Connect with us

New Hampshire

NH governor’s handling of Merrimack ICE facility proposal draws criticism

Published

on

NH governor’s handling of Merrimack ICE facility proposal draws criticism


Plans to convert a warehouse in Merrimack, New Hampshire, into an immigrant processing center are drawing opposition from local officials and some residents, while raising questions about what state leaders knew and when.

The 300,000-square-foot building located at 50 Robert Milligan Parkway could be repurposed by the Department of Homeland Security as a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility with up to 600 beds.

Town Manager Paul Macali said local officials were not informed early in the process.

“We have been left out of the conversation, and we’re just trying to get information. It’s been very sparse,” he said.

Advertisement

Macali has also raised financial concerns if the federal government purchases the property.

“If the federal government does buy the building, we’re going to lose $529,000 worth of tax revenue, which is a big chunk of money for the school department and the town,” he said.

Public awareness of the proposal followed open records requests by the New Hampshire ACLU and questioning of Trump administration officials by U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan, a Democrat.

Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan questioned acting ICE Director Todd Lyons about a planned immigrant processing center, and Republican Gov. Kelly Ayotte disputed his public comments.

Republican Gov. Kelly Ayotte previously said she had “zero details” about the plans. Her office this week said she has been aware of the intentions since December and had communicated with federal officials.

Advertisement

In a statement, her office said, “Our office has been in communication for weeks with officials at the White House and DHS about this facility to urge that they coordinate with the town of Merrimack and take local input into account before even considering siting a facility like this in New Hampshire.”

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Wednesday the administration is working with governors nationwide, “including in New Hampshire, to open more detention facilities.”

Political analyst Scott Spradling said the governor’s position could be decisive.

“The governor is probably the only voice in New Hampshire that can stop this thing from moving into reality in the town Merrimack, but the question is, will she do that?” he said.

Spradling also questioned whether the governor is aligning her stance with local opposition.

Advertisement

“She has certainly said local voices, local control are most important but we’ve already heard the local voices and the local control folks saying ‘We don’t want this here,’” said Spradling.

Merrimack resident Kaitlin Bernier said she voted for Ayotte and expected a better response.

“We already said how we feel about it, and we don’t want it, and there’s been no response, and that’s very disappointing,” she said.

Bernier and other activists plan to rally at Merrimack Town Hall, demanding input before ICE moves forward.

“We have no new detention centers to announce at this time,” DHS’ Immigration and Customs Enforcement said in a statement. “Secretary [Kristi] Noem has stated that she is willing to work with officials on both sides of the aisle to expand detention space to help ICE law enforcement carry out the largest deportation effort in American history.”

Advertisement

Macali said he spoke with Trammell Crow, which owns the property, and was told the building has not been sold to the federal government. The company did not return requests for comment.



Source link

New Hampshire

Woman dies in Wilton, NH house fire – Boston News, Weather, Sports | WHDH 7News

Published

on

Woman dies in Wilton, NH house fire – Boston News, Weather, Sports | WHDH 7News


WILTON, N.H. (WHDH) – A woman died in a Wilton, New Hampshire, house fire Wednesday morning, according to the New Hampshire State Fire Marshal’s Office.

At 9:08 a.m., Wilton firefighters responded to Burns Hill Road after a caller said their home was filling up with smoke. When they arrived, a single-family home was on fire and they found out two people were still inside on the second floor.

A man and a woman were both taken out of the house by firefighters and taken to Elliott Hospital. The woman was pronounced dead and the man is in serious condition.

Officials have not released the name of the victim at this time.

Advertisement

At this time, investigators are looking into the cause of the fire and are trying to determine if a power outage in the area played a factor. The fire is not currently considered suspicious.

(Copyright (c) 2025 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

Join our Newsletter for the latest news right to your inbox



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

New Hampshire

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

Published

on

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.

Advertisement

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. 

Advertisement

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.

Advertisement

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.

Sign up for the Today newsletter

Get everything you need to know to start your day, delivered right to your inbox every morning.

Advertisement





Source link

Continue Reading

New Hampshire

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

Published

on

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


play

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.

Advertisement

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.

Advertisement

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.

Advertisement

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.

Sign up for weather SMS alerts



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading
Advertisement

Trending