Topping the news … A review of some of the stories that made big headlines in New Hampshire this year

Democrats voted to demote the nation’s first presidential major, pushing New Hampshire after South Carolina and on the identical day as Nevada on the 2024 nominating calendar. Native Democratic leaders say a state legislation mandates New Hampshire maintain the primary major. The GOP maintains the standard voting of Iowa adopted by the Granite State in ’24.

The truck driver accused of killing seven motorcyclists in a 2019 crash in Randolph was discovered not responsible of all expenses in August. The Coos County jury discovered Volodymyr Zhukovskyy, 26, of West Springfield, Mass., not responsible on all 15 counts, together with manslaughter, negligent murder and reckless conduct.

Danielle Dauphinais, the mom of Merrimack boy Elijah Lewis, 5, who was discovered lifeless in a Massachusetts park in 2021, was charged with first- and second-degree homicide. Her boyfriend, Joseph Stapf, pleaded responsible to manslaughter and different expenses. He was sentenced to 22 to 45 years in jail.

Within the second case, investigators stated Concord Montgomery, 5, of Manchester was murdered in December 2019. Her father, Adam Montgomery, is charged with second-degree homicide.

A mom and her two kids have been fatally shot of their Northfield house in August. A minor was arrested and charged within the loss of life of Kassandra Sweeney, 25, and her two younger sons Benjamin, 4, and Mason, 1.

Twelve days earlier than his household was murdered, Sean Sweeney discovered weapons of their storage and surrounding woods and instructed police he feared for his kids’s security, in response to city police logs.

Most individuals shed their face masks and joined occasions that welcomed again folks. The state reported greater than 700 COVID-19 deaths in 2022, together with greater than 400 throughout the first three months of the yr. The official loss of life toll since 2020 surpassed 2,800.

Many individuals confronted will increase in electrical payments of fifty% or extra, as utilities paid extra to buy gas. Gasoline costs almost hit $5 a gallon in June earlier than falling beneath $3.50 close to yr’s finish.

The capturing deaths of Harmony couple Stephen and Djeswende “Wendy” Reid in April triggered worry in the neighborhood till authorities six months later arrested Logan Levar Clegg in Vermont. Clegg, who was charged with two counts of second-degree homicide, was caught with $7,150 in money and had deliberate to flee utilizing a one-way ticket to Germany, authorities stated.

William Loeb’s stepdaughter, Nackey Gallowhur Scagliotti, 76, in an interview with the New Hampshire Sunday Information, stated William Loeb, the late iconic writer of the Union Chief, sexually molested her repeatedly when she was 7 years previous. The abuse, she stated, occurred over a yr’s time, after she went to dwell along with her mom and stepfather in Nevada in early 1953.

After 45 years in workplace, Gardner retired because the longest-serving election chief in state historical past. Successor David Scanlan received his first full time period in December to proceed in that position.

Newspaper tales, together with ones revealed within the New Hampshire Union Chief, highlighted how little data the New Hampshire Board of Drugs publicly discloses about physician misdeeds. The Legal professional Common’s Workplace launched an investigation. A legislative oversight committee held hearings and stated legislators would suggest two payments, together with one to arrange a medical transparency oversight fee to check the difficulty.

John Goldhardt resigned as superintendent of the Manchester Faculty District in February, later saying eggs have been thrown at him whereas he walked his canine and piles of feces have been left on his doorstep. He additionally stated he was attacked in Union Chief editorials earlier than he stepped down.

In March, Goldhardt was provided the superintendent’s place at Carson Metropolis, Nevada, however he withdrew his candidacy citing considerations over the $170,000 contract he was provided and what he known as “slanderous” feedback made by college officers. In Could, he was employed as superintendent in Laramie, Wyoming.

State regulators in Could scuttled a proposal to mix two of the state’s largest hospital programs over considerations that it will damage competitors and will end in increased costs for care.

The consequences of mixing Dartmouth Well being and Catholic Medical Heart guardian firm GraniteOne would have been most keenly felt within the Manchester space, in response to regulators.

Armando Barron of Jaffrey was sentenced to life in jail with out parole plus 45 years for the 2020 homicide, assault and solicitation of homicide of Jonathan Amerault. He later acquired one other seven to 14 years in jail for crimes he dedicated in opposition to his spouse, Britany, after she wished a divorce.

Barron shot Amerault after his spouse refused Barron’s order to shoot the person.

Britany Barron confessed to serving to to get rid of the physique out of worry. She later pleaded responsible to a few expenses of falsifying bodily proof, one involving sawing Amerault’s head from the corpse. She was paroled in April.

The administration workforce at Gunstock Mountain Resort resigned en masse in the summertime, following months of rising frustration over relations with the delegation-appointed Gunstock Space Fee, which manages the county-owned ski mountain.

Gov. Chris Sununu, who acquired a $500 political donation drawn from an account of the fee, condemned Republican state legislators who helped create turmoil with the fee. The ski space administration returned after two commissioners resigned.