Good News in New Hampshire Newsletter #4 - Who We Are

Plus: solutions journalism, drum corps, tissue regeneration, medical marijuana, improvements to ballot access, civics education, healthcare insurance reform, Life is Good, and more!

Hello! Welcome to the Good News in New Hampshire Newsletter, part of Granite Goodness.

We regularly round up and share positive news & media in and about New Hampshire.

My name is Andy DeMeo. I’ve lived in NH all my life. Granite Goodness is my love letter to our extraordinary state.

I created this project because I believe that being aware of positivity and progress leaves people more inspired to create their own. Optimism, kindness, and the will to solve complex problems are infectious qualities.

Also, being an optimist is just more fun.

As a general rule, this newsletter aims to include stories that fit the following criteria:

• The story is in or about New Hampshire

• The story is about something bigger than singular acts of kindness

• The story is about something good— people building, creating, or doing things that improve the world and reduce suffering

Just think- as long as it’s good and New Hampshire sized, it belongs here!

If you have any story tips, let us know at hello@granitegoodness.com.

For more personal stories about New Hampshire people making the world a better place, make sure to check our podcast, Granite Goodness, available anywhere.

Enjoy!

GRANITE GRID-BUILDING

Energy & Renewables

• New Hampshire law provides new solar incentives for cities, drops ineffective consumer rebate program

  • “A recently signed New Hampshire law makes significant changes to the operations of the state’s Renewable Energy Fund, directing money to help towns and cities develop municipal solar projects and ending a residential solar rebate program that was generally viewed as deeply flawed.” - Energy News Network

• Portsmouth Housing Authority gets solar panels grant for Atlantic Heights senior housing

  • “The Portsmouth Housing Authority is the recipient of a $140,000 state grant that will cover most of the cost of installing solar panels at the Atlantic Heights senior housing development. PHS worked with ReVision Energy to submit the successful grant application to the New Hampshire Department of Energy.” - Seacoast Online

• NH among New England states to win $450 million to launch heat pump adoption program

  • “To date, the five states have tried on their own to get residents to make the switch. But the grant will allow them to coordinate their efforts, using a new regional program: The New England Heat Pump Accelerator.” - WBUR

GRANITE GARDENING

Farming & Agriculture

• Hot summer has meant berries galore for NH farms

  • “‘Berry season has gone really well,’ said Madison Hardy, president of the New Hampshire Fruit Growers Association. Strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries all had excellent crops, she said, producing a long picking season that has extended into August, depending on the variety of berry that was planted.” - Concord Monitor

• ‘Plant a Row’ helps NH gardeners address food insecurity

  • “‘You harvest things ripe, all at once. So, all of a sudden you have five pounds of wax beans a day for a week, and you can only eat so many wax beans,’ Brinkmann said. ‘The labor intensity of putting them up for the year, blanching and freezing and canning becomes a lot.’ The University of New Hampshire’s Extension program is offering a solution. Plant a Row works with New Hampshire 4-H to connect participants with local food pantries, so that extra fresh produce can be donated to those in need, instead of going to waste.” - NHPR

GRANITE GOVERNING

Politics & Governance

• Governor signs bills enhancing election education for youth, ballot access for elderly, and election transparency

  • “House Bill 1014 requires that civics instruction ‘include information on the laws governing election and voting” in New Hampshire.’ That information would supplement what is currently required to be taught in schools for history and civics, including the structures of the New Hampshire Constitution and U.S. Constitution, and the role and function of government… The bill comes as part of an effort by some to increase participation in elections among young people.”

  • “House Bill 1098… allows town clerks, assistant clerks, and clerks pro tem to deliver absentee ballots to nursing homes and other elder care facilities.”

  • “House Bill 243… requires that town and city election officials allow the public to observe the use of any voting tabulators as they are used on election night, and directs those officials to post the printout of the machine’s tabulated results within 60 minutes of running the machines.” - New Hampshire Bulletin

• Bipartisan bail reform signed into law

  • “The improvements in this bill will ensure our law enforcement have the best technology, judicial infrastructure, and statutory authority to keep our New Hampshire communities safe." - Union Leader

• Governor signs bill approving medical marijuana for all conditions

  • HB 1278... "will allow doctors to recommend cannabis for any debilitating condition they believe it would improve. Previously, patients needed to be diagnosed with certain specific conditions to qualify for legal marijuana access." - Marijuana Moment

• New law aims to speed up insurance pre-approvals in New Hampshire

  • “Medical treatments often need to be pre-approved by insurance – what’s known as “prior authorization.” But many doctors and patients complain the process can be burdensome, causes delays and sometimes prevents people from getting necessary care…A new state law aims to address those issues, by reforming how prior authorizations work in New Hampshire starting next year.” - New Hampshire Public Radio (NHPR)

GRANITE GROWTH

Building & Infrastructure

• New economic development director sees “huge potential” for Nashua’s sustainable growth

  • …”1,578 new downtown apartments were completed, under construction or recently approved in the past year. Another 1,000 units are in the pipeline.” - Granite State News Collaborative

• New Hampshire’s airports in line to get $8.8 million in FAA grants this year 

  • “…grants are… included in the infrastructure law for airport improvement grants that include terminal expansions and baggage system upgrades, runway safety enhancements, and air traffic infrastructure improvements.” - Manchester InkLink

• Old mills in Franklin sat empty for years. Now, they’re state-of-the-art housing

  • “The shuttered mills off Central Street downtown are now transformed into a mixed-use mecca of residential, commercial and green space for Franklin residents… it brings a full slate of amenities with clean, new apartments along the banks of the Winnipesaukee River.” - Concord Monitor

• Concord’s latest arts and restaurant development breaks ground, set for April 2025 completion

  • “Dubbed ‘Arts Alley,’ the development includes a two-story building between the Bank of New Hampshire Stage and the Concord Food Co-op that will house a Friendly Toast, an outdoor eating area and the transformation of the Norris Bakery and Homestead Stable Building set back from the road into “Duke’s,” a Nashville-inspired restaurant and bar with a focus on live music.” - Concord Monitor

• Skanska completes $89 million renovation and addition to UNH’s biological sciences building

  • The project “included 82,500 square feet of renovations and 47,500 square feet of additions to the space, providing new teaching and learning facilities for Biochemistry, Cell Culture, Medical Laboratory Science, Anatomy and Physiology, Ecology, Organismal Biology, and Neuroscience, as well as research and core lab facilities, and support spaces.” - Skanska

GRANITE GRIT

Economy & Workforce

• Keene State College partnership offers training in advanced “diamond turning” precision manufacturing

  • “…a new multi-million-dollar partnership developing this year between Keene State College and AmeriCOM — the American Center for Optics Manufacturing — is poised to offer career pathways in the field without a four-year college route” - NH Business Review

• Life is Good factory opens in Hudson, NH

  • The 500,000-square-foot facility will be home to production and fulfilment, as well as IT and HR, plus a photo studio. - WMUR

• UNH joins network to promote first generation college education

  • “…the FirstGen Forward Network provides a three-phase approach to scaling holistic first-generation student success…To date, 429 higher education institutions have joined the Network, representing 49 states and the District of Columbia.” - UNH Today

GRANITE GADGETS

Science & Innovation

• Two UNH professors receive $4 million to Improve Wound Healing and Tissue Generation

  • “In a significant boost to biomedical research and ultimately human health outcomes, University of New Hampshire professors Linqing Li and Nate Oldenhuis have been awarded nearly $4 million from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for research that will advance wound healing and tissue generation.” - UNH Today

• UNH researchers discover light-based method to improve yields, health, and sustainability of fish farms

  • “‘By adopting these recommendations, fish farmers can improve lumpfish hatchery production, reduce juvenile mortality and enhance the sustainability of salmonid farming through effective sea lice management,’ she added. ‘And increasing aquaculture sustainability and efficiency is vital to meeting the future demand for animal protein, as well as protecting the planet we live on.’” - UNH Today

• UNH insect research helps reduce infestations to blueberry crops

  • “…accurately identifying the platygastrid parasitoids… helps in reducing the pest population but also promotes sustainable agriculture by minimizing the use of harmful chemicals." - UNH Today

GRANITE GREENERY

Sustainability & Environment

• 137-acre conservation easement in Dunbarton expands New Hampshire’s protected areas

  • “‘This really fits in nicely with a cluster of other conserved properties and linked several of them, which is a nice thing to be able to do, because it really enhances the conservation,’ explained Evans. ‘You can make a bigger plot rather than having little fragments.’” - Concord Monitor

• Keene library expands community rental program to include outdoor gear

  • “When you go into the website and reservation system, you’ll see that the librarians who worked on this included as much information as possible about the different pieces of equipment that people can check out, including the links to how-to videos and as much details as possible so that people can learn and understand the gear that they are checking out and taking out to the wilderness.” - City of Keene, NH

• UNH Campus achieves pollinator friendly certification

  • “Bee Campus USA is an initiative through the Xerces society committed to supporting native pollinators on campuses across the US. This includes planting native plants, providing nest habitat, and reducing pesticide use.” - University of New Hampshire

• ‘A huge relief’: a treatment on Lake Kanasatka successfully eliminates cyanobacteria blooms

  • “For nearly four years, cyanobacteria blooms continued to appear on the surface of Lake Kanasatka in Moultonborough, which flows into Lake Winnipesaukee. They disrupted a local summer camp, as well as resident activities. But thanks to the work of lake residents and state officials, a treatment this spring has left Lake Kanasatka’s waters crystal clear.” - NHPR

GRANITE GIVING

Nonprofits & Philanthropy

• Solutions Journalism Lab at Saint Anselm College takes on New Partners

  • “The Nackey Scripps Loeb School of Communications has joined media organizations in an ambitious Solutions Journalism Lab Project to tackle major problems facing our state….We are proud to be the New Hampshire partner to the Solutions Journalism Network helping Granite Staters have access to news stories that help them understand problems and challenges, and show potential ways to respond.” - Nackey S. Loeb School of Communications at Saint Anselm College

• 603 Legal Aid receives nearly $700,000 for projects serving veterans and people with consumer debt

  • “The new Debt FREE Project – Financial Resiliency and Economic Empowerment – will serve people facing challenges related to consumer law issues such as debt collection, bankruptcy, and mortgage foreclosure under the auspices of a broad Consumer Unit.” - 603 Legal Aid

• Portsmouth nonprofit builds garden beds to feed the hungry

  • “Gather, an anti-hunger nonprofit organization, has spearheaded the construction of raised garden beds around the Seacoast to provide fresh produce for residents dealing with food insecurity.” - NH Business Review

GRANITE GOSSIP

Positive content about NH

• City of Concord: Talk Concord— Talk Concord brings you information about current and future happenings in the City of Concord, NH, centered around why it’s a great place to live, work, play and invest.

  • Episode 65 - Community Power: Andrew Hatch, Outreach Coordinator for the Community Power Coalition of New Hampshire, and Rob Werner, chair of the Concord Energy and Environment Advisory Committee are in the Concord TV podcast studio to talk about Community Power in Concord”

• NHPR: Give Back NH— Give Back New Hampshire is a bi-weekly segment that spotlights nonprofit organizations across the Granite State.

  • Save Your Ass Long Ear Rescue: “On this week’s episode of Give Back New Hampshire, we visit Save Your Ass Long Ear Rescue. Founded in 2007, the rescue is dedicated to rescuing, rehabbing and rehoming unwanted or neglected donkeys and mules so none get left behind or go hungry.”

GRANITE GREATNESS

Human Interest & Our Favorite Stories

• Nashua, NH based drum corps Spartans wins national championship 2nd year in a row

  • “We all decided that today is the day we’re going to show everybody who we are” - Rae Layah, Spartans Colorguard Captain

  • “This means the world to us,’ Spartans drum major Ana Carolina Silva said. ‘We have been working so hard from November until now. We have people who have never played an instrument before or did anything drum corps related before, but they came in, and learned what they needed to learn to get to this moment. It’s just so amazing to be here.’” - Drum Corps International

That’s it for this edition of the Good News in New Hampshire Newsletter. This newsletter is free and shareable to anyone anywhere. We also post on Instagram and Linkedin.

If you are hungry for good news beyond the borders of the Granite State, I encourage you to check out our friends at Fix the News or the Progress Network.

Thanks for reading!

-Andy