AGP Executive Report

Energy & Industry: New England states are weighing looser emissions rules to cope with high energy costs, as projects like the proposed Constitution Pipeline face long regulatory delays before potentially moving again. Workforce & Manufacturing: Hitchiner Manufacturing in Milford raised its starting hourly wage to $25.77 and expanded pay for skilled roles, aiming to attract and retain advanced manufacturing workers. Outdoor Economy: A Granite Outdoor Alliance report says NH’s outdoor recreation economy is strong, but the supporting systems for business, workforce, and policy need better coordination. Public Safety Funding: Bank of New Hampshire pledged $10,000 to help build a new 3,000-square-foot regional first-responder training facility in Laconia. Community Giving: NH nonprofits are leaning on NH Gives, with a record nearly 700 groups registered for the June 9-10 online fundraising event amid federal funding cuts. Local Business & Tourism: Sen. Jeanne Shaheen met Lakes Region tourism leaders on the Winnipesaukee Spirit to discuss gas prices and fewer Canadian visitors, while operators reported cautious optimism for the summer season. Sports & Education: Middlebury College hired Elissa Chojnicki as an assistant women’s basketball coach after two seasons at SNHU. Energy Prices Watch: GasBuddy reported the lowest Strafford County midgrade price at $4.59 for the week ending May 30.

Senior Living Leadership: Danielle Nickerson has been named executive director of The Village at White River Junction in Windsor, bringing nearly a decade of Vermont healthcare and senior living management experience. Maine Senate Race Watch: Graham Platner drew a supportive crowd in Portland while fresh allegations about his past treatment of women continue to swirl ahead of Maine’s crucial Democratic primary. Energy & Grid Constraints: A new push to let Rhode Island Energy own power plants was pulled after environmental advocates warned it could shift costs to ratepayers and weaken competition. NOAA Aquaculture Push: NOAA announced CIFARM, a first-of-its-kind cooperative institute hosted by UNH aimed at expanding aquaculture research and market-ready innovation. NH Tourism & Recreation: Ski NH reports the state’s busiest ski season since 2011, with 2.28M visits in 2025-26, helped by a colder-than-usual Dec-Feb. Manufacturing Jobs: Hitchiner Manufacturing in Milford raised its starting hourly wage to $25.77 as it shifts to a living-wage model. Local Safety: Police are investigating a serious shooting in Thornton, and a separate ATV crash in Berlin sent a teen and juvenile passenger to hospital. Fuel Watch: GasBuddy data shows Rockingham County midgrade prices as low as $4.49 in the week ending May 30.

Defense & Manufacturing: New Hampshire’s security-focused advanced manufacturing drew about 200 attendees to the Northeast National Security Conference in Nashua, highlighting work from BAE Systems’ FAST Labs and other regional tech suppliers. Energy & Local Food Systems: A NH community power update shows the coalition still serves 50 programs and about 186,000 customers statewide, while a separate report flags NH’s local food gap and points to new “farm to freezer” approaches to boost processing and distribution. Immigration Enforcement in NH: Weare and Hillsboro police joined ICE 287(g) task force contracts, expanding local involvement in immigration arrests and detentions. Workforce & Economy: New data shows job growth continues while WARN layoff notices keep trending down, suggesting a still-precarious but stable labor market. Consumer Costs: AAA reports gas prices remain high but have cooled, with New Hampshire regular averaging about $4.48 and diesel around $5.66 statewide in late May. Public Health & Agriculture: A CDC-linked salmonella outbreak tied to backyard chicken flocks is spreading across many states, including NH, raising food-safety concerns for small producers and households. Housing & Solar: Local planning discussions continue to look at pairing roof work with smaller solar installs as a practical path to lower energy costs.

Defense manufacturing: New Hampshire’s advanced manufacturing base is getting a spotlight at the Northeast National Security Conference in Nashua, with about 200 attendees hearing how firms are moving beyond “traditional defense” into tech-enabled production. Energy & power policy: The Community Power Coalition of New Hampshire says it now supports 50 community power programs and about 186,000 customers statewide, after earlier rate promises didn’t fully hold up. Local food supply: A new approach to close New Hampshire’s local food gap highlights how fermented-vegetable makers and regional partners are trying to strengthen processing and distribution. Immigration enforcement: Weare and Hillsboro police departments have joined ICE’s 287(g) “task force” contracts, expanding local involvement in immigration arrests and detentions. Northern Lights: A strong aurora alert is in play for Monday into Tuesday, with forecasts pointing to visible skies across much of the northern U.S. Transportation: C&J Bus Lines is adding late-night service between Seacoast NH and Boston starting June 25, plus a 24-hour Portsmouth parking shuttle. Housing & community rules: Benson Park in one NH town is updating park regulations to better match today’s recreation and address deed limits on vehicles and noise. Public health: A CDC-linked salmonella outbreak tied to backyard chicken flocks has spread across many states, including New Hampshire.

NH Economy & Jobs: Major U.S. employers reported the fewest layoff notices in May so far this year, even as the government’s jobs report showed 172,000 new jobs and a steady 4.3% unemployment rate. Local Governance & Housing: Benson Park in NH is updating its park rules after residents and committee members said regulations haven’t kept up with new recreation trends, noise, and deed limits on vehicles and “low-impact” use. Energy & Utilities: A town utilities committee discussed pairing a Town Hall roof replacement with smaller rooftop solar panels, shifting from earlier plans for a large solar array. Transportation: C&J Bus Lines is adding late-night departures between Seacoast NH and Boston starting June 25, plus 24-hour parking shuttles in Portsmouth. Food & Agriculture: Granite State Market Match is back, doubling SNAP/EBT value at NH farmers markets and offering 50% off at participating farm stands and CSAs. Community & Education: Lebanon High School held a graduation that included a special accessible route for a student educated mostly at home, highlighting local support for inclusive learning. Public Safety & Infrastructure: Gas prices continue to cool in NH, with multiple counties reporting lower diesel and premium rates in the week ending May 30.

Gas Prices Watch: Cheshire County premium hit a low of $4.99/gal (week ending May 30), while Carroll County’s bottom was $4.79 and Grafton County’s lowest premium was $4.69; Rockingham’s cheapest premium also landed at $4.69, with AAA and EIA pointing to global oil swings and refinery outages behind the volatility. Local Health Costs: Bedford Medicaid bills for procedures/professional services rose to $969,502 in 2024, up 6.1% from 2023, underscoring how local billing patterns shape taxpayer-funded care. Data Center Pushback: Nottingham’s planning board is set to revisit a data center proposal after a petition topped 25,000 signatures and the developer withdrew the application ahead of a May meeting; residents cited water quality, higher electric bills, and noise. Transit & Logistics: C&J Bus Lines is adding late-night Thursday–Saturday service between Seacoast NH and Boston (starting June 25) and expanding its Portsmouth parking shuttle to 24/7. Energy Costs: New Hampshire’s residential electricity prices rose about 18% year over year, placing it among the faster-growing states in EIA-based mapping.

Fraud Crackdown: Federal agents arrested five out-of-state suspects tied to a $500,000+ wire and bank fraud scheme that targeted at least a dozen financial institutions across Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine, with more suspects still sought. Energy Costs: New EIA data shows residential electricity prices rising fast in many states; New Hampshire is up about 18% year over year, while electricity price gaps are widening nationwide. Electricity + EV Charging: AAA reports public EV charging costs holding around 41 cents per kWh nationally, with New Hampshire among the pricier states at about 47 cents. Housing + Land Use: New Hampshire’s “opportunity to purchase” manufactured-home community law is being tested as investors buy parks; meanwhile, Lawrence, Mass. is weighing a parking-lot sale for a senior affordable housing project. Aviation Incident: A small plane crash at Jaffrey Airport injured a 75-year-old Brookline man; the FAA is investigating an apparent engine failure on takeoff. Local Business Support: The New Hampshire Community Loan Fund awarded $100,000 in accelerator grants to 29 small businesses statewide, including farm and food and other local operators. Education Pipeline: Unitil’s STEM scholarship fund awarded $5,000 scholarships to New Hampshire students and others across New England. Public Safety: A fire in Haverhill injured five people, with investigators working to determine the origin. Politics Watch (Regional): Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner faced fresh allegations as Democrats weigh how the controversy could affect the party’s chances against Susan Collins.

Manufactured Housing Policy: U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan is pressing for answers on how for-profit owners are behaving as New Hampshire’s 1983 “opportunity to purchase” law gets tested by investor acquisitions of manufactured home communities. STEM & Workforce: Unitil’s Scholarship Fund handed out $5,000 STEM awards to six students across NH, Maine and Massachusetts, while the Community College System of NH chancellor Mark Rubinstein outlined how CCSNH is adapting to changing education needs ahead of his retirement. Education Spotlight: Winnacunnet and Marshwood both released their Class of 2026 top 10 students, with multiple students headed into STEM and public service paths. Affordable Housing & Local Real Estate: Lawrence city commissioners will consider selling a downtown parking lot for $100,000 to support a seniors affordable housing project with 94 units. Energy & Cost of Living: AAA reports the national gas average is down 18 cents to $4.24, and a new map shows NH’s residential electricity prices remain among the highest in the region. Public Health & Regulation: A commentary warns Trump’s EPA rollback of drinking water protections could raise PFAS risk, as NH families continue pushing for stronger safeguards. Safety & Community: Five people were injured in a Haverhill house fire early Friday, and a Concord neighborhood is raising concerns about deteriorating sidewalks and accessibility.

Workforce & Training: ApprenticeshipNH, with Manchester Community College and the NH Food Bank, launched a one-year Preparation Cook Registered Apprenticeship using paid on-the-job training plus 144 hours of classroom work in Manchester, aiming to close the hospitality kitchen workforce gap. Construction & Design-Build: PROCON won the 2026 AGC of NH “Best in Building” award for the Lighthouse Credit Union HQ in Dover, highlighting LiDAR-based planning, major atrium engineering, and sustainability through adaptive reuse. AI & Aging Care: A UNH-funded caregiver robot is helping a Durham couple and others manage daily routines at home, underscoring both the promise of home robotics and the pressure from a growing home-care shortage. Local Housing Development: Lawrence city commissioners will consider selling a downtown parking lot for affordable senior housing, proposing 94 rent-controlled units plus ground-floor retail—at the cost of 74 public parking spaces. NH Business Tax Relief: The House and Senate passed conference reports sending HB 155 and HB 1300 to Gov. Kelly Ayotte, including a higher filing threshold for the Business Enterprise Tax to cut the burden on more small employers. Public Safety & Transportation: A fatal Virginia commercial bus crash is prompting renewed scrutiny of bus safety tech, driver history, and company oversight as the NTSB investigation begins. Energy Costs: GasBuddy reports diesel and regular gas prices easing in multiple NH counties in the week ending May 30, while analysts point to global oil and shipping uncertainty as the driver of ongoing volatility.

Data Center Fight in Nottingham: Residents packed a planning board meeting after a data center proposal was withdrawn, and the board is moving fast with a 12-month moratorium while it drafts zoning changes to block future projects. Gun Policy at the State House: A bill meant to keep the Legislature in charge of gun and weapons rules failed to advance, with the AG warning it could disrupt existing authority and procedures. Cybersecurity for Utilities: Eversource says phishing/social engineering exposed personal info for 3,049 customers across CT, MA, and NH, though service wasn’t affected. PFAS Cleanup Money: NH received another $4.68M from the national PFAS settlement, with towns like Derry and Londonderry eligible for well-protection and remediation grants. Housing Funding: Rochester approved $400K to help Catholic Charities close a $5.7M gap for an 80-unit affordable project. Energy Costs Watch: Gas prices in NH averaged $4.39 for regular in the week ending May 30, with some counties dipping below $4.00. Northern Lights Alert: NOAA upgraded forecasts to strong-to-severe aurora potential June 4–5, with NH in the possible viewing range. Public Safety: A 14-year-old was seriously injured in a Temple trail bike crash; officials cited inexperience as a key factor. Cold Case Breakthrough: Maine arrested NH man Daniel Jolly in the 1993 Kittery homicide of Maxine Bitomski after a renewed DNA review. AI Education Funding: A study finds federal AI-related education dollars are concentrated in a few states, with New Hampshire among the region’s higher-activity markets.

Energy & Infrastructure: A New England gas pipeline fight tied to Cuomo-era permit denials still echoes, with constrained gas supply pushing power plants toward costlier, dirtier oil. Defense & Aviation: The NH National Guard will run “Operation Northern Phoenix” at former Loring Air Force Base in Limestone for six days, bringing C-130s, helicopters, F-18s, and B-52s into the mix. Semiconductor Manufacturing: A New Hampshire plasma-systems firm is suing a rival in federal court over alleged patent infringement tied to chip manufacturing tech. Local Land Use: The NH attorney general is looking into blocked access on the Northern Rail Trail in Andover after a landowner installed concrete barriers. Healthcare Costs: Medicaid payments for “Procedures / Professional Services” rose 6.7% in Dover in 2024, reflecting shifting local billing patterns. Politics & Elections: Three Republicans filed for NH’s 1st Congressional District, pitching resumes and priorities like energy affordability and biotech. Aerospace Industry: Albany Engineered Composites will showcase composite solutions at Farnborough 2026. Community & Business: Laconia’s Abundantly Yours catering marks its third anniversary, while Meredith residents push back on a proposed sale of Camp Menotomy.

NH Policy & Taxes: New Hampshire lawmakers are down to final votes after conference negotiations, with a key business-tax compromise (HB 155) shifting the threshold for when companies pay the enterprise tax and a separate push to raise out-of-stater state park fees starting July 2027 via HB 1102. Local Business & Development: Stewart’s Shops plans a bigger West Lebanon convenience store, replacing a gas station with a 4,500-square-foot building slated for planning review and possible 2027 construction. Energy Costs: Exeter Community Power customers are paying more after Unitil’s supply rate beat the coalition’s for three straight periods, with the gap widening. Manufacturing/Construction Services: King Risk Partners acquired The Roberts Agency, expanding construction insurance and surety bonding across the region including New Hampshire. Workforce & Education: Winnisquam Regional’s “Second Chance Breakfast” earned state recognition for boosting participation and student engagement. Tech & Community Backlash: A Nottingham data center proposal was withdrawn after a fast-growing petition and public opposition. Higher Ed & Immigration: Sen. Jeanne Shaheen warned a New Hampshire university could lose up to 2,000 international graduate students if DHS doesn’t approve a new doctoral program by July 1. Public Media: NHPR marked Protect My Public Media Day, saying it’s now 100% community funded and asking listeners to keep support flowing.

Homeland Security & Higher Ed: Sen. Jeanne Shaheen says a New Hampshire university could lose up to 2,000 international graduate students if DHS doesn’t approve a new Doctorate in Business Administration by July 1, raising pressure on the Trump administration to speed up the review. Local Government & Real Estate: Lawrence city commissioners approved a $2.1 million purchase of the former Journal-World printing plant for a City Hall annex, with “as-is” acquisition and an estimated $21 million renovation plan later. Social Security Outlook: A new analysis warns Social Security benefits could drop about 24% when the retirement trust fund is exhausted in 2032, translating to an average $500 monthly loss for beneficiaries. Energy & Storm Readiness: Eversource highlighted year-round storm prep for the 2026 hurricane season, noting vegetation management as a major driver of outage risk across its New England footprint. Transportation Safety: AAA Northeast urged motorcyclists to do seasonal maintenance and practice before riding, citing summer as the peak season for fatal crashes. NH Public Service: A letter backs Bill Darcy for reelection as director of the New Hampshire Electric Cooperative, citing broadband and low-cost utility leadership. Business Tech: SilverTech announced a partnership with Optimizely to help enterprises improve experimentation and personalization. Sports: The Altoona Curve rallied for six in the ninth to beat the New Hampshire Fisher Cats 8-3.

EV Insurance Costs: EVs are still cheaper to run, but they’re about 42% more expensive to insure than gas cars—though the gap is narrowing for newer models. PFAS Exposure: “Forever chemicals” remain widespread in drinking water and everyday products; researchers say nearly everyone has PFAS in their blood, and reducing exposure is still a work in progress. NH Waste Policy: New Hampshire’s disposal surcharge raised $1.2M in Q1, with organics and recycling funding planned for 2027 as the state tightens waste rules. Energy & Grid Oversight: Eversource’s NH transmission project faces scrutiny at FERC, with consumer advocates arguing it was misclassified to avoid tougher review. Manufacturing Spotlight: Gov. Kelly Ayotte visited Cirtronics in Milford to highlight New Hampshire’s advanced manufacturing and workforce pipeline. Housing & Development: Lebanon is revisiting a modular homes plan, while Portsmouth-area letters push back on affordability and planning details amid a housing construction boom. Local Land Use: A land dispute is blocking the Northern Rail Trail in Andover, leaving no state-approved detour. Business & Tech: SilverTech partnered with Optimizely to boost enterprise digital experimentation and conversion performance. Public Safety: A Deerfield UTV rollover injured two minors; officials cite operator inexperience and stress helmet use. Gambling Expansion: A look at how charitable gaming is reshaping NH’s casino landscape, including The Nash’s rapid growth.

Meteor Watch: NASA says a fireball broke up over northeastern Massachusetts and southeastern New Hampshire, releasing energy equivalent to about 300 tons of TNT and sending a loud “double boom” across the region; fragments likely fell into Cape Cod Bay. Energy & Utilities: A New Hampshire Electric Cooperative board race is drawing heat over outside climate groups’ spending, with an incumbent campaign arguing NHEC already leads on renewables while challengers push for more. Consumer Confidence: UNH polling for the Business and Industry Association finds Granite Staters worried about gas prices and the economy, with many blaming President Trump and cutting non-essentials. Aviation Training: The Aviation Museum of New Hampshire is seeking a new high school to host its student airplane-building program for the 2027-28 school year. Local Infrastructure: Closed river bridges are forcing bikers and pedestrians to detour for at least three years after barriers went up around the John Stark Bridge area. Business & Compliance: A legal explainer looks at whether New Hampshire-area companies recording customer calls need CCPA risk assessments, especially when AI is used.

Meteor Impact & Public Safety: NASA says the “double boom” over New England was a natural bolide that broke up about 40 miles up and released energy equivalent to ~300 tons of TNT, with fragments likely landing in Cape Cod Bay—sparking reports from NH to Delaware and even Canada. Consumer & Energy Costs: A UNH/BIA consumer confidence survey finds Granite Staters worried about gas prices and cutting non-essentials, with NH gas averaging about $4.37/gal as inflation concerns linger. Local Infrastructure & Compliance: NH lawmakers approved tougher penalties for drivers using hand-held electronic devices, with higher fines and possible license suspension for repeat, crash-contributing offenses starting Jan. 1, 2027. Healthcare Workforce & Services: MaineHealth welcomed Hannah Blasius to Orthopedics and Sports Medicine in Rockport, reflecting ongoing staffing needs in regional care. Professional Services Consolidation: The Society of CPAs in Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont is merging into the New England Society of CPAs to pool resources amid tech and workforce pressures. Business & Tech in NH: CaronBletzer launched Atlura, a practice management platform aimed at streamlining workflows, scheduling, billing, and client collaboration for CPA firms. Community & Land Use: Hancock residents are alarmed by a proposed 150-foot communications tower near the village center, raising concerns about impacts on homes and views. Recreation & Risk: NH Fish and Game reported serious injuries in a Deering ATV crash and a New Ipswich trail bike crash, underscoring helmet and skill-safety reminders.