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Teen wins first New Hampshire State Am golf championship

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2 months ago

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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 122nd 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.

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“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.

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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.

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“Any time you can end before 18 is great,” said Hakala, who plays out of Beaver Meadow Golf Course in Concord. “Winning the 16th 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. 

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Scollins, a rising junior in college at Holy Cross, was still within one hole as late as the 33rd hope until he made bogey on the 34th. 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

Federal vaccination policy changes put New Hampshire’s health at risk – The Boston Globe

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2 days ago

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September 23, 2025

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Federal vaccination policy changes put New Hampshire’s health at risk – The Boston Globe


As a public health professional and state representative, I’m alarmed by recent shifts in federal vaccination policies from the US Department of Health and Human Services. These changes threaten to undermine decades of progress in protecting New Hampshire families from preventable diseases.

Vaccines remain one of the most powerful tools we have against serious illnesses, from seasonal flu to emerging infectious threats. Historically, federal agencies like the CDC have provided clear, science-based guidance and helped ensure vaccines are affordable and accessible to all Americans.

But recent moves signal a retreat from this commitment. The decision to abandon universal COVID-19 vaccine recommendations for adults is just the latest example of how federal leadership is stepping back when we need it most. Without straightforward guidance, confusion grows, and with it, vaccine hesitancy and misinformation flourish.

This shift disproportionately harms the most vulnerable Granite Staters: Those in rural areas, low-income families, and elderly residents who already face barriers to health care. Worse, the change threatens to increase out-of-pocket costs by removing insurance coverage guarantees tied to universal recommendations. This is a direct threat to equal access and public health.

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New Hampshire has fought hard to maintain vaccination rates, investing in outreach and community clinics. But state-level efforts can’t fully compensate for federal retreat. When Washington cuts funding, muddles messaging, and abdicates responsibility, it’s our communities that pay the price.

Vaccination is not a partisan issue. It is about protecting lives, reducing strain on our health care system, and safeguarding the future of our children and elders.

I call on our federal leaders to restore strong, science-driven vaccine policies, fully fund public health programs, and ensure vaccines remain affordable and accessible to all Granite Staters. The health of our communities depends on clear leadership and unwavering commitment.

Jennifer Mandelbaum is a public health expert representing Rockingham 21 in the New Hampshire House of Representatives.





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New Hampshire

Brockton man injured after box truck crashes into tree on I-93 in New Hampshire

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2 weeks ago

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September 14, 2025

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Brockton man injured after box truck crashes into tree on I-93 in New Hampshire


A Brockton man is recovering after a box truck crashed into a tree in New Hampshire early yesterday morning.

Around 4:30 a.m., emergency crews responded to I-93 North at Exit 23 in New Hampton, where they found a box truck lodged in a tree.

According to state police, the driver, identified as Anilton Resende Barros, 21, lost control while navigating a curve in the road.

The box truck went straight into the median, traveling over the crossover between the north and southbound lanes, struck an embankment, and launched into a group of trees before coming to a final stop in the woods separating the opposing lanes.

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Barros suffered minor injuries in the crash and was transported to a local hospital for evaluation.

The left travel lanes of I-93 northbound and southbound were closed at Exit 23 for about four hours for the cleanup of the crash. All lanes were back open at 8:58 a.m.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.

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New Hampshire

Give Back NH: Gilford Public Library

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2 weeks ago

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September 13, 2025

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Give Back NH: Gilford Public Library


In this special summer series from Give Back NH, we explore how local libraries across New Hampshire strengthen communities, support lifelong learning, and build trust—through the people, programs, and stories that make them essential.

Learn more about the Gilford Public Library and all it has to offer, here.

This transcript has been lightly edited for clarity.

When you hear the word “library,” you probably think of it as the place where you can borrow books, movies, occasionally a metal detector, but what about learning how to line dance?

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Every Saturday, Bonnie Deutch teaches her beginner line dancing class in the meeting room on the lower level of the Gilford Public Library.

Bonnie Deutch: When I moved up here, I wanted people to line dance with, but I didn’t really see much. And so I kind of waited. And then one day, one of the ladies of the library said to our Tai Chi instructor, “can you do this twice a week?” And she said, “no, I can’t.” And I said, “well, Nancy, I said, I’ll do line dancing on Wednesdays.” And she goes, “well, I’ll come if you play Willie Nelson.” And there it was.

Bonnie Deutch: I never knew that there’d be so much information advocating dancing for heart health, mental health, things that just keep popping out of the woodwork about dance, dance, dance.

I’m Dan Cahill, and this is the 3rd stop on Give Back New Hampshire’s library tour.

Eugene Seymour, a guinea pig who lives at the Gilford Public Library, who Miss Linda affectionately refers to as “the Mayor.”

Also on the lower level, there’s the children’s library, and as soon as you walk in, you’re greeted with the “mayor,” Eugene Seymour — A guinea pig who lives at the library and every year, children come to the library to celebrate Eugene’s birthday, his cage surrounded by handmade cards wishing him well on his special day.

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Handmade cards from children who visit the library wishing Eugene a happy birthday.
Handmade cards from children who visit the library wishing Eugene a happy birthday.

Next to Eugene sits Miss Linda, an assistant at the children’s library, and a former teacher.

Miss Linda: Since I taught in town, what’s a real benefit for me being here, is that I can keep connections with the children I taught. I do have teenagers who come in, and it’s lovely to reconnect with them because I taught fifth grade, which is 10/11. But I also have children that I taught who now have their children and they bring them in. So not only do I get to see where “my kids” ended up, but I get to meet their children, and it’s just lovely to continue to instill the love of reading for all these generations.

The most important thing about libraries though, Linda says, is the connections they can create.

Miss Linda: We see that a lot with the children and the adults that come, they build these friendships, and then they go out into the community together and they’re pretty lasting ones. They’re really lovely. And even with the programs that are held downstairs here, where we see the adults that attend them, they’re just so happy to be able to connect with other people in meaningful ways.

For Annie, a local mother, those connections helped her family after they moved to Gilford in 2021.

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Annie: My husband is from here, and so he always talked about how wonderful the library was. And so when we moved here and we didn’t know anybody, this is where we started coming. And we’ve made lots of friends since we’ve started doing that. It’s been a real like sense of place and community here for us.

Line dancing, new connections, even some furry friends, there’s much to experience at the Gilford Public Library. I think Colden, who was visiting the library with his mother Bryanne says it best.

Miss Linda: And what did you tell me this morning when you came in? You said, “I want to go to the library…”

Colden: Every day!

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