New Hampshire
‘It’s everything’: In largest rally yet, Trump protestors descend on Concord
Sara McNeil said she felt overwhelmed.
The Warner resident, standing in front of the New Hampshire State House, was “way past the point” of worrying only about the Trump administration’s impact on the issues that are most important to her: education and reproductive rights.
“It’s everything,” McNeil said. “It’s the environment … He’s going after the food pantries, USAID, things that are just humanity.”
McNeil joined a sea of protesters that covered the State House lawn and spilled out onto Main Street in Concord on Saturday as hundreds of people from across the state rallied against President Donald Trump, Elon Musk and cuts to federal spending, programs and jobs.
This was at least the sixth protest in Concord since Trump took office less than three months ago and was the largest by far, with organizers estimating that more than 2,000 people attended. Saturday’s was one of many demonstrations to take place across New Hampshire and the country, set up by an organization called 50501 – 50 Protests, 50 States, 1 Movement.
Kathy Grondine, a Litchfield resident, said she came to the capital city to protest because of Trump’s cuts to things like medical research and children’s services.
“The whole country is just making me very sad right now,” Grondine said, “and so I wanted to speak up around how I feel the Constitution is not being followed right now, and nobody’s stepping up.”
Grondine, an administrator for the state’s Division for Children, Youth and Families who protested in her personal capacity. She’s concerned about Medicare and Medicaid – especially for her sister, who has cancer.
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“I worry about people who need it for treatment,” Grondine said. “I have a number of people in my life who have cancer, and that really bothers me.”
Several people also said they’re upset about the tariffs recently placed on dozens of countries, which led to a steep drop in the stock market in the days prior to the protest.
“It’s affecting everybody, I know. because I hang out with people who are the same age, who are retirement age,” said Chris Halvorson, a Peterborough resident. “We’re living off essentially what is the stock market.”
Halvorson said she chose not to look at the numbers in her retirement account yet because “I didn’t want to be depressed.”
Rally-goers also called on their members of Congress to take action. Andrew Peyton, a 22-year-old from Manchester, stood near Main Street, holding up a sign that encouraged New Hampshire’s senators and representatives to “fight back.” He said he doesn’t like that U.S. senators Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan have voted to confirm Trump’s cabinet members, whom he views as “unqualified” to lead the country. Both Shaheen and Hassan voted in favor of 10 Trump nominees and against 12.
“I think that voting for those and kind of supporting anything in the administration is a dereliction of duty,” Peyton said. “I want to see just more activism, more obstruction … I would like to see a lot more from them in terms of obstructing the current agenda, as well as just coming up with solutions to the problems that they’re currently facing.”
Charlotte Matherly is the statehouse reporter for the Concord Monitor and Monadnock Ledger-Transcript in partnership with Report for America. Follow her on X at @charmatherly, subscribe to her Capital Beat newsletter and send her an email at cmatherly@cmonitor.com.
New Hampshire
Missing motorcyclist found dead after crash in Shelburne, NH
A New Hampshire motorcyclist who had been missing since the Fourth of July was found dead in Shelburne late Thursday night.
State police say they received a request from the Berlin Police Department just after 7:30 p.m. Thursday for help locating 41-year-old Wesley Grondin — the Berlin man was last seen riding his motorcycle on Saturday, July 4, and had been reported missing.
Troopers received a call a couple of hours later, around 10:10 p.m. Thursday, from a concerned resident who had been out looking for Grondin along Route 2 in Shelburne. The person told police they had found Grondin dead, along with his Harley Davidson.
According to state police, a preliminary investigation determined that Grondin was riding his Harley on Route 2 westbound in Shelburne when, for reasons that remain under investigation, he crossed over into the opposing lane, struck a post, and came to a final rest in the wood line.
The crash is believed to have occurred just before midnight on July 4. At this time, police say there’s no indication that another vehicle or person was involved.
All aspects of the crash remain under investigation, however. Anyone with information that may assist investigators is asked to contact Trooper Hunter Newsham at Hunter.P.Newsham@dos.nh.gov.
New Hampshire
Nashua, NH, woman jailed for falsifying marriage to claim late man’s estate
KEENE, N.H. — A Nashua woman who had a town clerk falsely certify a marriage that never happened so she could claim her late partner’s property has been sentenced to seven days in jail, placed on probation and ordered to repay thousands to his estate.
Attorney General John Formella said Wendy Leedberg‑Snow, 60, turned to Winchester Town Clerk Jim Tetreault after the death of her longtime partner, Eric Leedberg — who was born in Lowell — using the falsified license to pose as his spouse and lay claim to property from his estate, an effort prosecutors describe as an attempt to rewrite the couple’s history for financial gain.
“This case involved a deliberate effort to manipulate official government records and exploit the death of a loved one for personal financial gain,” Formella said in a press release announcing the sentencing. “Our vital records system depends on honesty and integrity, and those who seek to corrupt that system will be held accountable. I want to thank the investigators and prosecutors whose work ensured justice for the victim’s family.”
According to Leedberg’s obituary, he was 53 when he died on Oct. 12, 2023, following a two‑year battle with cancer.
In the obituary, Leedberg-Snow is described as his “significant other.”
Prosecutors said Leedberg‑Snow moved quickly after his death, relying on Tetreault’s signature to fabricate a marriage that never occurred and position herself as Leedberg’s surviving spouse.
Tetreault, who was a New Hampshire justice of the peace at the time, falsely signed the marriage license claiming he had officiated the couple’s wedding. He later admitted he never performed any ceremony for Leedberg‑Snow and Leedberg and had no personal knowledge of them ever being married.
Leedberg‑Snow used the fraudulent certificate to obtain property from Leedberg’s estate, including a pickup truck and trailer, and later attempted to influence a witness connected to the scheme.
Leedberg‑Snow pleaded guilty in Cheshire County Superior Court in Keene to felony counts of solicitation to commit vital records fraud, title fraud, theft by misapplication of property and witness tampering.
In addition to her seven‑day jail term, she must serve two years of probation, pay $4,600 in restitution, return the truck and trailer to Leedberg’s estate and comply with a suspended three‑and‑a‑half‑ to seven‑year prison sentence, which means the sentence only takes effect if she violates the conditions of her probation.
Tetreault, who continues to serve as Winchester’s town clerk and “fully cooperated with the State’s investigation,” according to prosecutors, pleaded guilty in April to notarial misconduct, a Class A misdemeanor. As part of a negotiated plea, prosecutors dropped a felony charge of vital records fraud. He was sentenced to 90 days in the house of corrections, all suspended for two years on good behavior, and ordered to pay a $1,000 fine plus a $240 penalty assessment.
He resigned his commissions as a justice of the peace and bail commissioner and agreed not to seek recommissioning as a justice of the peace or notary public during the two‑year suspension period.
Tetreault could not be reached for comment at his office number.
Follow Aaron Curtis on X @aselahcurtis, or on Bluesky @aaronscurtis.bsky.social.
New Hampshire
Rescue Crews Help Injured Woman Off Mt. Washington
SARGENT’S PURCHASE – On Saturday, personnel from multiple rescue crews teamed up to help an injured woman get off of Mt. Washington to seek medical treatment.
At approximately 7:45 AM, New Hampshire Fish and Game Department Conservation Officers were notified that a staff member at the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) Lakes of the Clouds Hut had taken a serious fall at the hut and was left unable to walk.
Fish and Game subsequently mobilized search and rescue personnel to come and help evacuate the young woman from her remote location.
By 10:00 AM, members of the Androscoggin Valley Search and Rescue Team (AVSAR), Pemigewassett Valley Search and Rescue Team (Pemi), AMC and Fish and Game had gathered at the Base Station of the Cog Rail. The Cog Railway generously donated room on their trains, and rescuers and equipment were given rides up Mt. Washington to the West Side Trail, which allowed for a shorter and less strenuous 1.6 mile hike than other routes.
By 11:20 AM rescuers were at the hut with the patient. The patient was subsequently packaged in a litter and prepared for an overland carryout back to the Cog tracks.
Rescue personnel made steady progress, and by 2:15 PM had made it back across West Side Trail and to the train tracks. A Cog Railway train picked up the whole rescue party and brought everyone back down the mountain. Once roadside, the patient was evaluated by personnel from Twin Mountain Fire and Rescue.
She was ultimately driven from the scene by a friend and went to Memorial Hospital in North Conway for further evaluation
and treatment of multiple injuries related to her fall. The patient was identified as Cali Turner, 26, of Willimantic, Maine.
Fish and Game would like to thank all of the people and organizations involved in this rescue effort. Through the help of everyone, the rescue was a great success and got done in a timely manner.
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