Public Insight Network

Next week the band Level3 will perform at the Lane Memorial Library in Hampton - despite the fact that Level3 is a fictional band.

Confused yet? Not to worry – it’s all part of a new young adult novel called Reunited, in which three young women drive from New England to Texas to see the one-night-only reunion concert of their once-favorite band, Level 3.

It’s summer camp season – these days kids can spend a week on almost any activity they like, from sports and the outdoors to computers and robotics. Since the late 1960’s, kids who love music have been heading to Bennington, Vermont, which is home to a piano camp known as Summer Sonatina.

Although Naturopathic Doctors (NDs) undergo virtually the same training as medical doctors, their services have hitherto not been covered by insurance companies in the state of New Hampshire. Two and a half years ago ND Bert Mathieson, frustrated by what struck him as “discrimination flat out,” got a sponsor for a bill that would change N.H. law. HB351 would require insurers in the state to reimburse naturopathic doctors, who emphasize illness prevention and lifestyle guidance rather than pharmaceutical or surgical procedures in their practice.

If you’re scanning registries for a friend’s baby shower or prepping for your own bouncing new arrival, one thing is clear…baby stuff ain’t cheap. Jamie Page-Deaton is managing editor of US News Best Cars, and she's got a rundown of some pretty unbelievable gadgetry new moms are coveting: 

The self-folding stroller.

The robotic baby chair. 

New Hampshire Episcopalians are set to choose a successor to retiring Bishop Gene Robinson, whose election in 2003 as the first openly gay Episcopal bishop created worldwide headlines and controversy between the church and the Anglican Communion.

Lisa Wangsness covers religion for the Boston Globe; she joins All Things Considered host Brady Carlson to look at the three candidates and the state of the Episcopal Church in New Hampshire.

Tonight selectmen in Rye will hear from the town's lawyer about the legality of a new cycling ordinance in that town. Cycling - both for commuting and recreation - is on the rise, but so too is the number of cars on the road, and recently on the seacoast, tensions between cyclists and drivers have flared.

We'd like to know more about how small businesses are doing in Manchester. Tell us your experiences and share what you know through our Public Insight Network! Click here.

Student loan debt as a campaign issue: this week, President Obama visited college students in Colorado, North Carolina and Iowa and made urgent appeals to keep interest rates low for current and future college students.  The house will vote Friday (4/27/12) on legislation that could keep the interest rate on government-subsidized undergraduate student loans from doubling in July.

It’s been said that poetry is all that is worth remembering in life. We asked folks to tell us about their memories of how a poem had affected their life. Rodger Martin from Harrisville, New Hampshire remembered hearing a poem that helped him return to civilian life after a tour of duty in Vietnam.

RODGER: The state of the country was in a far different place in 1970.

There’s a big showdown going on this weekend in the world of flat track roller derby. A New Hampshire team known as the Skate Free or Die All Stars are heading to New York for a bout billed as the Suburban Brawl.

We begin with the implications of man-made beings in the 21st century, and some potential legal questions recently posed by New Hampshire attorney John Weaver.

This weekend is maple syrup weekend in New Hampshire – true, you might not be thinking of sugar and sap given this week’s record breaking temperatures, but more than 100 New Hampshire sugarhouses are opening their doors this weekend and sharing a little of the sweet stuff for visitors.

Over this past weekend, Nashua resident Randy Pierce became one of the few- and the only blind person on record- to hike all 48 of New Hampshire’s four-thousand foot mountain peaks in one winter. It’s a feat few dare take on, but Randy and his guide dog Quinn like a challenge. Randy has begun a non- profit called 2020 Vision Quest, seeking to inspire people to reach beyond adversity and achieve their goals.