CONCORD: It’s expected that about half of the $3 million budgeted by the state for a program created to provide relief to restaurants affected by the pandemic will remain unspent. The Union Leader reported that, with pending grants likely to be approved, it would appear the program could have about $1.4 million remaining. The application deadline for the program was July 13. Officials did say they have not ruled out creating additional rounds of grants in the future, recognizing some restaurant owners may have been too busy to make a bid for the money while dealing with the summer tourism season.

CONCORD: The state’s unemployment rate in July remained at a record-low 2 percent in July. According to statistics from New Hampshire Employment Security, the number of residents increased by 2,600 from June and 22,410 more than in July 2021. There were 570 fewer unemployed residents in July compared with the previous month and 11,390 fewer than in July 2021. New Hampshire tied with Utah for the thirdlowest unemployment rate in June, behind Minnesota and Nebraska.

NASHUA: Buffalo, N.Y.-based Delaware North has reached an agreement to buy the Boston Billiard Club & Casino in Nashua, The global hospitality and entertainment company — among its holdings is TD Garden in Boston — expects the deal to be completed later this year, the Union Leader reported. The sale requires approval from the New Hampshire Lottery Commission. Delaware North said it became interested in buying the business after New Hampshire passed legislation to allow historical horse racing gaming machines at licensed gaming operations last year.

BERLIN: The city of Berlin has won a $19 million federal grant to use waste heat from biomass plant Burgess BioPower to keep its streets and sidewalks clear of snow in the winter. Installing the heat system will also allow the city to replace around two miles of roads in the downtown area as well as a bridge in need of repair, according to Mayor Paul Grenier. The project will use only around 10 percent of the waste heat created by Burgess, which burns low-grade wood to generate electricity. The funding comes from the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity grant program.

LACONIA: Lakes Region Community Developers and Pemi Valley Habitat for Humanity have launched a collaboration aimed at helping both organizations bring more affordable, single-family homes to communities in their areas. Through the agreement, LRCD will work to incorporate single-family home lots into their site plans when planning a new rental housing development. The lots would then be subdivided and sold to PVH at a price that works with its homebuilding model. The project in the collaboration will be the proposed Village at Mill Pond in Ashland where LRCD seeks to build up to 60 rental apartments for essential workers, 24 apartments for seniors of low income and will subdivide four single-family lots on the site for PVH to develop.

MEREDITH: Andrew Button, CEO of Annalee Dolls, allegedly sexually harassed a bookkeeper and then fired her for complaining to the state Human Rights Commission. Rose Homer, the bookkeeper from Alexandria, filed her suit against Meredith-based Annalee Dolls and its CEO, Andrew Button, on Aug. 1. The suit followed the Human Rights Commission’s finding of probable cause against Button, and Annalee retaliated, according to the complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Concord by Jon Meyers, an attorney with Backus Meyer & Branch in Manchester. Annalee’s Concord attorney, Friedrich Kreutzer Moeckel, declined to comment on pending litigation.

NORTH HAMPTON: Throwback Brewery in North Hampton has been recognized as the first craft beverage producer in New Hampshire to receive recognition through the New Hampshire Sustainable Craft Beverage Recognition Program. The program, launched by the state’s Pollution Prevention Program, with the help of the New Hampshire Brewers Association, is aimed at publicly recognizing craft beverage producers that are making sustainable choices, preventing pollution and conserving resources, while also encouraging other producers to implement these practices.