A Black Lives Matter protest more accessible to those in the disabled community is being organized for next Friday in Portsmouth.
The Covid-19 pandemic forced schools into remote learning back in March, and now at the beginning of another school year, some districts have had to make the decision to return to the classroom for the first time in five or so months, continue with remote learning or implement a hybrid model.
(Colleen Ortakales stands at the front of her classroom instructing her second grade students at Riddle Brook Elementary School in Bedford.)
While homelessness can affect anyone, families with children are typically better protected than single individuals, said Karen Zook, director of UV Gear (formerly Silent Warriors), a Lebanon-based organization that provides resources and stop-gap services, like tents, to people who are unhoused.
“Under more normal circumstances, there are pretty good safeguards in place for families experiencing homelessness,” she said. “That population is well-served.”
Lebanon officials were considering cutting down the city’s three polling locations to one for the Tuesday, Sept. 8 primary vote as longtime poll workers were dropping out. City Clerk Kristen Kenniston said many of the regular Election Day workers were letting her know they couldn’t help this year, out of fear of the novel coronavirus.
Since the pandemic hit, visits from family members and volunteers in nursing homes in New Hampshire have been severely curtailed. That’s to protect vulnerable residents — about 80% of COVID-related deaths in the state have occurred in long-term care facilities. Still, workers in nursing homes and family members say that residents are suffering mentally and emotionally from missing out on visits with their loved ones and social opportunities within the nursing home.
When Birch Hill owner Mary Anne Baron was losing practically all of her summer reservations and her fall dates were seeing fewer guests due to restrictions and attendees’ concerns with larger gatherings, she knew she had to think of something to recoup lost money. With all the venue’s events on her property either outside or in a barn with no heat, her season is limited.
(Chairs were spaced out for Bryan and Irma Keeler’s wedding at Birch Hill Farm in Gilford. [Courtesy/Irma Keeler])
During a year when many New Hampshire families are struggling to find childcare solutions that allow parents to work while students learn remotely, the school wanted to ensure that its 510 employees wouldn’t have to choose between working and supervising their own kids, said Timothy J. Powers, headmaster of Pinkerton Academy. The independent school has contracts with six towns — Auburn, Candia, Chester, Hampstead, Hooksett and Derry — to provide education to their high schoolers. The program, called Junior Astro Scholars, allows students enrolled in remote learning to come to work with their parents. The kids complete their assignments in a spare space at Pinkerton Academy, helped by a certified educator who was already employed by the school. The program is free for staff.
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Los lineamientos de los funcionarios electorales siguen en desarrollo y están publicando nueva información constantemente. Seguiremos actualizando la guía que encontrarás a continuación y haremos lo mejor en ajustarnos a la información que se publica.
(CREDIT ALLEGRA BOVERMAN FOR NHPR)
The number of families seeking food from the New Hampshire Food Bank has nearly tripled since the COVID-19 pandemic began, increasing from about 200-250 families per week to 500-650, according to Nancy Mellitt, director of development for New HampshireNH Food Bank, which runs the food bank. She said 1-in-7 Granite Staters or 14.2 percent of the population are food insecure, meaning they don’t know where they will get their next meal.
(The New Hampshire Food Bank's main headquarters is located on East Industrial Drive in Manchester./Pat Grossmith photo)
After the fireworks following President Donald Trump’s address to close out the Republican National Convention, Chris Ager started to walk back to his Washington, D.C. hotel along streets erupting with protesters. Ager, the Republican National Committeeman representing New Hampshire, walked with his jacket draped over his left arm and carried a pair of red heels belonging to the woman to his right. A crowd followed the pair in an exchange that was caught on video and viewed on social more than 3 million times by Friday afternoon.
(This image taken from Twitter shows Republican National committeeman, Chris Ager, who represents New Hampshire, trying to get back to his hotel from the White House Thursday night. Jonathan Van Fleet—Courtesy)
As a founding member of Granite State Home Educators and chairman of the Home Education Advisory Council (cq), a liaison group that connects home educators with the New Hampshire Department of Education, Michelotti has lots of experience with homeschool. She also educates her three sons, ages 13, 10 and 6. Despite her enthusiasm for homeschooling, she says that the parents who are opting to homeschool this year because of the pandemic face unique challenges.
(Kitty Michelotti and her husband Nathan Glaser, of Derry, homeschool their three sons, Riley, 13, Jack, 10, and Morgan, 6. They find that involving the boys in homeschooling decisions keeps them engaged. Courtesy photo, Kitty Michelotti.)
The New Hampshire Lodging and Restaurant Association is currently surveying the state to find out exactly how many restaurants have closed since the start of the pandemic. It’s hard to tell now, since not all businesses publicize their closure, but the association predicts that anywhere from 50 to 300 restaurants across the state have shuttered, according to Mike Somers, CEO of the association and a member of the governor’s economic re-opening task force.
(Broken Spoon in Franklin is set to open by mid-September. Photo: Jordyn Haime, Granite State News Collaborative.)
The religious tent revival has drawn hundreds of out-of-staters to New Ipswich since it started last week. News of the coming crowd caused town officials as well as officials from neighboring towns to speak out against it, saying it is a health risk during the COVID-19 pandemic. The tent revival was one of the reasons Gov. Chris Sununu issued an emergency order last week that requires face masks be worn at any scheduled gatherings of more than 100 people. Additionally, a road sign flashing a COVID-19 warnings -- including “COVID RISK HIGH” -- was provided by the New Hampshire Department of Transportation through the Attorney General’s office.
The economic impact of coronavirus has been centered on industries that employ a disproportionate number of women. More women than men have lost their jobs due to the pandemic, with 11.5 million women newly unemployed between February and May compared to 9 million men, according to data from Pew Research Center. That’s different from the 2008 recession, when men were twice as likely to lose their jobs. Hispanic women have been especially hard hit this year, seeing a 21% reduction in employment between February and May.
(When she walks onto a job site, Krista McCullough says she has three disadvantages: she’s young, female, and working in safety. Courtesy photo, Krista McCullough.)
The pathogen that provoked lockdowns this past spring is only one of many worries for public school students who may be nervous watching their parents lose jobs or seeing family members get sick, or possibly die. Some students are tangled in abusive home lives they can’t escape from. They may be falling behind in their academics because of the lack of routine or a quiet place to study.
(Peer leadership students at John Stark High School work on a mental health awareness project for younger grades. (Courtesy photo))
Many areas already got a taste of what can happen with COVID-19 when the novel virus shut down most of the outdoor activities prematurely at the end of the 2019-2020 season. This season, the pandemic is giving many mountains and cross-country areas a new look. Changes will be coming in restaurants, ticket areas, rest rooms, rental areas and possibly lift lines in order to help people maintain social distance.
(Downhill ski areas have the luxury of of expansive space for plenty of social distancing. Courtesy photo by Gunstock Mountain)
