CONCORD, NH — Phase 2 of the Merrimack River Greenway Trail on Loudon Road is now open.

Dozens of residents, including city, county, and state officials, bicyclists, walkers, and others, took to the “sunflower section” of the trial after an official ribbing cutting on Friday.

The path runs from 4 Loudon Road to the end of the field. A future boardwalk is planned to connect the trail to Terrill Park.

Here is a video posted when the kiosk was installed at Terrill Park in Concord.

As part of the redesign of Interstate 93, an extension will connect Downtown Concord and parts north, eventually connecting to the Concord-Lake Sunapee Rail Trail and the Northern Rail Trail to Lebanon.

Organizers have been active on the trail for more than 12 years, raising hundreds of thousands of dollars through donations and grants from public and private sources.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of New Hampshire filed a complaint for injunctive and declaratory relief in the US District Court for the District of New Hampshire on Monday challenging the state’s new voter identification law.

The legal action targets legislation requiring proof of U.S. citizenship for voter registration and photo identification for casting ballots. The ACLU contends that the law’s strict requirements could disenfranchise numerous eligible voters, particularly those from marginalized communities who may face difficulties obtaining the necessary documentation. Additionally, the plaintiffs cite a 2018 federal court ruling that invalidated a similar law in Kansas, which required proof of citizenship for state and federal elections. That law was found to violate both the US Constitution and the National Voter Registration Act of 1993.

The lawsuit was filed on behalf of several organizations including the Coalition for Democracy, League of Voters for New Hampshire, and the Forward Foundation, as well as five individual voters. New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella and Secretary of State David Scanlan are named as defendants, reflecting ongoing debates about the balance between election security measures and ensuring broad access to voting rights.

Henry Klementowicz, deputy legal director for the ACLU of New Hampshire, stated that laws creating “unconstitutional roadblocks to voting” should not be permitted, as they may prevent thousands of eligible individuals from casting their ballots. Meanwhile, the New Hampshire Attorney General’s office has acknowledged receipt of the ACLU’s lawsuit in a statement made to local news but has refrained from further comment.

The lawsuit reflects a larger national trend toward legal challenges to voter ID laws in the US. In March, a federal judge in Arizona upheld two state laws that require voters to provide documentation to prove their citizenship before registering to vote. A conflicting precedent struck down the laws, with the Supreme Court refusing to listen to an appeal in December 2020. At the federal level, Republican lawmakers are pushing for similar legislation, including the proposed SAVE Act, which aims to implement a nationwide proof-of-citizenship requirement for voting. The outcome of this lawsuit could have far-reaching implications for voter identification laws, potentially shaping the landscape of voting rights and electoral participation in future elections.

One person has died in a house fire in New Hampshire, the state fire marshal said late Monday night.

The fatal fire happened at 203 Pease Road in Meredith at approximately 4 p.m. Monday, State Fire Marshal Sean Toomey said in a statement.

Late Monday afternoon, the fire department received reports that there were two people trapped inside the home.

When firefighters arrived, they found “significant fire and smoke” coming from the second story of the single-family home, Toomey said.

Once inside, firefighters found a person dead in the home, he said. The person was not immediately identified pending an autopsy on Tuesday to determine cause and manner of death.

Two other residents were able to evacuate from the home safely.

Several other area fire departments assisted from communities including Laconia, Gilford, Moultonborough, Holderness, Bristol, Center Harbor, New Hampton and Ashland. Police from Meredith and Laconia also responded.

An investigation into the cause of the fire is active and ongoing by the State Fire Marshal’s Office and Meredith Police and Fire.

Anyone with information about the deadly fire is encouraged to contact the State Fire Marshal’s Office at 603-223-4289 or by email at fmo@dos.nh.gov.

Toomey reminds everyone of the importance of having working smoke alarms in their homes.

In the event of an alarm activation or visible smoke or fire, residents should immediately get out of their home and call 911.

“Keep exits clear and accessible at all times and have a home fire escape plan,” Toomey said.

Anyone with questions about home fire safety should contact their local fire department or the NH State Fire Marshal’s Office, he said.

Meredith is a small town in the Lakes Region, north of Weirs Beach. The town’s population was 6,662 at the 2020 census.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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