NH News

New data from NH Housing Finance Authority shows 263 New Hampshire homes fell into foreclosure in September. That’s a 13% decline from 2011 levels.

The report says the numbers are a sign that the worst of the housing crisis could be behind us.  

But, cautious optimism aside, there is some tangible good news here: total foreclosures are on track to be their lowest since 2009. Foreclosure auction notices are also way down.

Democrats have unseated incumbent Republicans to win New Hampshire’s two congressional seats.

After losing in 2010 by about 3,500 votes, Hopkinton Democrat Ann McLane Kuster easily beat Republican Charlie Bass in the second district.  She promised common sense and compromise in Washington.

"I will work with anybody from any party on any issue if I believe it is in the interested of this great state…and I will always stand up for what I believe in."

Races for State House and Senate were still wrapping up early this morning. Republicans lost some ground in the House, but we’re still learning how many seats were gained by Democrats.To start with, the Speaker of the House, Bill O’Brien, was reelected. He finished second to a Democrat in a two-member district.

A rainbow of political signs await voters outside of Peterborough Town Hall.

Inside, it’s a white Voter ID sign, explaining what forms will be accepted.

This is the first election that voters in New Hampshire will be asked to show an I.D. Those without one can sign an affidavit.

In nearby Hancock, Dick Ray says the new law isn’t slowing things down.

"In and out in 5 minutes. Took me longer to figure out who I was going to vote for than to go through the process, so it was fine."

Presidential candidates have coveted New Hampshire this election even while some swing states have five times the number of electoral votes.

On Tuesday, Manchester voters will pick nine names from a list of 62 candidates vying to serve on the city’s charter commission. And public education is a central issue.

A joke about being New Hampshire Speaker of the House is that you get a parking spot, $125 annual salary, and the chance to bang a gavel.

But when Bill O’Brien took the position in 2010, he took an important but largely under the radar position into the spotlight.

"It’s been all about O’Brien," says Dante Scala, a political scientist at UNH. "For better or worse, O’Brien became the center of gravity in the New Hampshire legislature, and the face of the New Hampshire legislature, in a way that past Speakers rarely are."

The State’s election officials are gearing up for Election Day, preparing voters and town workers to implement the state’s new voter ID law.

Back in September, the new law required poll workers to ask for an ID during the primary. The idea was to start educating voters, even though it wasn’t required to vote.

The Secretary of State’s office says around 6.5% of voters either didn’t have an ID, or refused to show one in protest of the new law.

Delaney: Obviously it’s a sensitive issue.

A judge has ruled that State health officials can access private health records at Exeter Hospital, as it continues to investigate an outbreak of Hepatitis C.

In August, the Hospital went to court seeking a protective order, arguing that the Division of Public Health’s request for patient records violated privacy laws.

But Superior Court Judge Richard McNamara has denied that request, saying that patient privacy must give way to the state’s interest in investigating a public health threat.

At the end of September, Judge Steven McAuliffe did something unique: he invited U.S Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to come to Concord and weigh in on the suit.

The Judge is looking for help in deciding whether or not the State’s slashing of Medicaid reimbursements to hospitals followed proper guidelines.

Well, the Secretary didn’t show. But an attorney for her agency did phone into the hearing, and informed the judge that Sebelius isn’t quite ready to give her opinion.

A fleet of monstrous blue trucks arrived in Manchester late Wednesday afternoon.

PSNH president Gary Long and Northeast Utilities CEO Tom May were on hand to greet the Hydro Quebec crews.

To see reinforcements come around the corner with these blue trucks is very rewarding

75 two-man crews are slated to be in New Hampshire by Thursday morning, with some crews driving as long as 12 hours to help restore power.

Daniel Dumais is Director of Distribution at Hydro Quebec and was here for the ice storm in 2008.

Many schools in the state will remain closed on Wednesday because of power outages and weather conditions related to Hurricane Sandy.  For more information, visit WMUR's closings website.

Governor John Lynch toured the damage to New Hampshire in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. When the governor arrived at the Bedford Operations Center late Tuesday afternoon, he learned that most of the damage in the area had already been cleaned up.

Bedford's municipal buildings and traffic lights were spared any serious damage, though around 2,000 PSNH customers are still without power. Crews from as far as Texas are helping restore service there.

Lynch praised the efforts of the emergency responders and cited the use of new media in getting the word out about the storm:

Not the worst case scenario, but still a significant event.