News/Business
Vermont officials estimate 160K people drove to the state for Monday’s eclipse
By SHAUN ROBINSON
Vermont officials estimate that some 160,000 people traveled by car into the state ahead of Monday’s total solar eclipse, based on preliminary data collected by the state Agency of Transportation.Those people came in some 60,000 vehicles, state...
Windsor jam company’s expansion plans bear fruit
By PATRICK ADRIAN
WINDSOR — A growing fruit preserves manufacturer in Artisans Park is close to financing a $2.7 million expansion of their building to enable the company to keep pace with increasing customer demand.Blake Hill Preserves, which makes specialty jams,...
Longtime employees buy West Lebanon pizzeria
By PATRICK ADRIAN
WEST LEBANON — Two longtime employees of Cantore’s Pizza have become the restaurant’s owners.Caleb Barr and Keith Friend, who have a combined 20 years of employment at the West Lebanon pizzeria, purchased the nearly 13-year-old shop from Vinnie...
Manchester Airport hopes new flights bring new passengers — and a return to earlier heights
By TODD BOOKMAN
On its best days, Manchester-Boston Regional Airport has none of the annoyances that plague most other airports: no long delays at TSA, no shuttle buses, no lines to check a bag or buy a bad sandwich.But that’s not necessarily good news for the...
Publisher’s note: ‘Valley News’ newsstand price to rise
Starting April 1, the price for a single copy of the Valley News will be $2.00 Monday through Friday. There is no change in the Weekend edition single copy price. The price of home-delivered newspapers is not changing at this time.A portion of the...
Forum set on planned move of White River Junction mail sorting
By PATRICK ADRIAN
WHITE RIVER JUNCTION — The U.S. Postal Service will host a public forum on Tuesday to discuss moving a significant portion of mail sorting operations for Upper Valley communities from White River Junction to Hartford, Conn., as part of a nationwide...
Flavored e-liquid bill clears final legislative hurdle but might not withstand a veto
By PETER D’AURIA
The Vermont Senate on Thursday gave final approval to a bill to ban the sale of flavored e-liquids, nicotine products and menthol-flavored tobacco products.The vote comes on the heels of House passage of the legislation, S.18, last Friday. It now...
Former Valley News publisher challenged newsroom to seek continuous improvement
By ALEX HANSON
John Kuhns arrived at the Valley News at a big moment for the small, busy newspaper.His predecessor as publisher, Willmott “Bin” Lewis, announced in January 1993 that he would step down that spring with Kuhns to replace him. Just before Kuhns started,...
New owners of Sharon’s Midway Station seek to create community hub
By PATRICK ADRIAN
SHARON — The new owners of a former convenience store hope to turn it into a multi-purposed community hub, with a potential to support start-up ventures, special events or social gatherings.Joel Senger, 40, and his wife, Kristin May Senger, 41,...
Lawmakers back several bills benefiting charities, casinos
By ANNMARIE TIMMINS
Lawmakers moved forward last week with bills that would mean significant changes for casino owners and the charities their gaming revenue supports. One would revise rules for gambling tournaments.Here’s the breakdown as the House and Senate near their...
Short-term rental debates pit Upper Valley property owners against neighbors
By LIZ SAUCHELLI
SUNAPEE — At first, Lisa Hoekstra was open to Sunapee’s plans to monitor short-term rentals.Two years ago, she joined the town’s Short-Term Rental Task Force and began brainstorming ideas that she hoped would result in a policy that would be a win-win...
Nonprofit, developer in settlement talks over Lebanon golf course
By JOHN LIPPMAN
LEBANON — One of the longest-running legal battles in the Upper Valley may be drawing to a close. But whether people living near the battlefield will rejoice at the peace is another matter.The nonprofit Carter Community Building Association, operator...
Cannabis legalization bill shaped in part by Sununu has momentum – and critics
By ETHAN DEWITT
New Hampshire’s latest cannabis legalization effort is moving toward familiar territory: approved by the House but with uncertain chances in the Senate.That crossover has historically been perilous; the Senate has consistently voted down cannabis...
Former laundromat demolished for new West Lebanon convenience store
A crew works to demolish the former Kleen laundromat and dry cleaners building on Route 12A in West Lebanon on Thursday. Irving plans to develop the site, along with the adjacent parcel where a defunct Irving gas station was demolished in November, to...
Sanborn’s casino should create a bidding war – if not for its legal problems
By ANNMARIE TIMMINS
In the last 14 months, Chicago gaming entrepreneur Greg Carlin has bought two New Hampshire casinos and is now investing $25 million refurbishing and expanding them. Ocean Gaming Casino overlooks Hampton Beach. The second, under construction, will sit...
A Life: Mary Shatney ‘had become a fixture in White River’
By ALEX HANSON
Sometimes, a patron would come into the Polka Dot Restaurant and ask, “How much is coffee and a doughnut.”Mary Shatney knew what that question meant and would point to an open seat. Often, she’d make a plate of food — eggs, toast and home fries, maybe...
New owners step up to keep Hanover’s Boloco going
By PATRICK ADRIAN
HANOVER — Boloco, a longtime destination for burritos and other Mexican fare, changed hands last week. Boloco’s owner and co-founder John Pepper, of Hanover, finalized a sale on Thursday of the restaurant at 35 S. Main St. to new owners — Conicia “CJ”...
Dartmouth becomes hotbed for union activism
By FRANCES MIZE
HANOVER — In 1966, trade workers at Dartmouth got fed up with their bosses picking favorites and pitting employees against each other.It was time to get organized.Now, Local 560 of the Service Employees International Union represents more than 500...
Recall includes dry-cured pork products sold in Upper Valley stores
By LIZ SAUCHELLI
WEST LEBANON — Products containing dry-cured pork that are sold at Upper Valley grocery stores are among those that have been recalled due to a nationwide Salmonella outbreak.The meat, called Coppa, is produced by Fratelli Beretta, and is sold at...
White River Junction woman gets probation for payroll scheme at Tunbridge tow company
BURLINGTON — A White River Junction woman was sentenced to two years of probation and ordered to pay $75,000 in restitution following her guilty plea to defrauding her employer, a Tunbridge towing company, during the time she handled the company’s...
