Willard: Appointed to national task force
Manchester Police Chief Nick Willard has been named to a new joint national task force to address our nation’s opioid and heroin abuse crisis by the National League of Cities and the National Association of Counties. The City-County National Task Force on the Opioid Epidemic is comprised of just two dozen city and county leaders from across the country whose aim is to enhance awareness, facilitate peer exchanges and identify sound policy and partnership solutions.
Counties and cities have recognized that the opioid and heroin abuse crisis has reached epidemic proportions. Drug overdose is now the leading cause of accidental death in the United States, with more than forty seven thousand lethal drug overdoses in 2 0 1 4. This epidemic is driven largely by overdose deaths related to prescription pain relievers (18,893) and deaths related to heroin (10,574).
The task force will conduct at least two national dialogues where city and county leaders will explore the comprehensive issues related to this crisis, growing trends and proven responses; develop educational opportunities for counties and cities through special forums, educational workshops, webinars and other opportunities; and publish a national summary report of city-county collaboration, focusing on community prevention and overdose response, effective treatment options, public safety enforcement and supply reduction.
Beaudry: Appoints committee
Manchester School Board Vice Chair Arthur Beaudry has named the members of a special committee to created by the board to study redistricting. Beaudry named Ward Four Committee Member Leslie Want as the chair in Monday night. Joining Want are at-Large Committee members Nancy Tessier and Rich Girard, Ward Three Committee Member Mary Georges, and Ward Ten Committee Member John Avard.
Van Houten: Blasts Beaudry
In reaction to the announcement, Ward Twelve Committee Member Connie Van Houten sent an email to the entire board blasting Beaudry. She said she was quote “deeply chagrined by the assignments.” Van Houten accused Beaudry of excluding her despite her expression of interest in serving, complained that she’d not been assigned to any special committees in the new term and hadn’t been given a chairmanship. When asked for comment, Beaudry said eleven board members expressed interest in serving and that he worked cooperatively with Chairman Want to name the new members.
Normand: Electronic voter database?
The Manchester Board of Mayor and Aldermen, which met last night, continues to investigate the use of electronic voter checklists at polling places. City Clerk Matthew Normand offered the idea in response to complaints of long lines at city polling places during the First in the Nation Presidential Primary last month. Normand said he’s been working with state officials to investigate the technology which is used in thirty four other states. The state controls how the process works, so for Manchester to use electronic voter checklists, the entire state would have to switch. Once a voter checks in on these electronic systems, that information is shared throughout the state. Normand explained that using this technology would also allow new voters to instantly be entered into the statewide database and instantly records those who came to vote, saving his office a whole lot of time updating the statewide checklist. The devices being considered will be presented on March 30th in City Hall. The public is invited and welcome to attend.
Shaw: Working on it.
In other business, the board heard from Ward Nine Alderman Barbara Shaw regarding the dozens of complaint calls and emails she’s received about problems with the newly installed traffic lights designed to facilitate traffic around the nearly completed Super Walmart on Gold St. She wants everybody do know that she, the city and the state are working on the problems with Walmart’s engineers to fix the issues.
The board also voted to send a letter to the New Hampshire House of Representatives to oppose a bill that would bar local law enforcement agencies from keeping drug forfeiture monies they use to buy undercover vehicles, rent apartments, make drug buys and otherwise fund anti-drug operations. The legislation would put those funds in the state’s general fund and require local governments to apply for grants to fund their anti-drug law enforcement efforts. (Only in government!)
Fisher Cats Stadium: Repairs to be undertaken
The aldermen also approved drafting an agreement with the New Hampshire Fisher Cats that would have the city paying for just under a million dollars in stadium repairs in exchange for a contract extension and the payment of a nine million dollars fine the team would be forced to pay if it left the city before 20 2 8. We’ve linked to our Live Blog Forum of the meeting for details on these and other stories.
News from our own backyard continues after this.
Sanborn: Study peer to peer recovery
District Nine State Senator Andy Sanborn, Republican from Bedford and Chair of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee, introduced bill S B 4 30 yesterday. The bill would establish a “study commission for long-term peer to peer recovery.” In a statement, Sanborn said, quote: “We realize that in New Hampshire, we currently have a limited capacity for inpatient treatment and long-term recovery services. The legislation I introduced today would study the specific effects of long-term peer to peer recovery services and determine locations across the state where these facilities would be most beneficial in helping those suffering with addiction receive the care they need.”
Trump: A big night
Now, from the campaign trail, it was a big night for G O P front runner Donald J. Trump. With forty six percent of the vote, the billionaire business mogul crushed all comers in Florida, including Senator Marco Rubio, who suspended his campaign during an eloquent concession speech in which he congratulated Trump and urged American’s not to go down the dark path of anger. Trump posted an eight and a half point win over Texas Senator Ted Cruz in Illinois, a three and a half point victory over Cruz in North Carolina and an apparent two tenths of one percent win over Cruz in Missouri. Ohio Governor John Kasich got forty seven percent of the vote in Ohio, besting second place Trump by about eleven points. Trump also won the Northern Mariana Islands contest by a margin of three to one. Trump picked up a whole lot of delegates, too, adding well more than one hundred to his lead over second place Cruz.
That’s news from our own backyard, Girard at Large hour ___ is next!
