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Refresher Course: Why do we have the National Weather Service?

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Refresher Course: Why do we have the National Weather Service?


Every other Tuesday, the team behind Civics 101 joins NHPR’s All Things Considered host Julia Furukawa to talk about how our democratic institutions actually work.

Wherever you go to get the latest weather update – be it your phone or here on NHPR – that information comes from the National Weather Service. But like many other federal agencies, the National Weather Service has been the target of deep cuts and significant changes by President Trump’s administration and DOGE.

Civics 101 senior producer Christina Phillips joins Julia to talk about the role of the National Weather Service and how its work affects public safety, food production and even national security.

Transcript

First, can you tell me more about the work and research of the National Weather Service?

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Yeah. So the National Weather Service is a government agency that is the foundation of meteorology and weather modeling in the United States. So it manages and collects data from satellites and other weather instruments. It synthesizes and studies that data, and then it shares that data with local and federal government agencies, private companies and the public. And the National Weather Service is also the epicenter for responding to severe weather, such as hurricanes and tornadoes. They track it best and they share that information with everyone else.

Okay, so how does that work exactly intersect with other agencies and interests at the federal level?

Yeah. So if you think about it, understanding the weather is essential for everything from farming to national defense, to trade, to travel, as you said. So as a result, agencies like the Federal Aviation Administration, the military, FEMA, the Department of the Interior, the Department of Agriculture, they are all in constant communication with the National Weather Service, and they depend on information they get from them. It’s also worth mentioning that there are dozens of regional offices around the country that provide information to local governments and the media, and there’s an international component, too. So the U.S. is part of the World Meteorological Organization, where 193 countries share data and research with one another.

As we said at the top, the Trump administration has made some significant cuts to the National Weather Service, including firing staff. Are we seeing the politicization of weather? What’s been the fallout there?

Yeah, I think we’re still in the early days to know exactly how this might affect us. But in the short term, we’ve seen several things, which is the loss of expertise when the administration fired those career scientists. We’ve had an interruption in communication about weather events. For example, the National Weather Service ended a contract with a company that translated weather alerts into Spanish. And [we’ve had] an interruption of regular weather monitoring, such as the launch of weather balloons. I think the idea that you can maybe move this to a more private industry, it’s definitely a political lean here. But I think it’s a little difficult to imagine, because weather science has never existed without government investment, what it would look like if it moved more private.

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What’s really at stake here, Christina?

Yeah. So the equipment that collects this information is expensive. And I spoke with one scientist who said that if the government doesn’t pay for it, who would? The National Weather Service is designed just like it sounds. It’s a service for everyone. That includes other agencies. It includes the public, and it includes private companies. So less resources and staff at the federal level means a loss of expertise and data and less preparedness for extreme weather. And I think on a more day to day level, it could impact the ability of, say, an airport to safely get airplanes on and off the ground, or for a hiker to know whether or not it’s safe to hike in the White Mountains, or a ski slope to monitor avalanche risk. And here’s one final example I want to leave you. It could also impact the ability of towns and cities to adjust their building codes, or where they put things because they have less of an understanding of rising flood waters or how severe storms could affect infrastructure.





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New Hampshire

Missing motorcyclist found dead after crash in Shelburne, NH

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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.

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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.



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Nashua, NH, woman jailed for falsifying marriage to claim late man’s estate

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Rescue Crews Help Injured Woman Off Mt. Washington

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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.

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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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