On Air News Read for July 20, 2016

New Hampshire Attorney General Joseph Foster announced that Trooper Joseph Flynn, age thirty two, of the Massachusetts State Police and Trooper Andrew Monaco, age thirty one, of the New Hampshire State Police have been arrested and charged with simple assault following their caught on camera use of force in connection with the arrest of Richard Simone, Jr. on May eleventh.

Flynn is charged with two counts of simple assault and Monaco is charged with three.  They were released on personal recognizance bail of two and three thousand dollars respectively.

Because they were both on duty law enforcement officers at the time the acts were committed, the charges are subject to an enhanced penalty pursuant to New Hampshire state law.  They could receive three to five years in State Prison if convicted.  The dynamic duo are scheduled to be arraigned on September thirteenth in Nashua District Court.

The A G’s Office also announced it will hold community workshops with scenic and historic resources experts for the proposed Northern Pass Transmission Project to evaluate its potential impacts on the state’s scenic, historic and cultural resources.  The Sight Evaluation Committee must consider these impacts in assessing proposed energy projects.  Community members are invited to participate in structured workshops to identify places and areas of beauty, use, history and tradition that are within ten miles of the proposed Northern Pass transmission corridor that may be affected by the project.  These workshops include a short presentation by the experts.  Then, those present will break into small groups representing the communities present and use maps, forms and discussions to identify, and describe resources, places or areas important to them and their communities.

We’ve listed the workshop dates and times and contact information with this newscast at Girard at Large dot com for your convenience.  We’ve also uploaded a map with the proposed Northern Pass corridor.

The Workshops will be held on:

• Tuesday, July 26, 2016, at 6:00 p.m. Ashland Elementary School Auditorium (access on Highland Street), 16 Education Dr., Ashland
• Thursday, July 28, 2016, at 6:00 p.m. The Heights Community Center (formerly the Dame School), 14 Canterbury Rd., Concord 2462699.1
• Monday, August 1, 2016, at 6:00 p.m. Littleton Opera House, 2 Union St., Littleton
• Tuesday, August 2, 2016, at 6:00 p.m. Colebrook Elementary School Cafeteria, 27 Dumont St., Colebrook
• Wednesday, August 3, 2016, at 6:00 p.m. Town of Lancaster Auditorium, 25 Main St., Lancaster

Any questions or special accommodations needs should be directed to Peter Roth at 2 7 1 1 2 7 0.  Information may also be directly provided to Roth via email at Peter dot Roth at D O J dot N H dot gov.  You may also send Roth snail mail c/o the environmental Protection Bureau, Department of Justice Office of the Attorney General, 33 Capitol Street, Concord, NH 03301.

The state Department of Environmental Services shut down swimming at Mountain Base Pond in Goffstown following water testing that indicated higher than acceptable levels of E. coli bacteria in the water.  The area has been posted with a re-test scheduled for today.  Once levels return to normal, the pond will be reponed.

Meanwhile, in Manchester, the Health Department announced that the public beach at Crystal Lake is again closed to swimming due to elevated levels of E. coli.  Water samples taken at other locations on Crystal Lake did not find elevated levels of bacteria.  The Health Department will re-sample the area today, with results expected tomorrow.  Once E. coli levels are found to be acceptable, the public beach will be re-opened for swimming.  We’ll let you know.

News from our own backyard continues after this.

Things are heating up in the G O P nominating contest for governor as Executive Councilor Chris Sununu is taking incoming fire from Manchester Mayor Ted Gatsas on education and Senator Jeannie Forrester on economic development.

In a statement issued yesterday, Gatsas pointed to Sununu’s consistent support for Governor Margaret Wood Hassan’s education agenda saying it contradicts Sununu’s campaign rhetoric on Common Core and local control.  Said Gatsas quote:

 “Despite his phony election year rhetoric, Executive Councilor Chris Sununu has consistently voted for contracts that impose Common Core standards on New Hampshire students while regularly supporting Governor Hassan’s nominations of Common Core advocates for top education positions. Instead of standing up for students, the councilor has been a loyal vote for the liberal Hassan-Sununu education agenda that is threatening local control of our schools.”

Gatsas said as mayor, he has stood up to the federal government and opposed Common Core and that as governor, he’ll do the same and will reject the federal Common Core standards, reevaluate standardized testing, encourage school choice and ensure that appointments to the Department and Board of Education reflect his philosophy that parents and local communities – not Concord bureaucrats – know best.

Late last week, Forrester, who chairs the Senate Finance Committee, opened fire on Sununu’s economic plan, saying it would require new taxes to fund his college loan bailout and would create no new permanent jobs.  Forrester’s comments follow her quip at the Windham GOP debate Thursday night, during which she said when she first saw the plan, she thought it had been written by Maggie Hassan.   Said Forrester, quote  “Chris Sununu’s liberal economic plan puts government in the driver’s seat of our economy,”  Specifically, Forrester called Sununu’s college student loan reduction plan “another liberal bailout.”

“Where is Chris Sununu coming up with this money?” Forrester asked. “New Hampshire taxpayers should not be on the hook for college loan debt – especially at a time when the University of New Hampshire spends $17,000 on a single dining hall table. We don’t need another liberal bailout.”

Forrester also said Sununu’s emphasis on infrastructure jobs is misplaced, arguing that they aren’t permanent private sector jobs and don’t grow the economy.  Said Forrester quote.

The last person to promise this nonsense was Barack Obama and his failed stimulus bill.

Forrester again called on Sununu to retract his support for a federal minimum wage increase, saying it would place an unfair burden on New Hampshire employers, cost jobs and shutter many businesses.

Said Forrester:

Chris is confused.  Bailouts, failed stimulus, minimum wage hikes: These are liberal policies that will ruin the New Hampshire Advantage.

Day two of the Republican National Convention is in the record books.  Yesterday’s theme was Make America Work Again.  Among the highlights was the speech given by Trump’s daughter Tiffany.  The young lady made quite the presentation on behalf of her father and had the line of the night when she said for her father, “impossible is just the starting point.”  Tonight’s theme is Make American First Again.  In addition to hearing from vice presidential nominee Indiana Governor Mike Pence, the nation will watch the much anticipated address by Texas Senator Ted Cruz.

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