NEWS & NOTES Election results
Democrats won big in the Nov. 7 off-year municipal elections. The most historically significant outcome was the election of Joyce Craig to the office of Manchester mayor, the first woman to hold that post in the cityâs history. Craig, a Democrat, defeated incumbent Republican Ted Gatsas in the nonpartisan election by about 1,500 votes, according to the city website. Manchester residents also voted on a nonbinding resolution on a new city flag, but the voters ultimately chose the old flag over the other three options. Jim Bouley won reelection as Concordâs mayor with 80 percent of the vote, according to the Concord city website. Many cities also voted on whether to allow the playing of keno games, a form of gambling on computer-generated numbers that are drawn every few minutes. The state passed a law earlier this year allowing keno games in liquor pouring establishments if the local communities approve it. The profits will go toward the Education Fund to pay for additional state funding for fullday kindergarten. Even towns that donât vote to allow keno will be able to get the additional state funding. According to WMUR, the cities of Manchester, Nashua, Laconia, Rochester, Somersworth, Claremont and Berlin voted to approve keno. Concord, Dover and Keene voted against it. Earlier this year, Franklin approved it and Portsmouth didnât have the votes to put the measure on the ballot. Rochester passed the measure by just one vote. Voters in Nashua supported a plan to build a downtown performing arts center with a margin of 150 votes, NHPR reported. Across the country, Democrats scored big wins, which many say is a referendum against President Donald Trump. Former state GOP chairman Fergus Cullen told NHPR that a Democratic wave may have contributed to Craigâs victory in Manchester. He also pointed to recent Republican losses in eight of the past 10 special elections in the legislature, in districts he called Republican areas.
he is running for Congress in the stateâs 1st District, according to a press release. Pappas, a Democrat who co-owns the Puritan Backroom restaurant, previously served as a state rep for two terms in 2002 and 2004 and is currently serving his third consecutive term as Executive Councilor after first being elected in 2012. Incumbent Democratic Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter is not running for reelection in 2018, and the race is already crowded. Others seeking the Democratic nomination include former AFLCIO head Mark MacKenzie, former VA official Maura Sullivan, former Stafford County Attorney Lincoln Soldati and Rochesterâs city attorney Terence OâRourke. Republicans in the race include state Sen. Andy Sanborn and Eddie Edwards, the former head of the state Liquor Commissionâs enforcement division.
Supreme court chief
New Hampshire Supreme Court Chief Justice Linda Dalianis announced she will be retiring, according to a press release. Sheâll step down from her post on April 1, 2018. Dalianis served for almost 20 years as a Superior Court judge and was the first woman to become Supreme Court chief justice in 2010. She was also the first woman to sit on the supreme court after her nomination in 2000. Itâs up to Gov. Chris Sununu to nominate her replacement.
The Executive Council unanimously confirmed Will Arvelo to head up the Division of Economic Development in the newly formed state agency, the Department of Business and Economic Affairs, according to a press release. Arvelo has been the president of Great Bay Community College for 11 years and ushered the school through a period of growth. Gov. Chris Sununu said in a statement that Arveloâs enthusiasm and passion for the state is evident, and said thereâs no one better suited for the job. BEA Commissioner Taylor Chris Pappas Caswell said having Arveloâs expeExecutive Councilor and busi- rience will be âa game changer.â ness owner Chris Pappas announced HIPPO | NOVEMBER 16 - 22, 2017 | PAGE 4
CONCORD
Hooksett
The Goffstown Police Department is performing a survey of town residents about things like their experience with the department and their sense of crime rates. Plymouth State University will analyze the results. A link can be found at the department website or social media pages.
Goffstown
Corrections commish
After a unanimous vote by the Executive Council, Helen Hanks will be promoted to the role of commissioner in charge of the state Department of Corrections, NHPR reported. Hanks was a deputy commissioner before her promotion and prior to that served the department as a social worker in its medical and Jack Flanagan forensic team. Sheâs been with the In the race for Congressional Dis- department for 14 years. trict 2, Jack Flanagan has dropped out, the AP reported. The Repub- Medicaid expansion lican was majority leader under A committee of lawmakers studyHouse Speaker Shawn Jasper and ing how to structure the expanded served several terms in the House Medicaid program has unanimousbefore resigning from the leader- ly voted to move toward a managed ship role and not seeking reelection care model by 2019, NHPR reportlast year. He ran for Congress in ed. The stateâs traditional Medicaid 2016 but lost in the primary to Jim recipients receive benefits through Lawrence. Flanagan said he want- a managed care model already. ed to refocus on personal interests, Expanded Medicaid did at first, but according to the story. State Rep. in 2016 it switched to the premiSteve Negron and Dr. Stewart um assistance program, which uses Levenson are still running for the Medicaid dollars to subsidize priRepublican nomination. The seat is vate insurance on the Healthcare. held by Democrat Annie Kuster. gov exchange. According to the
Economic development
Boscawen educator Stephanie Alicea is working to create a new charter school in Concord that integrates community service with instruction, the Concord Monitor reported. She presented the proposed Capital City Charter School to the State Board of Education, which responded positively but asked for more details.
MANCHESTER
The CEO of Southern NHBedford Health in Nashua, along with a doctor and chief medical officer, Amherst will tour a hospital in Puerto Rico and deliver much-needed Milfordsupplies, the Telegraph of Nashua reported. Before they leave, they hope to raise $25,000 to go toward Ryder Hospital in Humacao in Puerto Rico.
said he hopes the change will create more competition and consistency in the Medicaid market. The committeeâs final report is due before Dec. 1.
Election attorney
Secretary of State Bill Gardner has hired Bud Fitch to be the new elections attorney, NHPR reportstory, Health and Human Servic- ed. The position was created in the es Commissioner Jeffrey Meyers latest budget, which increased the
UNH ENGINEERING AND SCIENCE STUDENTS
A University of New Hampshire alumnus has pledged more than $2 million from his estate to the school, which could mean free tuition for some high-performing engineering and science students. The AP reported Bob Winot earmarked his donation to a scholarship for students at the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences who are from New Hampshire or Vermont with demonstrated financial need and GPAs of 3.0 or higher. The scholarship is expected to benefit as many as four students per year, according to the story.
Nick Aguila of Lee was the champion of the Manchester City Marathon on Sunday, Derry Ink Link Nov. 12, Manchester Merrimack reported. He finished with a time of 2:29:07, which was Londonderry 10 minutes better than the second-place finisher. NASHUA
election administrationâs budget from $450,000 to $600,000 over the biennium. Of that, $150,000 was set aside for a new attorney to administer election laws. Fitch will be paid a salary of about $81,000. Fitch previously served as deputy attorney general and as a staffer for former Sen. Kelly Ayotte. Under former Gov. John Lynch, he was known as the so-called âstimulus czar,â according to the story.
NEEDLE EXCHANGE
The first needle exchange program to open in New Hampshire was forced to shut down because it was located in a school zone, the AP reported. Project 439 had been opened in July after the legislature passed a law allowing needle exchanges. It operated out of the Claremont Soup Kitchen and it was founded by two med students at Dartmouth College, but it recently stopped services because it is near the New England Classical Academy. The only other needle exchange program in the state is Hands Up Health Services in the Seacoast. Project 439 is looking for a new location.