NEWS & NOTES
a 3½-mile hike between Dimond Hill Farm and Marjory Swope Park on Nov. 1.
SEC rules
to consult the Prescription Drug It could be a new era for Monitoring Program database New Hampshire’s drug courts first. if newly proposed legislation to provide state funding is passed in Job Corps Center the next session. NHPR reported The federal facility built to the bill would spend $2.8 mil- provide free vocational trainlion in drug court aid over two ing for poor youth had its grand years. About $500,000 would go opening in Manchester. Sen. to creating a drug court office at Jeanne Shaheen, Sen. Kelthe state level. The rest would ly Ayotte, Gov. Maggie Hassan help fund existing drug courts as and Mayor Ted Gatsas were on well as new and fledgling drug hand for the ribbon-cutting. The courts struggling to obtain fund- same four politicians took part ing from their home county or in the center’s ground-breaking federal grants. Nashua’s drug ceremony in 2013. The sevcourt was able to launch with en-building campus will offer the help of federal grants, while housing and programs for culiManchester’s has been delayed nary arts, engineering, facility after failing to win grants or win maintenance, security and nursover county commissioners. The ing assistance for up to 300 bill is sponsored by Republi- students. can Senate Majority Leader Jeb Bradley and is expected to have Inmate suicide watch bipartisan support when the legNew Hampshire’s Commisislature debates it in January. sioner for the Department of Corrections, William Wrenn, Prescribing rules will consider a proposal to use Gov. Maggie Hassan and trained inmates to conduct suiAttorney General Joseph Foster cide watches. The Concord are asking the state’s Board of Monitor reported the plan is Medicine to fast-track new rules modeled after a federal prison that will create stricter require- program that has seen some sucments for opioid prescriptions. cess in other states where it’s The Union Leader reported there been adopted. Guards are curis some resistance among the rently assigned to the watches medical community to bypass- but the state’s prison system ing the normal process, which has been facing severe staffing typically includes a public input shortages. period. But Hassan told the board to use emergency pow- Concord trail system ers to help limit over-prescribing A new trail system is being the drugs, which are addictive blazed in Concord after the and can lead to heroin addic- city’s trail committee and the tion. The draft rules would make Five Rivers Conservation trust opioids a last-resort option if obtained permission from priother painkillers are ineffec- vate landowners, the Concord tive, further limit how much can Monitor reported. The trail sysbe prescribed and who can pre- tem has been planned since scribe it, and require prescribers 2012 and will be unveiled with
Drug courts
HIPPO | OCTOBER 22 - 28, 2015 | PAGE 4
A legislative committee told the Site Evaluation Committee to go back to the drawing board to rewrite sections of the SEC’s proposed rules for evaluating and approving major energy projects. The Union Leader reported the changes are meant to provide for more explicit standards and greater public input. The SEC has 45 days to make the changes. The new rules will have a significant impact on planned projects such as the Northern Pass transmission lines from Canada or the proposed Kinder Morgan natural gas pipeline along the southern part of the state.
Natural gas
Liberty Utilities wants to expand its service footprint in the state into several southern and southeastern towns. The Union Leader reported Liberty has proposed building natural gas delivery infrastructure for customers in Keene, Pelham, Windham, Lebanon and Hanover. And it has proposed financing, constructing and managing infrastructure in Jaffrey, Rindge, Swanzey and Winchester. The proposal hinges on the Kinder Morgan pipeline proposed near the southern border. Liberty currently provides natural gas to about 90,000 customers in New Hampshire.
JET-SETTERS
The Manchester Monarchs kicked off their new season with a brand new team and league on Oct. 16. They won their first match, against the Brampton Beasts, with a 2-1 score.
The high school in Pelham was evacuated on Oct. 16 so police could search the facility for drugs. The Union Leader reported K-9 units from area police departments and state police aided in the search, which found no drugs.
CONCORD
Voters overturned budget Hooksett cuts passed by town councilors in Derry after a special election saw 6,000 people Goffstown turn out in support of petitions a court previously ordered the town to vote on. NHPR reported that the town MANCHESTER voted to restore funding to its fire, police and public works departments. Bedford
Struggling and homeless veterans were given free Amherst services in Nashua during the Harbor Homes annual Milford Stand Down event, the Union Leader reported. The veterans were provided with winter coats, sleeping bags, haircuts and more.
Nashua test scores
The Nashua School Board voted to release test scores from the first Smarter Balanced test to the public earlier than planned. The Telegraph of Nashua reported the original release date is scheduled for Nov. 12, but school administration has had access to preliminary numbers since mid-September. The preliminary
The federal government is giving New Hampshire a six-month period to comply with new federal identification standards known as REAL ID. The AP reported the extension means New Hampshire residents with old photo IDs will continue to have access to air travel and federal buildings through June 1. New Hampshire is one of several states that has not updated its photo ID standards to align with the 2005 federal legislation that was passed to increase security after 9/11. There is legislation in the works to offer a REAL ID option to residents, but it would remain voluntary because of privacy concerns. A passport would serve as an alternative for those without a REAL ID license after the grace period.
Merrimack
Derry
Londonderry
NASHUA
results will now be available to everyone by Oct. 21. The two months between the preliminary and final scores are in place to clean up errors in the data, but board members and parents expressed an eagerness to see the preliminary data. The Smarter Balanced test is linked to the Common Core Standards and replaced the NECAP tests.
RETIREES
Lawmakers are expected to vote on Oct. 20 to increase health care costs for those receiving benefits under the state’s retiree health program. The AP reported the rate increase will likely affect 3,000 retirees under 65 and an increase in co-pays would affect 12,000 retirees. The 8,800 retirees who are older than 65 do not contribute to their health insurance premiums. Those under 65 will see a possible increase from a 12.5-percent contribution to a 15-percent contribution. The changes are meant to close a $10.6 million hole in the health program. The joint legislative fiscal committee postponed the vote during its last monthly meeting in September and again on Oct 16.