Sign up for Scenic Six
Navigate the endless possibilities of New England travel with Boston.com.
A new poll has good news for Nikki Haley, at least in one early voting state. The former South Carolina governor is gaining ground on Donald Trump in New Hampshire, per the CBS News/YouGov poll released Sunday. If the vote was held today, Trump won 44% of those likely to vote Republican, followed by Haley with 29%. In third place was Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis with 11%, and Chris Christie was the only other candidate in double digits, with 10%. In Iowa, however, support was consolidating around Trump; in response to the same question, Trump won 58% of likely Republican voters followed by DeSantis with 22% and Haley with 13%. No other candidate snagged double digits.
Interestingly, in New Hampshire, 55% of likely Republican voters saw Haley as the most likable and 51% described her as the most reasonable, followed by, for both descriptors, DeSantis at 37% and Trump at 36%. But when asked who they’d describe as a strong leader, 66% named Trump, followed by DeSantis at 45% and Haley at 41%. See many more takeaways from the poll here. One comment on the poll from Axios: “Haley’s performance in the New Hampshire poll could signal another possible blow to former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who failed to secure [New Hampshire Gov. Chris] Sununu’s endorsement despite aggressively campaigning in the Granite State.”
Indeed, Sununu endorsed Haley last week, which was among the reasons listed by Philip Bump in a Washington Post column last week in which he declared Haley the official “Non-Trump Candidate.” Bump, known for analyzing the data behind polls, noted that in the latest national poll from Pew, it’s DeSantis who is running in the No. 2 spot—but when you dig in further, you see that “Trump supporters dislike Haley and, to a more modest extent, vice versa. DeSantis supporters, though, like Trump well enough and, again, vice versa.” That means it’s Haley, not DeSantis, who is the true Trump alternative—but with Trump so far in the lead, Bump says, it’s hard to imagine that will actually get her the nomination. See his full piece here. (Read more Election 2024 stories.)
Skiing
Skiers and riders at Storrs Hill Ski Area in Lebanon, N.H. can ski for free all season long.
The ski area, which opened in 1923 and is run by the nonprofit Lebanon Outing Club, is offering free lift tickets during the 2024-25 season thanks to a gift from the Jack and Dorothy Byrne Foundation.
“This project embodies the spirit of our community, providing an opportunity for everyone to enjoy the outdoors and experience the magic of winter sports,” said Cory Grant, hill manager and president of the Lebanon Outing Club, in a statement. “We hope this initiative brings neighbors together and inspires a love of skiing in a fun and accessible way.”
The ski area, which sees about 5,000 visitors annually, has 20 skiable acres, a vertical drop of 300 feet, seven trails, one lift, two ski jumps, a terrain park, instructional programs, a lodge, and night skiing. Skiers have been hitting the slopes there at night since 1939.
The donation could result in free skiing during subsequent seasons as well, according to the ski area.
Storrs Hill Ski Area is open Fridays from 5 to 9 p.m., Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Skiers do not need to make a reservation but should note that rental equipment is not available. Those interested can view a trail map.
Another New Hampshire ski area helping skiers financially this season is King Pine Ski Area in Madison, N.H, where skiers can hit the slopes for $4 on Dec. 19 in celebration of its Founders Day.
Navigate the endless possibilities of New England travel with Boston.com.
An ice climber from New Jersey was rescued after he fell 60 feet Saturday night while ascending Shoestring Gully on Mount Webster in New Hampshire’s White Moutains, officials said.
Slavek Zaglewski, 55, of Oakland, N.J., was climbing with his friend, Mariusz Markewicz, when he fell while climbing a steep section near the top of the gully, according to a statement released by New Hampshire Fish and Game.
Zaglewski suffered injuries to his arm and head in the fall, according to the statement. Markewicz secured and dressed his injured climbing partner in warm clothes before continuing to climb the ridge until he had cellphone service and could place a call to emergency services.
Fish and Game officials were notified of the situation around 7:30 p.m., and conservation officers responded, along with 28 volunteers from the Mountain Rescue Service, Androscoggin Valley Search and Rescue, and the Bartlett-Jackson Ambulance service, according to the statement.
Upon arriving at the scene, a small group of rescuers reached Zaglewski and stabilized his injuries, treated his hypothermia, and loaded him into a rescue litter, while the rest of the team hiked up the ridge with equipment needed to raise Zaglewski out of the gully.
Zaglewski was lifted nearly 400 feet back to level ground before volunteers carried him 2 miles to the trailhead, according to the statement. “Several sections of the trail were so steep that rescuers needed to use roped belays to move the litter safely down,” officials said.
Zaglewski reached the trailhead shortly after 5 a.m. Sunday and was taken by ambulance to Maine Health Memorial Hospital in North Conway for further treatment.
Collin Robisheaux can be reached at collin.robisheaux@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @ColRobisheaux.
An outstanding 2024 New Hampshire high school football season has come to a close, with scores of outstanding performances to remember. But, who was the New Hampshire Defensive Player of the Year?
We ask you to help us decided by voting for one of the candidates we have highlighted below.
Here are the nominees. Voting ends Dec. 31 at 11:59 pm.
An athletic linebacker with good speed and exceptional instincts, Lambert was part of a defense that helped 12th-seeded Windham upset fifth-seeded Salem 8-7 in the Division I first round, and held eventual Division I champion Pinkerton Academy to 14 points in the quarterfinals.
Nossaman was selected as the Division II East Player of the Year. He can play both defensive tackle and defensive end, and finished the 2024 season with 57 tackles, five sacks and 12 QB pressures.
An exceptional athlete who can play several positions, Pares had 43 tackles, two interceptions and three forced fumbles as a senior. He was also an outstanding quarterback who accounted for 17 touchdowns (10 rushing).
A four-year starter for the Titans, Smith excelled as both a pass rusher and a run-stopper. He recorded 15 sacks and 40 solo tackles during his senior season.
Toledo, a 5-foot-11, 230-pound two-way lineman, was among the key pieces on the Souhegan defense that played its best football in the postseason and helped the fourth-seeded Sabers win the Division II championship. Souhegan limited top-seeded Plymouth to seven points in the semifinals, and then held second-seeded Pelham to 11 points in the Division II championship game.
A 6-foot-5 senior, Villa was one of the most disruptive defensive players in the state. Known for his aggressiveness and ability to make big plays in pressure situations, Villa started in 26 games during his career with the Lancers.
Also a standout at running back, Batsone was one of three finalists for the Joe Yukica Player of the Year Award. He was selected to play in the New Hampshire East-West All-Star Game.
Couture is a 6-foot-5, 280-pound dominant interior defensive lineman who earned a scholarship to play at the University of New Hampshire. He started in 25 games for a Londonderry program that reached the Division I championship game in each of the last four seasons.
Also a starter at tight end, Dulac was one of the key pieces on a defense that didn’t give up more than 12 points against an in-state opponent during un unbeaten regular season.
Dyktra recorded a team-high 136 tackles as a senior, including 77 solo tackles and 10 tackles for loss. He also had four sacks and forced four fumbles.
Struggling to hear TV dialogue? Try these simple fixes
OpenAI's controversial Sora is finally launching today. Will it truly disrupt Hollywood?
Canadian premier threatens to cut off energy imports to US if Trump imposes tariff on country
Inside the launch — and future — of ChatGPT
OpenAI cofounder Ilya Sutskever says the way AI is built is about to change
U.S. Supreme Court will decide if oil industry may sue to block California's zero-emissions goal
Meta asks the US government to block OpenAI’s switch to a for-profit
Conservative group debuts major ad buy in key senators' states as 'soft appeal' for Hegseth, Gabbard, Patel