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‘That could be my family’: Nashua students say protest against aggressive immigration enforcement is personal.

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‘That could be my family’: Nashua students say protest against aggressive immigration enforcement is personal.


A few hundred Nashua high school students staged a walkout Wednesday to protest the aggressive federal immigration enforcement playing out nationally. Several said living in one of the most diverse cities in the state — or with immigrant parents — has left them fearful for family and friends.

Sixteen-year-old Manuel Lorenzo was the first in his family to be born in the U.S. He lives with his grandmother, who is from the Dominican Republic and speaks only Spanish. Lorenzo fears federal immigration agents won’t care that she is in the country legally.

“It really gets me in my heart because at any moment, that could be my family, the people that I care for,” Lorenzo said.

Nashua’s school superintendent said students who joined the walkout would face consequences because the district had not approved the event.

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That didn’t deter senior Kaylee Hall, who said she’s encountered prejudice because her mom is Vietnamese. She shared a story on an Instagram page for the event about an experience at a local fast food restaurant, where a man asked her, “What are you?”

Nashua high school senior Kaylee Hall helped organize the protest.

Hall helped organize the rally and a fundraising effort that helped cover expenses. Their “Stand with Nashua Against ICE Harm” GoFundMe page had raised more than half its $1,100 goal by late Wednesday.

“We do not have the power to vote,” Hall said, “but we have the power to speak.”

There are 49 languages spoken in Nashua schools and more than 1,600 students are learning English, according to the district. Senior Keegan Dolan said two things led her to partner with Hall to organize the walkout: news about a possible ICE detention facility in the nearby town of Merrimack, and comments she’s heard from students while interning at a Nashua elementary school.

Nashua senior Keegan Dolan said news of a immigration detention center in nearby Merrimack was one reasons she helped organize the student protest.
Nashua senior Keegan Dolan said news of a immigration detention center in nearby Merrimack was one reason she helped organize the student protest.

Most of the school’s students are non-white, she said.

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“These tiny, tiny six- and seven-year-olds are scared for their parents, for them,” Dolan said. “And no kids should be scared of that.”

Jordin Lopez, a high school student in Nashua, and one of the organizers of a student walkout to protest federal immigration enforcement.
Jordin Lopez, a high school junior in Nashua, said she fears having an accent or looking “a little Spanish” can be enough to draw the attention of federal immigration agents.

Nashua junior Jordin Lopez, who is Hispanic, put it this way.

“Even if they are legally here, ICE doesn’t care,” she said. “They see you on the street. You look a little Spanish. You have an accent. You’re taken.”

Sixteen-year-old Alexa Couto’s parents are both immigrants. Her father, who is from Brazil, has told her how to react if she is stopped by an immigration agent.

“He just says, ‘Comply. Give your name. Follow instructions. Don’t fight back with them,’ “ Couto said.

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Like Lopez, she’s not convinced that would be enough for immigration and border control agents. “The fact is, even if you do comply, they don’t care,” Couto said.

New Hampshire immigration lawyer Ron Abramson, who has fielded calls about immigration enforcement from New Hampshire schools, is not surprised young people are as concerned as adults about the issue right now.

“People’s fear is palpable and justified because there used to be some semblance of guardrails or lines or limits to how far immigration enforcement would go,” Abramson said. “Those seem to have been obliterated in gthis administration. There’s no safe space.”

A few hundred Concord students staged a walkout last week to protest aggressive ICE enforcement.

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Longtime Blue Jays organization member Tamargo tasked with leading New Hampshire Fisher Cats

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Longtime Blue Jays organization member Tamargo tasked with leading New Hampshire Fisher Cats





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Meet Garret, Your Newest Morning Show Host on 97.5 WOKQ

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Meet Garret, Your Newest Morning Show Host on 97.5 WOKQ


Are you ready for your mornings reimagined?

Hi! I’m Garret Doll (like Ken, but less hair and not as handsome), and I’m teaming up with Katie Killourhy for 97.5 WOKQ’s new morning show, Garret & Katie in the Morning!

You ready to join us?

So, Who Is Garret Doll?

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I’ve learned something about myself… I don’t like clutter. Unless it’s my clutter. Then it’s not clutter, it’s a system.

That’s probably a pretty accurate starting point for who I am. A little self-aware, a little stubborn, and definitely someone who knows what he likes. I like tacos, steak tips and lobster rolls. (Fun fact: I’ve never had a lobster roll until moving here.)

How It All Started

This whole radio thing started for me when I was 15. My mom helped me land a job at a radio station in my hometown (cause she worked there), and I fell in love with radio. I’ve never left this career.

I’ve spent my entire adult life doing this job, and I still feel like I lucked into the best job in the world. No two days are the same. One minute you’re talking about life, the next you’re playing your favorite songs, then suddenly you’re out in the community meeting people who feel like friends you’ve known forever.

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Most of my career took me to places like Denver, Charleston, and Richmond. Now, somehow, it’s brought me here to New Hampshire.

Honestly, I look at it like a “this is exactly where I’m supposed to be” moment. It’s a new start on life, so to speak. You will learn more about that as we get to know each other and you listen to the show on 97.5 WOKQ.

Why WOKQ Matters to Me

WOKQ is one of those stations you hear about in radio. It’s got history. It’s got heart. And it’s built around a community that actually cares about local connection and country music throughout New England.

That matters to me.

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I don’t want to just “be on the radio.” I want to be part of what’s happening here. The towns, the events, the random conversations at a bar, the places you tell your friends they have to check out.

That’s the fun part of all of this.

What I’m All About

I’m a pretty simple dude:

I’m the guy who would give you the shirt off my back

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Glass half full (even when it probably shouldn’t be)

Always smiling

Authentic… sometimes too authentic

And yeah, there are definitely moments where I say something before thinking it all the way through.

So if you ever hear me and think, “Did he really just say that?” There’s a decent chance the answer is yes.

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Some Quick Hits About Me

Coffee order: Americano

Drink Order: Old Fashioned or just a good local beer

Favorite food: Tacos (not even close)

Guilty pleasure show: The Big Bang Theory

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Pet peeve: Close talkers… and people who are late

Random fact: I once got a tattoo of Dopey from the Seven Dwarfs because a girl I was dating wanted one. We got them together. (Don’t worry, it’s been covered up by a microphone and a rose… and I haven’t heard from her in about 20 years)

Let’s Do This Together

I’m new to town, which means I could really use your help.

Where’s your go-to spot when you just want to get outside? Best place to hike? Kayak? Local bar? Just disappear for a few hours?

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READ MORE: Hidden Gems in New Hampshire: 5 Secret Places Worth Discovering

Drop me your favorites, because if there’s one thing I know, it’s that the best recommendations don’t come from Google… they come from you! The ones who actually live it.

And I’m ready to start exploring and getting to know you. So make sure to tune in to Garret & Katie in the Morning! See you there.

BankNH Pavilion: Summer Show Lineup, 2026

Gallery Credit: Sarah Sullivan





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2 Hudson, NH, residents arrested after cats found abandoned

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2 Hudson, NH, residents arrested after cats found abandoned


HUDSON, N.H. — An animal cruelty investigation led to the arrest of two former tenants who police say left three cats behind in the apartment they were evicted from.

The Hudson Police Department said officers responded to 19 Oliver Drive on Nov. 25 after the town’s animal control officer received a report that multiple cats had been left behind in an apartment previously occupied by Faith Byers, 48, and Kevin Greene, 57.

The pair had reportedly been evicted a week earlier, on Nov. 18.

Police said that attempts to reach Byers and Greene by phone were unsuccessful, and the property owner later confirmed that the two had moved out without taking the cats or arranging for their care.

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With the owner’s permission, police entered the apartment and found three cats alone inside the unoccupied residence.

Police said they determined the cats had been left unattended for several days in conditions lacking adequate airflow, sunlight, litter and consistent access to food or water. Police added that no care plan had been made for the animals, and neither former tenant indicated any intention to return for them.

The animals were safely removed and transported to the Animal Rescue League of New Hampshire in Bedford, where they are now receiving care.

Arrest warrants were issued for Byers and Greene, who are each charged with one count of cruelty to animals, a Class A misdemeanor. They were arrested on Friday and released on personal recognizance bail.

They are scheduled to appear in 9th Circuit Court Nashua District Division at 1 p.m. April 28.

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



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