Marginal Way named one of USA TODAY’s best scenic views
Explore Marginal Way in Ogunquit, Maine, named one of USA TODAYs Most Treasured Views in America for 2025.
On June 27, Gov. Kelly Ayotte signed HB 260, which authorizes the design, sale and distribution of a cover plate that celebrates America’s 250th anniversary, into law.
As a cover plate, it would replace your front license plate and would not bear your unique license plate number.
The plates will cost $25 and proceeds will go to the Land and Community Heritage Investment Program (LCHIP) Administrative Fund.
New Hampshire residents will soon be able to buy a new license plate that celebrates the 250th anniversary of American Independence.
On June 27, Gov. Kelly Ayotte signed HB 260 into law. The bill authorizes the design, sale and distribution of a plate that recognizes America’s 250th anniversary.
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It would be a cover plate, meaning it would replace your front license plate and would not bear your unique license plate number. Buyers would be able to use it for a year while the celebration takes place.
Here’s what to know about the 250 commemorative license plate.
What is America 250?
Next year on July 4, 2026, the United States will celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of Declaration of Independence. The federal government, as well as individual states and cities, are planning celebrations all around the country.
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New Hampshire was the first colony to declare its independence from Great Britain on Jan. 5, 1776 – almost six months before the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Some towns in New Hampshire are already beginning their preparations. In Portsmouth, City Councilor Andrew Bagley is pushing for $50,000 to be committed for a fireworks display and event in July 2026 to celebrate the 250th anniversary.
How to get the special 250 license plate
The American Independence plate law goes into effect 60 days after signing and will last until July 4, 2027.
The NH Department of Safety will provide the plates, which will cost $25. Proceeds will go to the Land and Community Heritage Investment Program (LCHIP) Administrative Fund, which supports historic and natural resource preservation in New Hampshire.
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What will be on the 250 license plate?
Originally, the bill called for the plate to feature the Battle of Bunker Hill. However, it was amended to celebrate the 250th birthday more generally.
The Department of Safety will be responsible for the design of the plate, but it’s unclear what that will be yet.
Specialty license plates in New Hampshire
Looking for a special license plate but not sold on the American anniversary plate?
More: What’s the most popular specialty license plate in NH? This plate takes the crown
In New Hampshire, there are three types of specialty license plates to choose from: The NH Conservation and Heritage License Plate (the “Moose Plate” featuring a moose on the left side), the NH State Parks Plate (which has the parks logo on the left side and the Old Man of the Mountain on the right) and the Conservation Parks Plate (a combination of the two plates with a moose on the left and the state parks logo on the right).
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There are also “decal plates,” which have a blank square on the left side of the plate for a special decal from a legislature-authorized organization.
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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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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The streets of Portsmouth are still in the process of being cleaned up, as seen the afternoon of Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026, following a huge snow storm.
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.
Blizzard snowfall totals: Latest snowfall total from New Hampshire, Maine after blizzard
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.