New Hampshire

Strafford County, N.H., commissioners challenge newly drawn districts – The Boston Globe

Published

2 years ago

April 17, 2024

Strafford County, N.H., commissioners challenge newly drawn districts – The Boston Globe

Democrats tried but failed to undo HB 75 this year with a bill of their own. It was tabled then died late last month. Now the commissioners are urging the court to expedite their case and issue an order before the candidate filing period in June.

The new boundary lines slice through Strafford County’s two most populous cities, Dover and Rochester, and leave two of the incumbents together in the same district, so they won’t both be able to advance from the Democratic primary to the general election this fall.

George M. Maglaras, who is serving his 20th two-year term on the commission, said the changes were a ploy to ensure that not all the incumbents could win reelection.

“The gerrymandering was done on purpose. … It was designed to destroy the commission,” he said.

Maglaras joined with fellow incumbent commissioners Deanna S. Rollo and Robert J. Watson as plaintiffs in the suit filed Monday against New Hampshire Secretary of State David M. Scanlan and Attorney General John M. Formella.

A spokesperson for Scanlan referred questions Tuesday to Formella’s office, and a spokesperson for Formella said the attorney general’s office was reviewing the lawsuit but would not comment on pending litigation.

While Democrats have slammed HB 75 as a partisan power grab, the law’s proponents contend it corrected a problem and made election rules in Strafford County more closely resemble New Hampshire’s other nine counties, which already had commissioner districts.

Senator James P. Gray, a Republican from Rochester, rejected the notion that he or anyone else who supported HB 75 had done so with nefarious intent. This is about ensuring the voices of voters are heard, he said.

“The population of Strafford County is more concentrated in the southern part of the county, and right now that population does not share all of the political views of the people in the northern part of the county,” he said.

Some constituents had complained about their inability to get candidates elected who align with their views, so adding in the districts helps to further localize electoral representation, Gray said.

The three GOP candidates who ran in 2022 did not win a single seat, even though they carried about 41 percent of the countywide vote.

Republican Representative Len Turcotte of Barrington told his colleagues last June that HB 75 would put an end to a decades-long trend of “de facto gerrymandered elections” in Strafford County.

The debate over the merits of HB 75 as a tool to enhance representation might be irrelevant, however, to the outcome of this lawsuit. The central allegation in this case is procedural: The commissioners allege state lawmakers lacked authority to draw any new county commissioner districts in 2023 because such maps were already finalized in 2022 through the once-a-decade redistricting process.

“So that voters and elected officials may have stability and continuity in the electoral process, once a valid redistricting law has been enacted, the legislature cannot redistrict again until after the next census,” the plaintiffs’ attorney, William E. Christie, said in a statement.

Maglaras said HB 75 sets a terrible precedent that could unleash confusion and turmoil whenever legislative power in Concord shifts from one party to the other.

“It’s going to create chaos,” he said.

Gray said the concerns about HB 75 are misplaced. He contends lawmakers had every right to add districts where there had previously been none, and now that the districts are in place, they are locked in.

“I consulted several attorneys that said that ‘districting’ and ‘redistricting’ are separate things, and that it was perfectly legal to district an entity that had not been districted before,” he said.

“But now that it is districted, there would be a prohibition against redistricting it until the next census,” he added.

A spokesperson for House Speaker Sherman A. Packard said the legislature can propose to modify or repeal HB 75 like any other law, and the question of its constitutionality is now in the court’s hands.

County commissioners across New Hampshire are generally tasked with oversight of county government departments and budgetary matters. Some serve two-year terms. Others serve four-year terms that may be staggered.

While commissioners must live in the districts they represent, not all them are elected solely by the voters in their district — in Carroll and Sullivan counties, each district’s commissioner is picked through a countywide vote.

Steven Porter can be reached at steven.porter@globe.com. Follow him @reporterporter.

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New Hampshire

N.H. wildlife officials caution against feeding deer in winter – The Boston Globe

Published

2 hours ago

December 16, 2025

Press Room

N.H. wildlife officials caution against feeding deer in winter – The Boston Globe

Deer have evolved to survive the stark winter months, with adaptations like a warm winter coat and stores of body fat they can use for extra energy. The animals also reduce their activity and food intake to conserve energy and migrate to a forested shelter called a deer yard, which can provide some protection from the elements.

“Although people may feel badly for deer and want to help, the Fish and Game Department would like to remind the public to never feed deer as it may actually harm them,” said Becky Fuda, the deer project leader at New Hampshire Fish and Game.

In 2015, 12 deer were found dead around a feeding site in South Hampton, after they were given food they could not digest, according to Fish and Game.

Microorganisms in the deer’s stomach help them to digest food. The natural diet of deer gradually changes with the seasons, and the microorganisms also change over the course of a few weeks to help them digest different foods.

But a sudden shift from a high-fiber woody diet to a high-carbohydrate diet offered by humans can disrupt the deer’s stomach chemistry, making deer less able to digest food, and releasing toxins.

And Fuda said feeding can have other negative consequences for deer, like increased risk of getting hit by a car and increased risk of disease transmission.

“Fish and Game strongly discourages the practice,” she said.

There are about 100,000 white-tailed deer in New Hampshire, according to an estimate from Fish and Game.

This story appeared in Globe NH | Morning Report, a free newsletter focused on New Hampshire, including great coverage from the Boston Globe and links to interesting articles elsewhere. To receive it via email Monday through Friday, sign up here.

Amanda Gokee can be reached at amanda.gokee@globe.com. Follow her @amanda_gokee.

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New Hampshire

Nashua, NH man arrested in $150K jewelry burglary case

Published

15 hours ago

December 16, 2025

Press Room

Nashua, NH man arrested in 0K jewelry burglary case

NASHUA, N.H. — An investigation into a September burglary involving the theft of $150,000 in jewelry from a store led to an arrest on Tuesday.

The Nashua Police identified the suspect as Nathan Ladue, 34, of Nashua, who was taken into custody on a felony warrant for receiving stolen property.

The case began on Sept. 28 when officers were called to a burglary report at Euddy Jewelry, located at 108 E. Hollis St. Police said that surveillance footage showed a white male driving a vehicle in the area that was registered to Ladue.

Detectives from the department’s Criminal Investigation Division obtained search warrants for Ladue’s vehicle and residence, which allegedly uncovered multiple pieces of stolen jewelry along with illegal drugs.

Ladue was subsequently arrested on a felony warrant on Tuesday.

He is charged with two counts of receiving stolen property, a Class A felony; two counts of possession of a controlled drug, a Class B felony; and receiving stolen property, a Class A misdemeanor.

Ladue was held without bail pending his arraignment at 9th Circuit Nashua District Court on Wednesday. The outcome of the hearing was not immediately available.

Police are asking anyone with information about the case to call the Nashua Police Department Crime Line at 603-589-1665.

Follow Aaron Curtis on X @aselahcurtis, or on Bluesky @aaronscurtis.bsky.social.

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New Hampshire

Walk Through 3 Million Incredible Lights at New England’s Largest Holiday Light Show

Published

1 day ago

December 15, 2025

Press Room

Walk Through 3 Million Incredible Lights at New England’s Largest Holiday Light Show

Have you heard of Holly Jolly Journey in Litchfield, New Hampshire?

It’s touted as “New England’s largest and most spectacular holiday light show,” and it’s just one more incredible event you should check out this Christmas season.

According to its website, Holly Jolly Journey has added a million lights for this recent season, meaning there are now over 3 million dazzling lights you can take in while walking through.

What Is Holly Jolly Journey in Litchfield, New Hampshire?

Located at Mel’s Funway Park in Litchfield, Holly Jolly Journey is a walk-through Christmas light event that spans over 2/3 of a mile and features some incredible displays all along the way.

Some of the spectacular things you can see include Santa’s Workshop, Candy Cane Lane, Twinkly Tunnel and Teddy’s Christmas Corner, among others.

The walk is truly mesmerizingly festive.

The Holly Jolly Journey website also notes some new stuff for the 2025/26 season, including additions to almost every scene along the walk, more trees lit, more food and drink stations, a new 28-foot centerpiece, and a new indoor party suite.

When is the Holly Jolly Journey in Litchfield, New Hampshire?

According to its website, the Holly Jolly Journey takes place from the day after Thanksgiving through January 11. It is closed on Christmas Eve.

There are multiple time slots to choose from, starting at 4:30 p.m. and with the last time slot of the day being at 10 p.m. (for those late-night holiday owls).

It should take about an hour to complete, but you can take as long as you’d like.

READ MORE: New Hampshire’s Dazzling 2-Mile Holiday Drive-Thru With 3 Million Lights Returns for 2025

Have you decided which holiday experience you should do this season? You certainly don’t have to limit yourself to one, and Holly Jolly Journey is one you might want to consider. With over 3 million lights and incredible displays on a festive walk perfect for the family, you’ll be soaking up the sparkle of Christmas in the best way possible.

You’ll also have so many Instagram-worthy pics with that glowing backdrop!