On Air News Read for March 9, 2016

The New Hampshire Senate Finance Committee passed yet another casino gambling bill yesterday.  An amended version of S B 5 5 1- FN-A-L was approved on a four to two vote.  Senate President Chuck Morse, Republican from Salem, in whose home town the casino would be built, and Senator Casino Lou D’Allesandro, Democrat from Manchester, introduced the amendment that establishes a quote “competitive licensing process for video lottery and table gaming in the State of New Hampshire.”

In support of the bill with the amendment Morse said, quote:

“I continue to be a strong advocate for casino gaming in the State of New Hampshire because of the increased revenue, job creation, and economic growth it would bring to our state…”

D’Allesandro echoed Morse’s sentiments saying he encouraged the legislature to support the bill quote,

“because of the unique benefits this bill offers New Hampshire. Examples of the key elements in this bill include growing the tourism industry, creating jobs and strengthening our state’s economy.”

The senate has repeatedly passed casino legislation and the House has repeatedly refused to follow suit.  Any bets on how this is going to turn out?

The town of Hooksett has been made aware of a scam where local businesses are being contacted to advertise in a Town of Hooksett Business Directory.  The town is warning businesses that the calls are not being made by the town and that the town is not selling any advertising.  However, what the town is selling is a bridge.  Really!  The town is seeking bids for the sale and removal of the historic Lilac/Village Bridge.  We’ve linked to the documents so you can take a look.

Manchester cops made scary arrest yesterday.  After receiving several calls about a man driving around the Amoskeag Rotary with a needle in his hand, Officer Ryan Boynton located the vehicle, a 2002 black G M C Sonoma, in the area of Pine Street and Lake Ave. and pulled it over for failure to use a turn signal.  He spoke with the driver, twenty eight year old John Lozeau of Nashua, and discovered he was in possession of point 2 2 grams of heroin and a capped syringe.  Boynton arrested Lozeau and charged with Possession of a Controlled Drug.

News from our own backyard continues after this.

As we all know, it was Election Day for many school districts and towns yesterday.  We have some results.  Voters in Hampstead and Sandown decisively defeated ballot questions asking voters to consider withdrawing from their school districts.  Hampstead voters also torpedoed Superintendent Earl Metzler’s grand plan to spend more than four and a half million dollars to renovate and expand the Hampstead Central School.  Looks like the attempt on the political life of Hampstead Budget Committee Chairman Jorge Mesa Tejada, designed to gain passage of the bond, failed to achieve its objective.

Danville voters said no to another term for Timberlane Regional School Board Chairman Nancy Steenson.  They turned her out of office in favor of Stefanie Dube.  Steenson’s actions as chair often gave cover to Metzler’s authoritarian behavior and attempted to silence Sandown’s Donna Green on the school board.

Candia voters said bye bye to Manchester’s schools with an overwhelming vote to approve a long term contract with Pinkerton Academy.  Mark Laliberte and Russ Dann were elected to the Board of Selectmen.

In Bedford, the town overwhelmingly approved amending its charter to remove the residency requirement for the town manager’s position.  It also voted to approve the school budget, which was notably higher than the default budget, and approved numerous changes to the town’s zoning laws.

Raymond voters narrowly defeated a proposed school expansion.

In Hooksett, voters elected Lindsey Laliberte and Gregory Martakos to the school board and approved a proposed ten year tuition contract with Manchester by a wide margin.  They also voted against having their budget committee establish the school district’s default budget.

We’ll have more results tomorrow once several communities that went to vote get their results up on their Web sites.

Yesterday also saw more voting in the presidential primaries for both parties.  While Hillary Clinton predictably won Mississippi big, she lost Michigan, despite multiple polls showing her with strong double digit leads leading to the primary.  This, of course, has caused angst in the Democratic party.

The G O P primary results from Michigan probably didn’t do much to ease their concern.  Again, with record turnout, Donald J. Trump walloped all comers, winning nearly thirty seven percent of the vote.  Ohio Governor John Kasich almost came in second, but was edged in late returns by Texas Senator Ted Cruz.  Both finished with between twenty four and twenty five percent of the vote.  Florida Senator Marco Rubio failed to make it into double digits.  Trump also cruzed to victory, pardon the pun, in Mississippi, where he took more than forty seven percent of the vote to Cruz’s thirty six, also with record turnout.  Trump stomped everybody in Hawaii, winning forty two percent to Cruz’s thirty two.  Cruz took Idaho over Trump big, forty five to twenty eight percent, again with record turn out.

That’s news from our own backyard, Girard at Large hour ___ is next!

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