Amanda Gokee - New Hampshire Bulletin

Only around 6 percent of residents heat with wood, according to the New Hampshire Department of Energy – a number that’s been static for at least 16 years.

With the heating season underway, the program has not yet opened and is not yet providing payments to residents in the state who aren’t covered by permanent heat assistance programs.

Using a helicopter for a Search and Rescue mission can add $80,000 to the cost.

The Legislature allocated $42 million to an emergency energy assistance program in September, and expanded eligibility to include residents who earn between 60 and 75% of the state median income.

The money comes ahead of a particularly expensive winter heating season. According to federal data, households heating with natural gas could see almost a 30% increase in heating expenses from last year.

The issues in Belknap County revealed a broader tension within the Republican Party, with members of the libertarian-minded Free State Project and others who share some of their beliefs about extremely limited government running as Republicans.

In reconciling the numbers from an initial round of recounts, Secretary of State Dave Scanlan said his office wasn’t sure all the ballots had been recounted and that the process would need to continue.

Republicans hold 200 seats going into the upcoming session and Democrats 199, with one seat undecided.

Derry’s polling site is among the busiest in the state, with 18,000 registered voters in town. That, coupled with high voter turnout, caused congestion and long wait times before work and during the after-work surge.

Loosely organized social media campaigns by those distrustful of elections and voting machines are encouraging voters around the state to force hand counts. But voting rights advocates say the effort could exacerbate the issue by making the process more cumbersome.