I value the press and the protections afforded it under our state and federal Constitutions. A free press keeps people informed, holds public officials accountable and ultimately protects our democracy. Like many, I have come to value our community newspaper, The Laconia Daily Sun, and appreciate its commitment to professional journalism — even if it means their journalists or editors are criticizing me or fellow council members. I respect the professional press who let the facts determine the story and readers can then form their own opinions. I also respect the editors who through du…
New Hampshire has experienced widespread economic hardship due to the COVID–19 pandemic. Local businesses have had to temporarily close and lay off workers, and reduce their capacity as we work to re–open safely. Our health care systems have been strained as we respond to this crisis in the …
We find ourselves in a perfect storm with multiple flashpoints: a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic and a centuries-old struggle for justice. One is a public health emergency that has lasted for months and promises many future challenges: COVID-19. The other is the most insidious, long-standing pu…
Like so many Americans, I have watched in horror at the violence and murders perpetrated by those we pay to keep us safe. I have also watched in horror at the mindless “Defund the Police” cries. Granted many police departments can use a good house cleaning but the solution is not to throw ou…
The restaurant industry comprises 10 percent of the U.S. workforce and contributes to 10 of the 12 highest sources of state-generated tax revenue in N.H.. All totaled, restaurants account for nearly 20 percent of the state budget. Seasonal locations account for 12 percent of food service lic…
A little over a month ago, LRGHealthcare announced it was following State of New Hampshire guidelines to cancel elective and non-urgent services and was temporarily closing the majority of outpatient services. As you may recall, this decision was driven by two public health needs and one fin…
It is a fine investment of time for a lawyer, or a citizen, to read the opinions of Justice Robert H. Jackson, whose brilliant legal career began with the Nuremburg trials. He went on to become the only person to serve as Solicitor General, Attorney General and as a Supreme Court Justice. Wo…
A group of residents in my little town of Sandwich has been brainstorming for the better part of a year on ways they can tackle humankind’s biggest challenge. They call themselves the Sandwich Climate Action Coalition.
Back in 1927, Belgian college professor and Roman Catholic Priest Georges Lemaître opined that prior to what we now call the “Big Bang,” there was no time, no space, no night, no day, and no universe, only a single gaseous mass. Lemaitre believed that (about 13.7 billion years ago) the mass …
The announcement last week that LRGHealthcare was temporarily suspending the majority of outpatient services as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic was received with much disbelief and some anger. While the message was a surprise to many, the concept of a shutdown of health care services at LR…
In our current health crisis we all have to do what we can to make our country and our state as safe as possible for everyone; this civic responsibility includes a special duty to the poor, homeless and elderly. Your Belknap County commissioners are obligated to do everything we can to make …
To fight the coronavirus at home, France is removing all military forces from Iraq.
Milan is the V-8 engine of Italy's economy. Known as an industrial and financial powerhouse, Milan is also famous for its foul air. Now the city and its region, Lombardy, have become the epicenter of Europe's coronavirus pandemic. To stop the virus' spread, factories, offices, restaurants an…
As we get report after report on the Coronavirus as it spreads across the globe, our minds get filled with information about something that may or may not affect or infect us. The fact that the virus represents a global threat is almost beyond comprehension, as we normally think in much more…
Dr. Brian Monahan, attending physician of Congress, told a closed meeting of Senate staffers this week that 70 million to 150 million Americans — a third of the nation — could contract the coronavirus. Dr. Anthony Fauci testified that the mortality rate for COVID-19 will likely run near 1 percent.
We are now officially dealing with a pandemic. No one but the president thought a $2.5 billion program would be enough to address the threat. Congress — not only the Democratic House but also the Republican Senate — nearly quadrupled the appropriation, even as health officials around the cou…
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