CONCORD: Attorney General Gordon MacDonald has been confirmed as chief justice of the New Hampshire Supreme Court, 18 months after he was initially rejected for the position. Republicans won a 4-1 majority on the Executive Council in November, ousting Democrats who had blocked Mac- Donald’s confirmation in July 2019. He will replace Chief Justice Robert Lynn, who retired in August that year. While MacDonald had broad support from the legal community, opponents questioned his lack of experience as a judge and his involvement in conservative Republican politics.
EXETER: Massachusetts General Hospital has discontinued efforts to pursue acquiring and affiliating with Exeter Health Resources. The announcement officially ends the possibility of a merger that would have brought Exeter Hospital under the same leadership as Wentworth-Douglass Hospital in Dover, which was acquired by Mass General in 2017.
The proposed affiliation was opposed by the New Hampshire attorney general.
KINGSTON: Despite speculation to the contrary, a proposed 785,000-square-foot warehouse and distribution facility planned for a site on Route 125 in Kingston is not being built for Amazon. While the identity of the company that the site is being constructed for has yet to be released, a spokesperson for Amazon told the Union Leader that it is not being built for the tech giant. An even larger proposed 1-million-square-foot warehouse and distribution facility being planned at the former Green Meadow Golf Club in Hudson is intended to serve as a fulfillment center for Amazon.
NASHUA: The city of Nashua has launched a $750,000 revolving loan fund to aid businesses that may have slipped through the cracks of existing Covid-19 relief initiatives. The funding will be targeted to newer and minority-owned small businesses, which either were not eligible for initial federal and state programs or faced barriers in accessing them. A survey conducted last August found that almost 70% of the minority-owned businesses responding didn’t qualify for any type of federal or local assistance, in many cases because of a lack of recordkeeping.
DALTON: More than 40 Littleton business owners have signed a petition urging the Dalton Select Board to oppose development of a landfill in Dalton. The petitioners argue that local businesses rely heavily on the tourism draw of the Ammonoosuc River. The proposed landfill lies in close proximity to Forest Lake and is upriver from the downtown Littleton area. While the bulk of the land parcel rests within Dalton town limits, a portion of the acreage is within both Littleton and Bethlehem town lines as well. Voters can expect to see the non-binding petition on the March 9 ballot.
DOVER: Development firm Cathartes has unveiled new plans for a large mixed-use development on Dover’s waterfront that includes five multistory buildings with office, retail and residential space and a public park running along the Cocheco River. The concept plan is part of a public-private partnership between the city and the company.
MANCHESTER: YWCA-NH is reaching out to landlords, property managers and others in the housing industry to introduce them to its housing programs that help survivors of domestic violence get and maintain housing. There will be two virtual events scheduled in February — one from 5 to 6 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 2. and the other from 9 to 10 a.m. Friday, Feb. 5. For more information, visit ywcanh.org.
WASHINGTON, D.C.: The U.S. Small Business Administration has launched Ascent, a free digital e-learning platform geared to help women entrepreneurs grow and expand their businesses. Ascent’s content includes tips on preparing and recovering from disasters, strategic marketing and business financial strategy development. For more information, visit Ascent.SBA.gov.
