Man arrested for receiving stolen property

MERRIMACK – Jamie Ferriera, 45, of Merrimack, faces a Class A felony charge for allegedly receiving stolen property.

At 3:24 p.m. Nov. 11, Merrimack police responded to a local business for the report of a rental vehicle that had not been returned. Upon arrival, the investigating officer spoke with management who reported that a vehicle was rented by Ferriera on Sept. 8 and was to be returned on Sept. 12. It was further reported that Ferriera did not return the vehicle and that attempts were made by management to reach Ferriera to have the vehicle returned without success. After further investigation, an arrest warrant was issued for the above felony offense.

Ferriera was processed and released on personal recognizance bail. He is scheduled to appear before the Hillsborough County Superior Court-South on Dec. 8 to answer the charge.

Shaheen, Hassan and Kuster announce grants

NASHUA – U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H. and U.S. Rep. Annie Kuster, D-N.H., on Wednesday announced more than $7 million for the Rural Water and Wastewater Loans and Grants Program for New Hampshire.

“This is a very substantial and important investment in water infrastructure for Bristol and Jaffrey,” Shaheen said. “These federal funds will help deliver clean water to local residents and manage wastewater and storm water.”

“This federal funding will allow the town of Bristol and the Forest Park Tenants’ Association Cooperative to make much-needed updates to their water and sewage systems,” Hassan said.

“Investing in our water infrastructure is an investment in the wellbeing of Granite Staters and our economy,” Kuster added.

HUD awards $1.7 million to N.H.

NASHUA – The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) on Wednesday awarded more than $1.7 million to two New Hampshire agencies to provide affordable housing to approximately 194 additional non-elderly persons with disabilities. This is part of $131.3 million being awarded nationally to 325 local public housing authorities across the country.

“At HUD we’re committed to ensuring people with disabilities have a decent, safe, and affordable place to live,” HUD Secretary Ben Carson said. “The funding announced today allows our local partners to continue helping residents with disabilities live independently.”

The housing assistance announced today is provided through the HUD’s Mainstream Housing Choice Voucher Program which provides funding to housing agencies to assist non-elderly persons with disabilities, particularly those who are transitioning out of institutional or other separated settings; at serious risk of institutionalization; currently experiencing homelessness; previously experienced homelessness and currently a client in a permanent supportive housing or rapid rehousing project; or at risk of becoming homeless.

Community college announces layoffs

CONCORD (AP) — A New Hampshire community college plans to eliminate 10 positions in response to the continued decline in student enrollment.

New Hampshire Technical Institute announced the decision to lay off several positions on Monday, creating concern at the college.

The Concord Monitor reports the layoffs will take effect on Dec. 27 and will include senior professors in the departments of English, education, accounting and social science.

College President Gretchen Mullin-Sawicki says the decision was “very painful, but unfortunately necessary to create a more sustainable institution.”

Mullin-Sawicki says the two-year school has a total enrollment of 4,640 students, roughly an 8% decline from this time last year.

Student body president Eynas Jarrar says she plans to write a letter of concern to the administration regarding the layoffs.

Warming waters is bad news for N. E. shrimp

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) – New England shrimp are still in bad shape despite a fishing shutdown that is unlikely to end soon, new data shows. The region’s shrimp fishing industry, long based mostly in Maine, has been shut down since 2013 because of concerns about the health of the population. Recent surveys off Maine and New Hampshire say signs are still poor, scientists with the regulatory Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission said.

A big part of the problem is that the shrimp thrive in cold water and the Gulf of Maine is warming faster than most of the world’s oceans. The mean average summer sea bottom temperature was about 42 degrees from the mid-1980s to the early ’90s, and it rose to 45 degrees this year, said Dustin Colson Leaning, a fishery management plan coordinator for the Atlantic States. That small difference makes it harder for young shrimp to thrive and join the population, he said.

“The big takeaways here are that we are doing our best to rebuild the fishery to hopefully some point where it’s commercially viable,” he said. “However, these findings for this year indicate the species is still struggling.”

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