Posts by Rick Green
Major changes would be required in the way New Hampshire conducts elections under bills proposed by Republican state legislators, many of whom have questioned the integrity of the last statewide vote.
A sun-filled sky today with highs in the lower 70s. A cold front later tonight will bring cooler weather for the weekend along with dry conditions.
While the decision of whether or not to vaccinate is often characterized in partisan political terms, there’s a group of people who are hesitant to get the shot for reasons entirely unrelated to politics.
Only 3 percent of more than 50,000 COVID-19 cases reported in New Hampshire over the last eight months involve people who have been vaccinated, but that doesn’t stop a large percentage of Granite State residents from doubting that the vaccine works.
The twin problems are national in scope, but lack of labor is a particular issue in New Hampshire, which has an aging workforce and an unemployment rate of just 2.9 percent, the third-lowest in the nation. Child care operations, where wages are relatively low, find themselves in competition with other employers who may be able to pay higher wages.
Public health officials and advocates worry low vaccination rates in several New Hampshire towns could cause a fall surge in COVID-19 cases, as the highly contagious Delta variant spreads and the school year nears.
State health officials are urging people to follow health precautions even once they are vaccinated.
Business owners are also joining in the debate over raising the minimum wage.
New Hampshire lottery sales, particularly from online games, are surging during the pandemic, and with that increase comes a jump in another statistic — the number of problem gamblers who seek assistance for a disorder that can destroy lives.
New Hampshire does not have the kind of diversity and multiculturalism of some areas of the country, but Jose Diaz said he couldn’t have asked for a better reception. “We’ve received nothing but love,” he said. “We’ve not had a single issue to be honest with you. The people are inherently nice.”