LINCOLN, NH — There is “no longer an elevated risk” of contracting Legionnaire’s disease in Lincoln after seven people became infected by bacteria in a cooling tower in town over the summer, New Hampshire health officials said Wednesday.

Legionnaire’s disease is a bacterial pneumonia caused by inhaling water droplets contaminated with Legionella bacteria, the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services said. Initially, officials said that five diagnoses were made in June and July, but they added Wednesday that two additional cases have since been confirmed. All seven people were exposed to contaminated water droplets from a cooling tower behind the RiverWalk Resort downtown, according to officials.

The cooling tower underwent a cleaning and disinfecting process, after which testing conducted by the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Public Health Services, and the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services confirmed that “remediation efforts to eliminate Legionella bacteria were successful,” officials said.

The cleaning took place on Aug. 12, and water samples were collected for additional testing.

“Test results, which were received today, confirm the effectiveness of the facility’s cleaning and disinfection process with negative results for Legionella,” officials said Wednesday. “RiverWalk continues to partner with DHHS and NHDES on a water management plan to prevent future contamination or bacterial re-growth.”

The health department said it will investigate any other diagnoses with a potential link to the area.

“The negative test results received today are good news and demonstrate the effectiveness of the cleaning and disinfection of the cooling tower,” Dr. Benjamin Chan, New Hampshire State Epidemiologist, said Wednesday. “Therefore, we do not believe there is currently an elevated risk for Legionella infection from this cooling tower, and we will continue to monitor and work with the facility to ensure an appropriate management plan is in place to prevent future contamination or re-growth of the bacteria.”

Legionella are naturally occurring environmental bacteria that can grow in water systems and infect people who breathe in contaminated water droplets from showers, hot tubs, faucets, cooling towers, misters, and decorative fountains, according to health officials.

People and businesses can prevent waterborne germs from growing in water sources by properly cleaning and maintining all devices that use water, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

CONCORD, NH. – Small game hunting season for gray squirrel starts on September 1 and is a great way to introduce someone new to hunting. On October 1, ruffed grouse, woodcock, cottontail rabbit, pheasant, and snowshoe hare seasons each open, all of which are exciting species to pursue and make excellent table fare. Small game hunters will want to check out the 2023/2024 New Hampshire Small Game Summary Report, which presents data from the annual Small Game Hunter Survey. Participation in these surveys by hunters significantly enhances the Department’s management of these species. 

While the New Hampshire Small Game Summary Report includes a variety of species, the most data received and the primary focus is the Granite State’s two most sought-after small game birds: ruffed grouse and woodcock. The report provides long-term statistical trends for both species of birds, which comprised 90% of reported hunter effort during 2023. Other species of interest to small game hunters included in the report are snowshoe hare and gray squirrel. 

“Crisp fall air will be here soon, and hunting small game is a great way to kick off the season,” said New Hampshire Fish and Game’s Small Game Program Supervisor Brett Ferry. “Pursuing small game provides a unique opportunity to introduce youth and novice hunters to the sport. Because small game species are habitat dependent, new hunters must learn about the food and cover requirements of the species which adds to the experience. Hunters have the ability to assist in our understanding and management of small game populations by providing data related to observations, harvest, and effort. These surveys are easy to obtain and complete, and they provide the Department with necessary data to promote small game populations and opportunities to enjoy this resource.” 

If you hunt small game, please take part in this year’s surveys: 

Everyone who completes either of these two surveys will be entered into a raffle to win a firearm donated by Sturm Ruger and the Ruffed Grouse Society, respectively. 

“A big thank you to all the small game hunters who participated in our survey efforts,” said Ferry. 

Learn more about small game hunting in New Hampshire at www.wildlife.nh.gov/hunting-nh/small-game-and-upland-bird-hunting. 

MEREDITH, N.H. (AP) — A company that sent deceptive calls to New Hampshire voters using artificial intelligence to mimic President Joe Biden’s voice agreed Wednesday to pay a $1 million fine, federal regulators said.

Lingo Telecom, the voice service provider that transmitted the robocalls, agreed to the settlement to resolve enforcement action taken by the Federal Communications Commission, which had initially sought a $2 million fine.

The case is seen by many as an unsettling early example of how AI might be used to influence groups of voters and democracy as a whole.

Meanwhile Steve Kramer, a political consultant who orchestrated the calls, still faces a proposed $6 million FCC fine as well as state criminal charges.

The phone messages were sent to thousands of New Hampshire voters on Jan. 21. They featured a voice similar to Biden’s falsely suggesting that voting in the state’s presidential primary would preclude them from casting ballots in the November general election.

Kramer, who paid a magician and self-described “digital nomad” to create the recording, told The Associated Press earlier this year that he wasn’t trying to influence the outcome of the primary, but he rather wanted to highlight the potential dangers of AI and spur lawmakers into action.

If found guilty, Kramer could face a prison sentence of up to seven years on a charge of voter suppression and a sentence of up to one year on a charge of impersonating a candidate.

The FCC said that as well as agreeing to the civil fine, Lingo Telecom had agreed to strict caller ID authentication rules and requirements and to more thoroughly verify the accuracy of the information provided by its customers and upstream providers.

“Every one of us deserves to know that the voice on the line is exactly who they claim to be,” FCC chairperson Jessica Rosenworcel said in a statement. “If AI is being used, that should be made clear to any consumer, citizen, and voter who encounters it. The FCC will act when trust in our communications networks is on the line.”

Lingo Telecom did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The company had earlier said it strongly disagreed with the FCC’s action, calling it an attempt to impose new rules retroactively.

Nonprofit consumer advocacy group Public Citizen commended the FCC on its action. Co-president Robert Weissman said Rosenworcel got it “exactly right” by saying consumers have a right to know when they are receiving authentic content and when they are receiving AI-generated deepfakes. Weissman said the case illustrates how such deepfakes pose “an existential threat to our democracy.”

FCC Enforcement Bureau Chief Loyaan Egal said the combination of caller ID spoofing and generative AI voice-cloning technology posed a significant threat “whether at the hands of domestic operatives seeking political advantage or sophisticated foreign adversaries conducting malign influence or election interference activities.”