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Tag: New Hampshire

  • Witnesses describe scene near fire, explosion in Nashua, New Hampshire

    People near a fire Monday afternoon at a commercial building in Nashua, New Hampshire, said the explosion was very loud and led the ground to shake.Fire officials said about 40 people were in the Greater Nashua Mental Health building when the gas leak was first reported at about 2:15 p.m. Fire Chief Steve Buxton said four people were unaccounted for as of Monday evening, but he believed officials would be able to make contact with them.Three firefighters were injured, one seriously. William Closs was working in the area when he felt the rumbling.”Real loud. It shook a lot,” Closs said. An emergency alert was issued in New Hampshire about a potential gas leak after the fire and explosion.The emergency alert urged anyone in the area of the building to extinguish burners or other flames and prepare to evacuate. People were told to stay away from the area.When he saw the emergency alert on his phone, Closs said he was already in the process of trying to evacuate the building he was in. “We were trying to figure out how to get people out, as it was the building right next to us,” Closs said.First responders assisted in the evacuation.”They were quick, efficient, thorough,” Closs said.Closs said he left the scene to walk down the road to meet friends and family, leaving his car at the scene. “Again, I didn’t know that if a roof had collapsed, or what was going on, but as soon as we saw the building next door was on fire, we were like, ‘What do we do now? Here we go,’” Closs said.>> Meanwhile, witness Peter Hernandez joined sister station WMUR live to describe what he saw:

    People near a fire Monday afternoon at a commercial building in Nashua, New Hampshire, said the explosion was very loud and led the ground to shake.

    Fire officials said about 40 people were in the Greater Nashua Mental Health building when the gas leak was first reported at about 2:15 p.m. Fire Chief Steve Buxton said four people were unaccounted for as of Monday evening, but he believed officials would be able to make contact with them.

    Three firefighters were injured, one seriously.

    William Closs was working in the area when he felt the rumbling.

    “Real loud. It shook a lot,” Closs said.

    An emergency alert was issued in New Hampshire about a potential gas leak after the fire and explosion.

    The emergency alert urged anyone in the area of the building to extinguish burners or other flames and prepare to evacuate. People were told to stay away from the area.

    When he saw the emergency alert on his phone, Closs said he was already in the process of trying to evacuate the building he was in.

    “We were trying to figure out how to get people out, as it was the building right next to us,” Closs said.

    First responders assisted in the evacuation.

    “They were quick, efficient, thorough,” Closs said.

    Closs said he left the scene to walk down the road to meet friends and family, leaving his car at the scene.

    “Again, I didn’t know that if a roof had collapsed, or what was going on, but as soon as we saw the building next door was on fire, we were like, ‘What do we do now? Here we go,’” Closs said.

    >> Meanwhile, witness Peter Hernandez joined sister station WMUR live to describe what he saw:

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  • NYC man accused of stealing hundreds of OTC medications in NH spree

    HUDSON, N.H. — A Staten Island man is being held without bail after police said he carried out a coordinated retail theft operation, stealing 455 containers of over-the-counter medications from Walmart and several Hannaford grocery stores before fleeing from officers.

    The Hudson Police said they arrested 28-year-old Yasin Shearin after Walmart employees on Lowell Road reported a “repeat theft suspect” they wanted removed for trespassing. When officers approached him, Shearin displayed a New York driver’s license on his phone, but the photo did not match him, and he struggled to answer questions about his identity, including his Social Security number, according to a police affidavit.

    Police said they linked him to a prior felony theft at the same Walmart involving nearly $1,500 in merchandise on Oct. 29. According to the affidavit, during that prior incident, the store’s asset protection employee took surveillance of Shearin placing items into a tote and walking past all points of sale. The employee told police Shearin appeared to be attempting the same method again on Dec. 17, concealing Zyrtec inside a closed tote.

    Police said the store’s asset protection employee also alleged Shearin had “numerous open cases around the area regarding past thefts with Walmart.”

    As police moved to arrest him, Shearin allegedly resisted and ran from the store. Officers chased him across the parking lot and apprehended him by the nearby McDonald’s.

    Police said Shearin tried to get into a black 2025 Nissan SUV with New York plates during the chase. The vehicle was seized, and a search warrant allegedly uncovered 455 items of over-the-counter medications — Tylenol, Zyrtec, Nexium, Nicorette, Motrin, Dulcolax, Nexium, Pepcid, Breathe Right nasal strips and more — packed into bags.

    Police said they also found marijuana and what they believe to be butane hash oil.

    The affidavit states GPS data obtained from the vehicle showed it had stopped at several Walmart and Hannaford supermarkets in New Hampshire, including locations in Salem, Bedford, Seabrook, Manchester, Derry, Londonderry and Hudson.

    Surveillance footage from the Hudson store showed Shearin entering alone, heading directly to the vitamin and health aisle, and concealing medications in a blue bag hidden inside a shopping cart before walking out without paying, according to the affidavit.

    Police later matched the blue bag to one allegedly seized from the SUV.

    Shearin was arraigned in the 9th Circuit Nashua District Court on Friday. Court documents state he entered a not-guilty plea to willful concealment, a Class A misdemeanor, and no pleas to receiving stolen property ($1,501 or more), a Class A felony, and organized retail crime enterprise and theft by unauthorized taking ($1,001-$1,501), both Class B felonies.

    A judge ordered him held without bail, citing his risk of flight, multiple open cases in other states, and what was described as a safety risk to himself and the community if released.

    Shearin was appointed a public defender, Alex Charles Fernald, who was not immediately available for comment.

    Follow Aaron Curtis on X @aselahcurtis, or on Bluesky @aaronscurtis.bsky.social. 

    Aaron Curtis

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  • Woman prepares to row 3,200 miles across the Atlantic Ocean

    A WOMAN FROM BETHLEHEM IS ROWING 3200 MILES ACROSS THE ATLANTIC OCEAN. IT’S JUST INCREDIBLE. I LOVE THIS STORY. NOW RENEE BLACKMAN WILL BE RACING SOLO FROM THE CANARY ISLANDS TO ANTIGUA IN WHAT’S CALLED THE ATLANTIC DASH. FOR 60 TO 90 DAYS, BLACKMAN WILL BE COMPLETELY ALONE. NO MOTOR, NO SAIL AND NO FOOD SUPPLY. SHE’S ROWING TO SUPPORT OUTDOOR ADVENTURING FOR GOOD, A NONPROFIT FOR TRAUMA RECOVERY PROGRAMS. I’M SO LOW OUT THERE, BUT I’M PART OF THIS BIGGER COMMUNITY. I’M PART OF THIS BIGGER PICTURE. I AM PART OF MAKING SURE THAT THESE RESOURCES EXIST, THAT PEOPLE DON’T HAVE TO GO THROUGH HARD, HURTFUL, CHALLENGING, CONFUSING TIMES IN THEIR LIVES. NOW, BLACKMAN STARTS HER JOURNEY ON SATURDAY. THE 43 YEAR OLD COULD MAKE HISTORY AS THE FIRST SOLO FEMALE TO FINISH. WHAT AN ENDEAVOR. AND THAT BOAT TOM. IT’S N

    Woman prepares to row 3,200 miles across the Atlantic Ocean

    Updated: 7:33 PM EST Jan 23, 2026

    Editorial Standards ⓘ

    A woman from Bethlehem, New Hampshire, is preparing to row 3,200 miles across the Atlantic Ocean as part of the Atlantic Dash.Renee Blacken will race solo from the Canary Islands to Antigua and could make history as the first woman to complete the journey alone.The trip is expected to take between 60 and 90 days. During that time, Blacken will have no motor, no sail and no food resupply. She is rowing to support Outdoor Adventuring for Good, a nonprofit that raises money for trauma recovery programs. “I’m solo out there, but I’m part of this bigger community. I’m part of this bigger picture. I am part of making sure that these resources exist so that people don’t have to go through hard, hurtful, challenging, confusing times in their lives,” she said. Blacken is scheduled to begin her journey Saturday.

    A woman from Bethlehem, New Hampshire, is preparing to row 3,200 miles across the Atlantic Ocean as part of the Atlantic Dash.

    Renee Blacken will race solo from the Canary Islands to Antigua and could make history as the first woman to complete the journey alone.

    The trip is expected to take between 60 and 90 days. During that time, Blacken will have no motor, no sail and no food resupply.

    She is rowing to support Outdoor Adventuring for Good, a nonprofit that raises money for trauma recovery programs.

    “I’m solo out there, but I’m part of this bigger community. I’m part of this bigger picture. I am part of making sure that these resources exist so that people don’t have to go through hard, hurtful, challenging, confusing times in their lives,” she said.

    Blacken is scheduled to begin her journey Saturday.

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  • Police investigating apparent stabbing death in Manchester, NH

    Authorities are investigating after a man was apparently stabbed to death in Manchester, New Hampshire, on Tuesday night.

    Around 9:20 p.m. on Tuesday, Manchester police responded to the area of Barry Avenue and Spruce Street in Manchester after receiving a 911 call reporting an injured man, the attorney general’s office said. When they arrived, officers found a man lying on the ground, unconscious, with an apparent stab wound to his chest.

    The man was rushed to Elliot Hospital, where he later died.

    No arrests have been announced by police.

    The investigation into the man’s death is ongoing, and authorities are urging anyone with information to call Detective Guillaume Joffres at 603-792-5518 or Detective Harrison Elwell at 603-792-5555.

    The attorney general’s office said an autopsy is scheduled for later on Wednesday and additional details will be released as they become available.

    Marc Fortier

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  • Democrats Propose State Laws to Limit ICE After Minneapolis Shooting of Renee Good

    MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Democrats across the country are proposing state law changes to rein in federal immigration officers and protect the public following the shooting death of a protester in Minneapolis and the wounding of two people in Portland, Oregon.


    Democratic bills seek to limit ICE

    Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul wants New York to allow people to sue federal officers alleging violations of their constitutional rights. Another measure aims to keep immigration agents lacking judicial warrants out of schools, hospitals and houses of worship.

    Oregon Democrats plan to introduce a bill to allow residents to sue federal agents for violating their Fourth Amendment rights against unlawful search and seizure.

    New Jersey’s Democrat-led Legislature passed three bills on Monday that immigrant rights groups have long pushed for, including a measure prohibiting state law enforcement officers from cooperating with federal immigration enforcement. Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy has until his last day in office Tuesday to sign or veto them.

    California lawmakers are proposing to ban local and state law enforcement from taking second jobs with the Department of Homeland Security and make it a violation of state law when ICE officers make “indiscriminate” arrests around court appearances. Other measures are pending.

    “Where you have government actions with no accountability, that is not true democracy,” Democratic state Sen. Scott Wiener of San Francisco said at a news conference.


    Democrats also push bills in red states

    Democrats in Georgia introduced four Senate bills designed to limit immigration enforcement — a package unlikely to become law because Georgia’s conservative upper chamber is led by Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, a close Trump ally. Democrats said it’s still important to take a stand.

    “Donald Trump has unleashed brutal aggression on our families and our communities across our country,” said state Sen. Sheikh Rahman, an immigrant from Bangladesh whose district in suburban Atlanta’s Gwinnett County is home to many immigrants.

    Democrats in New Hampshire have proposed numerous measures seeking to limit federal immigration enforcement, but the state’s Republican majorities passed a new law taking effect this month that bans “sanctuary cities.”

    In Tennessee, instead of considering a Democratic measure that would limit civil immigration enforcement at schools and churches, Republican House Speaker Cameron Sexton said he was working with the White House on a separate package of immigration-related bills. He hasn’t said what they would do.


    Trump administration sues to stop laws

    States have broad power to regulate within their borders unless the U.S. Constitution bars it, but many of these laws raise novel issues that courts will have to sort out, said Harrison Stark, senior counsel with the State Democracy Research Initiative at the University of Wisconsin Law School.

    “There’s not a super clear, concrete legal answer to a lot of these questions,” he said. “It’s almost guaranteed there will be federal litigation over a lot of these policies.”

    That’s already happening.

    California in September was the first to ban most law enforcement officers, including federal immigration agents, from covering their faces on duty. The Justice Department said its agents won’t comply and sued California, arguing that the laws threaten the safety of officers who are facing “unprecedented” harassment, doxing and violence.

    The Justice Department also sued Illinois last month, challenging a law that bars federal civil arrests near courthouses, protects medical records and regulates how universities and day care centers manage information about immigration status. The Justice Department claims the law is unconstitutional and also threatens federal officers’ safety.


    Targeted states push back

    Minnesota and Illinois, joined by their largest cities, sued the Trump administration this week. Minneapolis and Minnesota accuse the Republican administration of violating free speech rights by punishing a progressive state that favors Democrats and welcomes immigrants. Illinois and Chicago claim “Operation Midway Blitz” made residents afraid to leave their homes.

    Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin accused Minnesota officials of ignoring public safety and called the Illinois lawsuit “baseless.”

    Associated Press writers John O’Connor in Springfield, Illinois; Sophie Austin in Sacramento, California; Mike Catalini in Trenton, New Jersey; Jonathan Mattise in Nashville, Tennessee; Anthony Izaguirre in Albany, New York; Claire Rush in Portland, Oregon; and Jeff Amy in Atlanta contributed.

    Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

    Photos You Should See – January 2026

    Associated Press

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  • Looking back on Bob Weir’s performance the night Jerry Garcia died

    As the music world reflects on the legacy of Grateful Dead frontman Bob Weir, it highlights his connection to New Hampshire on the day a fellow rock legend passed away. Weir was scheduled to perform the night of Aug. 9, 1995, at the Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom, one of a long list of performances by legendary music artists at the venue in Manchester, New Hampshire. It was also booked the night after Weir’s Grateful Dead co-founder, Jerry Garcia, passed away.After the news broke, Ballroom director Andrew Herrick says the venue suddenly had to rush to find solutions to accommodate a growing crowd outside as much as the one inside.”Our box office basically hit the panic button,” he said. “We sold this show out in five seconds, and then another few thousand people showed up.”Herrick said that the night was peaceful, despite the crowd size. He said that Weir even played through a scheduled live TV appearance, as part of his memorial for his former bandmate.”No one could have handled it better than Bob Weir,” he said. “The way that he dealt with the night and what he gave his fans was just super special.”The show was a major chapter in a partnership with the Ballroom that lasted for years. Herrick said RatDog performed at the venue twice a year for at least a decade, with every show sold out.”We had so many great nights with them, from having to take a grand piano down our front steps, to having to find their tour manager’s leather chair in our rafters,” Herrick said. “We’ve had a lot of great stories with RatDog and Bob Weir.”Herrick said Weir’s death marks a significant loss not only for Deadheads, but for the art of live music as a whole.”It’s a sad day. It’s a big loss for music. But, you know, everyone should just go see their favorite band and live through that spirit again,” he said.

    MANCHESTER, N.H. —

    As the music world reflects on the legacy of Grateful Dead frontman Bob Weir, it highlights his connection to New Hampshire on the day a fellow rock legend passed away.

    Weir was scheduled to perform the night of Aug. 9, 1995, at the Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom, one of a long list of performances by legendary music artists at the venue in Manchester, New Hampshire. It was also booked the night after Weir’s Grateful Dead co-founder, Jerry Garcia, passed away.

    After the news broke, Ballroom director Andrew Herrick says the venue suddenly had to rush to find solutions to accommodate a growing crowd outside as much as the one inside.

    “Our box office basically hit the panic button,” he said. “We sold this show out in five seconds, and then another few thousand people showed up.”

    Herrick said that the night was peaceful, despite the crowd size. He said that Weir even played through a scheduled live TV appearance, as part of his memorial for his former bandmate.

    “No one could have handled it better than Bob Weir,” he said. “The way that he dealt with the night and what he gave his fans was just super special.”

    The show was a major chapter in a partnership with the Ballroom that lasted for years. Herrick said RatDog performed at the venue twice a year for at least a decade, with every show sold out.

    “We had so many great nights with them, from having to take a grand piano down our front steps, to having to find their tour manager’s leather chair in our rafters,” Herrick said. “We’ve had a lot of great stories with RatDog and Bob Weir.”

    Herrick said Weir’s death marks a significant loss not only for Deadheads, but for the art of live music as a whole.

    “It’s a sad day. It’s a big loss for music. But, you know, everyone should just go see their favorite band and live through that spirit again,” he said.

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  • Ice Castles is a winter wonderland

    NORTH WOODSTOCK, N.H. — The wait is over for the return of Ice Castles to the White Mountains region, the family friendly destination up north that has been bringing winter fairy tales to life since its inception in 2011.

    According to a press release, crews worked around the clock over the Christmas holiday to put the finishing touches on this year’s castle. The Dec. 27 opening marked the earliest opening date ever for the Ice Castles located at 24 Clark Farm Road in North Woodstock, one of five locations around the country and the only one on the East Coast.

    “We are excited to open the icy gates in our cherished North Woodstock community with a historic December debut,” said Ice Castles CEO Kyle Standifird. “Celebrating 15 years, we’re proud to welcome guests into a beautifully crafted castle filled with winter magic over the holiday season.”

    Sunrise at Ice Castles in North Woodstock, New Hampshire, which opened for the season last month. (COURTESY JAMO SAMS)

    Founder Brent Christensen developed the patented process used to create Ice Castles while building a winter playground for his kids in the front yard of their home in Utah. The project drew crowds who came out to tour Christensen’s frozen creation and since then and as a result, Ice Castles has turned into an internationally renowned tourist attraction with multiple locations across North America.

    Guests are able to step into a world of wonder at the New Hampshire spot, exploring a landscape filled with ice slides, towers, tunnels and caverns. The experience features stunning new sculptures crafted by internationally renowned ice sculptors along with the thrill of the tubing hill and enhanced features on its Mystic Light Walk and sleigh ride trail.

    The icy fortress also features a frosty twist with the Frozen Tap Ice Bar, the coolest spot in town to enjoy beverages in a one-of-a-kind ice bar experience, and guests can also warm up with hot drinks and indulgent sweet treats available at on-site concessions.

    For more information and to purchase tickets and visit icecastles.com.

    Ice Castles in North Woodstock, New Hampshire is winter fun for all ages. (COURTESY AJ MELLOR)
    Ice Castles in North Woodstock, New Hampshire is winter fun for all ages. (COURTESY AJ MELLOR)

    Danielle Ray

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  • Region’s lawmakers slam Trump’s invasion of Venezuela

    WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s invasion of Venezuela and the kidnapping of its president and his wife drew swift and harsh rebukes from area members of Congress, who branded the military action as “regime change,” a “rogue attack” and an unauthorized act of war.

    On Friday night, the United States carried out a major military operation in Venezuela, capturing President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, during the overnight raid in Caracas and removing them from the country. They landed in New York on Saturday to face federal charges related to narco-terrorism and drug trafficking, Trump said in a press conference from his home in Mar-a-Lago, Florida.

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    Staff and Wire Reports

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  • NH authorities name 3 officers involved in deadly Manchester police shooting

    Authorities in New Hampshire have named the three Manchester police officers who fired their weapons in a deadly shooting earlier this month.

    The police shooting, which followed a pursuit on Dec. 6, killed 24-year-old Nickenley Turenne of Manchester.

    The office of New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella said Tuesday that Brandon Baliko, Andre Chan and Devin Lambert — all officers with the Manchester Police Department — discharged their firearms.

    The AG’s office previously said the situation started when police responded to the area of South Mammoth Road in Manchester for a report of a suspicious vehicle. Inside, police found a man — later identified as Turenne — asleep at the wheel and a woman asleep in the passenger seat. When the man woke up, police say he sped off.

    Officers gave chase, with the vehicle eventually crashing and the man taking off on foot.

    Police pursued him on foot, which led to a confrontation in the area of 293 South Mammoth Road.

    Life-saving measures were attempted after the shooting, but Turenne died at the hospital. An autopsy by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner determined the cause of death was multiple gunshot wounds and the manner of death was homicide.

    Formella’s office said Baliko has served with the Manchester Police Department for about a year, Chan for about a year-and-a-half, and Lambert for nearly two years.

    All three officers are cooperating with the investigation, according to the attorney general’s office.

    The case remains under investigation as authorities seek to determine whether the use of deadly force was justified.

    Mike Pescaro, Marc Fortier and Thea DiGiammerino

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  • ‘We got him’: Brown University/MIT professor shooting suspect found dead in Salem, NH

    SALEM. N.H. — Described by the FBI as a “highly dangerous individual capable of extreme violence,” Claudio Manuel Neves-Valente was found dead in a storage facility Thursday night.

    Neves-Valente, 48, was a Portuguese national and former Brown University physics Ph.D. student. He was wanted in two states for fatal shootings at Brown University and of a Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor.

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    By Jill Harmacinski | jharmacinski@eagletribune.com

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  • Arrest log

    The following arrests were made recently by local police departments. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Massachusetts’ privacy law prevents police from releasing information involving domestic and sexual violence arrests with the goal to protect the alleged victims.

    BILLERICA

    • Michael Parker, 50, 67 Salem Road, Billerica; assault with dangerous weapon, intoxicated licensee carrying firearm.

    • Katherine Marie Main, 41, unknown address; fugitive from justice on court warrant.

    LOWELL

    • Brian Cooper, 29, 17 Yarmouth Drive, Nashua, N.H.; warrant (unlicensed operation of motor vehicle), operating motor vehicle without license.

    • Luis Oliveras, 65, 144 High St., Apt. 2, Lowell; operation under influence of alcohol.

    • Emily Rogers, 33, homeless; warrant (shoplifting), trespassing.

    • Kosall Deth, 44, 73 Fort Hill Ave., Apt. 2, Lowell; warrant (failure to stop/yield).

    • Kenneth Eng, 21, 27 Hastings St., Lowell; warrant (operation of motor vehicle with suspended license), failing to submit motor vehicle for inspection.

    • Kevin Sok, 32, 21 Main St., Dunstable; operating motor vehicle after license suspension, failing to submit motor vehicle for inspection.

    • Nicholas Powell, 36, 301 Old Marshall Road, Dracut; warrant (failure to appear for unlicensed operation of motor vehicle).

    • Daniel Ramos-Vallejo, 23, 35 Temple St., Apt. 19, Lowell; operating motor vehicle after license suspension, failing to submit motor vehicle for inspection.

    • Thomas McGrath, 34, homeless; shoplifting, trespassing after notice.

    • Mason Cruz, 30, 619 Gorham St., Apt. 2, Lowell; assault and battery on police officer, resisting arrest.

    • Mary Foley, 45, 93 Berkeley St., Billerica; breaking and entering motor vehicle, disturbing peace.

    • Teddy Buckley, 36, homeless; trespassing.

    • Betsy Bettencourt, 60, homeless; two counts of trespassing.

    • Peter Gichuhi, 44, homeless; public drinking.

    • Kristen Butler, 25, 205 Farrwood Drive, Haverhill; warrants (failure to appear for two counts of trespassing, and shoplifting by asportation), trespassing.

    • Bryant Dottin, 28, 18 Morton St., Lowell; warrants (failure to appear for unregistered motor vehicle, and suspended license).

    • Divine Morse, 25, 271 E. Eighth St., No. 410, Boston; warrant (uninsured motor vehicle).

    • J’Lohn Moro, 33, 590 Market St., Apt. 325, Lowell; shoplifting.

    • Khaisone Sinlong, 30, 189 Walker St., No. 5, Lowell; operating motor vehicle without license, failure to stop/stop sign, warrant (malicious damage to motor vehicle).

    • Michael Picardi, 38, homeless; warrant (possession of Class E drug).

    • Joshua Rivera, 37, 57 Mount Vernon St., Lowell; warrant (distribution of Class A drug), trafficking in 18 grams or more of cocaine.

    • Jeffrey Breitwieser, 38, homeless; assault on emergency medical technician or health care provider, trespassing.

    NASHUA, N.H.

    • Nathaniel Ciardelli, 32, no fixed address; criminal trespassing, theft by unauthorized taking ($0-$1,000).

    • Dagoberto Vasquez Bamaca, 20, 46 Ledge St., Nashua; simple assault.

    • Jack Pearson Smith, 20, 56 Furber Lane, Wolfeboro, N.H.; driving under influence.

    • Trisha Morin, 40, no fixed address; nonappearance in court.

    • Jorge Lewis Curet, 40, 92 Ledge St., Apt. 2, Nashua; stalking.

    • Marion Smith, 49, no fixed address; theft by unauthorized taking ($0-$1,000), nonappearance in court.

    • Cara Kulingoski, 48, no fixed address; warrant.

    • Darryl Hudson, 43, 7 Van Buren St., Nashua; out of town warrants.

    • Cameron Joseph Sousa, 21, 24 Gillis St., Nashua; nonappearances in court, suspension of vehicle registration, driving motor vehicle after license revocation/suspension, unregistered motor vehicle, operation of motor vehicle without valid license.

    Staff Report

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  • More Loons Are Filling Maine’s Lakes With Their Ghost-Like Calls

    PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Loons are on the mend in Maine, filling more of the state’s lakes and ponds with their haunting calls, although conservations say the birds aren’t out of the woods yet.

    Maine is home to a few thousand of the distinctive black-and-white waterbirds — the East Coast’s largest loon population — and conservationists said efforts to protect them from threats helped grow the population. An annual count of common loons found more adults and chicks this year than last, Maine Audubon said this week.

    The group said it estimated a population for the southern half of Maine of 3,174 adult loons and 568 chicks. Audubon bases its count on the southern portion of Maine because there are enough bird counters to get a reliable number. The count is more than twice the number when they started counting in 1983, and the count of adult adult loons has increased 13% from 10 years ago.

    “We’re cautiously optimistic after seeing two years of growing chick numbers,” said Maine Audubon wildlife ecologist Tracy Hart. “But it will take several more years before we know if that is a real upward trend, or just two really good years.”

    Maine lawmakers have attempted to grow the population of the loons with bans on lead fishing tackle that the birds sometimes accidentally swallow. Laws that limit boat speeds have also helped because they prevent boat wakes from washing out nests, conservation groups say.

    It’s still too early to know if Maine’s loons are on a sustainable path to recovery, and the success of the state’s breeding loons is critical to the population at large, Hart said. Maine has thousands more loons than the other New England states, with the other five states combining for about 1,000 adults. The state is home to one of the largest populations of loons in the U.S., which has about 27,000 breeding adults in total.

    Minnesota has the most loons in the lower 48 states, with a fairly stable population of about 12,000 adults, but they are in decline in some parts of their range.

    While loons are not listed under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, they are considered threatened by some states, including New Hampshire and Michigan. The U.S. Forest Service also considers the common loon a sensitive species.

    The birds migrate to the ocean in late fall and need a long runway to take off, meaning winter can be a treacherous time for the birds because they get trapped by ice in the lakes and ponds where they breed, said Barb Haney, executive director of Avian Haven, a wildlife rehabilitation center in Freedom, Maine.

    “We’re getting a lot of calls about loons that are iced in,” Haney said, adding that the center was tending to one such patient this week.

    Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

    Photos You Should See – December 2025

    Associated Press

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  • New England’s Shrimp Fishery to Shut Down for the Long Haul After Years of Decline

    PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Regulators voted Thursday to extend a shutdown preventing New England fishermen from catching shrimp, a historic industry that has recently fallen victim to warming oceans.

    New England fishermen, especially those from Maine, used to catch millions of pounds of small pink shrimp in the winter, but the business has been under a fishing moratorium since 2014. Rising temperatures have created an inhospitable environment for the shrimp, and their population is too low to fish sustainably, scientists have said.

    An arm of the regulatory Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission voted Thursday to shut down the fishery for at least another three years. Abundance of the shrimp remained “poor” this year despite slightly improved environmental conditions, the Atlantic States said in documents.

    The decision came after shrimp harvesters were allowed to catch a small number of shrimp as part of an industry-funded sampling and data collection program. The fishermen, who battled some rough weather, caught only 70 shrimp totaling less than 3 pounds.

    However, “even with the bad weather, exceptionally low catch levels observed throughout the program reinforce concerns about the viability of the northern shrimp stock in the Gulf of Maine,” the documents state.

    New England shrimp were a winter delicacy when the fishery was active, and fishermen sometimes caught more than 10 million pounds (4,536 kilograms) of them in a year. The small pink shrimp were a small part of the country’s large wild caught shrimp industry, which catches some of the most valuable seafood in the world.

    Maine’s catch of shrimp cratered in 2013, when fishermen caught less than 600,000 pounds (272,155 kilograms) of the crustaceans after hauling more than eight times that the previous year. Fishing groups have sometimes lobbied for the shrimping industry to be reopened on a smaller scale basis, but most former Maine shrimpers have moved on to other species.

    Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

    Photos You Should See – December 2025

    Associated Press

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  • Rare bird spotted in New Hampshire

    Rare bird spotted in New Hampshire

    ALL RIGHT, CALLING ALL BIRD ENTHUSIASTS. AND BY THE WAY, I FOUND OUT THERE ARE A LOT OF THEM HERE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE, SO I THINK THEY’LL FIND THIS INTERESTING. A RARE BIRD WAS SEEN TODAY IN SOUTH CEMETERY IN PORTSMOUTH. THIS IS A EUROPEAN COMMON CUCKOO AND SPELLED WITH A U. BUT I WAS TOLD IT’S PRONOUNCED CUCKOO, LIKE THE CLOCK. IT’S A VERY RARE VAGRANT IN NORTH AMERICA, AND ONLY A FEW HAVE BEEN SEEN. IT BREEDS IN EUROPE AND WINTERS IN TROPICAL AFRICA. SO IN THIS CASE, HAYLEY, WE ARE

    A rare bird was spotted Friday at South Cemetery in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. The common cuckoo is a rare vagrant in North America, and only a few have ever been sighted. The species typically breeds in Europe and winters in tropical Africa.This is the first recorded sighting in New Hampshire. It has not been seen since, according to local birders.

    PORTSMOUTH, N.H. —

    A rare bird was spotted Friday at South Cemetery in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

    The common cuckoo is a rare vagrant in North America, and only a few have ever been sighted.

    The species typically breeds in Europe and winters in tropical Africa.

    This is the first recorded sighting in New Hampshire. It has not been seen since, according to local birders.

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  • How trading wild turkeys for other animals became a conservation success story

    CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — No one wants a weasel on their Thanksgiving table, but swapping turkeys for other animals was once surprisingly common.

    Trading turkeys – for wildlife management, not dinner – was a key part of one of North America’s biggest conservation success stories. After dwindling to a few thousand birds in the late 1880s, the wild turkey population has grown to about 7 million birds in 49 states, plus more in Canada and Mexico, according to the National Wild Turkey Federation.

    In many cases, restoration relied on trades. The exchange rates varied, but Oklahoma once swapped walleye and prairie chickens for turkeys from Arkansas and Missouri. Colorado traded mountain goats for turkeys from Idaho. The Canadian province of Ontario ended up with 274 turkeys from New York, New Jersey, Vermont, Michigan, Missouri and Iowa in exchange for moose, river otters, and partridge.

    “Wildlife biologists don’t suffer from a lack of creativity,” said Patt Dorsey, director of conservation for the National Wild Turkey Federation’s western region.

    West Virginia in particular appears to have had an abundance of turkeys to share. In 1969, it sent 26 turkeys to New Hampshire in exchange for 25 fishers, a member of the weasel family once prized for its pelt. Later trades involved otters and bobwhite quail.

    “They were like our currency for all our wildlife that we restored,” said Holly Morris, furbearer and small game project leader at the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources. “It’s just a way to help out other agencies. We’re all in the same mission.”

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    Wild turkeys were abundant across the U.S. until the mid-1800s, when the clearing of forestland and unregulated hunting led the population to plummet. Early restoration efforts in the 1940s and 50s involved raising turkeys on farms, but that didn’t work well, Dorsey said.

    “Turkeys that had been raised in a pen didn’t do very well in the wild,” she said. “That’s when we started capturing them out of the wild and moving them around to other places to restore their population, and they really took off.”

    In New Hampshire, wild turkeys hadn’t been seen for more than 100 years when the state got the West Virginia flock. Though those birds quickly succumbed to a harsh winter, another flock sent from New York in 1975 fared better. With careful management that included moving birds around the state dozens of times over the ensuing decades, the population has grown to roughly 40,000 birds, said Dan Ellingwood, a biologist with the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department. That’s likely well beyond the expectations at the time of reintroduction, he said.

    “Turkeys are incredibly adaptive,” he said. “Winter severity has changed, the landscape has changed, and yet the population really took off.”

    Turkeys play an important role in a healthy ecosystem as both predator and prey, he said, and are a popular draw for hunters. But the restoration effort also is important just for the sake of ensuring native species continue to persist, he said.

    Dorsey, at the National Wild Turkey Federation agreed, noting that turkey restoration projects also helped states revive their populations of other species.

    “A lot of good work gets done on the back of the wild turkey,” she said.

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  • Lowell man arrested after pursuit, accused of ramming police cruiser with truck

    MANCHESTER, N.H. —  A Lowell man is facing a pile of charges after an early-morning pursuit that topped 100 mph ended with him ramming a State Police cruiser with his pickup truck when cornered in Manchester.

    Alejandro Vargas, 27, was captured by police after the alleged vehicle pursuit turned into a foot pursuit following the crash. According to the New Hampshire State Police, it was later determined that Vargas had an outstanding U.S. Marshals warrant.

    The incident began at about 1:20 a.m. Tuesday, when the State Police said they received reports that Epping police officers had briefly pursued a 2026 Chevrolet Silverado on Route 101 westbound. Shortly afterward, members of the Candia Police spotted the pickup truck, which was allegedly clocked traveling at 105 mph.

    Police said Trooper Brian Knell observed the truck as it entered Interstate 93 South in Manchester. He caught up with the vehicle at Exit 1 on Interstate 293 North and attempted a traffic stop, which the driver — later identified as Vargas — allegedly ignored.

    The pursuit that ensued continued onto Exit 4 of I-293, where the truck turned onto Arnold Street, which is a dead end. Vargas is alleged to have turned the vehicle around and struck a State Police cruiser driven by Trooper Brian Taylor.

    Police said the truck then crashed into two additional parked vehicles before Vargas and a passenger jumped out of the truck and fled on foot in opposite directions.

    Manchester police officers arrived with a drone and spotted Vargas running south near Hill Street, less than a half-mile from the crash scene. Officers quickly tracked him down and took him into custody.

    The passenger, meanwhile, was not located.

    Vargas is charged with felony reckless conduct with a deadly weapon, along with misdemeanor counts of disobeying an officer, resisting arrest, simple assault, and conduct after an accident, in addition to several violations.

    Details of Vargas’ U.S. Marshals warrant were not immediately available, nor was the outcome of his arraignment, which was scheduled to take place in Manchester District Court on Wednesday.

    Follow Aaron Curtis on X @aselahcurtis, or on Bluesky @aaronscurtis.bsky.social.

    Aaron Curtis

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  • Killer identified half a century after young mom murdered in her home, New Hampshire authorities say

    A decades-old New Hampshire cold case has been solved with modern DNA testing, authorities said Monday. 

    Judith Lord, 22, was found dead in her Concord apartment on May 20, 1975 when a staff member entered the unit to collect unpaid rent, according to a news release from the New Hampshire Department of Justice. The staff member also heard a baby crying inside the unit, according to the state attorney general’s report. 

    Investigators determined that there had been a violent struggle, and that Lord had been sexually assaulted and strangled to death. Her 20-month-old son was found unharmed in his crib in another room of the apartment. 

    Investigators recovered forensic evidence, including hair and seminal fluid, from the crime scene, authorities said. Investigators focused on three suspects: Lord’s estranged husband and two neighbors. Her husband had an alibi and no evidence tied him to the crime scene, according to the attorney general’s report. One of the neighbors was excluded as a suspect for the same reason. 

    The investigation began to focus on Lord’s next-door neighbor, Ernest Theodore Gable, who was 24 at the time. He lived next door to Lord with his wife, and their apartments shared a wall, according to the attorney general’s report. Multiple witnesses told police that Lord was afraid of Gable. His fingerprints were found on the outside of Lord’s windows. 

    Judith Lord’s apartment complex. 

    New Hampshire Department of Justice


    Physical evidence was collected from Gable, and hairs were submitted to the FBI’s Forensic Laboratory for microscopic comparison. The test “led to an incorrect conclusion that the suspect could not have contributed the hairs found at the scene,” the news release said, contradicting other evidence in the case. 

    The state of New Hampshire had been prepared to indict and prosecute Gable, according to the attorney general’s report, but the FBI report “created a significant evidentiary hurdle that prosecutors felt they could not overcome.” The investigation was “effectively halted,” the report said, and the case stalled for decades.  

    The case was reopened decades later. DNA testing found that the seminal fluids found on towels were a match for Gable, according to the attorney general’s report. The microscopic hair comparison test results remained an issue until 2015, when the FBI and the U.S. Department of Justice formally acknowledged that nearly all uses of the test had led to flawed testimony or reports. New forensic testing correctly identified the hairs as belonging to Gable. 

    screenshot-2025-11-25-at-11-05-26-am.png

    Judith Lord. 

    New Hampshire Department of Justice


    Gable was stabbed to death in Los Angeles in February 1987, at 36 years old, according to the news release. Lord’s case will be formally closed and classified as solved. If Gable were still alive, “the Cold Case Unit would pursue alternative charges of First Degree Murder, both for knowingly causing Ms. Lord’s death during the commission of aggravated felonious sexual assault, and for purposely causing her death by strangulation,” the news release said. 

    “It is my hope that this long-awaited conclusion will finally bring peace and closure to Judy Lord’s family and the entire Concord community after nearly five decades of delayed justice,” said New Hampshire attorney general John Formella. “This resolution proves that no cold case is ever truly closed until the truth is found. The original Concord Police Department investigators showed extraordinary diligence, only to be thwarted by flawed forensic technology of the era. We commend the Cold Case Unit, the Concord Police Department, and all of our partners for their commitment to resolving this case and correcting a historic injustice.”

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  • Decades-old murder solved after new analysis, investigators say

    Officials announced Monday that they have solved a 50-year-old murder case in which a 22-year-old woman was found dead in her apartment in Concord, New Hampshire.Attorney General John Formella said a review of the 1975 death of Judy Lord determined that she was killed by her neighbor, Ernest Theodore Gable.”I’m proud to say but also solemnly say that we can bring long-awaited closure to this case,” Formella said.He said Gable will not face justice in the case because he was stabbed to death in 1987 in Los Angeles. Lord was 22 years old when she was found strangled to death inside her home at the Royal Gardens apartment complex on May 20, 1975. She was living with her 20-month-old son at the time, and the baby’s cries led the building’s apartment manager to discover Lord’s body.”The scene police discovered more witnesses to a violent and desperate struggle,” said Senior Assistant Attorney General Christopher Knowles.Knowles, who runs the state’s Cold Case Unit, said the original Concord police investigation was thorough, and Gable, who was 24 at the time, was identified as a suspect early in the case. But he said a flawed FBI hair analysis incorrectly excluded Gable as a suspect.Gable had a lengthy arrest history, and Lord had told her friends that she was afraid of him.Knowles said there was evidence that Lord was sexually assaulted. Semen found on a towel matched Gable’s blood type, and fingerprints at the scene also matched, Knowles said.Knowles called the circumstantial evidence “overwhelming” before hair samples were sent to the FBI, which conducted a microscopic analysis of the hairs. That technique was considered to be the gold standard in hair analysis, and the FBI was the leading authority, Knowles said. But the technique has since been discredited, and Knowles said it is no longer a tool used by investigators. New DNA analysis definitively linked Gable to the crime, and the new analysis by the Cold Case Unit allowed investigators to remove the FBI report from the case, Knowles said.Investigators said that if Gable were still alive, he would be charged with first-degree murder.”This case demonstrates that no cold case is ever truly closed until we find the truth, and that time is only one impediment,” Formella said. “Time is also an asset, because we will continue to work year after year, decade after decade, until we find the answers in these cases.”Several of Lord’s family members were at Monday’s press conference watching the announcement. Her son, Gregory Lord Jr., was watching virtually and sent a statement saying his mother will always be with him.”I’m told I look just like my mom, and I’m proud of that,” he said.

    MANCHESTER, N.H. —

    Officials announced Monday that they have solved a 50-year-old murder case in which a 22-year-old woman was found dead in her apartment in Concord, New Hampshire.

    Attorney General John Formella said a review of the 1975 death of Judy Lord determined that she was killed by her neighbor, Ernest Theodore Gable.

    “I’m proud to say but also solemnly say that we can bring long-awaited closure to this case,” Formella said.

    He said Gable will not face justice in the case because he was stabbed to death in 1987 in Los Angeles.

    Lord was 22 years old when she was found strangled to death inside her home at the Royal Gardens apartment complex on May 20, 1975. She was living with her 20-month-old son at the time, and the baby’s cries led the building’s apartment manager to discover Lord’s body.

    “The scene police discovered more witnesses to a violent and desperate struggle,” said Senior Assistant Attorney General Christopher Knowles.

    Knowles, who runs the state’s Cold Case Unit, said the original Concord police investigation was thorough, and Gable, who was 24 at the time, was identified as a suspect early in the case. But he said a flawed FBI hair analysis incorrectly excluded Gable as a suspect.

    Gable had a lengthy arrest history, and Lord had told her friends that she was afraid of him.

    Knowles said there was evidence that Lord was sexually assaulted. Semen found on a towel matched Gable’s blood type, and fingerprints at the scene also matched, Knowles said.

    Knowles called the circumstantial evidence “overwhelming” before hair samples were sent to the FBI, which conducted a microscopic analysis of the hairs. That technique was considered to be the gold standard in hair analysis, and the FBI was the leading authority, Knowles said. But the technique has since been discredited, and Knowles said it is no longer a tool used by investigators.

    New DNA analysis definitively linked Gable to the crime, and the new analysis by the Cold Case Unit allowed investigators to remove the FBI report from the case, Knowles said.

    Investigators said that if Gable were still alive, he would be charged with first-degree murder.

    “This case demonstrates that no cold case is ever truly closed until we find the truth, and that time is only one impediment,” Formella said. “Time is also an asset, because we will continue to work year after year, decade after decade, until we find the answers in these cases.”

    Several of Lord’s family members were at Monday’s press conference watching the announcement. Her son, Gregory Lord Jr., was watching virtually and sent a statement saying his mother will always be with him.

    “I’m told I look just like my mom, and I’m proud of that,” he said.

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  • Arrest log

    The following arrests were made recently by local police departments. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Massachusetts’ privacy law prevents police from releasing information involving domestic and sexual violence arrests with the goal to protect the alleged victims.

    BEDFORD

    • Faith James, 62, of Bedford; warrant.

    LOWELL

    • Courtney Lavalle, 27, Lowell; fugitive from justice.

    • Somrathony Soeng, 36, homeless; possession of Class B drug, warrant (failure to appear for possession of Class A drug).

    • Jason Rodriguez, 40, 137 Pine St., Lowell; possession of Class B drug, warrants (failure to appear for two counts of trespassing), assault and battery on police officer.

    • Aaron Meuse, 41, homeless; possession of Class B drug, trespassing.

    • Richard Dodge II, 49, 252 Methuen St., Rear Apartment, Lowell; warrant (assault and battery).

    • Carlos Fonseca, 24, 185 Moody St., Apt. C, Lowell; warrant (assault and battery with dangerous weapon, assault), assault with dangerous weapon (knife).

    • Victor Rivera, 42, homeless; warrant (failure to appear for possession of Class B drug).

    • Leslie Carneiro, 34, homeless; trespassing.

    • Jaryd Cote, 35, homeless; warrant (larceny under $1,200).

    • Jose Zuna Cajilema, 21, 382 Pleasant St., Second Floor, Dracut; warrant (operation of motor vehicle without license).

    • Raeli Amador, 54, 273 Summer St., Lowell; trespassing, possession of Class B drug.

    • Jessica McMahon, 49, no fixed address; trespassing.

    • Juan Nieves, 48, homeless; trespassing, resisting arrest, intimidating witness, violation of bylaws/ordinances (knife).

    • John Boualaphanh, 32, 102 Nashua Road, Pepperell; operating motor vehicle after license suspension, attaching plates violation.

    • Ashley Hartwell, 36, homeless; warrants (failure to appear for two counts of trespassing, and drug possession).

    • Keimy Ortiz, 36, homeless; warrant (failure to appear for larceny under $1,200), possession of Class B drug.

    • Michael Picardi, 38, homeless; warrant (failure to appear for possession of Class E drug).

    • Melanie Listro, 38, homeless; warrant (failure to appear for trespassing).

    NASHUA, N.H.

    • Chase Dalton, 27, 20 Highview St., Norwood; disorderly conduct, simple assault.

    • Sean Clancy, 27, 20 Highview St., Norwood; disorderly conduct, obstructing government administration.

    • Angelee Elise Munoz, 22, 873 West Boulevard, Apt. 814, Hartford, Conn.; three counts of simple assault, criminal mischief.

    • Marissa Powell, 35, no fixed address; criminal trespass.

    • Christine Ashford, 56, 13 Shoreline Drive, Hudson, N.H.; driving under influence.

    • Rachel Diggs, 42, 107 Varney St., Apt. 1, Manchester, N.H.; driving under influence, driving motor vehicle after license revocation/suspension.

    • Bridget Wangui, 46, 22 Kessler Farm Drive, Apt. 654, Nashua; disobeying an officer, negligent operation of motor vehicle.

    • Theresa Rodonis, 51, no fixed address; criminal trespass, disorderly conduct.

    • Kevin Coutu, 35, no fixed address; criminal trespass.

    • Crystal Ainslie, 32, 12 Auburn St., Apt. 8, Nashua; disorderly conduct.

    • Tyler Lorman, 35, 46 Summer St., Nashua; nonappearances in court, driving motor vehicle after license revocation/suspension.

    • Jesus Eliot Garcia Arias, 24, 62 Palm St., Apt. 2, Nashua; nonappearances in court.

    • Sabrina Deleon, 41, 29 Temple St., Nashua; theft by unauthorized taking ($0-$1,000), nonappearance in court.

    • Ricky Liu, 50, 13 Alscot Drive, East Lyme, Conn.; theft by unauthorized taking ($1,001-$1,500).

    • Denise Mara Lopes Da Cruz, 32, 77 Merrimack Road, Amherst, N.H.; simple assault.

    • Teresa Pica Maria, 57, 79 Lake St., Apt. D, Nashua; endangering welfare of child, two counts of resisting arrest, two counts of simple assault.

    Staff Report

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  • What to know about the impacts Medicaid cuts are having on rural health care

    FRANCONIA, N.H. (AP) — The closing of a health center in rural New Hampshire has raised concerns that the projected cuts in Medicaid are already taking a toll.

    Last month, a site of the Ammonoosuc Community Health Services in Franconia, a town of around 1,000 people, closed for good.

    Ammonoosuc officials and a Democratic senator have blamed Medicaid cuts for the closure of the facility that served 1,400 patients from Franconia, Easton, Lincoln and Sugar Hill. These are all tiny communities around the White Mountains, whose patients typically are older and sicker than in other parts of the state.

    Threats to rural health care

    The closure of the Franconia center reflects the financial struggles facing community health centers and rural health care systems more broadly amid Medicaid cuts and a feared spike in health insurance rates. The government shutdown, which ended last week, was driven by a Democratic demand to extend tax credits, which ensure low- and middle-income people can afford health insurance through the Affordable Care Act, or ACA.

    More than 100 hospitals closed over the past decade, according to the Center For Healthcare Quality and Payment Reform, a policy and advocacy group, and more than 700 more hospitals are at risk of closure. A branch of the HealthFirst Family Care Center, a facility in Canaan, New Hampshire also announced it was closing at the end of October due in part to “changes in Medicaid reimbursement and federal funding” for these facilities.

    On average, the federally-funded community health centers like the one in Franconia are losing money, relying heavily on cash reserves, making service changes and sometimes closing locations to stay afloat, NACHC found. Nearly half have less than 90 days’ cash on hand, according to the association. And the future is even more bleak with at least 2 million community health center patients expected to lose Medicaid coverage by 2034 and 2 million more who are newly uninsured turning to the centers for care.

    Hard choices for CEO

    Ed Shanshala, the CEO of Ammonoosuc, said the Medicaid cuts are to blame for the closure of the Franconia center.

    Shanshala runs a network of five health centers in New Hampshire which relies more than $2 million in federal funding — out of a $12 million budget. He faced a $500,000 shortfall due to the cuts and realized closing Franconia would save about half that money. It also was the only facility where they leased space.

    “We’re really left with no choice,” Shanshala said, adding the closure would save $250,000. Finding additional cuts is hard, given that the centers provide services to anyone under 200% of federal poverty levels, he said. And if he cuts additional services, Shanshala fears some patients will end up in a hospital emergency room or “stop engaging in health care period.”

    Patients struggle to adjust

    Susan Bushby, a 70-year-old housekeeper, talked about how much she loved the staff and feared going to a new health center. She wouldn’t know her way around a larger facility and wouldn’t have the same rapport with the people there.

    “I was very disturbed. I was down right angry,” said Bushby, who was brought to tears as she discussed the challenges of starting over at a new health center. “I just really like it there. I don’t know, I’m just really going to miss it. It’s really hard for me to explain, but it’s going to be sad.”

    Marsha Luce, whose family moved from Washington, D.C. area, in 2000, is especially concerned about the impact on her 72-year-old husband, a former volunteer firefighter who has a left ear and part of his jaw removed due to cancer. He also has heart and memory issues.

    She worries about longer waits to see his doctor and the loss of relationships built up over decades in Franconia.

    “It’s going to be hard,” she said. “But it’s a relationship that’s going to be missed. It’s a relationship that you can talk to people and you tell them something and you go, yeah, well, I’ve had cancer. Oh, let’s see. Oh, yeah. There it is in your chart. Do you know what I mean?”

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