New Hampshire
Concord School Board Member Seeks Input On New Middle School Gym Space, Other Features
CONCORD, NH — One of the new Concord school board members elected last year is asking residents for more feedback about some features of the new $200 million middle school proposed for the east side of the city.
Liz Boucher, who represents Zone B (Wards 5, 6, and 7), has created a G-doc form and requests comments about some of the school’s proposed features. She noted in the questionnaire that the data-gathering process was “created solely” by her and is “not representative of other members” of the board of education. Boucher also linked the latest presentation and video by Concord TV of the meeting on June 18.
Boucher focuses on several features that nibble around the edges of the project.
The questionnaire samples opinions about various auditorium sizes — 900 seats, 600 seats, 450 seats, a stage in a space like a gym, what the Rundlett Middle School currently has, or none at all. The proposed 900-seat performing arts center costs $6 million, while a 450-seat venue is around $4.2 million. Participants can choose a single answer.
While the city and school district are separate entities, the city does own the historic Concord City Auditorium, which is not used nearly as much as it should or could be, and seats close to 900. In the past, the district has utilized the Audi for functions.
Concord High School also has an auditorium named after Christa McAuliffe.
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Another question is about sports fields.
At RMS, there are four overlapping fields. The questionnaire offers eight answers, and participants can choose from any of them. The costs of field construction range from $1.1 million for a baseball-softball field to $1.4 million for a multi-use synthetic field. A track and lawn field is around $1.7 million.
The RMS gym, which has been renovated repeatedly during the past 45 years, is 7,800 square feet. The district is proposing a 9,000-square-foot gym, but $1.2 million could be saved by building a 6,000-square-foot gym.
Another question was about a 5,000-square-foot multipurpose room for wrestling and cheerleading. RMS currently has a second gym where wrestling matches are held, with bleachers and a performance stage for concerts. Reducing the size would save around $600,000.
Another multiple-choice question involves installing an $18.7 million geothermal heat pump or saving about a million dollars by installing air-source heat pumps with a supplemental boiler. Solar panels are also proposed for $1.5 million to $3.25 million.
An external ramp between the school’s first and second floors, costing $3.7 million, was also proposed and is being reconsidered.
Participants can offer additional comments or concerns and are asked to leave their name and voting ward, too.
Boucher said in the questionnaire that the “cost estimate ranges” from $136.2 million to $166.7 million, depending on adding some of the design features. These figures are actually the price, not the cost. The cost needs to include interest on the debt, which pushes even the low price of the building to the $200 million range.
View all the documents for the new Concord middle school project linked here. The latest financial estimates can be found here.
Business Administrator Jack Dunn clarified some of the financials while adding the numbers the district was toying with were very early estimates.
Patch has been performing back-of-the-envelope math on the varying pricing schemes with a proposed 4 percent interest rate. But Dunn said it will probably be closer to 4.5 percent — pushing the final cost even higher than previously thought.
The district has around $16.1 million in its facilities and purchase renovation expendable trust fund and more than $26.1 million in all its trusts. This is the amount of money property taxpayers have been overtaxed in recent years. In fiscal year 2025, nearly $1.6 million was transferred into the facilities trust—money that was supposed to go into taxpayers’ pockets as part of more money being pushed out by the state to schools.
One confusing part of the most recent financial figures shared with the public was a tax hike figure of $32 on a $350,000.
Circling back to the lowest price figure of $136.2 million, Dunn said the district was figuring state aid to be about $49 million. The district would then amortize the leftover $87.7 million at 4.5 percent. The first-year payment would be around $6.8 million. Dunn said by using $3.4 million in the first year, the tax rate could be brought down to about 9 cents per thousand or $32 for a $350,000 house assessment.
Using the $136.2 million figure and about $72.3 million in interest payments based on the $87.7 million financed ($136.2M minus $49M in state aid equals $87.7M), without using any of the trust funds or selling off any current land assets the district has, including the former Eastman School land or the current RMS parcel, the final cost of the new middle school, at its lowest level, is around $208.5 million.
Do you have a news tip? Please email it to tony.schinella@patch.com. View videos on Tony Schinella’s YouTube.com channel or Rumble.com channel. Follow the NH politics Twitter account @NHPatchPolitics for all our campaign coverage.
New Hampshire
TRAENE Fitness Pickleball Brings Pickleball Courts And Wellness Options To Dover
Dover, New Hampshire is finally going to see something go into the old Ames Building, (same plaza as Hannaford) at 833 Central Avenue. It’s not just “something,” it’s a Community space we didn’t know we wanted.
Justin Grondahl is the owner of TRAENE Fitness & Pickleball and he’s opening one here in Dover. He has 63,000 square feet to make beautiful. Justin is the son of the co-founder of Planet Fitness that started right here in Dover, New Hampshire.
Justin spent some time with me here in the Townsquare Studios and told me everything we can expect.
You will not believe what he has in store for this place. It makes me want to move to Dover. (although it’s like my 2nd home – I’m here all. the. time.) Check out what his plans are:
- 10 indoor pickleball courts
- 3,000 Square Foot Classroom for Megaformer Pilates Classes
- 20,000 square feet of just gym equipment
- 2 Cold Plunges
- 3 Saunas, with three floors. Lots of people can fit into them
- Big Locker Rooms
- Red Light Beds
- Massage Chairs
- Massage Beds
- Tanning Booths
TRAENE Recently Added a Peptide Clinic to their Plans
If you are unfamiliar with peptides, they are chains of amino acids that help you heal injuries, build muscles and in some cases, lose weight.
After Justin told me all this, I asked if they will have food and drinks too because it was the only thing I could think of that they didn’t mention! He said, “yes, we’ll have something.”
What’s Up With the Penguin?
When Justin came into the studio, he had a TRAENE branded shirt that included a penguin. When I asked him why a Penguin, he said that it has always been his favorite animal because they are very tied to their Community. They never really leave and they are always together.
READ THIS: 6 Reason’s Why Brown’s Lobster Shack is a NH Seafood Treasure
Justin is already under construction of TRAENE. He said they should be open in the Fall of 2026.
Another incredible perk of being part of the TRAENE community is they are going to pick between 10 – 15 Members of the Month who are going to get rewards like:
- Renting out a race track
- Limo service to Bruins or Celtics games, whichever the member chooses
These trips will be all paid for, all free, Justin said.
New Fitness & Pickeball Center Opening Up in the Fall of 2026 in Dover, NH
As soon as I hear about when TRAENE is opening, I’ll let you know and you and I can get our pickleball team together. Justin did say sometime in the fall, but no specific date.. yet.
8 New Hampshire Restaurants That Closed in January/February 2026
Gallery Credit: Sean McKenna
All Team USA New England Athletes Who Won Medals at the 2026 Winter Olympics
As of Sunday, February 22, 2026, 10 athletes from New England won medals in the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Gallery Credit: Sean McKenna
New Hampshire
NH Lottery Pick 3 Day, Pick 3 Evening winning numbers for April 19, 2026
The New Hampshire Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at Sunday, April 19, 2026 results for each game:
Winning Pick 3 numbers from April 19 drawing
Day: 8-6-2
Evening: 8-8-9
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 4 numbers from April 19 drawing
Day: 7-6-9-2
Evening: 6-5-8-4
Check Pick 4 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.
- Millionaire for Life: 11:15 p.m. daily.
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
‘Not cosmetic’: NH lawmaker wants state to cover GLP-1 drugs for weight loss – Concord Monitor
Two years ago, Sue Prentiss got a sobering reality check at her doctor’s office. The news was blunt: She qualified for bariatric surgery, a procedure for patients whose weight poses life-threatening risks.
She was aware of her weight and had tried everything from high-intensity workouts to weight loss programs and diets. Nothing seemed to help until she started taking GLP-1 medications.
Prentiss said between then and now, she had lost almost 80 pounds.
But at a $500 out-of-pocket monthly fee, every refill is a financial pinch.
“I’m just getting by, but I’m so much healthier, and if this can work for me, think about everybody else’s life where this would impact,” said Prentiss, a state senator.
To keep up with the cost, she’s made hard choices like cutting back on retirement contributions and squeezing her budget wherever possible.
Now, Prentiss is sponsoring Senate Bill 455, which would require the state to provide GLP-1 medications under the state Medicaid plan as a treatment for people with obesity.
As of January, New Hampshire’s Medicaid program has ended coverage for GLP-1 drugs like Saxenda, Wegovy and Zepbound for weight loss. The state still covers the medications when they’re part of a treatment plan for other chronic conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, certain cardiovascular diseases, severe sleep apnea and Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatohepatitis (MASH).
According to the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, the state paid managed care organizations $49.5 million to cover GLP-1 medications between July 1, 2025, and June 30, 2026. The policy change in January reduced that cost to $41 million.
With these drugs gaining popularity, the state estimated that if were to resume covering GLP-1s for weight loss, it would need to spend an additional $24.2 million on top of the $41 million per fiscal year.
Jonathan Ballard, chief medical officer at DHHS, said the agency opposes the bill, which would require Medicaid coverage for anyone with a body mass index above 30 seeking GLP-1 medications specifically for weight loss.
Ballard said the state cannot afford such an expansion when budgets are already tight.
“The department does not have this money today,” he said. “So, living within the realities of our current budget, there will be significant trade-offs. We will have to cut other things that are very important to the health and well-being of New Hampshire to pay for this unless there’s some change.”
GLP-1 drugs carry a steep price tag that puts significant pressure on state budgets, particularly within Medicaid programs. Several states, including California, Pennsylvania and South Carolina, have moved to drop coverage of these medications for weight loss.
Prentiss initially drafted her legislation with private insurers in mind, but later pivoted to focus on Medicaid to serve more vulnerable populations. She is covered by commercial insurance and said the outcome of the bill will not personally affect her.
Lost coverage
GLP-1 medications mimic a natural hormone in the gut that helps regulate blood sugar, digestion and appetite.
Sarah Finn, section chief for obesity medicine at Dartmouth Health, said she has seen firsthand the impact on her patients after the state dropped Medicaid coverage for weight-loss GLP-1 drugs.
Without access to these medications, patients experience increased hunger, cravings and persistent “food noise,” as their bodies attempt to return to a higher fat percentage, a process known as metabolic adaptation, she said.
“This is the reality of the state I’m in right now, where I don’t have options except bariatric surgery for my Medicaid patients and a lot of times patients don’t want to do a surgery,” said Finn, at a hearing for the bill on Wednesday. “What I have to tell that patient is there’s nothing I could do to advocate.”
The Department of Health and Human Services faced a $51 million budget cut when the New Hampshire Legislature passed its biennial budget last year, forcing the department to reduce several services.
While Prentiss acknowledges the financial strain on the department, she wants the state to consider the long-term impact of using GLP-1s to prevent chronic conditions like diabetes, which is largely linked to weight gain and can drive up costs for the state over time.
“By driving down obesity, we can drive down the costs that are related to it,” she said.
Prentiss remains on GLP-1 medications and said she feels much healthier than before.
She said that after a few months on the drugs, her blood sugar levels and kidney function began trending toward more normal ranges.
“It’s not cosmetic,” she said. “Obesity is a medical condition.”
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