New Hampshire

Three Seacoast golfers claim New Hampshire high school individual state championships

Published

1 year ago

October 19, 2024

Three Seacoast golfers claim New Hampshire high school individual state championships

CONCORD – Jascha Johnston ended his career with the Exeter High School golf team the same way his freshman year ended – with a New Hampshire Division I individual state championship.

After placing second in his sophomore and junior seasons, Johnston got his second individual championship on Saturday at Beaver Meadow Golf Course.

Johnston started Saturday’s second-and-final 18-hole round in sixth place and three shots behind leader Taylor Miller of Keene.

Johnston shot a 6-over-par 78 in the first round of the tournament at Canterbury Woods Country Club on Tuesday. Four days later, he fired a 5-under-par 67 for a two-day score of 1-over-par 145.

Keene’s Nolan Cahill placed second with a two-day score of 9-over-par 153, eight shots behind Johnston.

“(The two titles) are different, but it feels good coming back after being three shots back in this tournament,” Johnston said. “My freshman year I was leading (after the first round) and played well the second day. Today, I was (trailing) and shot 11 shots better than my previous round. I am pretty happy with today.”

Johnston had one bogey, six birdies, and 12 pars on the day. The lone bogey was on the par-3 sixth hole.

“(Johnston) was straight and long all day,” Exeter head coach Ira Martin said. “He was locked in on the greens, and his putting was great. When other players are (getting bogeys) and you’re hitting it down the middle 315 yards, it’s tough to make up that ground.”

Martin said Johnston set the tone early on with his drives, out-distancing the competition by up to 45 yards.

“When you hit the ball that long, it really puts pressure on the rest of the field,” Martin said. “He was locked in shot by shot. He certainly was focused.”

Portsmouth sophomore Gagnon wins Division II boys crown

Portsmouth sophomore Grey Gagnon shot a 1-over-par 73 on Saturday at Beaver Meadow Golf Course and captured the Division II individual boys championship with a two-day score of 3-over-par 146. He shot a 2-over-par 73 in Tuesday’s first round at Windham Country Club.

“I played pretty solid, didn’t make any big mistakes, and didn’t really let anyone back in the match when I got up,” Gagnon said. “I struck it pretty good today, and I am really happy with how I played.”

Gagnon placed fourth in last year’s Division II individual championship as a freshman. Gagnon was tied with Souhegan’s Joe Mayo going into Saturday’s round.

Gagnon was 2-under after his first three holes and Saturday, and built a three-shot lead after the front nine.

“At that point I knew I just needed to stay in front and not make any mistakes,” said Gagnon, who had two birdies and 13 pars Saturday.

Gagnon is the first Portsmouth golfer to win an individual title in Kyle Harrison’s 15-year tenure as head coach.

“He was just locked in, you could see it in him, he was just locked in,” Harrison said. “It was really fun to watch someone in the lead just keep his head and do what he needed to do to win.”

Winnacunnet High School senior Jimmy Schouller shot a 5-over-par 77 on Saturday and placed second overall, five shots off the pace.

Eight of the top 10 were from Seacoast schools. Winnacunnet’s Chris Berry, Portsmouth’s Turner Leduc and St. Thomas Aquinas’ Ryan Allard all tied for fourth with a 159, Oyster River’s Jackson Follis was eighth (164), St. Thomas’ Finn Perry was ninth (166) and Winnacunnet’s Elliott Brinser was 10^th (167). Winnacunnet’s Alex Santora tied for 13^th (173).

“There are definitely a lot of good golfers in the Seacoast,” Gagnon said.

Dover’s Fennessy captures fourth straight girls championship

Dover High School senior Carys Fennessy shot a 5-under-par 67 and won her fourth straight New Hampshire girls individual championship with a two-day score of 8-under-par 135.

“Off my summer season, I expected to do pretty well,” Fennessy said. “My goal I set freshman year was to (win each year). Every year I won has been working toward that goal. This has been a goal of mine for a long time, and it’s really nice to have accomplished that.”

Bishop Brady’s Madelyn Savary placed second, seven strokes behind Fennessy. Savary shot a 2-under-par 70 on Saturday.

“Winning four straight has been amazing, but I think this was the most difficult one,” said father and coach, Matt. “(Savary) played really well. She shot a 70 today, her score any other year wins easily. Carys shot a 67 and really needed to shoot that today to close out an amazing high school career. To get four was always her goal, and to do it, is great.”

Fennessy held a four-stroke lead after shooting a 3-under par 68 two weeks ago in a qualifier at Campbell’s Scottish Highlands in Salem.

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New Hampshire

New Hampshire services respond to 7-car crash

Published

6 hours ago

January 10, 2026

Press Room

New Hampshire services respond to 7-car crash

SPRINGFIELD, N.H. (ABC22/FOX44) – After an icy morning on Interstate 89 that saw multiple cars in a crash in Springfield, New Hampshire, responders say that they are thankful that only one person sustained injuries.

According to Springfield Fire Rescue, they originally were called at 7:40 a.m. on Friday for a reported two-car crash between Exits 12A and 13 – but arrived to find 7 vehicles involved, including 6 off the road.

According to authorities, all of the occupants of the cars were able to get themselves out and only one needed to be taken to the hospital. Their injuries were reported to be non-life-threatening.

“Springfield Fire Rescue would like to take this opportunity to remind everyone to slow down and move over when emergency vehicles are in the roadway. The area where this incident occurred was very icy and we witnessed several other vehicles almost lose control when they entered the scene at too great a speed.”

Responders from New London, Enfield, and Springfield, as well as NH State Police, helped respond to the incident and clear the vehicles from the road, as well as to treat the ice to make the road safe.

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New Hampshire

Man killed in NH snowmobile crash

Published

18 hours ago

January 9, 2026

Press Room

An Alton man is dead after a snowmobile crash in New Hampshire’s North Country Thursday afternoon.

The New Hampshire Department of Fish and Game says 63-year-old Bradford Jones was attempting to negotiate a left hand turn on Corridor Trail 5 in Colebrook when he lost control of his snowmobile, struck multiple trees off the side of the trail and was thrown from the vehicle shortly before 3:30 p.m.

Jones was riding with another snowmobiler, who was in the lead at the time of the crash, according to the agency. Once the other man realized Jones was no longer behind him, he turned around and traveled back where he found Jones significantly injured, lying off the trail beside his damaged snowmobile.

The man immediately rendered aid to Jones and called 911 for assistance, NH Fish and Game said. The Colebrook Fire Department used their rescue tracked all terrain vehicle and a specialized off road machine to transport first responders across about a mile of trail to the crash scene.

Once there, a conservation officer and 45th Parallel EMS staff attempted lifesaving measures for approximately an hour, but Jones ultimately died from his injuries at the scene of the crash, officials said.

The crash remains under investigation, but conservation officers are considering speed for the existing trail conditions to have been a primary factor in this deadly incident.

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New Hampshire

The weight of caregiving in NH. Why we need SB 608: Sirrine

Published

1 day ago

January 9, 2026

Press Room

The weight of caregiving in NH. Why we need SB 608: Sirrine

Anne Marie Sirrine
| Guest Columnist

Recently, I met with a husband who had been caring for his wife since her Alzheimer’s diagnosis. Her needs were escalating quickly — appointments, medications, meals, personal care — and he was determined to keep her at home. But the cost to his own wellbeing was undeniable. He was sleep‑deprived, depressed, and beginning to experience cognitive decline himself.

As director of the Referral Education Assistance & Prevention (REAP) program at Seacoast Mental Health Center, which supports older adults and caregivers across New Hampshire in partnership with the CMHC’s across the state, I hear stories like his every week. And his experience is far from unique.

Across the country, 24% of adults are family caregivers. Here in New Hampshire, 281,000 adults provide this essential care, often with little preparation or support. Only 11% receive any formal training to manage personal care tasks — yet they are the backbone of our long‑term care system, helping aging parents, spouses, and loved ones remain safely at home. (AARP, 2025)

REAP provides short‑term counseling, education, and support for older adults, caregivers, and the professionals who support them. We address concerns around mental health, substance use and cognitive functioning. After 21 years working with caregivers, I have seen how inadequate support directly harms families. Caregiving takes a serious toll — emotionally, physically, socially and financially. Many experience depression, chronic stress, and increased risk of alcohol or medication misuse.

In REAP’s own data from 2024:

50% of caregivers reported moderate to severe depression
29% reported suicidal ideation in the past two weeks
25% screened positive for at‑risk drinking

Their responsibilities go far beyond tasks like medication management and meal preparation. They interpret moods, manage behavioral changes, ease emotional triggers, and create meaningful engagement for the person they love. Their world revolves around the care recipient — often leading to isolation, loss of identity, guilt, and ongoing grief.

The statistics reflect what I see every week. Nearly one in four caregivers feels socially isolated. Forty‑three percent experience moderate to high emotional stress. And 31% receive no outside help at all.

Compare that to healthcare workers, who work in teams, receive breaks, have coworkers who step in when overwhelmed, and are trained and compensated for their work. Even with these supports, burnout is common. Caregivers receive none of these protections yet are expected to shoulder the same level of responsibility — alone, unpaid, and unrecognized.

Senate Bill 608 in New Hampshire would finally begin to fill these gaps. The bill provides access to counseling, peer support, training, and caregiver assessment for family caregivers of individuals enrolled in two Medicaid waiver programs: Acquired Brain Disorder (ABD) and Choices for Independence (CFI). These services would address the very needs I see daily.

Professional counseling helps caregivers process the complex emotions of watching a loved one decline or manage the stress that comes with it. Peer support connects them with others navigating similar challenges. Caregiver assessment identifies individual needs before families reach crisis.

When caregivers receive the right support, everyone benefits. The care recipient receives safer, more compassionate care. The caregiver’s health stabilizes instead of deteriorating from chronic stress and neglect. And costly options, which many older adults want to avoid, are delayed or prevented.

There is a direct and measurable link between caregiver training and caregiver wellbeing. The spouse I mentioned earlier is proof. Through REAP, he received education about his wife’s diagnosis, guidance on communication and behavior, and strategies to manage his own stress. Within weeks, his depression decreased from moderate to mild without medication. He was sleeping through the night and thinking more clearly. His frustration with his wife dropped significantly because he finally understood what she was experiencing and how to respond compassionately.

The real question before lawmakers is not whether we can afford SB 608. It is whether we can afford to continue ignoring the needs of those who hold our care system together. In 1970, we had 31 caregivers for every one person needing care. By 2010, that ratio dropped to 7:1. By 2030, it is projected to be 4:1. Our caregiver supply is shrinking while needs continue to grow. Without meaningful support, our systems — healthcare, long‑term care, and community supports — cannot function. (AARP, 2013)

Caregivers don’t ask for much. They want to keep their loved ones safe, comfortable, and at home. They want to stay healthy enough to continue providing care. SB 608 gives them the tools to do exactly that.

I urge New Hampshire lawmakers to support SB 608 and stand with the 281,000 residents who are quietly holding our care system together. We cannot keep waiting until caregivers collapse to offer help. We must provide the support they need now — before the burden becomes too heavy to bear.

Anne Marie Sirrine, LICSW, CDP is a staff therapist and the director of the REAP (Referral Education Assistance & Prevention) program at Seacoast Mental Health Center.

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