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.
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“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.
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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.
Registration for the New Hampshire Becoming an Outdoors Woman Fall Weekend Workshop will open June 16 at 8 a.m.
The workshop is scheduled for Sept. 11-13 at Camp Robindel on Lake Winnipesaukee in Moultonborough and is open to women ages 18 and older. The $395 registration fee includes lodging, meals, instruction and equipment use.
Participants may choose from more than 30 outdoor skills classes, including archery, fishing, fly fishing, kayaking, hiking, rifle and shotgun shooting, nature photography, outdoor survival, campfire cooking, map and compass navigation, and plant identification.
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Registration will be conducted online at nhbow.com and is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Organizers said classes fill quickly. Registration closes July 27, and participants may receive a partial refund if they cancel by July 13.
The New Hampshire Becoming an Outdoors Woman program is co-sponsored by the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department and the New Hampshire Wildlife Federation.
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Ryann Brooks is the Ledger-Transcript editor. She was the 2023 Kansas Press Association Journalist of the Year. You can contact her at rbrooks@ledgertranscript.com.
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CONCORD, NH — A man from Goffstown, with active warrants, was arrested by New Hampshire State Police last month after a chase in Bow.
Around 10 p.m. on May 31, troopers attempted to stop the driver of a pickup truck on Route 3A after receiving reports the vehicle’s headlights were not on. The license plate of the truck also came back stolen, according to a report.
A trooper attempted to stop the driver in Bow, but they were accused of fleeing to Concord.
Find out what’s happening in Concordfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
“During the pursuit,” state police said, “the vehicle struck multiple fixed objects and suffered significant damage. The pursuit ended in Concord after the vehicle became disabled.”
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Jason Williams, 34, of Goffstown, was arrested on habitual offender, reckless conduct, disobeying an officer, resisting arrest, conduct after an accident, operating after suspension, operating after suspension-subsequent, reckless operation, receiving stolen property, misuse of plates, unregistered motor vehicle, and other violations. He also had multiple active bench warrants. Williams was held on preventive detention at the county jail and was scheduled to be arraigned in Concord District Court on June 1.
Find out what’s happening in Concordfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
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Editor’s note: This post was derived from information supplied by the New Hampshire State Police and does not indicate a conviction. This linkexplains how to request the removal of a name from New Hampshire Patch police reports.
Driver Dies After Ashland Crash
State police were sent to a crash on Interstate 93 on May 25 between an SUV and a box truck.
The crash was on the northbound side of the highway.
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According to an investigation, a 2011 Chevrolet Traverse was driving north when the driver, Terrence McSally, 64, of Ashland, drove over the rumble strip and overcorrected, striking the box truck. He then lost control of the SUV, drove into the median, and struck a rock, according to state police.
Several drivers, including an off-duty Concord firefighter, rendered aid. McSally was taken to Speare Memorial Hospital in Plymouth, where he was pronounced dead.
The left lane of the northbound side of the highway was closed for about two hours.
Troop A Blotter
05/17/2026 02:00, EXETER, LAPIERRE, ZACHARY E. (21); LEBANON, MAINE, 644:2 (DISORDERLY CONDUCT), 644:2 (DISORDERLY CONDUCT), 597:7-A (BREACH OF BAIL).
05/16/2026 22:54 HAMPTON, MCFARLAND, SHANELLE E. (42); SANFORD, ME, 265-A:2,I(A) (DUI-IMPAIRMENT), 265-A:44 (TRANSPORTING ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES OR MARIJUANA), 265-A:3,I(F) (DRIVING WHILE INTOXICATED-DRIVING ON DIVIDED WAY), 265:23 (DRIVING AGAINST THE DESIGNATED DIRECTION).
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Troop B Blotter
05/10/2026 20:24 NASHUA, RAMIREZ VASQUEZ, CINDY K. (35); NASHUA, 263:1-A (IMPROPER PERSON OPERATING VEHICLE).
05/08/2026 17:16, MANCHESTER, COLLINS, MICHAEL J. (48); DERRY, 631:3 (RECKLESS CONDUCT-DEADLY WEAPON), 159:3,I (FELON IN POSSESSION OF DANGEROUS WEAPON), 631:3 (RECKLESS CONDUCT-DEADLY WEAPON), 264:25 (CONDUCT AFTER ACCIDENT), 265-A:2,I(A) (DUI-IMPAIRMENT), 644:2 (DISORDERLY CONDUCT), 641:6,I (FALSIFY PHYS EVIDENCE ALTER, DESTROY, HIDE), 318-B:2,I (CNTRL DRUG: SCHED 1 – 4; POSSESSION), 265-A:43 (TRANSPORT DRUGS IN MOTOR VEHICLE), 318:42 (DEAL/POSSESS PRESCRIPTION DRUGS), 159:3,I (FELON IN POSSESSION OF DANGEROUS WEAPON).
05/10/2026 18:19, MANCHESTER, TETLEY, GRIFFIN WAYNE (26); LACONIA, NH 594:7 (ARREST ON WARRANT).
05/10/2026 20:24, NASHUA, RAMIREZ VASQUEZ, BAIRON ISSAC (23); NASHUA, 263:1,III (LICENSE REQD; OP W/O VALID LICENSE), 265:60 (SPEEDING 25 MPH OVER LIMIT OF 55 OR LESS), 263:64,VII (DRIVE AFTER REV/SUSPENSION), 597:37 (BENCH WARRANTS).
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05/04/2026 01:38, MANCHESTER, ROBY, JACOB B. (28); MANCHESTER, 265-A:2,I(A) (DUI-IMPAIRMENT), 265:60 (SPEEDING 26+ MPH OVER LIMIT OF 55 OR LESS), 265:79,I (RECKLESS OPERATION).
05/04/2026 12:40, BEDFORD, NOVAS, JOEL HABEL (36); NEWPORT, 261:176 (MISUSE OF PLATES), 263:64,VI (DRIVE AFTER REV/SUS-SUBSQT).
05/04/2026 16:26, MANCHESTER, RUNGE, THOMAS EARL (41); MANCHESTER, 263:64,IV (DRIVE AFTER REVOCATION/SUSPENSION; DUI), 263:63 (DRIVING WITHOUT GIVING PROOF), 263:1,III (LICENSE REQD; OP W/O VALID LICENSE), 263:64,VII (DRIVE AFTER REV/SUSPENSION).
05/04/2026 23:41, BEDFORD, LEVY, CAILYB DANIEL (19); MANCHESTER, 263:1,III (LICENSE REQD; OP W/O VALID LICENSE), 265:109 (OPERATING WITHOUT LIGHTS).
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In a grassy field, just before one of the rolling hills that give Hilltop Farm in Mason its name, is an unusual sight for New Hampshire: a small herd of purebred Wagyu steers.
They lie or stand in the grass, mostly basking and using their all-black coats to absorb the sunlight.
“As you can tell, they’re pretty lazy,” said Nate Choquette, the Hilltop site coordinator and farm manager for New England Wagyu. “And they have good temperaments.”
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Indeed, as Choquette moves through the herd, they either amble out of his way or come closer for a head scratch.
Sam Rowse and Diana Templeton own the farm and herd. Choquette runs the Hilltop operation, where the cattle are raised for the first year and a half before moving to Templeton and Rowse’s other farm in Peterborough for another year and a half.
The Wagyu breed is native to Asia and bred most famously in Japan, where it was originally used as a draft animal because of its endurance, a trait that comes from the breed’s ability to store higher intramuscular fat. That fat also makes the meat a highly sought-after delicacy.
Wagyu has up to 300% more monounsaturated fat than standard beef, high levels of omega-3 and omega-6, and lower cholesterol than fish or chicken. It also has to be cooked differently from typical cuts of beef. The melting point of Wagyu fat is between 59 and 77 degrees Fahrenheit, compared with 104 to 122 degrees for typical American beef.
So how did a Japanese breed end up in Mason?
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Though an ancient breed, the animals only started to be sold outside of Asia in the mid-1970s. Since being introduced in America and Australia, many have been crossbred with Angus cattle because Wagyu is a slow-growing breed. The animals at Hilltop Farm are 100% Wagyu.
After once trying Japanese Wagyu, Rowse decided to raise the animals himself, starting with two purebred steers. After successfully raising and selling the meat, he decided to expand the operation. The herd now numbers about 20, Choquette said, though it has been as large as 83.
Part of the reason Rowse was interested in raising Wagyu is how the breed is traditionally raised in Japan, which includes time on feedlots to reduce movement and build up fat. Rowse wanted to see what the results might be with an animal raised more on pasture. Choquette said New England Wagyu is raised on pasture, grain and grass, and finished with a brewer’s mash.
Eventually, Rowse purchased a butcher shop to process the animals, so that from birth until slaughter, they remain in the hands of New England Wagyu.
“It’s a point of pride that we control everything from birth to processing,” Choquette said. “For their entire three years, they only know three farmers.”
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That level of care shows in the quality of the meat. In 2025, New England Wagyu ranked fourth overall in the national Triple Crown Steak Challenge in the 100% Wagyu category and ranked among the healthiest in the competition.
New England Wagyu can be purchased at local farmers’ markets, including the Peterborough Farmers’ Market; at the farm store at Hilltop Farm in Mason; or online at newagyu.com. Wagyu burgers from New England Wagyu are also sold at Market Basket.
For more information, or to order from New England Wagyu, visit newagyu.com or the farm store, open Monday through Saturday from 1 to 5 p.m. at 42 Valley Road, Mason.
