New Hampshire

Democratic commissioners in Strafford County, N.H., stuck for now with newly drawn districts – The Boston Globe

Published

2 years ago

June 5, 2024

Democratic commissioners in Strafford County, N.H., stuck for now with newly drawn districts – The Boston Globe

One of the plaintiffs, George M. Maglaras of Dover, said the judge’s order doesn’t necessarily suggest he’ll rule against the commissioners on the merits of their lawsuit.

“There’s a lot of constitutional questions at stake here,” he said. “I don’t know whether he will rule against us or not.”

Maglaras has said the new law aimed to “destroy” the Strafford County Commission. If the law remains in effect, it could pit him against fellow incumbent commissioner Deanna Rollo of Rollinsford in the Democratic primary for the newly established second district, preventing one of them from advancing to the general election.

Maglaras, who is serving his 20th two-year term, said he intends to seek reelection. Rollo said she has not yet decided whether to run again. They are both eagerly awaiting further word from the court.

The judge is slated to hold a hearing next Thursday, June 13, on the state’s motion to dismiss the lawsuit, according to court records. That’s the day before the filing period closes.

New Hampshire Senator James P. Gray, a Republican from Rochester who advocated for the change, said he heard from constituents and fellow lawmakers who expressed concerns about the voices of conservative voters in northern Strafford County being drowned out by Democratic voters in the county’s southern communities.

The three Republicans who ran for Strafford County commissioner in 2022 carried about 41 percent of the vote but didn’t win any of the three seats.

Gray said divvying the county into three separate districts gives conservative voters a shot at electing a commissioner who aligns with their views. It also makes Strafford County more similar to New Hampshire’s other nine counties, which already have commissioner districts, he said.

“What I’m trying to do is bring Strafford County in line with the others and make sure there is fair representation,” he said.

Gray said the judge’s decision late last week was an encouraging development that brought needed clarity ahead of the filing period, and the final outcome of this case remains to be seen.

The third Democratic incumbent commissioner, Robert J. Watson of Rochester, appears to live in the newly drawn first district, which covers several communities across northern Strafford County. He did not return calls seeking comment.

Democrats have denounced the introduction of district lines — which slice through Strafford County’s two most populous cities, Dover and Rochester — as a form of partisan gerrymandering. They tried to undo the change with another bill this year, but failed.

Commissioners, who will earn a base salary of $13,907 next year, are generally tasked with oversight of county government departments and budgetary matters. Some serve two-year terms. Others serve four-year terms that may be staggered.

While commissioners in New Hampshire’s other nine counties must live in the districts they represent, not all of them are elected solely by the voters in their district. Each commissioner in Carroll and Sullivan counties is picked through a countywide vote.

Maglaras said he will review the judge’s final ruling then decide whether to appeal to the New Hampshire Supreme Court. He said this law shows how state lawmakers have foisted “Washington-style politics” onto Strafford County government.

“I just feel sorry for the people of Strafford County who have been disenfranchised by this action,” he said. “I think it’s totally wrong.”

Steven Porter can be reached at steven.porter@globe.com. Follow him @reporterporter.

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New Hampshire

N.H. woman accused of civil rights violation after allegedly shooting at lost man because he was Black

Published

9 hours ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

N.H. woman accused of civil rights violation after allegedly shooting at lost man because he was Black

Local News

Diane Durgin, 67, is accused of shooting at a Black man who inadvertently drove to her property after a prearranged truck part sale, prosecutors said.

A New Hampshire woman is accused of violating the state’s Civil Rights Act four times after she allegedly shot at a man because he was Black, prosecutors said.

Diane Durgin, 67, of Weare, N.H. could face up to a $5,000 fine for each violation she is found to have committed, the office of New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella said in a press release Tuesday.

Durgin is also charged with criminal threatening against a person with a deadly weapon and attempted first degree assault with a deadly weapon, Michael Garrity, a media representative for the New Hampshire Attorney General, said in an emailed statement to Boston.com.

Durgin had a final pre-trial conference last week, Garrity said.

In a civil complaint filed Tuesday, Durgin is accused of threatening physical force against the victim, the AG said. Prosecutors asked the court to issue a preliminary injunction barring Durgin from repeating her alleged behavior and from contacting the victim and his family.

During the morning hours of Oct. 20, 2024, the victim claims, he “mistakenly” drove to Durgin’s home after a prearranged purchase of a truck part with a seller online, prosecutors wrote as part of their request for an injunction.

When the man — whom prosecutors identified in court documents as X.G. — arrived, Durgin allegedly stepped out of her home and approached his car with a gun “holstered by her waist,” prosecutors wrote.

Upon noticing that X.G. was Black, Durgin allegedly “removed her gun and pointed it at X.G.,” prosecutors said in the injunction request.

While X.G. explained that he was lost, Durgin called the victim a “Black mother[expletive],” and threatened to “kill him,” prosecutors allege.

As the victim attempted to drive away, Durgin allegedly took her gun and fired two shots at the fleeing man’s car, missing both times, the AG’s office said.

While on the phone with a dispatcher, Durgin allegedly said she shot the man’s car because the victim is Black, the AG said.

“The guy is Black. And he, he…he says he’s meeting someone here and I think he’s coming here to steal,” Durgin allegedly said.

Police located X.G. and brought him to the Weare Police Department, stopping along the way at the correct seller’s home to complete the truck part purchase, prosecutors wrote in court documents.

To prove a violation of the New Hampshire Civil Rights Act, the AG must show that Durgin “interfered or attempted to interfere with the rights of the victim to engage in lawful activities by threatening to engage in or actually engage in physical force or violence, when such actual or threatening conduct was motivated by race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, sex, gender identity, or disability,” prosecutors said.

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New Hampshire

Up to 4 inches of snow expected in NH tonight. See latest forecast

Published

21 hours ago

March 3, 2026

Press Room

Up to 4 inches of snow expected in NH tonight. See latest forecast

It may be March, but winter in New Hampshire is far from over. Just one week after a blizzard tore through the state with heavy snow and high winds, the state is getting another round of snowfall.

The state will get three to five inches during the evening and night of Tuesday, March 3, says the National Weather Service (NWS) of Gray, Maine. While the accumulation will not be significant, the snowfall may cause dangerous road conditions and a layer of ice on the ground in certain parts of the state.

Here’s what to know before tonight’s snow in New Hampshire, including snow totals and timing.

When will it snow in NH tonight?

According to the NWS, it will start snowing in New Hampshire during mid-afternoon or early evening and continue through the night. Specifically, snow will arrive to the southern part of the state around 2-3 p.m., spreading northwards through the rest of New Hampshire by 5 p.m.

Rain or freezing rain will mix in later this evening across southern New Hampshire, creating a wintry mix. All precipitation should move out of the state by midnight.

Due to the timing of today’s snowfall, the Tuesday evening commute will be affected, with the NWS warning to slow down and exercise caution while driving.

How much snow will NH get tonight?

New Hampshire will get one to four inches of snow tonight, with one to two inches in northern New Hampshire, two to three inches in southern New Hampshire and three to four inches in the center of the state, with the possibility for five inches in localized areas.

In the Seacoast specifically, Portsmouth, Rye, Hampton and York are expected to get between two to three inches of snow, while Dover, Exeter and Rochester may get up to four.

The wintry mix may also cause a light glaze of ice across southern New Hampshire.

NH weather watches and warnings

The NWS has issued a winter weather advisory for the state of New Hampshire, in effect from 1 p.m. on Tuesday, March 3 through 4 a.m. on Wednesday, March 4.