This Week in N.H. News: Gubernatorial Jockeying, Unexpected Gifts and Ghosts

Happy (almost) long weekend! Before you leave the office, catch up on some of the stories you might've missed from the last week — you might pick up a few conversation starters for any Labor Day picnics you have on the agenda. To get this rundown delivered right to your inbox, make sure to sign up for NHPR's newsletters right here.

T- Minus Two Weeks ’Til the Primary...

And if you’re just catching up on the candidates, especially in the governor’s race, we can help.

To get a sense of where all of the major gubernatorial candidates stand on education issues, check out this story and interactive by NHPR’s Paige Sutherland and Sara Plourde.

We also took a closer look at the Republican candidates’ economic plans. See how they compare right here.

The Democratic candidates also sat down for a forum with The Exchange, where they talked about everything from the state’s tax structure to drug policy to helmet laws. Listen to the full conversation here.

Speaking of the Governor’s Race...

As part of our ongoing coverage of campaign finance issues, NHPR’s Brian Wallstin took a look at how one rule — the so-called LLC loophole — has helped to bring in big bucks during this year’s campaign, especially for Republican Ted Gatsas.

Sizing up Sununu's Leadership at Waterville

And as part of a series we’re rolling out on some of the professional experiences that have shaped this year’s candidates for governor, we also visited Waterville Valley to see how the resort – and the surrounding community — has fared under Chris Sununu’s management. Get that story here.

During a three week fellowship in Germany earlier this summer, NHPR reporter Paige Sutherland spent some time learning more about Germany’s drug policies — to see what’s different, what’s worked and what New Hampshire might learn as it continues to tackle an opioid crisis. Explore her full series here.

You might’ve visited Odiorne Point State Park, but you probably haven’t heard the whole story of how it came to be — it involves 17th-century fishermen, luxurious 20th century summer homes and, eventually, a world war. NHPR’s Jason Moon tells the full tale, as part of the latest installment of our Life On the Seacoast series.

And while we're on the Seacoast, how about catching some waves? NHPR's Elaine Loft fills us in on the particulars of surfing New Hampshire's shoreline.

Plus, Sean Hurley solves the riddle of the Griddle in the Middle for this week's edition of Foodstuffs. Check out his story and photos right here. 

Six of the 10,000 Syrian refugees that have settled in the United States since last November ended up in New Hampshire. (Concord Monitor)

13 miles Route 1 takes you through just about the entirety of New Hampshire's seacoast. From fishing boats to a decommissioned naval prison to driftwood and more, NHPR's Sara Plourde documented the sights you might encounter along the way. (NHPR)

70% of likely voters don’t know enough to have an opinion about the most well-known Democratic candidate for governor, according to the most recent Granite State poll. (WMUR)

2,998 out-of-state students settled in at New Hampshire colleges in 2014. That year, the state imported more students to public schools than it exported. (New York Times)

57% is how much the death rate rose for middle-aged white women in Carroll County between 1999 and 2014, the starkest increase in the state during that time period. The pattern in Carroll, though, fits into a national trend of increased mortality rates for that demographic. (Washington Post)

$4 million was left to the University of New Hampshire, unexpectedly, by a recently deceased library worker who “rarely bought clothes, had Fritos and soda for breakfast, drove a 1992 Plymouth, and spent spare time reading almost every book— in chronological order — that had been published in the United States from 1930 to 1938.” (Boston Globe)

$821,000 is about how much a 90 year-old Troy resident bequeathed to the town in her will. Now, residents are trying to figure out what to do with the windfall left by Betty Giorgianni, who died in April. While for a larger city, the gift might not mean much, it amounts to roughly half of Troy's overall budget. (NHPR'sMorning Edition)  

There are a lot of things about the natural world that can easily be explained by science. And then, there are situations in which science simply cannot help. Some may call these experiences "supernatural" or perhaps "paranormal". But let's face it, the natural world can be pretty heckin' spooky. 

But why are the woods so scary? Why does being alone in a cornfield evoke a feeling of dread? And seriously, what is up with the Bayou? Is it all that Spanish Moss? So spooky.

While Sam's been brushing aside the Outside/In team's curiosity for months, they decided to plead our case to you...and yes, it looks like there will be a show about the haunted outdoors coming soon.

Take a listen right here. And if you haven't done it yet, subscribe to Outside/In on iTunes, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts and never miss an episode!

Late August is just about the toughest time to produce a radio show, because just about everybody is on vacation. Of course, that doesn't matter much for podcasts...these days, with so much on-demand audio, our playlists are packed with great new shows, and fresh episodes from our long-time favorites. 

The Word of Mouth team dedicated a whole show to great podcasts, so if you've been longing for something new to add to your download list, check out what they recommend right here. 

New Hampshire Public Radio is excited to partner with The Farmers Dinner to present an evening celebrating great local food and great local radio.

Join hosts Laura Knoy, Virginia Prescott, and Sam Evans-Brown on September 14th at Gould Hill Farm in Contoocook for a delicious farm to table dinner to celebrate NHPR’s 35 years on the air.

Click here for more information and tickets.

This event is sponsored by Harvest Capital and Pompanoosuc Mills.