New Hampshire

Day 83-87: New Day, New Hampshire – The Trek

Published

2 years ago

August 16, 2024

Day 83-87: New Day, New Hampshire – The Trek

Last trail update, I was falling asleep eager for a new day and a new attitude.

Rise and shine world! There are only 18 miles between me and some delicious town food! I’m craving a soda like my veins are filled with it! Nothing but salivating thoughts of an ice-cold soda levitated my body down the trail. I planned to get most of my resupply done in Norwich and grab another cold drink in Hanover.

Not going to lie, I should have bought more food in Norwich. Their deli compared to what was available in Hanover was a little depressing. I still managed to purchase plenty of food, but I will say I thought about those fresh veggie sandwiches for the rest of the day.

Continuing on the trail to the next town, I didn’t see a sign, paint, or engraving to indicate I crossed into New Hampshire. Only to learn later there was “VT/NH” etched into stone on the other side of the street, on the side of the bridge. It didn’t matter to me much, I knew I was in a new state and was onto a new map on my phone! That is just as exciting and satisfying. Another map down, another one to go. I called all of my cheerleaders to let them know; that I only have two more states to go!

With all the food I could need for the next stretch I’m off to find a nice spot for the evening. Pushed to Moose Mountain shelter and found myself a nice level tent spot to call home for the night. Upon my arrival, someone sitting around the lovely fire recognized me from my blogs?! Complimented me?! On MY writing?

I was taken aback by the really sweet compliments and super thoughtful questions. Filled me with motivation to continue putting everything I have into my writing, although I hate to admit, it’s become quite a cumbersome task as I’ve put quite a bit of pressure on myself with it. Consumed my dinner at a rapid rate while talking with the lovely people at camp that was 30 miles away from last night’s camp spot.

Day 84: Don’t Lose Hope

Shut off my early alarms to the sound of constant rain. Not thrilled, but moping about it will get no miles behind me. If there was any day to take a zero on the trail, it would be today. As quickly as I found new motivation, it was already depleted again. It’s not that I don’t want to hike, I think it’s more of the fatigue and some brain fog setting in.

The rain also never let up today, that seems to dampen my spirit as much as wondering how my buddy Fishstick was. Is he as cold and wet as I am? Probably. I hope he stopped for a snack break and some rest, although I doubt it. I haven’t stopped all day for fear of getting too cold.

I just have to get up and over Smarts Mountain. I continued my swift pace and enjoyed my foggy summit view while simultaneously passing by a group of Boy Scouts. I passed almost ten boys and their three leaders.

Trying to seek refuge from the relentless rain for lunch, I hiked the very deceiving steep 0.2 miles up to the Hexacube shelter. It was making good time despite the weather conditions, but drinking water and eating were put on the backburner for most of today. I had hiked in total of 17.5 miles by 2 pm and and found two people calling it home for the night. They told me the rain was only going to continue into tomorrow and left me contemplating all further decisions. As I found myself packing up to try and continue miserably, Fishstick appeared!

I was beyond relieved to see him! He only confirmed my worst fear, it was getting even worse out there than it looked. Where the shelter was positioned did not give a great indicator of the weather out there. I guess the Hexacube shelter is home for tonight. I have enough food to get me to town still, but the thought of being done for the day left me antsy and a tad anxious.

Changing into my sleep clothes, cuddling under my quilt after massaging my feet and stretching my legs, a sense of relief came over me. I am meant to be here and there is not a lot that I can do with no motivation to continue walking in a downpour. It also was becoming a quiet jam packed shelter with lovely folks to chat with!

Day 85: Hard Pill to Swallow

With a light rain continuing into the morning, and a cozy shelter filled with lovely folks it was incredibly difficult to leave. I did however want to get Mt Cube over with. Having to slow down my pace to accommodate for weather has made me almost give up on my crazy goal of finishing this entire trail in 100 days and that certainly crushed my spirits.

It was very hard to stay present in the current moment and not dwell on letting go of my goal. Once I have something in my head, it’s really hard for me to let go of it. Is that considered bull headed or over committed. Either way, I was in my head all day.

I also managed to break away from Fishstick and cause a little problem. His phone was broken and I didn’t realize he passed me on trail when I was relieving myself in the bushes and pushed past the road before Mt Moosilauke. I stayed at that road for over an hour waiting for him before wandering down the road to the hostel. I learned there from some hikers slackpacking over the mountain that he was up the trail wondering where I was. Oops! Fingers crossed his phone will fix itself by the morning to reconnect.

So for the evening, I bought a spot in the bunkhouse at Hikers Welcome Hostel and hunkered in for the evening while being able to dry all my gear and enjoy a piping hot shower! The shuttle ride to a grocery store was nice although I still had plenty of food to get me through one more day. That didn’t stop me from indulging in a half gallon of chocolate milk and some Twix candy bars!

There were tons of folks to chat with but really just enjoy listening to all the different conversations. I was told a lot of information, some may say too much information about the terrain that lies ahead. I understand these folks are just trying to help us hikers grasp what’s ahead, but everyone becoming filled with fear was hard to not follow suit. Looking back, I should have tuned out all the discussions and pushed on with confidence in myself and my capabilities. I’ve gotten here with trusting my gut and myself, how come when surrounded by a ton of fearful people it all goes out the window?

15 miles today ended at Hikers Welcome Hostel, alone and hopeful Fishstick is somewhere safe from this storm rolling in.

Day 86: Mt. Moosilauke

Up and over for me! Packed up early for the Hiker’s Welcome hostel and ready to get up and over! Also to find my buddy Fishstick. Getting closet to the summit, I found phone service to reconnect with Fishstick and find a spot to reconnect. He graciously waited at the shelter after the summit to wait for me and eat a snack. It sure was a solid constant push to the summit in a drizzle! It sure was an anticlimactic view ontop of Mt. Moosilauke!

In total, 16 miles hiked from one side of Mt. Moosilauke to the other. We stayed at The Notch hostel, as it was one of the few hostels talked about by so many on the trail and figured we had to check it out ourselves. Especially since we were calling it good enough for our day and wanted some relaxation.

Day 87: Oops

Well, there’s no easy way to say this… I messed up. It took 87 days for me to mess up my days in my journal. I had managed to write the same thing for two days in a row??

Was there a glitch in the matrix?

I may never know.

I do know however that the amount of love, kindness, and support from family, people I haven’t talked to in a long time, and total strangers, is the secret ingredient that has only continued to snowball, and I am eternally humbled and grateful because of it.

There’s any sort of struggle or moment of weakness and I think about that.

I think a lot about the people I haven’t communicated with since high school or college that took time out of their day to reach out to me and send encouraging thoughts is so inspiring.

I think a lot about the amount of pure generosity on the east coast. The almost immediate water caches and random popsicles I was given on trail during the massive heat wave.

I think a lot about just how unconditional the love my family sends my way. They sure as heck think I’m a total wacko and may not fully understand why I’m out here, but they sure do make their love known.

Everyone I have crossed paths with sure has.

How many miles today? Unclear. Still another day putting one foot in front of the other, continuing my footpath to Maine.

Until the next update, happy trails and hike on!

Source link

New Hampshire

Former NH legislator sentenced to decades behind bars for exploitation of toddlers

Published

1 hour ago

June 24, 2026

Press Room

Former NH legislator sentenced to decades behind bars for exploitation of toddlers

A former New Hampshire state representative was sentenced to more than 33 years in prison for involvement in a child exploitation case — almost double the mandatory minimum.

Stacie Marie Laughton, 42, pleaded guilty to three counts of sexual exploitation of children after soliciting and receiving nude photos of three toddlers from an ex-girlfriend who worked at a daycare.

Lindsay Groves, 41, of Hudson, N.H., was sentenced to almost 22 years in prison earlier this month after pleading guilty to the same charges as well as an additional count of distribution of child pornography.

According to court documents, Groves took the photos of the victims in 2023 at Creative Minds daycare in Tyngsboro, where she was a teacher, during designated bathroom breaks and nap times.

She then sent the photos to Laughton, who requested the images and asked that Grove touch one of the minor’s genitals. In the conversation included in the records, the pair sexualizes the victims.

“Did the girl give you an issue,” Laughton texted after receiving the photos.

“No… the boy didn’t either,” Groves texted back.

In a sentencing memorandum, Laughton’s counsel had argued that she should receive a shorter sentence than Groves and asked for the minimum mandatory sentence, which would have 15 years for each count to be served concurrently.

“Stacie Laughton is a complex 42-year-old woman,” the memo said, noting that she was the first openly transgender woman to be elected to the New Hampshire legislature.

The filing described Laughton’s history of mental health, substance abuse, sexual abuse, and trauma as mitigating factors the judge should consider.

“One of the few consistencies in Ms. Laughton’s life is her challenges with mental health illnesses,” the memo said. “She began receiving mental health treatment at the age of four and has been in and out of extensive treatment programs ever since.”

The death of Laughton’s wife in 2020 and a tumultuous relationship with Groves also added to her mental health struggles, the memo said, stating that the defendant drank every day and had tried heroin for the first time leading up to her arrest.

A doctor quoted in the filing said that Laughton likely had a low IQ, tied in part to her premature birth, as well as “normal sexual interests.”

“This finding shows both how caught up Ms. Laughton was in her relationship with Groves that she participated in activity counter to this and is … an important factor in considering whether Ms. Laughton would be a future threat upon release,” the memo said.

The filing described Laughton’s actions as “horrendous, reprehensible, and shocking,” but said that even though the crimes were “utterly inexcusable,” she should still receive a shorter sentence than her codefendant out of a sense of justice.

However, in their own sentencing memo, federal prosecutors requested Laughton receive 40 years in prison.

“These crimes only came to light when Laughton reported them in an apparent attempt to punish Groves for ending their relationship,” prosecutors wrote. “The defendant, of course, did not disclose her own role in the creation of the imagery.”

“She ultimately admitted that she told Groves to touch one child’s penis, and claimed that she was feeding Groves’s attraction to children,” their memo said.

The prosecutors said that Laughton’s voice was the “more prominent one” in the conversation about exploiting children.

Source link

New Hampshire

Three seriously injured in head-on crash on I-293 in Hooksett, N.H. – The Boston Globe

Published

11 hours ago

June 23, 2026

Press Room

Three seriously injured in head-on crash on I-293 in Hooksett, N.H. – The Boston Globe

Three people suffered injuries in a two-vehicle collision early Tuesday morning in Hooksett, New Hampshire.Courtesy of New Hampshore State

Three people suffered serious injuries Tuesday in a two-vehicle crash in Hooksett, N.H., police said.

The head-on collision happened around 5:40 a.m. on Interstate 293 northbound, State Police said.

Police said that Timothy Hubbard, 43, of Rome, Maine, was traveling south when he lost control of his car and crossed the median into oncoming traffic, police said.

Hubbard, his passenger, and the other driver were taken to hospitals to be treated for serious injuries, police said. The injures were not believed to be life-threatening.

Police said speed was believed to be a factor in the crash, which is under investigation.

Hannah Goeke can be reached at hannah.goeke@globe.com.

Source link

New Hampshire

Sara Doherty – Concord Monitor

Published

22 hours ago

June 23, 2026

Press Room

Sara Doherty

Franklin, NH – Sara Jane (Sanford) Doherty, 79, of Franklin, New Hampshire, passed away peacefully at her home on June 11, 2026. A beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and friend, Sara was born on June 5, 1947, in Hanover, New Hampshire, to Harold and Sadie (Pettengill) Sanford.

As the daughter of a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers employee, Sara spent her childhood moving throughout New England, living in New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Connecticut. She graduated from high school in Hudson, Massachusetts, and later returned to New Hampshire, eventually settling in Franklin, where she made her home for more than forty years.

Sara built a successful career in the textile industry. She worked as a seamstress at Howland Originals before joining Star Specialty Knitting, where she began as a stitcher and, through hard work and determination, advanced to Plant Manager. She retired in 2003, and one of the greatest joys of her retirement was caring for several of her grandchildren, whom she adored.

Sara was a remarkably talented and creative artisan. She sewed clothing for her children when they were young and later created outfits for her grandchildren and their dolls. She was a gifted painter and artist whose extraordinary drawings and paintings brought joy to those around her. An accomplished seamstress, knitter, crocheter, cake decorator, and musician, Sara had an exceptional ability to create beauty in many forms. Her handmade gifts and treasured creations will be cherished by her family for generations to come.

Her talent for cake decorating blossomed into a successful side business that spanned more than thirty years. Sara created hundreds of stunning and imaginative cakes, including wedding and birthday cakes for her own children and grandchildren. Her passion for baking was so well known that for many years her license plate proudly read “CAKES+.”

Sara also had a remarkable gift for bringing people together. She hosted countless family reunions, each one more creative than the last. With elaborate themes, games, prizes, delicious food, and endless laughter, she created memories that her family will treasure forever. She was also known for her generous holiday gatherings, often welcoming more than thirty family members and friends into her home for Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations. Summers brought cherished Fourth of July cookouts by Webster Lake, where Sara delighted in decorating the waterfront and gathering loved ones to enjoy the annual boat parade.

Sara’s love of giraffes was known by all who knew her. She spent years collecting hundreds of them, giving each a special “G” name. Before her passing, she shared one of her favorites, “Geebri,” with her granddaughter Sydni, who is expecting Sara’s first great-grandchild.

Her warmth, creativity, generosity, and love of family touched everyone who knew her. To say she will be missed is a vast understatement. She was truly the heart of her family.

Sara leaves behind her devoted husband of 43 years, Joel Doherty; her sons, Todd (Michelle) Chapman of Sanbornton, New Hampshire, and Paul (Cheryl) Chapman of Northfield, New Hampshire; her stepdaughters, Ali (Oliver) Frates of Amherst, New Hampshire, and Kate Hodge of Durham, New Hampshire; and her beloved grandchildren, Shelby, Sydni, Morgan, Owen, Duncan, Calum, Macy, and Elyse, and Step-grandchildren, Matthew, Jennifer, Eric, & Kevin.

Sara was predeceased by her parents.

Sara’s family would like to express their heartfelt thanks to Franklin VNA for their rapid and seamless response in setting up hospice, and to The Payson Center for their dedication and care, which gave us more precious time with her.

A graveside service will be held on Tuesday, June 30, 2026 at 11:00 AM in Franklin Cemetery, Thompson Park in Franklin.

For more information or to leave the family an online condolence, please visit www.smartmemorialhome.com.

Click here to sign the guest book or honor their memory with flowers, donations, or other heartfelt tributes

Source link