New Hampshire
Ex-teacher at NH youth facility testifies she reported suspicious bruises on at least half a dozen teens
A former teacher at New Hampshire’s youth detention center testified Monday that she reported suspicious bruises on at least half a dozen teenage boys in the 1990s, including the former resident who filed a landmark lawsuit against the state.
Brenda Wouters, who taught social studies at the Sununu Youth Services Center for 35 years, was the final witness called by David Meehan, who is seeking to hold the state accountable for physical, sexual and emotional abuse he says he suffered as a teen. Since he went to police in 2017, 11 former state workers have been arrested, and more than 1,100 former residents of the Manchester facility have filed lawsuits alleging six decades of abuse.
Wouters, who retired in 2022, said during the civil trial that she remembered Meehan growing sullen and withdrawn during his three years at what was then called the Youth Development Center. He had a black eye twice, she said. Another time, she asked him to lift up his shirt after she caught a glimpse of bruising and saw a “rainbow” of bruises along his torso.
TOP OFFICIALS AT NH DETENTION CENTER WOULDN’T TAKE CHILDREN’S WORD OVER STAFF, WITNESS CLAIMS
Other teens showed up to school with marks on their necks and arms, Wouters said. The whites of one boy’s eyes were “beet red,” she said.
“The reddest eyes I’ve ever seen short of watching a Dracula film,” she said.
Wouters also described teens telling her about being forced to fight. Staff pitted stronger kids against more fragile ones.
“Then they would encourage those kids to go ahead and fight with each other almost to the death until whomever was being the loser would then comply with whatever the staff wanted,” she said.
Wouters said when she approached residential staff, they brushed her off. She said she told her boss, and on multiple occasions, called the state Division of Children, Youth and Families, but there was no follow-up that she saw.
The Sununu Youth Services Center, in Manchester, N.H., stands among trees, Jan. 28, 2020. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa, File)
Under questioning from the state’s attorney, however, Wouters acknowledged that she never witnessed abuse, nor did she file any written complaints. Shown progress reports from the 1990s, she also acknowledged that Meehan was only in her class during the spring of 1996, a time when he does not allege abuse. But she said she would’ve still interacted with him after that.
Lawyers for the state will begin presenting their side on Tuesday, the trial’s 15th day. In opening arguments earlier this month, they argued the state is not liable for the actions of “rogue” employees, and in questioning Meehan’s witnesses, suggested he is lying to get money. The state also contends he waited too long to file his lawsuit. The statute of limitations for such lawsuits is three years from the date of injury, though there are exceptions in cases when victims were not aware of its link to the wrongful party.
After the jury was dismissed for the day Monday, Assistant Attorney General Brandon Chase asked the judge to issue a verdict in the state’s favor based on the statute of limitations argument.
Judge Andrew Schulman denied that request, saying the jury will decide. Though he said it might be a “close call” as to when Meehan realized as an adult he might have a claim against the state, he said it was unreasonable to believe he made that connection while at the facility or soon after. Schulman said when he visited the facility with jurors at the start of the trial, he spent some time in Meehan’s former room, looking out the window.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
“It occurred to me while I was there, this is the kid’s eye view,” he said. “You don’t have a very wide view of the world.”
New Hampshire
Officers who killed Manchester man had limited experience on the force
The New Hampshire Attorney General has completed interviews with three Manchester police officers who opened fire earlier this month, killing 24-year old Nickenley Turenne.
According to a statement issued late Tuesday, Officers Brandon Baliko, Andre Chan, and Devin Lambert responded to a report of a suspicious vehicle near Green Acres Elementary School before dawn on Dec. 6. Turenne initially tried to flee, before having what authorities described as an “encounter” with the officers.
There has been no indication from law enforcement that Turenne, who was Black, was armed.
Family and friends have called for the release of the officers’ body-worn camera footage from the incident.
“Transparency is not optional,” Tanisha Johnson, executive director of Black Lives Matter New Hampshire and Anthony Poore, president of NH Center for Justice and Equity, wrote in a joint op-ed. “It is a legal and moral obligation.”
The three officers involved in the incident have limited experience on the Manchester police force. Baliko and Chan were both formally sworn in Nov. 2024, according to social media posts by the department. Baliko previously served as a police officer in Colorado. Chan previously held positions in the Massachusetts Department of Corrections, and in a local sheriff’s office.
Lambert was sworn in in Oct. 2024, according to a separate police department social media post.
All three officers were placed on paid administrative leave following the shooting.
Turenne was born in Haiti, and then spent his childhood in the greater Boston-area. After aging out of the state’s child protection system, he resided for a short time in Nashua, and most recently in Manchester.
While details around Turenne’s death remain scarce, here’s what we learned about him from people who loved him.
The New Hampshire Attorney General’s office is leading the investigation into the shooting and will make a determination on if the officers’ use of force was justified.
“The Manchester Police Department and the officers involved are cooperating with the investigation and the officers’ voluntary interviews were completed late this afternoon,” the attorney general said Tuesday. “The exact circumstances surrounding the incident remain under active investigation.”
New Hampshire
NH Lottery Mega Millions, Lucky For Life winning numbers for Dec. 23, 2025
The New Hampshire Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025 results for each game:
Winning Mega Millions numbers from Dec. 23 drawing
15-37-38-41-64, Mega Ball: 21
Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Lucky For Life numbers from Dec. 23 drawing
02-04-12-37-42, Lucky Ball: 10
Check Lucky For Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 3 numbers from Dec. 23 drawing
Day: 1-9-3
Evening: 0-1-6
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 4 numbers from Dec. 23 drawing
Day: 4-9-8-7
Evening: 6-4-8-4
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Gimme 5 numbers from Dec. 23 drawing
21-25-31-36-39
Check Gimme 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
When are the New Hampshire Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 10:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Pick 3, 4: 1:10 p.m. and 6:55 p.m. daily.
- Mega Millions: 11:00 p.m. Tuesday and Friday.
- Megabucks Plus: 7:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Lucky for Life: 10:38 p.m. daily.
- Gimme 5: 6:55 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Winning lottery numbers are sponsored by Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network.
Where can you buy lottery tickets?
Tickets can be purchased in person at gas stations, convenience stores and grocery stores. Some airport terminals may also sell lottery tickets.
You can also order tickets online through Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network, in these U.S. states and territories: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Washington D.C., and West Virginia. The Jackpocket app allows you to pick your lottery game and numbers, place your order, see your ticket and collect your winnings all using your phone or home computer.
Jackpocket is the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network. Gannett may earn revenue for audience referrals to Jackpocket services. GAMBLING PROBLEM? CALL 1-800-GAMBLER, Call 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY). 18+ (19+ in NE, 21+ in AZ). Physically present where Jackpocket operates. Jackpocket is not affiliated with any State Lottery. Eligibility Restrictions apply. Void where prohibited. Terms: jackpocket.com/tos.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a New Hampshire managing editor. You can send feedback using this form.
New Hampshire
N.H. city’s refusal to fly ‘Save Women’s Sports’ and ‘An Appeal to Heaven’ flags is unconstitutional, appeals court rules – The Boston Globe
A federal appeals court has ruled officials in Nashua, N.H., engaged in unconstitutional viewpoint discrimination when they denied requests to fly certain politically charged flags, while allowing others, on the city’s “citizen flag pole.”
Bethany and Stephen Scaer, whose requests to hoist banners with the slogans “Save Women’s Sports” and “An Appeal to Heaven” were rejected, teamed up with the Institute for Free Speech and filed a lawsuit in 2024 alleging their First Amendment rights were violated.
The trial court in New Hampshire initially concluded the Scaers hadn’t demonstrated a likelihood that their case would succeed, since the flags approved for display at City Hall constitute government speech. But three judges on the First Circuit Court of Appeals reversed that decision Monday, finding that the flagpole in question had actually been a venue for private speech all along.
The case relates to one Boston lost in 2022, when the US Supreme Court ruled unanimously that the city had unconstitutionally rejected an application to fly a Christian flag.
Even though Nashua sought to clarify its policy in response to that 2022 precedent, the city’s process for deciding which flags from the general public would be allowed still didn’t convert private speech into government speech, according to the First Circuit ruling.
“Nashua was doing no more than simply approving that private speech with which it agreed,” Judge Sandra L. Lynch wrote in the ruling, joined by judges Gustavo A. Gelpí and Jeffrey R. Howard.
In a statement, Beth Scaer said the ruling offers a sense of vindication.
“No one should have to face government censorship for expressing their beliefs,” she said. “We’re thrilled with this victory for free speech rights throughout New England.”
Nathan Ristuccia, an attorney with the Institute for Free Speech who argued the case on appeal, said his team is delighted by the ruling.
“As the First Circuit recognized, governments cannot get away with censorship by labeling that censorship ‘government speech,’” Ristuccia said.
Before the lawsuit was filed, Nashua Mayor James W. Donchess said the city declined to fly the “Save Women’s Sports” flag because officials interpreted it as implying transgender people should face discrimination.
The Scaers, who regularly demonstrate against gender-affirming medical interventions for minors and against inclusion of transgender athletes in women’s and girls’ sports, rejected the notion that their messaging is transphobic.
As for the “Appeal to Heaven” flag, which features a pine tree, Donchess said city officials want to avoid endorsing the additional meaning it has taken on in recent years.
The banner emerged during the American Revolution, with a nod to the Pine Tree Riot in New Hampshire, an act of American resistance that preceded the Boston Tea Party. More recently, the flag has also been used by Christian nationalists, including some who carried it to the US Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, when a violent mob delayed the certification of President Trump’s 2020 electoral defeat.
In her application to raise the “Appeal to Heaven” flag, Beth Scaer said she wanted to honor the soldiers from Nashua who fought and died at the Battle of Bunker Hill in 1775. She and her husband said their request has nothing to do with the Capitol riot.
Nashua has also declined to fly several other flags since the 2022 policy update, including a “pro-life” flag and a Palestinian flag, according to the lawsuit.
Nashua’s attorney, Steven A. Bolton, said on Tuesday that the city has not yet determined whether to file an appeal. He noted that the appellate ruling calls for the trial court to grant interim declaratory relief while the case proceeds.
Bolton said the city has stopped inviting community members to fly their own flags.
“A new policy was adopted more than a year ago, and we no longer use the term ‘citizen’s flag pole,’” he said. “We no longer accept applications from other parties to fly flags on any of the poles on the City Hall grounds.”
Steven Porter can be reached at steven.porter@globe.com. Follow him @reporterporter.
-
Iowa1 week agoAddy Brown motivated to step up in Audi Crooks’ absence vs. UNI
-
Maine1 week agoElementary-aged student killed in school bus crash in southern Maine
-
New Mexico1 week agoFamily clarifies why they believe missing New Mexico man is dead
-
Massachusetts1 week agoMIT professor Nuno F.G. Loureiro, a 47-year-old physicist and fusion scientist, shot and killed in his home in Brookline, Mass. | Fortune
-
Detroit, MI1 week ago‘Love being a pedo’: Metro Detroit doctor, attorney, therapist accused in web of child porn chats
-
Health1 week ago‘Aggressive’ new flu variant sweeps globe as doctors warn of severe symptoms
-
Maine1 week agoFamily in Maine host food pantry for deer | Hand Off
-
World5 days agoPutin says Russia won’t launch new attacks on other countries ‘if you treat us with respect’