MANCHESTER, NH — A motorcycle operator was seriously injured in an accident involving a car in Manchester on Wednesday.

Manchester police, fire, and AMR ambulance responded to a report of an accident at the intersection of Union and Willow Street. While en route, responders were advised CPR was being performed on the operator of the motorcycle. Firefighters and medics continued performing CPR and activated a trauma alert at the Elliot Hospital for a person with multi-system trauma.

At the scene, police could be examining a blue car stopped in the intersection just a short distance from the motorcycle. Police closed several roads around the scene of the accident. Manchester Police Accident Reconstruction Team will be investigating for the next several hours.

CONCORD, NH — The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services is warning communities of the potential for an increase in people suffering from drug withdrawal symptoms after the closure of a chain of facilities dispensing controlled substances.

The state said Wednesday the “unexpected closure” of New England Medicine and Counseling Associates had left many patients scrambling to find “alternate health care arrangements.” The company provided both medical marijuana certification as well as addiction medicine treatment.

It is unknown when the company closed its four locations in New Hampshire and two in Vermont. The company’s website is down, and a water shut-off notice was posted on the door of the Manchester location on South Willow Street. The company also had locations in Grantham, Newport, and Rochester, as well as Rutland and Colchester, VT.

“When patients who have been treated with medications like buprenorphine suddenly lose access to their medication, they are at increased risk of an opioid overdose and may have significant withdrawal symptoms if care is not reestablished quickly,” DHHS Chief Medical Officer Dr. Jonathan Ballard said. “The risks of using non-prescribed medications have never been higher due to the increasing presence of substances like fentanyl, and it is important for persons with an opioid use disorder to continue treatment.”

Emergency departments may see an increase in patients experiencing withdrawal symptoms, or who may be requesting buprenorphine, a medication for the treatment of opioid use disorder, until they can establish with another medical provider, the department said.

Patients of New England Medicine and Counseling were advised not to attempt to access “the illicit drug market” to obtain drugs. They are often not what they appear and may contain contaminants or other highly potent substances, such as fentanyl, that significantly increase the risk of overdose and death, the department said.

Families or residents concerned about the risk of overdose were advised to obtain naloxone at all New Hampshire Doorway locations or pharmacies.

Anyone needing assistance finding a new medical provider can call 211 in New Hampshire or VTHelplink (802-565-LINK) in Vermont.

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WASHINGTON – As part of its ongoing effort to replace diesel-fueled school buses, the Biden administration on Wednesday said it will provide approximately 530 school districts across nearly all states with almost $1 billion to help them purchase clean school buses.

The initiative, part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean School Bus Program rebate competition, will give funds to school districts in 47 states and the District of Columbia to help them buy over 3,400 clean school buses. Alaska, Hawaii, and Nevada are not part of this round of funding.

In New Hampshire, nine districts will get funding for the buses, according to the White House. They are (with the number of buses in parentheses): Concord (3), Derry (25), Hanover (3), Hudson (16), Lisbon (1), Litchfield (8), Moultonborough (7), Nashua (22), and Pembroke (25).

Nearly all of the clean school buses purchased will be electric, at 92 percent, according to the administration.

“This announcement is not just about clean school buses, it’s about the bigger picture,” EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan said during a call with reporters on Tuesday, prior to the announcement. “We are improving air quality for our children, reducing greenhouse gas pollution, and expanding our nation’s leadership in developing the clean vehicles of the future.”

Low-income, rural, and tribal communities – accounting for approximately 45 percent of the selected projects – are slated to receive roughly 67 percent of the total funding, per the administration.

Regan noted how “low-income communities and communities of color have long felt the disproportionate impacts of air pollution leading to severe health outcomes that continue to impact these populations.”

As for business and economic opportunities, Regan pointed to the development of new, well-paying manufacturing jobs and investment in local businesses stemming from the increasing demand for these clean school buses.

“As more and more schools make the switch to electric buses, there will be a need for American-made batteries, charging stations, and service providers to maintain the buses supercharging and reinvigorating local economies,” he added.

The Clean School Bus Program has now collectively awarded nearly $3 billion to fund approximately 8,500 electric and alternative fuel buses for over 1,000 communities across the United States, according to the administration.

The program started through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law passed by Congress and signed by President Joe Biden, which includes $5 billion over five years to transform the country’s existing school buses with “zero-emission and low-emission models,” per the EPA.

Among many negative health and environmental effects, especially for communities of color, diesel exhaust exposure can lead to major health conditions such as asthma and respiratory illnesses, according to the EPA.

Exposure to diesel exhaust can also “worsen existing heart and lung disease, especially in children and the elderly,” the agency said.