New Hampshire

Teen wins first New Hampshire State Am golf championship

Published

4 months ago

July 13, 2025

Teen wins first New Hampshire State Am golf championship

GONIC – Josiah Hakala has designs on playing for pay some day, but for now he’s building quite a resume.

The 18-year-old defeated Ryan Scollins in the finals of the 122^nd New Hampshire State Amateur Golf Championship, 2-and-1 on Saturday at Rochester Country Club.

“My ultimate goal is to play on the PGA Tour and play for majors,” Hakala said. “That’s what I’ve always wanted to do but you’ve got work your way up in little steps. It’s another step today.”

Along with the trophy and prestige that goes along with winning the grueling, six-day event, the confident Hakala also earned an exemption into next month’s U.S. Amateur where he will go up against some of the best amateurs in the world at the Olympic Club in San Francisco.

“It’s going to be awesome,” he said. “I can’t wait to get out there and showcase my talents and see how far we can take it out there. Honestly, the hardest thing about those tournaments is getting into them. I feel like that’s where I should be.”

Earlier this year he also won his fourth consecutive high school individual title in Division IV, the first time anyone has accomplished the feat in New Hampshire regardless of class.

Hakala reached the semifinals of last year’s State Am where he lost to eventual champion Rob Henley.

“I learned a lot from that and used a lot of that experience from last year today,” said Hakala, who helped Mascenic Regional High School win two Division IV state golf titles.

Hakala and Scollins are good friends.

“I’ve played a lot of rounds with him,” Scollins said. “He doesn’t miss shots. You can’t expect him to miss anything.”

Hakala qualified this year as the No. 2 seed going into match play while Scollins, 20, was the No. 5 seed. Leading 2-up, Hakala parred the next-to-last hole of the 36-hole event to clinch the victory.

“Any time you can end before 18 is great,” said Hakala, who plays out of Beaver Meadow Golf Course in Concord. “Winning the 16^th hole of the second (18) to go 2-up with two to play was ideal.”

The turning point came toward the end of the opening 18 where Hakala went from 2-down to 2-up in a span of five holes, winning four holes with three birdies and a par during a decisive swing of momentum.

“I played some nice golf on that stretch,” he said. “To have any kind of cushion going into the second 18 was awesome. Ryan is a heck of a player and any kind of buffer you can get was really big. After that I really felt more in control. I didn’t feel like the match was ever going to get away from me.”

Although he never relinquished the precarious lead Hakala could never pull away as Scollins kept applying the pressure and during one stretch during the afternoon 18 pulled within 1-down.

“It was 2-up and the next thing I knew I was 2-down,” said Scollins, whose deepest run in the tournament before this was the round of 32.

Scollins, a rising junior in college at Holy Cross, was still within one hole as late as the 33^rd hope until he made bogey on the 34^th. That gave Hakala all the breathing room he needed to prevail.

“You can’t back off,” Hakala said. “You can’t let up anything. You’ve got to keep your foot on the throttle, and I felt like I did that really well. … I really felt like I didn’t miss a shot with my irons coming down the stretch and really liked the way I was hitting them under the pressure.”

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New Hampshire

Surprise Dem frontrunner emerges in early 2028 New Hampshire presidential poll

Published

18 hours ago

October 28, 2025

Press Room

Surprise Dem frontrunner emerges in early 2028 New Hampshire presidential poll

A surprise Democratic frontrunner has emerged in an early poll of New Hampshire voters ahead of the 2028 presidential election.

Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg came out on top in the Granite State Poll of likely Democratic Party primary voters, released on Monday.

Buttigieg garnered 19% support in the poll, the New York Post reported.

Buttigieg in the poll topped California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who has for months been the favorite in legal betting markets to land the 2028 Democratic Party nomination for president.

Newsom finished second in the Granite State Poll, with 15% support.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) captured 14% in the poll, with former Vice President Kamala Harris at 11%.

Buttigieg, Newsom, AOC and Harris were the only candidates who garnered double-digit support in the poll.

Other candidates getting support in the poll included Sen. Bernie Sanders at 8% and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker at 6%.

Buttigieg is the most popular of the Dem contenders, with an 81% favorability rating.

That outpaces Newsom’s 58% favorability rating, which was good for fourth place in that category, behind Buttigieg, Sanders and AOC.

The Granite State Poll showed GOP Vice President JD Vance far ahead of the field for the 2028 Republican Party presidential nomination.

Vance got the support of 51% of likely GOP primary voters in New Hampshire.

Vance also leads the pack with a 77% approval rating, according to the poll.

Vance has for months also been the far-and-away leader on legal gambling sites for the 2028 GOP presidential nod.

Finishing a distant second in th Granite State Poll was former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, with 9%. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard got 8% in the survey.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, touted by President Donald Trump as the ideal vice-presidential running mate for Vance, polled 5% in the Granite State survey.

Rubio’s 58% favorability rating is second only to Vance’s in the poll, however.

The 22nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution precludes Trump from seeking a third term in office.

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New Hampshire

Woman found dead by NH construction site, police seek help IDing her

Published

2 days ago

October 27, 2025

Press Room

Woman found dead by NH construction site, police seek help IDing her

A woman was found dead near a construction site in Derry, New Hampshire, on Monday, police said, asking for help identifying her.

There was no indication of foul play in the death of the woman, whose body was reported by workers about 1:25 p.m. on Birch Street near Rockingham Road, according to Derry police.

The woman was seen on video days before walking to the area alone, apparently sick or impaired, police said. She stumbled and fell as she walked past a retention pond and landed near it.

The location is hard to see from a nearby business and driveway, according to police.

They described her as being about 45 to 50, with dark blond, slightly longer than shoulder-length hair. She wore a black sweatshirt, a floral skirt about mid-thigh length and grey sneakers, but no purse, cellphone or ID.

Anyone with information about the woman’s identity was asked to call Derry police at 603-432-6111.

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New Hampshire

Providence driver hurt after box truck crash in New Hampshire

Published

2 days ago

October 26, 2025

Press Room

Providence driver hurt after box truck crash in New Hampshire

NORTH HAMPTON, N.H. (WPRI) — A Providence man was injured Sunday morning after a box truck crashed on I-95 south in North Hampton, New Hampshire.

According to New Hampshire State Police, the truck veered off the road just before 9:30 a.m., traveling about 50 feet down an embankment before crashing into the tree line.

Box truck crashed into tree line off I-95 in North Hampton on Sunday, Oct. 26, 2025. (Courtesy: New Hampshire State Police)

First responders cut through the trees to reach the driver, who was trapped inside the cab. He was taken to a local hospital with minor injuries.

State police said the highway was closed for about five hours as crews cleared the scene.

Anyone who witnessed the crash or has information is asked to contact Trooper Alison J. Baumbach at (603) 223-4381 or Alison.J.Baumbach@dos.nh.gov.

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