Byline: Ethan DeWitt
Posts by Ethan DeWitt
Courts deploy mediators as latest tool in effort to reduce the number of evictions
read more…: Courts deploy mediators as latest tool in effort to reduce the number of evictionsIn the weeks since the abrupt end to the nationwide eviction moratorium, attorneys and judges have raced to dampen its effects. Eviction court judges have used the bench to promote federal rental relief. Legal assistance organizations have doubled down on their efforts to take on clients. Aid agencies have appeared in court to help tenants and landlords directly.
Proposed apprenticeship program would launch in 4 school districts including Manchester, for starters
read more…: Proposed apprenticeship program would launch in 4 school districts including Manchester, for startersNew Hampshire’s Department of Education is pushing for a new approach to improve the pipeline from high school to industries, starting with four “pilot” school districts.
Data shows state’s hospitality industry is making gains
read more…: Data shows state’s hospitality industry is making gainsNew Hampshire’s restaurant and hotel industry appears to be starting to bounce back after a year of depressed profits – at least if state tax data is any indication.
For housing advocates, new eviction ban is welcome but complicated
read more…: For housing advocates, new eviction ban is welcome but complicatedThe changes in county transmission rates reflect the increasing number of cases nationally and the prolific spread of the Delta variant. But this month, the numbers also carry additional significance. They affect which tenants can stay in their homes and which might be evicted.
As schools prepare to get kids back in classrooms, bus driver shortage looms large
read more…: As schools prepare to get kids back in classrooms, bus driver shortage looms largeAs school districts ramp up plans to return to a full year of in-person learning, they’re facing an acute resurgence of an age-old problem: a shortage of school bus drivers.
Under new law, displaying a firearm no longer constitutes reckless conduct
read more…: Under new law, displaying a firearm no longer constitutes reckless conductNew Hampshire residents and visitors will no longer face reckless conduct charges for displaying a firearm after Gov. Chris Sununu signed a bill Friday creating a new exception.
Republicans on Senate Finance vote against aid for homeless shelters
read more…: Republicans on Senate Finance vote against aid for homeless sheltersRepublicans on the Senate Finance Committee voted down a $20 million proposal to aid homeless shelters Monday, stopping an effort that Democrats and the state’s Department of Health and Human Services said was necessary to meet a growing need.
The crumbling wall between public money and religious schools
read more…: The crumbling wall between public money and religious schoolsNew Hampshire’s latest bid to create “education freedom accounts” – a voucher-like program allowing public school dollars to be used by families in private schools – is not the first attempt of its kind. But it is the broadest.
2 bills up for hearings Tuesday would take police transparency in starkly different directions
read more…: 2 bills up for hearings Tuesday would take police transparency in starkly different directionsAs the Legislature grapples with a number of efforts to increase police transparency in the state, Tuesday will be an early test for lawmakers’ appetites.
What the COVID relief package round two means for New Hampshire
read more…: What the COVID relief package round two means for New HampshireIn signing the end-of-year spending package last month, President Donald Trump put in motion the latest stimulus effort by Congress to address the COVID-19 pandemic.
From hockey rink to drive-in voting: How the NH Legislature plans to meet next year
read more…: From hockey rink to drive-in voting: How the NH Legislature plans to meet next yearThey started in a hockey rink, indoors at desks spaced six feet apart. As winter closed in and COVID-19 cases rose, they moved to a field hockey rink and bundled up. Next month, the 2021-22 New Hampshire Legislature is trying a new approach: the drive-in voting session.
Is New Hampshire losing its swing-state status?
read more…: Is New Hampshire losing its swing-state status?Long after the candidates swing through for the primary, those that win the nomination for their parties can’t just leave the Granite State in the rearview mirror. New Hampshire is one of a series of swing states, and though small, you don’t forget swing states.
Here’s how you can vote now in person in New Hampshire
read more…: Here’s how you can vote now in person in New HampshireNew Hampshire towns and cities are open for in-person absentee voting. Voters can go to their town or city clerk during open hours, request a ballot, fill it out, and return it all in one go.
Sununu issues executive order on police reforms, including body cameras for state police
read more…: Sununu issues executive order on police reforms, including body cameras for state policeGov. Chris Sununu put into motion a set of 20 recommended changes to law enforcement in New Hampshire Wednesday – including, for the first time, a directive that New Hampshire State Police use body cameras.
Meet the Republican candidates for Executive Council
read more…: Meet the Republican candidates for Executive CouncilThis year, two Republicans say they’re ready to change that status quo. Jim Beard and Stewart Levenson are vying for a spot in the general election.
Meet the District 2 Democratic candidates for Executive Council
read more…: Meet the District 2 Democratic candidates for Executive CouncilIt’s perhaps the busiest race for an Executive Council district in decades – six Democrats and two Republicans. But for all their ideological similarities, each of the Democratic candidates hoping to succeed Andru Volinsky next year have been defined by unique paths to get there.
Housing Assistance Program slow to give tenants aid
read more…: Housing Assistance Program slow to give tenants aidAs New Hampshire housing advocates fret over a potential flood of evictions next month, a key state aid program for tenants has been slow to roll out.
New Hampshire’s school re-opening guidelines: A breakdown
read more…: New Hampshire’s school re-opening guidelines: A breakdownNew Hampshire released its set of reopening guidelines for school districts this week, providing some preliminary answers to long-sought questions from parents and staff.
Election 2020: Franklin conservative Karen Testerman challenges Sununu for governor over Stay at Home order
read more…: Election 2020: Franklin conservative Karen Testerman challenges Sununu for governor over Stay at Home orderKaren Testerman, a Franklin city councilor and longtime political figure, will challenge Sununu for governor in the Republican primary, she announced this week.