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Mass., NH may see more aurora with severe solar storm firing this week

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Mass., NH may see more aurora with severe solar storm firing this week


A severe solar storm may trigger northern lights in New England this week, and as far south in the U.S. as the lower Midwest and Northern California, according to U.S. space weather forecasters.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued a severe geomagnetic storm watch on Wednesday for Thursday into Friday after an outburst from the sun was detected earlier this week. Such a storm could temporarily disrupt power and radio signals, along with producing aurora.

Exact locations and times of the northern lights are uncertain, according to NOAA. Skygazers are reminded to point their smartphones upward for photos; the devices often can capture auroras that human eyes cannot.

Forecasters do not expect the latest solar storm to surpass the one that slammed Earth in May, the strongest in more than two decades. But they won’t know for sure until it’s just 1 million miles away, where spacecraft can measure it.

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May’s solar storm produced dazzling auroras across the Northern Hemisphere, and aurora have occasionally been visible in the skies over New England since.

A powerful solar storm could disrupt power and communications, but also made the aurora borealis visible much farther south than usual. Pete Bouchard explains.

The sun is near the peak of its current 11-year cycle, sparking the recent solar activity.

May’s storm resulted in no major disruptions, but the coming could stress power grids even more as the U.S. deals with major back-to-back hurricanes, the Space Weather Prediction Center warned Wednesday.

NOAA has notified operators of power plants and orbiting spacecraft to take precautions. It also alerted the Federal Emergency Management Agency about possible power disruptions, as the organization copes with the devastating aftermath of Hurricane Helene and gears up for Hurricane Milton barreling across the Gulf of Mexico toward Florida.

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Florida is far enough south to avoid any power disruptions from the solar surge unless it gets a lot bigger, said scientist Rob Steenburgh of NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center.

“That adds a little bit more to the comfort level,” Steenburgh said. “Why we’re here is to let them know so that they can prepare.”

Experts are more concerned about potential effects to the power grids in areas slammed by Hurricane Helene two weeks ago, said NOAA space weather forecaster Shawn Dahl.

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In New England, power grid operator ISO New England always monitors solar activity, and can activate procedures to protect equipments.

“These measures may involve adjusting generator outputs, coordinating with transmission operators to stop maintenance work when possible, and manage the amount of electricity that flows on transmission lines,” an ISO New England representative said.





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Nashua downtown apartment project earns Plan NH 2026 Merit Award of Excellence   » Nashua Ink Link

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Nashua downtown apartment project earns Plan NH 2026 Merit Award of Excellence   » Nashua Ink Link


Each year, a distinguished jury of industry professionals reviews each nomination and  determines those that are truly outstanding and deserving of recognition. At the Plan NH Awards  Evening on June 18, 2026, at Arts Alley in Concord, Apartments @ 249 Main in Nashua were named among this year’s awardees.



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U.S. Forest Service Reorg Talk | Films | Stories In A Park: Week Ahead Events On Concord Patch

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U.S. Forest Service Reorg Talk | Films | Stories In A Park: Week Ahead Events On Concord Patch


So get out!

Event listings are free on one Patch site. You can share your calendar info on other community sites for a modest fee, starting at 25 cents per day. To get started, visit the Events link on the front page of all Patch sites. Statewide calendar roundups are published on most Sundays and Wednesdays. Visit any of the 227 New Hampshire Patch Event sites (patch.com/map/new-hampshire) for updated listings.





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Nashua resident charged over chats seeking access to children

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Nashua resident charged over chats seeking access to children


NASHUA, N.H. — A Nashua resident is facing felony charges after police say a CyberTip flagged the individual’s alleged interest in sexually abusing a child, leading investigators to uncover child sexual abuse material on his electronic devices.

According to a complaint filed in court by the Nashua Police Department, 23-year-old Dean Jackson — who is transgender and uses they/them pronouns — had previously been trespassed from a Nashua middle school after allegedly loitering there.

Police said a National Center for Missing and Exploited Children CyberTip, forwarded on June 18 by the New Hampshire Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, prompted investigators in the department’s Cybercrimes Against Children Unit to quickly identify Jackson as the individual involved.

The CyberTip originated from Discord — a communication platform — which reported a chat in which Jackson and another user allegedly discussed going to parks and other locations, including schools, to gain access to children.

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Police said they made contact with Jackson and later executed a court‑ordered search warrant at his residence, where they seized electronic devices. During the interaction, Jackson allegedly attempted to delete images from his phone, police said.

According to police, investigators reported finding evidence of both possession and distribution of child sexual abuse images on the seized devices. The complaint states that Jackson gave verbal consent to view an album on their phone titled “Pedo,” which contained 555 files, several of which were identifiable as child sexual abuse images.

The complaint states the Discord chat included Jackson saying they wished they lived “in the era where you told your eight‑year‑old to go off and play … without any sort of supervision,” and that they had been “caught loitering around a school” and trespassed as a result.

Jackson also allegedly wrote that they “look like a stereotypical pedo,” and discussed wanting to get a job at a day care, work as a babysitter or even adopt children to gain access to them.

A Nashua police detective confirmed in the complaint that Jackson had been the subject of a March 2022 call for service near a middle school, where juveniles chased Jackson and alleged to police that Jackson had been known to loiter and ask female students for nude photographs. This resulted in the no-trespass order.

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During an interview with police, Jackson allegedly admitted they were “likely subconsciously a pedophile,” had participated in explicit chats on multiple devices, and later told detectives they had been lying earlier and did possess and seek out child sexual abuse images. Jackson also allegedly admitted to photographing their neighbor’s 4‑ or 5‑year‑old children.

Jackson was charged with three counts of possession of child sexual abuse images, a Class A felony; three counts of distribution of child sexual abuse images, a special felony; and one count of falsifying physical evidence, a Class B felony.

Jackson was held without bail following their arrest and again ordered held on preventive detention during their arraignment Monday in the 9th Circuit Nashua District Court, after a judge ruled they posed a danger to the public. No plea was entered on any of the seven charges during Jackson’s arraignment.

Jackson is scheduled to return to court for a probable cause hearing at 10 a.m. July 1.

Police said the investigation remains active. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Nashua Police Department Crime Line at 603‑589‑1665.

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Follow Aaron Curtis on X @aselahcurtis, or on Bluesky @aaronscurtis.bsky.social.



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