MANCHESTER, New Hampshire – Southern New Hampshire University recently announced its dean’s list for the summer semester.

The list honors full-time undergraduate students with a GPA of 3.5 to 3.69. The students also must earn 12 credits during the 16-week or paired eight-week summer, winter or spring and fall semesters.

Students from the Sauk Valley area named to the dean’s list include:

• Destinee Howard of Sterling
• Xia Harris of Sterling
• Casondra Bailey of Mt. Morris

We finally made it to the weekend — a decent weekend at that!  But big weather changes are right around the corner.

As we move through this Saturday, a weak cold front will swing through Eastern Mass and southern New Hampshire, giving way to a few morning showers and sprinkles.

Otherwise, we’ll see partly sunny skies. Skies will gradually clear by evening. High temperatures will rise into the low 70s. Tonight, a few clouds are possible with low temperatures in the low 50s.

Hey, talking about tonight — you might have a chance to see the Northern Lights. The K-Index is hinting at a decent opportunity tonight, especially over northern New England.

So, the farther north you are, the better the likelihood to see the aurora. And with a mostly clear sky expected, it should be ideal to experience it. Let us know if you see the aurora! 

On Sunday, with the cold front to our south, expect mostly sunny to partly cloudy skies. Temperatures will be a tad cooler, too, reaching the mid 60s for highs. Lows will drop into the low 50s.

Umbrella weather is headed our way for Monday! In fact, we’re tracking a stronger cold front that will slide through Boston. So, expect showers Monday morning during the morning commute through at least the mid-afternoon. No severe weather is in the forecast. Highs will be in the mid 60s.

Another surge of cooler weather will push in from Tuesday into Wednesday, delivering quite a chill to Greater Boston. In fact, highs will be in the upper 50s for both Wednesday and Thursday with morning temperatures in the mid to upper 40s. 

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Access Fund and Central New Hampshire Climbers’ Association (CNHCA) have announced the purchase of a key parcel of land in Thornton, New Hampshire, to provide access to the popular Merriam Woods crag.

Merriam Woods (sometimes known as Russell Crags) is one of the most recently developed crags in New Hampshire. Some have even compared it to the iconic Rumney in terms of its potential for high-quality climbing and its natural setting.

The acquisition encompasses five acres of land that abuts the White Mountain National Forest and Merriam Woods—conservation land owned and managed by the town of Woodstock, New Hampshire. Use of the area is only expected to increase, and with that increase comes the need to develop sustainable climbing infrastructure.

“We are excited to acquire this land and work to build a new parking lot,” says CNHCA President Jay Knower. “With the increasing popularity of Merriam Woods and the surrounding Russell Crags, this project will help alleviate potential issues caused by visitor use and foster good will among the community at large.”

Access to the crags around Woodstock has been a historical challenge. In the spring of 2023, discussions were underway between local climbers and the Woodstock Conservation Commission regarding the imperiled climbing access to Merriam Woods. One of the key concerns raised by local residents was the need for sufficient parking along the road to the crag.

Around the same time, Knower connected with the sellers. “We noticed that this piece of land was the only privately held parcel near Merriam Woods,” says Knower. “So we approached the owners about purchasing it, figuring that it wouldn’t hurt to ask.” The owners agreed to sell their property to CNHCA and were very supportive of the organization’s plans to build a small parking lot for climbers and other recreationists at a new trailhead. The lot will address landowner concerns and provide an avenue for sharing up-to-date information about proper use of these areas.

“Climbers from CNHCA and Access Fund spent a significant amount of time working with the town of Woodstock to keep climbing open and conserved at Merriam Woods,” says Brian Tickle, Access Fund’s national acquisitions director. “This acquisition is a reminder that sustainable climbing often requires infrastructure beyond just trails, staging areas, and fixed anchors, and it also serves as an example of climbers addressing the needs of neighboring landowners.”

Not an Access Fund Member? Either become one or consider donating to Access Fund here.