MANCHESTER: Doug Foley, vice president of Eversource’s electric operations in Massachusetts, has been named the new president of the utility’s operations in New Hampshire. Foley, who started on the job on Sept. 10, succeeds Joe Purington, who was recently appointed president and CEO of Central Maine Power.

Previously, Foley was responsible for leading the team that maintains and constructs Eversource’s electric transmission and distribution systems in Massachusetts and serves as incident commander for major power restoration efforts. He joined the company in 1989.

CONCORD: More than 2,100 people in and around the state are eligible for refunds from online ticket broker StubHub due to events that were canceled by the pandemic, following a settlement forced on the company by nine states, including New Hampshire. Attorney General John Formella announced the settlement with California-based StubHub concerning the company’s refusal to pay refunds to consumers for concerts, sports events and other events canceled when the Covid-19 pandemic hit. New Hampshire joined nine other states and the District of Columbia in a multistate resolution with the company.

BRISTOL: After years of planning, the town of Bristol has launched its new high-speed internet service, the Bristol Broadband Now network, which “opens a lot of doors for our business community, enables opportunities like telehealth for residents and creates more learning opportunities for our students,” Nicholas Coates, town administrator, said. Hub66, based in Acton, Mass., will provide the internet service to businesses, residents and municipal buildings in the town of about 3,000 people.

WASHINGTON, D.C.: The U.S. Department of Agriculture is investing in two renewable-energy projects in New Hampshire as part of the nationwide Rural Energy for America Program. One is for the Scoggins General Store in Gorham, which is installing an 18.75kW roof-mounted solar array that will generate 81% of its electricity needs, saving over $2,700/year.

In Harrisville, a 37kW roof-mounted solar array at Mayfair Farm will be installed, the USDA said. The energy generated is valued at almost $6,000 and will help the diverse business expand upon its offerings of pork, lamb, hay, syrup, fruits and berries.

CONCORD: Rep. Manny Espitia, D-Nashua, has filed a request for legislation to repeal the state’s so-called “divisive concepts law,” the discrimination language that was added to state law last session through a broad-ranging and policy-heavy budget bill. The divisive concepts language originally appeared as House Bill 544, and was later inserted into the budget trailer bill. Espitia said if the language hadn’t been tied to the budget, the outcome may have been different.

CONCORD: New Hampshire is poised to receive between 100 and 200 Afghan refugees in the coming weeks, Gov. Chris Sununu announced. About 120,000 people have been evacuated from Kabul, including some who are already U.S. citizens. They didn’t travel directly to the United States but landed in other parts of the world where the screening process began, including biometric screening. After those screenings, refugees will be housed at eight military bases, where they can receive medical care and immunizations. “We are open,” Sununu said. “We want to be welcoming to a lot of them but also understanding that process is a big responsibility of the state.”

MANCHESTER: Stay Work Play New Hampshire has announced the winners of its 2021 Rising Stars Awards, which recognize New Hampshire’s young people and the businesses that recruit and retain them.

They are: Young Entrepreneur of the Year, Kelly McCaskill, owner and lead photographer of Ridgelight Studio, Hopkinton; Civic Leader of the Year, Jonathan Weinberg, member of the Concord Board of Education and a student at Southern New Hampshire University; College Student of the Year, Aubrey Porter of Durham, a senior at the University of New Hampshire; Covid-19 Crusader, Meagan Sbat of Weare, owner of Get Fit NH; Intern of the Year, Emma Wisniewski of Laconia; and Young Person of the Year, Fiona McEnany of Hanover, microbiology and immunology Ph.D. student at Dartmouth College. The awards reception, presented by Eversource, will be a hybrid event with limited in-person capacity and a live broadcast from the Currier Museum of Art on Oct. 21.