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New Hampshire
NH troops from the border: 'We have to adapt every night to every scenario' • New Hampshire Bulletin
New Hampshire National Guard Lt. Ryan Camp looked through the border fence separating Texas and Mexico, and made a mental note of the pickup truck crawling back and forth along the bank of the Rio Grande. He logged the man fishing and the person he could hear but not see walking through the brush below the fence.
Camp’s list of events can grow long by the end of a 10-hour shift.
That’s the kind of vigilance, he said, that left his unit prepared to spot a group of migrants crossing the river in darkness Wednesday night. Soldiers intercepted the foursome after they cut the fence and slipped under.
“You have to pay attention and be observant of what’s happening not only in front of you at the anti-climb barrier, but what’s happening in the river, and what’s happening on the opposite bank,” Camp said during a patrol last week. “Every encounter we have on the border is different, and we have to adapt every night to every scenario.”
Gov. Chris Sununu deployed 15 National Guard soldiers to Eagle Pass, Texas, in early April to help that state stop undocumented migrants and drugs from coming into the country illegally. The New Hampshire soldiers pair with Guard members from Texas and Louisiana, patrolling 1½ miles of Texas’s 1,250-mile border overnight. Camp said they encounter about 50 migrants a night on average, a huge drop from the 5,000 who were arriving in December.
Their orders allow them to do three things: report suspicious or illegal activity to Texas authorities; direct migrants to a legal port of entry; and aid migrants only amid danger to their “life, limb, or eyes.”
They cannot arrest or detain migrants. They cannot even give them water.
Pfc. Dennis Harris, 42, of Freedom, was keeping watch from atop a Humvee last week.
“It’s more of a safety aspect both for the people that are trying to cross and for the people that are here in the States,” he said. “Because, yes, some people that are crossing are obviously family members but there’s also other individuals who are crossing that we probably don’t want living next door.”
Logistically and emotionally challenging
The soldiers’ mission, which will keep them in Texas until early June, is likely more logistically and emotionally complicated than it looks from afar. It can be frustrating, they said, to watch a situation unfold and be so limited in responding.
That includes waiting for a person to cut or climb over a fence before calling in Texas authorities and saying no to someone asking for water.
Some migrants ask the soldiers to admit them because they fear for their safety at home. Some appear with young children. They risk drowning in the Rio Grande to get that far. Some spend hours looking for a spot out of the soldiers’ sight to cut the fence and slip under. Last week a woman and two men slept two nights against the fence, asking the soldiers to let them in. Camp, who like the other New Hampshire soldiers does not speak Spanish, used Google Translate to communicate with them.
“She was saying that she would rather be imprisoned here than in Mexico and that Mexico was dangerous,” Camp, 26, of Brookfield, said.
Camp recounted a man approaching the fence carrying a toddler in his backpack, through coils of wire with sharp barbs that can quickly shred a pack.
Last week, a group of migrants found an opportunity to climb over the fence unnoticed and cleared a second fence about 200 yards away. To protect themselves against the sharp wire, they drape it with clothes or blankets. Sometimes they light the material on fire to melt the wire.
When troops noticed the migrants fleeing, Sgt. Timothy King, 26, of Fremont, said they responded the only way their orders allow them to: call authorities who have the power to take migrants into custody – if they find them.
“I’ve seen instances where (migrants) will sit in the brush for probably up to nine or 10 hours,” King said. “They are determined. They will just go out there and just take a nap and … wait until the search gets called off and they can get through.”
Soldiers from other states have seen individuals leave infants at the fence and return to Mexico, waiting to see if the authorities take the child into the United States. If they don’t, they swim across the river again and collect the child.
Guard members from another state saw a woman give birth at the fence. In that case, soldiers responded because the life of the mother and child were at risk.
“You do everything you can to make sure that if something goes wrong, you can save them,” Camp said. “But until then you have to do your job.”
He said those experiences take a toll on soldiers. The unit was given resources for mental health treatment when they arrived. Camp and another troop leader, Sgt. 1st Class Cameron Holt-Corti of North Berwick, Maine, watch their soldiers for signs they are struggling and help them seek treatment.
“Our job is simple to describe, but there is nothing simple about it,” Camp said.
According to media reports last year, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said 14 of its agents had died by suicide in 2022, the highest count in a single year since it began tracking suicides in 2007.
There are no days off
At the start of his 7 p.m. shift, Holt-Corti, 34, stepped aside, his cell phone to his ear. He was wishing his three children goodnight.
“You miss them, and it’s rough on them,” he said. “I’ve talked to them every day.”
Each of the 15 Guard members, whose ages range from 19 to 42, left something behind when they volunteered for this mission.
Harris, who also has children, works in construction. Holt-Corti is the director of safety at a welding company. Camp works at Sig Sauer’s testing range and looks after his parents. One soldier is trying to keep up with college courses.
“You have to make sure that you’re talking with your work, you’re talking to your professors,” Camp said. “One of the things that can be hard for people is the world doesn’t stop while you’re gone. So you’ll come back and things are different. And you end up playing catch up.”
They are staying an hour from Eagle Pass, in Base Camp Alpha, in Del Rio, a commute that stretches their 10-hour shift to 12 hours. They’ve got a gym and a chow hall that serves a lot of shrimp. They cannot have alcohol on or off duty. Some have to get around in a minivan because the car rental agency had nothing else.
Soldiers work three nights, followed by three days off. But “off” is a misnomer because they use those days to keep their service pistol in working order and keep up with training.
“That’s the Army as a whole,” Camp said. “When you have a day off, in reality, you don’t really have a day off. You have a calmer day.”
New England Travel
These hikes are full of history, wildlife, and gorgeous views.
Hiking trails are full of history, beauty, and wildlife, but with so many options, it can be hard to choose your next path.
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Car camping is trending this season, according to Hipcamp
The following are 12 great hikes recommended by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation & Recreation (DCR), Mass Audubon North Shore, Berkshire Natural Resources Council (BNRC), and the Appalachian Mountain Club.
Massachusetts
Skyline Loop Trail in Blue Hills Reservation in Milton
The 2.64-mile Skyline Loop Trail in the Blue Hills Reservation in Milton gives hikers a taste of the longer, nine-mile Skyline Trail. The loop takes hikers over five hills, including Hancock Hill, which was once the farm of John Hancock of Declaration of Independence fame and the first independent governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
There is a tower built by the Civilian Corp of Engineers during the Great Depression, and hikers can look out over Boston and the Harbor Islands
Cedar Swamp Trail in Douglas State Forest in Douglas
As hikers experience the Cedar Swamp Trail, a .5-mile hike, the environment changes from a typical New England mixed hardwood forest into a cedar swamp as Atlantic white cedar and hemlock trees replace oak, maple, birch, beech, and ash.
“The thick growth of these evergreens allows little light to reach the forest floor,” according to DCR. “Keep an eye out for the unique foliage native to the swamp like sphagnum or ‘peat’ moss, skunk cabbage and cinnamon ferns, as well as the wildlife that calls the swamp home.”
Robert Frost Trail in Mount Holyoke Range State Park in Amherst
Fans of Robert Frost can experience nature through the writer’s eyes on this 4-mile hike on the Robert Frost Trail that honors the iconic poet’s Massachusetts connection. Frost spent part of his life in Massachusetts, teaching English at nearby Amherst College.
Hikers can look for a hidden pool and a fork in the road while exploring the interpretive trail, DCR noted, which is an easy to moderate hike.
Read more about these state park hikes: 3 beautiful hikes at Massachusetts State Parks
Rockery Trail at Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary in Topsfield
For a unique, family-friendly hike involving rocks, head to the Rockery Trail at Ispwich River Wildlife Sanctuary, according to the Mass Audubon North Shore.
The 1/2-mile trail, the most popular hike at the sanctuary, includes boardwalks and features a rockery built by Thomas Emerson Proctor in 1905. You can climb the large stone structure and also walk through the little tunnel underneath. The wide easy trail is great for all ages.
Professor Chandler’s Long Walk at Rough Meadows Wildlife Sanctuary in Rowley
Hikers enjoy panoramic views at Rough Meadows Wildlife Sanctuary, which includes the scenic Professor Chandler’s Long Walk. The .65-mile easy trail takes hikers out into the Great Marsh, the largest salt marsh in New England, and is great for bird watchers.
The trail is named after Professor Alfred D. Chandler, Jr., who donated much of the land.
Woodland Loop at Cedar Pond Wildlife Sanctuary in Wenham
The Woodland Loop trail is a universally accessible trail at Cedar Pond Wildlife Sanctuary. The .9-mile trail offers a loop through deciduous and pine forest and opens up to a small meadow at the midpoint.
These All Persons Trails are ADA compliant and include universally accessible interpretive features. Visitors can expect handrails, braille and tactile features, wildlife viewing boardwalks and platforms, audio tour stops, seating, and more, according to Mass Audubon.
Read more about these North Shore trails: 3 beautiful hikes on the North Shore
The Meadow Loop Trail in Great Barrington
Animals lovers will love the accessible half-mile Meadow Loop Trail in the 267-acre Thomas & Palmer Brook Reserve, according to the Berkshire Natural Resources Council. The path, conveniently close to downtown Great Barrington, has excellent wetland and meadow views with benches for resting and taking in the scenery. The trail is also great for beaver watching.
For those who want to keep hiking, the trail connects to the 0.6-mile Woodland Trail and 0.3-mile Whale Rock Trail, both moderate.
Mahanna Cobble Trail in Pittsfield
Those looking for a challenge can tackle the 2.8-mile roundtrip trek on the Mahanna Cobble Trail.
The trail starts at Bosquet Mountain ski area, where hikers climb a beginner-level ski slope before getting into the forest. Hikers are rewarded with views of Kennedy Park, Mass Audobon’s Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary, and Yukon Ridge.
Sunset Rock Trail in North Adams
Hikers who tackle the easy 1.6-mile roundtrip Sunset Rock Trail at Hoosic Range Reserve later in the day can take in the Taconic Ridge and Green Mountains and it’s a great place to view the sunset.
For hikers seeking even more great views in the 944-acre reserve, continue on for 3 miles along the Hoosic Range Trail. This trail is considered difficult because of its length, and the 6-mile roundtrip hike is a gradual climb.
Read more about these Berkshires hikes: 3 beautiful hikes in the Berkshires
New Hampshire
Arethusa Falls Trail in Hart’s Location
Hikers on the Arethusa Falls Trail in Crawford Notch State Park are in a for a real treat, according to the Appalachian Mountain Club: New Hampshire’s highest waterfall. It’s a 1.3-mile moderate hike to the near 200-foot waterfall. Once at the waterfall, folks can hike down to the bottom and sit and dip their feet in the water.
The falls were discovered by Edward Tuckerman in 1875, according to visitwhitemountains.com, who named it after a nymph in Greek mythology that turned into a fountain.
Zealand Trail in Bethlehem
Zealand Trail connects to the Appalachian Trail, and hikers get to experience a short section of it before it goes out to Zealand falls. It’s about 2 1/2 miles to the falls.
The Appalachian Trail, which stretches from Maine to Georgia, is the longest hiking-only footpath in the world, and the New Hampshire portion offers more miles above the treeline than any other state on the trail, according to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy.
There is also an AMC Zealand Falls Hut on the trail, where hikers can stay overnight with a reservation.
Mount Willard Trail in Hart’s Location
Mount Willard’s elevation is 2,865 feet, and the summit is located in Crawford Notch State Park. It is a 1.6-mile moderate hike up to the summit, and hikers follow an old carriage road.
Folks start out at the top of Crawford Notch and hike along forests and along a stream, and there’s a tiny waterfall and an area called the Centennial Pool. Hikers can see the southern end of the Presidential Range, Crawford Notch, Mount Tom, and Mount Willey.
Read more about these hikes in the White Mountains: 3 beautiful hikes in the White Mountains
✨ The Dip is coming back to the park!
They had you dancing last time, and they’re back to do it again. Seattle’s seven-piece soul and R&B powerhouse The Dip brings a three-piece horn section, deep grooves, and a #1 Billboard R&B album’s worth of heat to the Wilcox Main Stage. This is the kind of band that makes you want to stay out way past your bedtime.
THE DIP in The River House Concert Series on the Wilcox Main Stage
📍 Prescott Park Arts Festival, Portsmouth NH
📅 Wednesday, July 1 at 7PM
🫶 Recommended Donation
No reservations required to attend, but grab one and have your spot waiting for you!
Prescott Park Arts Festival
07:00 PM – 11:59 PM on Wed, 1 Jul 2026
New Hampshire
As Nottingham prepares to address backlash to a data center proposal, where does NH stand on data centers?
After a proposal to build a data center in Nottingham stoked fierce backlash, the town’s planning board is holding a special meeting Wednesday to further discuss the topic.
What happened in Nottingham?
Thomas Moulton, the Seacoast entrepreneur, proposed converting a vacant warehouse on Route 4 into a data center to the Nottingham planning board in May, which was first reported by InDepthNH.
In the days leading up to the planning board meeting, a petition online garnered more than 25,000 signatures.
Moulton withdrew his application hours before the meeting last Wednesday, where he was slated to discuss the proposal.
He cited the fierce criticism from local residents, which included a planned protest outside the meeting.
Protestors still gathered outside the meeting on May 27, and dozens of residents spoke out against data centers during the meeting’s public comment section.
What caused public pushback to the data center?
Kristen Lamb, who serves on the town’s conservation committee and master plan update subcommittee, said she was concerned about water quality impacts, increased electricity bills and noise pollution. She said Nottingham residents care deeply about protecting the natural landscape.
“We have a history of prioritizing our natural history, our natural resources and water quality” she said.
Numerous studies have found the energy consumption of data centers could place a serious strain on water infrastructure and power grids.
Plus, Lamb argued that building a data center would violate the town’s zoning ordinances.
In the days leading up to last week’s meeting, Lamb spoke out online and wrote letters detailing her concerns to the planning board and Gov. Kelly Ayotte.
What does state law say?
Data centers have become an increasingly hot-button issue in state legislatures across the country.
In New Hampshire, Democratic legislators introduced Senate Bill 439 earlier this year, which would have created a statewide definition of data centers and granted local municipalities more authority over regulating them. Sen. Debra Altschiller co-sponsored the bill.
“[Building data centers is] one of the fastest growing and, quite frankly, most disruptive forms of industrial development in the country,” said Altschiller. “It’s something brand new, and we can’t treat the development of AI data centers as if it is just any other kind of manufacturing.”
In a Senate committee in January, Sen. Timothy Lang, a Republican, introduced an amendment that pushed the legislation in the opposite direction.
“Basically, what the amendment does is rewrite the bill,” he said during the committee meeting on Jan. 20. The amended bill would instead limit towns’ ability to regulate data centers, and allow them in commercial and industrial zones.
The amended bill passed the House Committee on Municipal and County Government along party lines on May 5.
However, it died in a bipartisan floor vote in the House, 304-11, meaning there was no real movement in state laws or regulations on data centers this year.
“Municipalities are left with whatever they have in place right now, today,” said Altschiller. “And it’s not a whole lot.”
Democrats in the House also introduced a bill that would prohibit building data centers in the state and create a committee to study their environmental impact. It failed in committee.
What happens now?
Despite Moulton’s withdrawal, Kristen Lamb said he could still reintroduce the proposal in the future or another developer could try a similar plan, so she and other residents are continuing their fight.
“Our town is interested in moving forward with a moratorium or exploring what we can do to make it explicit that data centers or any kind of commercial industry that has that kind of impact on our water, residents income and way of life and wildlife doesn’t get passed,” she said.
The planning board’s workshop meeting will be held at 7 p.m. on June 3 at the town office building.
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