Granite Solutions: Coronavirus — Granite State News Collaborative

The Granite Beat: Through the Lens

The Granite Beat: Through the Lens

A picture is only worth a thousand words if the photographer did their job right. To do that, they need to see a scene as more than just a jumble of shadows and light. A good photojournalist knows they must try to accurately tell the story of a human being’s experience in that moment in time. Whether those experiences are triumphant or tragic, the photojournalist must capture the context and humanity with each quick click of a button in order to provide information that a written article alone may just not be able to on its own. It’s not easy and the camera is not a shield. The job can take a toll.

In this week’s episode, The Granite Beat’s hosts Adam Drapcho and Julie Hart chat with seasoned photographer Gary Geoffroy, whose 40+ year career  includes 12 years of freelancing in photography and videography for news outlets, most recently in the Lakes Region. Drapcho and Hart discuss with him what it’s like covering breaking, often traumatic news from behind the lens, how it compares to his decades as a firefighter, and who’s best suited for this line of work.

Voters to Decide on $13.1 Million Public Safety Building in Wolfeboro

Voters to Decide on $13.1 Million Public Safety Building in Wolfeboro

A warrant article asking the town for $13.1 million dollars will be voted on in March for renovations to the Wolfeboro Public Safety building. Wolfeboro’s police and fire chiefs say the upgrades are long overdue and desperately needed while some residents have expressed concerns about costs.  

“The current building is far too out of date to keep up with the latest technologies,” said Police Chief Dean Rondeau, who added that he hopes voters will approve the major renovation and an addition to the current building. “Science and equipment has changed dramatically over the past 50 years. The equipment is bigger and heavier. The floors can’t handle it, the building can’t handle it. We’ve simply outgrown [the building].”

The Granite Beat: We need to talk about This

The Granite Beat: We need to talk about This

As mass shootings and deaths by suicide involving firearms become a greater part of the public conversation, journalists find themselves tasked with reporting on these issues while also providing context. While these topics are never easy to cover, the uneasiness some people feel about discussing these issues with reporters, and thus publicly, not only make that harder, but can make it more difficult for a variety of points of view and experiences from becoming part of that public discussion.

In this week’s episode The Granite Beat hosts Adam Drapcho and Julie Hart spoke with Sheryl Rich-Kern, a writer, editor, producer, and journalism instructor at Southern NH University, about her extensive career in the industry. She shared insights into her recent piece Guns and suicide: A search for common ground to save lives in New Hampshire  and previewed what she’s working on next.

N.H. Supreme Court weighs confidentiality of police disciplinary files

N.H. Supreme Court weighs confidentiality of police disciplinary files

The New Hampshire Supreme Court heard arguments Tuesday in a right-to-know case that could have major implications for police transparency in the state.

The case involves one specific public-records request — the ACLU of New Hampshire’s pursuit of materials about a state trooper, Haden Wilber, who was fired in 2021. But it poses a larger question: whether the public ever has a right to view internal police personnel files that document misconduct.

The State We're In: Changes in Medicaid. What we know so far.

The State We're In: Changes in Medicaid. What we know so far.

Whether or not to renew recent efforts to expand Medicaid insurance coverage for Granite Staters is back before the state legislature. At one point this was a tough sell in the legislature. Fiscal conservatives were concerned it would create increased dependence on the government, while advocates said it improves insurance coverage, health outcomes, and saves lives. Lawmakers have voted twice to continue the program which was vital during the pandemic, and must decide whether to do so again this year. If they don't, benefits are set to end for tens of thousands of people according to officials. 

On this week’s episode of The State We’re In, Paul Cuno-Booth, who covers Health for New Hampshire Public Radio, insurance expert and president of Market Health Connect Keith Ballingall, and Amber Macquarie, one of the thousands of Granite Staters affected by the expansion will discuss what Granite Staters can expect.

Get Tech Smart: Breaking into cybersecurity

Get Tech Smart: Breaking into cybersecurity

Cybersecurity is a buzzword we’ve all heard, but what does it exactly entail? What is the state of digital security at the start of 2023, and how can the average person best protect themselves against cyber threats?

For this episode of Get Tech Smart, we invited CEO Patrick Hynds and CTO Duane Laflotte of Pulsar Security to shed some light on the world of cybersecurity and provide tips on staying safe online.

The Granite Beat: Tech, Local News and The Awesomeness of Culverts

The Granite Beat: Tech, Local News and The Awesomeness of Culverts

Our modern world advances at an ever-increasing pace and the news industry is not immune from the impacts. How do these shifts in technology and public sentiment change the media landscape? How can we keep up? We speak with David Brooks, the “Granite Geek” and columnist for the Concord Monitor, about the obstacles and opportunities of the union between tech media.

Will Exeter ban single-use plastics on town property? It's up to town's voters

Will Exeter ban single-use plastics on town property? It's up to town's voters

The town's Select Board has dropped plans to move forward with a town-wide policy to ban the distribution of single-use plastics on town property and instead will leave it in the hands of voters.

The board made the decision last week after members of the town's Sustainability Advisory Committee filed a citizen's petition to have the town adopt an ordinance instead at the March 14 Town Meeting. The committee believes an ordinance to ban the distribution of single-use disposable plastics — such as bottles, containers, and straws — on town-owned property would have more teeth than just a policy.

Despite slow start, Pine Hill Ski Club is hard packed and fast

Despite slow start, Pine Hill Ski Club is hard packed and fast

After a slow start to the season, Pine Hill Ski Club in New London is now open with miles of ski trails, groomed for classic cross-country skiing. 

Pine Hill Ski Club Board President, Susie Lowe-Stockwell, said the slow start because of a lack of snow has shifted over the last month. “We’ve had a good stretch of being open,” Lowe-Stockwell said. “The groomers have been out. Conditions have been hard packed and fast.”

New London Board Accepts Preliminary Application for Twin Pines Workforce Housing Project

New London Board Accepts Preliminary Application for Twin Pines Workforce Housing Project

Twin Pines Housing appeared before the New London Planning Board in January with a revised site plan to Long Meadow Commons, a 60-unit workforce housing project on County Road near New London Hospital.

The revised plan maintains the 60-workforce housing units spread among four buildings on land currently owned by the Cricenti family. The site plan, which had originally proposed a large courtyard in the center of the complex, has been replaced with a smaller cul-de-sac at the rear. A playground and pavilion, which was to be in the courtyard, has also been moved to the southern edge of the development.