s the lowest it’s been in five years, but it’s still hard to say whether that means homelessness is really on the decline. (AP/Concord Monitor)
154 — The number of Shakespearean sonnets read in the Bard’s remembrance at Saint Anselm College on Monday, part of an annual birthday party celebrating the Bard. (NHPR)
$250 — The “cost of dying” for people in Keene. More specifically, that’s how much grave fees at city cemeteries will cost starting in July, one of several burial services soon to be subject to inflation. (Keene Sentinel)
90 — The height, in feet, of the scaffolding ensconsing the golden dome at the state house in preparation for the structure’s $2.8 million facelift. That’s about three times as high it was the last time the gold leaf was replaced — and the hope is that more scaffolding will lead to a speedier repair process this time around. (Concord Monitor)
12 — The age of the Queen City’s newest cupcake enterpreneur. At this rate, she’s on her way to a Food Network deal by the time she graduates. (Union Leader)
Also Worth A Click
- New Hampshire: First-in-the-nation, but also in political reporters’ hearts. At least according to a recent survey of the 2016 campaign trail press corps. (POLITICO)
- Snapchat’s going to bat to defend your right to ballot selfies — even the ones that don’t disappear in 10 seconds. (New York Times)
- The House has an attendance problem. Among the excuses offered by no-show representatives: health problems, work demands and a plain-old lack of interest (yes, really) in their assigned committees. (Concord Monitor)
- Plymouth State’s (quite literally) “kicking butts.” The campus is set to go smoke-free in August. (Laconia Citizen)
- The guy behind those giant billboards in Manchester accusing local officials of corruption, among other crimes, is being sued for defamation. (Eagle Tribune)
- Casey Affleck is coming to New Hampshire. Well, kind of — in the form of an animatronic bear named Bernard, who’s set to protest on PETA’s behalf outside of Clark’s Trading Post. (Boston Magazine)
- This 21-year-old dude directing construction traffic on Route 108 is proof that any job can be fun if you have the right attitude — and, more importantly, the right dance tunes. (Union Leader)
