New Hampshire

Pro-gun group: Adding mental health records to NH do-not-sell list ‘insane,’ ‘crazy’

Published

2 years ago

March 19, 2024

Pro-gun group: Adding mental health records to NH do-not-sell list ‘insane,’ ‘crazy’

Annmarie Timmins
| New Hampshire Bulletin

Pro-gun rights groups have made a Second Amendment argument against a New Hampshire bill that would stop gun sales to individuals whom a court had found dangerous enough to require commitment to a psychiatric hospital. One speaker warned a House committee at a public hearing last month against limiting the “God-given” right to own a gun.

The New Hampshire Firearms Coalition is reaching out to voters with another argument that mental health advocates – and the bill’s Republican sponsor – say is derogatory: It argues that it is “crazy” and “insane” to address public safety concerns by adding individuals hospitalized in limited circumstances to a do-not-sell list, as House Bill 1711 would.

The bill was prompted by the November shooting death of state hospital security officer Bradley Hass by former patient John Madore, who was then shot and killed by a state trooper. Madore had been committed to the state hospital at least once and had his guns confiscated in 2016.

The gun rights coalition instead argues that people hospitalized due to mental illness and dangerousness should be detained in the hospital until they are well. Upon release, it says, they should not be kept from buying a gun.

“If these people are so violent that they need to be disarmed, why are they released at all?” reads the flyer, which was sent to some House Republicans and their constituents. On the opposite side, it says: “Crazy is as crazy does.”

Rep. Terry Roy, a Deerfield Republican who co-sponsored HB 1711 with House Democratic Rep. David Meuse of Portsmouth, received the flyer, as did his constituents.

“It was insulting,” said Roy. “It was demeaning to anyone who has a mental illness, which a large portion of our population will at some point.” An estimated 1 in 5 people experiences a mental illness each year. Roy said that once he explained the bill to the couple of constituents who called him, “they were happy.”

Susan Stearns, executive director of NAMI New Hampshire, responded similarly when she saw the flyer.

“It’s deliberately trying to exploit the stereotype around people with mental illness being violent and needing to be kept away from society,” she said. “Ultimately that hurts a lot of Granite Staters and perpetuates that type of stereotype and stigma.”

Stearns and Roy said the flyer also misrepresents and overlooks the bill’s intent and measured balance between public safety and respecting the civil rights of people with mental illness. Not all mental health hospitalizations would qualify someone to be added to the federal National Instant Criminal Background Check System. And there would be a clearly defined process for getting off the list.

Rep. J.R. Hoell, a Dunbarton Republican and secretary of the New Hampshire Firearms Coalition, interprets the bill and flyer differently.

While the flyer does not say so, Hoell said he believes most people with mental illness are not violent and are more often the victims of violence. The use of “crazy” and “insane” was a “play on words,” he said, not intended to be insulting.

In Hoell’s mind, the bill would wrongly criminalize mental illness by allowing the federal government to deny people who’ve never committed a crime their Second Amendment rights simply because they’ve been involuntarily hospitalized due to danger concerns.

However, federal law already prohibits anyone committed to a psychiatric institution from buying or possessing a gun; New Hampshire, however, does not submit the relevant information to the database.

“This magic list does not solve the issue,” Hoell said, noting that upon release someone can get a gun beyond a gun store. “If you are a threat to others, you need residential care. If you don’t need residential care, you are not a threat to others. It’s A or B.”

Meuse remembers the day Roy, who has voted against every gun safety bill Meuse has supported, asked him to co-sponsor HB 1711. The two have collaborated on bail reform legislation but never shared common ground on gun bills.

“I just remember being really surprised and then thinking to myself, ‘OK, don’t do anything to screw this up,’” Meuse said. “This is a really good thing.”

It will go to the full House later this month with an overwhelming 18-2 vote from the House Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee that it be passed. In emotional testimony, the state hospital’s associate medical director called the shooting, during which the hospital security notification system failed, “one of the worst moments of my life.”

While eight committee Republicans joined Democrats in backing the bill, Roy knows he’ll face a fight on the House floor from Hoell, libertarians, and some in his own party.

“I’m disappointed in the shortsightedness of the Second Amendment community,” Roy said. “What they don’t seem to get is that we are better off not having dangerous people buying firearms because every time there is a mass shooting and someone has a mental health issue, there are calls for more restrictions on firearms.”

The bill would not apply to people who seek behavioral health treatment voluntarily or those who are the subject of an involuntary emergency admission petition.

The legislation would apply only to people who are involuntarily admitted on a non-emergency basis, after a court hearing, during which they would have legal representation. A judge would have to find them to have a mental condition that makes them dangerous to themselves or others.

The bill allows a court to confiscate an individual’s firearms and ammunition, but the person would have more control over how those guns are taken and where they are held.

The bill would provide a person the opportunity to petition a court for review of their “mental capacity,” a first step to being removed from the database. In some cases, they could do that within 15 days after their “absolute” discharge, meaning they are complying with treatment requirements. In other cases they must wait six months.

The Disability Rights Center-NH and NAMI NH required the bill include a process to be removed from the database. And the former persuaded the committee to limit the type of information entered into the database to protect individuals’ privacy. Even then, the Disability Rights Center-NH said it won’t support the bill because of civil rights concerns but also won’t oppose it.

Those same civil rights concerns will lead Hoell to oppose it vehemently.

At best, he said, he’d support a state “patient list” of people deemed a danger to others due to a short-term mental illness. That would keep information out of federal hands, a priority, he said. He would support a legal path to regaining the right to buy and purchase a gun.

Meuse believes there are other New Hampshire gun owners, some of them lawmakers, who will split with Hoell and back the bill. And he thinks the shooting death of Haas by an individual who was committed to a psychiatric facility and had his guns confiscated will be persuasive.

“When you see the surveys, it’s not just Democrats and the left, (but) a lot of people who own firearms, who hunt, who basically think that we’ve just sort of reached the point where if we don’t do something, the consequences of doing nothing are going to catch up to us even faster.”

This story was originally published by the New Hampshire Bulletin.

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New Hampshire

Hampton Beach Casino redevelopment approved by New Hampshire town board

Published

15 hours ago

November 6, 2025

Press Room

Hampton Beach Casino redevelopment approved by New Hampshire town board

Updated on: November 6, 2025 / 3:58 PM EST
/ CBS Boston

The Hampton Beach Casino has the green light to go ahead with a major redevelopment on the popular tourist strip. The town planning board voted unanimously Wednesday night to approve plans to renovate the New Hampshire attraction.

The current site on Ocean Boulevard is more than 100 years old and developers say it “has reached the end of its useful life.” They also say the building is not fully accessible to people with disabilities and lacks modern-day fire and flood prevention measures.

“The ‘Casino’ has a long history – my grandparents used to visit it and the Beach back in the 1920s and 30s. But it is now beyond repair,” Hampton Planning Board chair Sharon Mullen told WBZ-TV.

The new plans call for the casino ballroom capacity to be increased from 2,200 seats to 3,500. It would also have a new charitable gaming venue, a 208-room boutique hotel, 99 residential condominium units, a spa, restaurants and retail space, and a 732-space parking garage.

A major redevelopment is planned for the Hampton Beach Casino.

PCA, Inc.

Developers said demolition work could begin after next summer, and the duration of the construction would be about three years, with the project finishing sometime in 2029 or 2030. A more detailed construction plan will be worked out with the building inspector, the engineering firm working on the project said.

“My expectation is nobody wants us out there building on the weekends in the summer,” TEC CEO Rick Friberg told the board.

The casino is owned by Sal Lupoli, who founded the regional pizza chain Sal’s.

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New Hampshire

Women’s Hockey Set For Home-And-Home Series With University Of New Hampshire – Providence College Athletics

Published

1 day ago

November 6, 2025

Press Room

Women’s Hockey Set For Home-And-Home Series With University Of New Hampshire – Providence College Athletics

GAME INFORMATION VS. UNIVERSITY OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

NOVEMBER 7 | SCHNEIDER ARENA | DURHAM, N.H. | 6:00 PM
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NOVEMBER 8 | SCHNEIDER ARENA | PROVIDENCE, R.I. | 2:00 PM
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PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The Providence College women’s hockey team returns to action this weekend against the University of New Hampshire. The Friars will travel to Durham, N.H., on Friday, Nov. 7 for a 6 p.m. puck drop at the Whittemore Center before returning home on Saturday, Nov. 8 for a 2 p.m. game at Schneider Arena.

Scouting the Friars
Providence enters the weekend after earning four points against the University of Maine last weekend and securing its first Hockey East victory of the season. The Friars took the first game, 3-2, in overtime behind senior Sarah Davies’ (Mississauga, Ontario) game-winning goal. In the rematch on Saturday, the teams skated to a 1-1 tie. Providence claimed the second point in the shootout with goals from junior Audrey Knapp (Stevens Point, Wis.) and sophomore Jessie Pellerin (Bowmanville, Ontario). Graduate goaltender Hope Walinski (Lincoln, R.I.) made two saves in the shootout.

Ranked Start
Following the matchup against No. 13/13 St. Thomas, the Friars played seven of their first eight games against ranked opponents. Providence is 2-5-0 this season against ranked foes. Last year, the Friars went 7-5-0— their most ranked wins in a season under Head Coach Matt Kelly and the most since 2009-10. Including the 2025-26 season, Kelly holds a 23-45-6 record against ranked opponents at Providence. Based on opponents’ winning percentage, the Friars have faced the fourth-toughest schedule in the country (.719).

Overtimes
Three of the Friars’ last four games have gone to overtime. Providence is 2-0-1 in overtime this season. Last year, the Friars were 4-1-3 in extra time and are 16-10-21 all-time under Head Coach Matt Kelly. Their three overtime games are tied for the most in Hockey East this season alongside Vermont and Maine.

Kirchmair’s Fast Start
Senior Reichen Kirchmair (Oakville, Ontario) has produced 10 points in 10 games this season on eight goals and two assists. The reigning Hockey East Player of the Year ranks eighth nationally in game-winning goals (2), 13th in goals per game (0.75) and 10th in power-play goals (2). She leads all Hockey East skaters in goals per game. Kirchmair is also one of four players in the NCAA to score four goals in a game this season.

Reichen Kirchmair Named Hockey East Player Of The Week
Senior Reichen Kirchmair (Oakville, Ontario) was named Hockey East Player of the Week on Monday, Oct. 27, marking her first weekly honor of the season. Kirchmair led the Friars with four goals in Friday’s 7-6 overtime victory over No. 13/13 St. Thomas. She recorded a second-period hat trick in just 4:41 before netting the game-winner in overtime. The four-goal outing marked Kirchmair’s second career hat trick, seventh three-point game, and second four-point game. It was also her 22nd career multi-point effort and 12th game-winning goal. Kirchmair is the first Friar to score four goals in a game since Sara Hjalmarsson did so against Maine on Nov. 19, 2022, and the first to record multiple hat tricks since Hjalmarsson, who tallied three in her career.

Returning for the Friars
Providence returns senior forward Reichen Kirchmair (Oakville, Ontario), the 2024-25 Cammi Granato Award winner as Hockey East Player of the Year and the league’s scoring champion. She became the first Friar to earn Player of the Year honors since 2004-05 and the first to claim the scoring title since 2002-03. Kirchmair was the only unanimous selection to the Hockey East First Team after leading the league with 15 goals and 15 assists in conference play. The senior paced all league players with 19 goals and 18 assists for 37 points in 34 games.

Junior forward Audrey Knapp (Stevens Point, Wis.) also returns for the Friars after being named a Hockey East First Team All-Star last season. Knapp tied for the conference lead in goals with 15, alongside Kirchmair, making them the only Friars to achieve the feat in the Hockey East era with Sara Hjalmarsson in 2022-23. The junior finished the season with 19 goals and 16 assists for 35 points.

In net, graduate student Hope Walinski (Lincoln, R.I.) returns for Providence. Walinski started 33 games for the Friars, posting a 1.87 goals against average, a .922 save percentage, four shutouts and a 19-11-3 record. Walinski was awarded as a Hockey East Third Team All-Star and named to the “Watch List” for the National Goalie of the Year Award last season.

Audrey Knapp Invited to USA Hockey Women’s National Festival
Junior Audrey Knapp (Stevens Point, Wis.) was invited to the 2025 USA Hockey Women’s National Festival on Aug. 3-9 at the Olympic Center in Lake Placid, N.Y. The group is made up of 76 college and professional players, along with 46 players under the age of 18. The Festival assisted in the evaluation process for the 2026 U.S. Olympic Women’s Ice Hockey Team.

Climbing Up The Second Half
The Friars opened the second half of the 2024-25 season with an 8-1-0 record in January, their most wins in the month since 1998-99. From January through the end of the regular season, Providence earned points in 17 of its final 20 conference games, posting a 13-3-0 record in the second half, the best mark in Hockey East after the new year.

Hats Flying
Providence recorded four hat tricks in 2024-25, its most in a single season since 2004-05. Three of those came from current returners: Reichen Kirchmair, Audrey Knapp and Kiara Kraft.

Hockey East Preseason Poll
The Friars were picked to finish fifth in the Hockey East Preseason Poll, which was released on Monday, Sept. 16. Providence received 61 points and were picked to finish behind UConn (86), Boston University (82), Northeastern University (76) and Boston College (64). The Huskies and Terriers each received five first place votes.

Fresh Friar Faces
Providence welcomes 10 new players (one transfer and nine freshmen) to the roster for the 2025-26 season. Taylor Porthan (Edina, Minn.) is a sophomore from UConn. The nine freshmen are Molly Farace (Otonabee, Ontario), Sophie Harold (Cobourg, Ontario), Mallory Hartl (Askov, Minn.), Izzy King (Bedford, Mass.), Taylor Leemrijse (Toronto, Ontario), Lauren Mack (Excelsior, Minn.), Brenna O’Reilly (Burlington, Mass.), Bella Paolucci (Groose Pointe Woods, Mich.) and Sami Snyder (Waterloo, Ontario).

Friars Under Head Coach Matt Kelly
Including the 2025-26 campaign, Matt Kelly has posted an overall record of 128-93-26 (.571) and 97-66-20 (.585) in Hockey East play. Last season’s 20 wins marked the third time during Kelly’s tenure the Friars have reached the 20-win mark. In his inaugural season, the 2018-19 Friars tied the school-record with 24 wins.

In 2020-21, Kelly led the Friars to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2005, marking the program’s second appearance in school history. The Friars have reached the Hockey East Championship twice under Kelly, in 2020-21 and 2022-23.

Closing In On 100 Hockey East Wins
Providence Head Coach Matt Kelly enters the weekend with 97 Hockey East victories, three shy of 100. Kelly would become the second coach in program history to reach 100 Hockey East wins since the league’s inception in 2002-03, joining Bob Deraney. He currently ranks third all-time in program history with 128 overall wins, trailing Deraney (319) and John Marchetti (264).

Through 40
In the Kelly era, the Friars are 87-8-5 when taking the lead into the third period. They are 27-20-14 when tied after two periods and 14-65-7 when trailing.

Three is the Number
Under Kelly, Providence is 96-7-3 all-time when scoring three or more goals. The Friars were 18-1-0 last season when scoring three or more goals. Providence was a perfect 10-0-0 when scoring four or more goals and 5-0-0 when netting five.

Scouting the Wildcats
The University of New Hampshire enters the weekend 5-4-1 overall and 2-1-0 in Hockey East play. The Wildcats are 1-3-0 at home and 4-1-1 on the road to start the season. In their last series, New Hampshire played a home-and-home set with Merrimack College and swept the weekend with an 8-2 win at Lawler Rink and a 5-2 victory at the Whittemore Center.

Who to Watch for New Hampshire
Senior forward Alyson Hush leads the Wildcats with 10 points on three goals and seven assists through 10 games. Behind Hush, freshman forward Nina Rossi and junior forward Danika Botterill each have eight points. Rossi has four goals and four assists while Botterill has two goals and six assists. Sophomore forward Addison Spitz was named Hockey East Player of the Week after recording five points against Merrimack and freshman Josie Linn earned Pro Ambitions Rookie of the Week honors with four points against the Warriors.

In goal, juniors Noemi Martinez Sedona Blair have split time for the Wildcats. Blair has started six games, posting a 2.01 goals-against average, a .934 save percentage and a 2-3-1 record. Martinez has started four games with a 1.75 goals-against average, a .930 save percentage and a 3-1-0 record.

All-Time Series with the Wildcats
New Hampshire leads the all-time series 69-89-15. Last season, the Wildcats won the opening game in Durham, 7-3, before the Friars took the final two meetings at Schneider Arena, 6-3 and 4-3 in overtime. Providence’s last win at the Whittemore Center came on Dec. 8, 2023, in a 6-0 victory.

-GO FRIARS!-

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New Hampshire

NH Lottery Mega Millions, Lucky For Life winning numbers for Nov. 4, 2025

Published

2 days ago

November 5, 2025

Press Room

The New Hampshire Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025 results for each game:

Winning Mega Millions numbers from Nov. 4 drawing

11-14-17-50-57, Mega Ball: 06

Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Lucky For Life numbers from Nov. 4 drawing

03-13-17-27-44, Lucky Ball: 12

Check Lucky For Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 3 numbers from Nov. 4 drawing

Day: 8-8-1

Evening: 4-6-6

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 numbers from Nov. 4 drawing

Day: 2-6-5-3

Evening: 6-9-9-0

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Gimme 5 numbers from Nov. 4 drawing

15-17-28-29-38

Check Gimme 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

When are the New Hampshire Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 10:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Pick 3, 4: 1:10 p.m. and 6:55 p.m. daily.
Mega Millions: 11:00 p.m. Tuesday and Friday.
Megabucks Plus: 7:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Lucky for Life: 10:38 p.m. daily.
Gimme 5: 6:55 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Winning lottery numbers are sponsored by Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network.

Where can you buy lottery tickets?

Tickets can be purchased in person at gas stations, convenience stores and grocery stores. Some airport terminals may also sell lottery tickets.

You can also order tickets online through Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network, in these U.S. states and territories: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Washington D.C., and West Virginia. The Jackpocket app allows you to pick your lottery game and numbers, place your order, see your ticket and collect your winnings all using your phone or home computer.

Jackpocket is the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network. Gannett may earn revenue for audience referrals to Jackpocket services. GAMBLING PROBLEM? CALL 1-800-GAMBLER, Call 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY). 18+ (19+ in NE, 21+ in AZ). Physically present where Jackpocket operates. Jackpocket is not affiliated with any State Lottery. Eligibility Restrictions apply. Void where prohibited. Terms: jackpocket.com/tos.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a New Hampshire managing editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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