CONCORD: New Hampshire was the second fastest growing state in New England over the last decade, according to the U.S Census Bureau, which said the state’s resident population on April 1 was 1,377,529, a 4.6% increase from 2010. Massachusetts was the fastest growing state in New England, seeing a 7.4% increase. That matches the 7.4% resident population increase in the nation as a whole.
CONCORD: The New Hampshire attorney general’s office has approved Concord Hospital’s $30 million acquisition of bankrupt LRGHealthcare.
The transaction was scheduled for May 1, after final court orders are entered. Six months ago, LRGH filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy after suffering years of operating losses amid crippling debt. An auction was scheduled for its assets, including Lakes Region General Hospital in Laconia and Franklin Regional Hospital.
Concord Hospital emerged as the only bidder.
CONCORD: Courts in New Hampshire will be gradually expanding in-person operations to the public, starting with the state Supreme Court, which began allowing the public to its clerk’s office and law library as of April 27. In-person oral arguments at the court were scheduled to resume May 5. At the Superior Court, in-person hearings will be expanded and the Circuit Court will resume in-person final hearings in domestic violence or stalking cases and in adjudicatory hearings in abuse and neglect cases.
WOODSVILLE: Cottage Hospital in Woodsville has named its chief nursing officer, Holly McCormack, as its new CEO. McCormack, who has been with the hospital since 2010, succeeds Maria Ryan, who led the 35-bed hospital for a decade and announced in December that she would step down early this year.
CONCORD: New opportunities for individuals interested in becoming an auto technician now exist through a one-year, hands-on apprenticeship program created through a partnership of the ApprenticeshipNH program and the NH Automobile Dealers Association. Called the NHADA Consortium Automotive Technician Apprenticeship program, it will match an employer’s current need for skilled workers with job-seekers looking to begin a career in automotive technology, an in-demand field with significant growth opportunities. Classwork is being offered at five community colleges in the state.
CONWAY: A 110-megawatt solar farm is being proposed for a site in Conway — a plan that, if approved, would make it one of the largest such projects in New Hampshire. At their April 20 meeting, selectmen heard a plan for the East Conway Solar Project proposed by Olivewood Energy, which is based in New Haven, Conn. The project, to be located on 355 acres within a 1,000-acre parcel, would create enough power for 54,000 New Hampshire residents, the developer says. Last October, state regulators approved a 30-megawatt solar array on 100 acres in Fitzwilliam, which is the largest solar development so far approved in New Hampshire.
NASHUA: A large development being proposed at the Nashua site of the former Hampshire Chemical company will include a new Costco Wholesale store. Under the plan, the current Costco on Daniel Webster Highway in Nashua will be moved to a 156,000-square-foot site being developed as part of The Landing at Nashua, which will also include a self-storage facility. The Hampshire Chemical site was a contaminated brownfield that has gone through extensive mitigation, the developer says.
MANCHESTER: Manchester-Boston Regional Airport officials say the facility is seeing more traffic compared to this time last year. An average of 1,300 passengers flying out of the airport each day, compared to 120 a day at the same time last year. Still, the current traffic is less than half the number of travelers before the pandemic, when about 3,000 outbound travelers were recorded each day.
