Sununu signs Medicaid to Schools legislation

CONCORD (AP) – Gov. Chris Sununu on Monday signed a bill to ensure that funding continues for the Medicaid to Schools program for children with disabilities.

The state had expanded the number of students who could be eligible for services. Last year, the federal Center for Medicaid and Medicare Services made changes to its reimbursement rules and told New Hampshire it needed to comply with them. The main problem was providing updated licensing requirements for staff such as psychologists, mental health counselors and speech pathologists.

Last fall, Sununu’s administration created emergency rules to avoid the possible loss of millions of dollars in federal funding as lawmakers worked to create legislation to fix the problem.

Legislators said school districts statewide would have risked losing over $25 million in reimbursement funds. They said there are 11,000 children in the state who rely on the program.

15 N.H. towns to vote on sports betting locations

CONCORD (AP) – Voters in 15 New Hampshire towns are scheduled to vote during annual town meetings whether to permit the operation of sports betting retail locations in their communities.

New Hampshire legalized betting on professional and college sports when Gov. Chris Sununu signed a bill in July. The bill, which launched in December, authorized online sports betting and up to 10 retail sportsbook locations, which have not yet been selected.

Towns voting Tuesday include Belmont, Derry, Hampton, Hinsdale, Hudson, Lincoln, Littleton, Milford, Newmarket, Pelham, Pembroke, Salem, Seabrook, Swanzey, and Woodstock.

The New Hampshire Lottery and DraftKings launched mobile sports betting on Dec. 30, and since that time, more than 40,300 registered users have wagered more than $42.5 million.

New Hampshire became the second New England state to offer sports betting, after Rhode Island. The state approved a six-year contract with DraftKings, which is headquartered in Boston, to operate sports books in the state. A state law allows anyone over 18 to participate.

DraftKings is expected to present specific locations to the Lottery Commission.

Of the nine towns that voted on the question in November, Berlin, Claremont, Laconia, Manchester and Somersworth approved it.

Man dies of inhalation in N. H. house fire

FITZWILLIAM (AP) – Firefighters said Monday a 68-year-old man died in a house fire in Fitzwilliam.

Firefighters said they arrived at the home at about 9:30 a.m. Sunday to find heavy smoke and fire at single-family residence. The fire started in the basement.

They said Glenn Sillanpaa died of thermal inhalation and the cause of death was accidental. A woman at the home was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. One dog was rescued, but another dog and four cats died.

Fire departments from Troy, Richmond, Winchester, Swanzey, Rindge, Jaffrey and Keene assisted, as well as firefighters from Royalston and Winchendon in Massachusetts.

The state fire marshal’s office is investigating the cause.

Hockey coach punched referee during youth game

KINGSTON, Mass. (AP) – A youth hockey coach from New Hampshire has been suspended after he was caught on video punching a referee during a game in Massachusetts over the weekend.

The referee, Aldo Binda, told WBZ-TV that the coach for the New Hampshire Junior Monarchs was using abusive language and slamming the door to the bench repeatedly at the game involving 12-year-old players Saturday in Kingston, Massachusetts, so he assessed the coach a penalty.

The coach then spat at the referee and came on to the ice and threw ten to 12 punches at him, Binda said.

The coach was escorted from the arena and Binda completed the game.

Binda, 59, who has been a referee for 25 years, said Sunday he was still shaken and had a sore back.

New Hampshire Amateur Hockey Association president Matt Roy said the volunteer coach has been suspended. His name wasn’t released.

Binda said he is still weighing whether to file a police report. He told The Boston Globe he plans on seeing a doctor Monday.

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