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What are the top states in the U.S.? Here’s where Vermont ranks

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What are the top states in the U.S.? Here’s where Vermont ranks


Andrea Amico named among USA TODAY’s Women of the Year for New Hampshire

Andrea Amico, who sounded the alarm about toxic PFAS chemicals in contaminated drinking water, is one of USA TODAY’s Women of the Year.

Vermont is one of the ten best state in the U.S., according to a new ranking from U.S. News and World Report.

The Best States rankings look at eight categories: health care, education, natural environment, opportunity, economy, crime and corrections, infrastructure, and fiscal stability.

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With top rankings in the crime and corrections and natural environment categories, U.S. News gave Vermont the seventh spot. That makes it the second best New England state, coming in behind New Hampshire which was ranked No. 2.

Why was Vermont ranked No. 7

Vermont ranked very high in several key metrics.

It was rated as the best state for opportunity, which looks at economic opportunity, affordability and equality It’s one of the safest states, coming in at No. 4 for crime and safety. And it doesn’t slack when it comes to the natural environment, coming in at No. 9. It also ranked No. 9 for infrastructure.

The main ranking pulling it down was fiscal stability, coming in at No. 41. It’s second lowest score was education, coming in at No. 23.

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Why is New Hampshire ranked so high?

New Hampshire’s first place ranking in the crime and corrections category and fourth place ranking for natural environment helped propel the state to its second-place finish.

“The state’s natural beauty stands out more for its valleys, rivers, lakes and mountains than its mere 13 miles of Atlantic Ocean coastline,” said the report. “Its highest peak, Mount Washington, stands at 6,288 feet in the White Mountains, and Lake Winnipesaukee is its best-known inland resort.”

New Hampshire was also ranked 6th in opportunity, which included a first-place ranking in economic opportunity and third-place in equality. 

It’s worst category was fiscal stability, with a ranking of 37th.

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Gov. Kelly Ayotte said the ranking comes as “no surprise.”

“Today’s ranking is a testament to our dedicated law enforcement officers, hardworking business leaders, and energetic, independent people,” she said in a post on X, also emphasizing the state’s high public safety ranking. “Thank you to all those who protect and serve our communities each day. Together, we will ensure our state remains the safest in the nation.”

What is the best state in the country?

According to U.S. News and World Report, Utah is the best state in the country for the third year in a row.

It earned top 10 marks in five categories: fiscal stability, economy, infrastructure, education and crime and corrections.

The report said that Utah’s economy has become one of the most diverse in the U.S., giving it great strength in the fiscal-related categories.

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“In the last two and a half decades, Utah’s economy has outperformed the nation, had greater strength, and when we’ve had downturns, we have been able to rebound much more quickly in our state,” said Natalie Gochnour, director of the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute at the University of Utah.

What are the 10 best states in the U.S., according to U.S. News and World Report?

  1. Utah
  2. New Hampshire
  3. Idaho
  4. Minnesota
  5. Nebraska
  6. Florida
  7. Vermont
  8. South Dakota
  9. Massachusetts
  10. Washington



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New Hampshire

Woman dies in Wilton, NH house fire – Boston News, Weather, Sports | WHDH 7News

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Woman dies in Wilton, NH house fire – Boston News, Weather, Sports | WHDH 7News


WILTON, N.H. (WHDH) – A woman died in a Wilton, New Hampshire, house fire Wednesday morning, according to the New Hampshire State Fire Marshal’s Office.

At 9:08 a.m., Wilton firefighters responded to Burns Hill Road after a caller said their home was filling up with smoke. When they arrived, a single-family home was on fire and they found out two people were still inside on the second floor.

A man and a woman were both taken out of the house by firefighters and taken to Elliott Hospital. The woman was pronounced dead and the man is in serious condition.

Officials have not released the name of the victim at this time.

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At this time, investigators are looking into the cause of the fire and are trying to determine if a power outage in the area played a factor. The fire is not currently considered suspicious.

(Copyright (c) 2025 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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N.H. woman accused of civil rights violation after allegedly shooting at lost man because he was Black

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N.H. woman accused of civil rights violation after allegedly shooting at lost man because he was Black


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Diane Durgin, 67, is accused of shooting at a Black man who inadvertently drove to her property after a prearranged truck part sale, prosecutors said.

A New Hampshire woman is accused of violating the state’s Civil Rights Act four times after she allegedly shot at a man because he was Black, prosecutors said.

Diane Durgin, 67, of Weare, N.H. could face up to a $5,000 fine for each violation she is found to have committed, the office of New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella said in a press release Tuesday.

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Durgin is also charged with criminal threatening against a person with a deadly weapon and attempted first degree assault with a deadly weapon, Michael Garrity, a media representative for the New Hampshire Attorney General, said in an emailed statement to Boston.com.

Durgin had a final pre-trial conference last week, Garrity said.

In a civil complaint filed Tuesday, Durgin is accused of threatening physical force against the victim, the AG said. Prosecutors asked the court to issue a preliminary injunction barring Durgin from repeating her alleged behavior and from contacting the victim and his family.

During the morning hours of Oct. 20, 2024, the victim claims, he “mistakenly” drove to Durgin’s home after a prearranged purchase of a truck part with a seller online, prosecutors wrote as part of their request for an injunction.

When the man — whom prosecutors identified in court documents as X.G. — arrived, Durgin allegedly stepped out of her home and approached his car with a gun “holstered by her waist,” prosecutors wrote. 

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Upon noticing that X.G. was Black, Durgin allegedly “removed her gun and pointed it at X.G.,” prosecutors said in the injunction request.

While X.G. explained that he was lost, Durgin called the victim a “Black mother[expletive],” and threatened to “kill him,” prosecutors allege.

As the victim attempted to drive away, Durgin allegedly took her gun and fired two shots at the fleeing man’s car, missing both times, the AG’s office said.

While on the phone with a dispatcher, Durgin allegedly said she shot the man’s car because the victim is Black, the AG said.

“The guy is Black. And he, he…he says he’s meeting someone here and I think he’s coming here to steal,” Durgin allegedly said.

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Police located X.G. and brought him to the Weare Police Department, stopping along the way at the correct seller’s home to complete the truck part purchase, prosecutors wrote in court documents.

To prove a violation of the New Hampshire Civil Rights Act, the AG must show that Durgin “interfered or attempted to interfere with the rights of the victim to engage in lawful activities by threatening to engage in or actually engage in physical force or violence, when such actual or threatening conduct was motivated by race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, sex, gender identity, or disability,” prosecutors said.

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Up to 4 inches of snow expected in NH tonight. See latest forecast

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Up to 4 inches of snow expected in NH tonight. See latest forecast


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It may be March, but winter in New Hampshire is far from over. Just one week after a blizzard tore through the state with heavy snow and high winds, the state is getting another round of snowfall.

The state will get three to five inches during the evening and night of Tuesday, March 3, says the National Weather Service (NWS) of Gray, Maine. While the accumulation will not be significant, the snowfall may cause dangerous road conditions and a layer of ice on the ground in certain parts of the state.

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Here’s what to know before tonight’s snow in New Hampshire, including snow totals and timing.

When will it snow in NH tonight?

According to the NWS, it will start snowing in New Hampshire during mid-afternoon or early evening and continue through the night. Specifically, snow will arrive to the southern part of the state around 2-3 p.m., spreading northwards through the rest of New Hampshire by 5 p.m.

Rain or freezing rain will mix in later this evening across southern New Hampshire, creating a wintry mix. All precipitation should move out of the state by midnight.

Due to the timing of today’s snowfall, the Tuesday evening commute will be affected, with the NWS warning to slow down and exercise caution while driving.

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How much snow will NH get tonight?

New Hampshire will get one to four inches of snow tonight, with one to two inches in northern New Hampshire, two to three inches in southern New Hampshire and three to four inches in the center of the state, with the possibility for five inches in localized areas.

In the Seacoast specifically, Portsmouth, Rye, Hampton and York are expected to get between two to three inches of snow, while Dover, Exeter and Rochester may get up to four.

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The wintry mix may also cause a light glaze of ice across southern New Hampshire.

NH weather watches and warnings

The NWS has issued a winter weather advisory for the state of New Hampshire, in effect from 1 p.m. on Tuesday, March 3 through 4 a.m. on Wednesday, March 4.

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