New Hampshire

Ruth Griffin dies at 99, a legend in NH and Portsmouth for public service

Published

2 years ago

August 10, 2024

Ruth Griffin dies at 99, a legend in NH and Portsmouth for public service

Staff report
| news@seacoastonline

PORTSMOUTH — Ruth Griffin, a pioneer in New Hampshire politics known equally in the city for her public service, died Saturday at age 99.

“She passed peacefully at home with her family around her, which is what she requested, so we made that happen for her,” said Joan, her daughter.

Ruth Griffin was elected to and served in New Hampshire’s House, Senate and Executive Council. She’s a Republican legend in heavily Democratic Portsmouth, where a public housing apartment building is named in honor. She served 42 years on the Portsmouth Housing Authority board, a tenure that continued until 2020, the year she turned 95 and a parade was held in her honor. She served on the Executive Council for 30 years, ending in 2007.

She was in attendance in 2022 for the opening of the PHA’s Ruth Lewin Griffin Place apartments on Court Street. In 2018, Gov. Chris Sununu successfully pushed for the Little Bay bridge connecting Dover and Newington to be named Ruth L. Griffin Bridge.

Griffin’s support was sought by Republican presidential candidates for decades in the first-in-the-nation primary state. Griffin served two terms as Republican National Committeewoman, was a member of the selection committee of the Republican National Convention for the 2000 convention, and served many times as a delegate to the RNC, starting in 1972.

Born July 9, 1925, Griffin moved to Portsmouth from Fall River, Massachusetts, in 1938, and was well known for living in the farmhouse built in 1896 by “Grandpa Griffin” on the corner of Richards Avenue and South Street. She was known for the lambs and goats on what is known Griffin’s Half Acre Farm, popular with locals who stopped by to see the animals.

After attending Portsmouth schools, she graduated from nursing school. She was elected to and served on Portsmouth’s School Board and Police Commission as well.

Look for additional coverage of Ruth Griffin’s passing in the coming days. Material from Seacoastonline and Portsmouth Herald archives was used in this report.

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New Hampshire

Court hearing for Cher’s son on charges he broke into a New Hampshire home canceled

Published

10 hours ago

March 11, 2026

Press Room

Court hearing for Cher’s son on charges he broke into a New Hampshire home canceled

Crime

Elijah Allman’s arrest on March 1 was his second in New Hampshire in a matter of days.

FILE – This Feb. 26, 2016 file photo, shows the entrance to St. Paul’s School in Concord, N.H. (AP Photo/Jim Cole, File) AP

By MICHAEL CASEY, Associated Press

March 11, 2026 | 4:50 PM

2 minutes to read

A court hearing for Cher’s son Wednesday over allegations he broke into a New Hampshire home this month has been canceled.

Elijah Allman’s arrest on March 1 was his second in New Hampshire in a matter of days. Allman, the 49-year-old son of the iconic singer and actress, was also detained Feb. 27, accused of acting belligerently at a prestigious prep school in Concord.

It is unclear if Allman, of Malibu, California, has any connection to the home in Windham, New Hampshire. He is being held in the Rockingham County Department of Corrections, Superintendent Jonathan Banville said.

The hearing Wednesday was continued until an undetermined date after Allman got an attorney Wednesday morning. The attorney, Sarah Landres, did not respond to a request for comment.

Allman, whose father was the late singer Gregg Allman, is charged with two counts of criminal mischief, one count of burglary and a count of breach of bail for breaking into the home on March 1. Police said in a report that Allman did not have permission to be at the home and forcibly entered it.

Officials at St. Paul’s School said Allman last month identified himself as the parent of a prospective student and slipped into the dining hall as some students were leaving the building. Police responded to reports that he was disturbing people in the building.

He was charged with four misdemeanors in the school incident: two counts of simple assault, criminal trespass and criminal threatening. Allman was also charged with a violation of disorderly conduct, which is illegal in the state but not considered a crime. He was released on bail.

Allman did not respond to an email requesting comment, and a phone number for him was not working.

In December 2023, Cher filed a petition to become a temporary conservator overseeing her son’s money, saying Allman’s struggles with his mental health and addiction have left him unable to manage his assets and potentially put his life in danger.

The petition says the superstar performer’s son is entitled to regular payments from a trust fund. But “given his ongoing mental health and substance abuse issues,” she is “concerned that any funds distributed to Elijah will be immediately spent on drugs, leaving Elijah with no assets to provide for himself and putting Elijah’s life at risk,” the petition says.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Jessica Uzcategui denied the request, saying she was not convinced that a conservatorship was urgently needed. Allman was in the courtroom with his attorneys, who acknowledged his previous struggles but argued that he was in a good place, was attending meetings, getting treatment and reconciling with his estranged wife.

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New Hampshire

Cher’s son heads to court over allegations he broke into a New Hampshire home

Published

22 hours ago

March 11, 2026

Press Room

Cher’s son heads to court over allegations he broke into a New Hampshire home

The son of Cher is scheduled to be in court Wednesday for a hearing over allegations he broke into a New Hampshire home earlier this month.

It was the second arrest in a matter of days for Elijah Allman, 49, of Malibu, California, who was detained Feb. 27 after allegedly acting belligerently at a prestigious prep school in New Hampshire. It was unclear if Allman had any connection to either St. Paul’s School or the home in Windham, New Hampshire.

Allman remains in the Rockingham County Department of Corrections in what is called preventive detention, Superintendent Jonathan Banville said.

Allman, whose father was the late singer Gregg Allman, faces two counts of criminal mischief, one count of burglary and a count of breach of bail for breaking into the home on March 1. Police said in a report that Allman did not have permission to be at the home and forcibly entered it .

In the incident at the prep school, Allman was charged with four misdemeanors: two counts of simple assault, criminal trespass and criminal threatening. Allman was also charged with a violation of disorderly conduct, which is illegal in the state but not considered a crime.

At about 7 p.m. that day, Concord police responded to reports that Allman was disturbing people in the dining hall of St. Paul’s School. After charging Allman, police said he was released on bail as his case works through the court system.

Allman did not respond to an email requesting comment, and a phone number for him was not working. It was unclear from the court records if Allman has an attorney.

In December 2023, Cher filed a petition to become a temporary conservator overseeing her son’s money, saying Allman struggles with mental health issues and addiction have left him unable to manage his assets and potentially put his life in danger.

The petition from the singer and actress said Elijah Allman is entitled to regular payments from a trust fund. But “given his ongoing mental health and substance abuse issues,” she is “concerned that any funds distributed to Elijah will be immediately spent on drugs, leaving Elijah with no assets to provide for himself and putting Elijah’s life at risk,” the petition says.

A few weeks later, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Jessica Uzcategui denied the request, saying she was not convinced that a conservatorship was urgently needed. Allman was in the courtroom with his his attorneys, who acknowledged his previous struggles but argued that he is in a good place now, attending meetings, getting treatment and reconciling with his previously estranged wife.

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