News/Business
Downtown Bethel building changes hands
By CHRISTINA DOLAN
BETHEL — When Lindley Brainard and three other partners purchased Bethel’s Arnold Block building in 2018, they knew it was a “really strange business model,” said Brainard, who is also a member of the Bethel Selectboard. Their vision was to create a...
Plans still in the works for Lebanon riverfront property
By PATRICK ADRIAN
LEBANON — City councilors said that more study of downtown parking and of community priorities is needed before exploring development opportunities for 2.9 acres of municipally owned property between the Mascoma River and City Hall. The City Council...
Route 12A sandwich shop sets opening date
By NORA DOYLE-BURR
WEST LEBANON — There’s now a sign up on a door along Route 12A, answering the question many have asked on Upper Valley social media channels in recent months: When will Jersey Mike’s open?The answer is Nov. 15, said Chris Brown, the Bedford,...
Lebanon considering city ownership of roads in River Park development
By PATRICK ADRIAN
WEST LEBANON — A proposal to place River Park’s future road under city ownership is anticipated to open new funding sources and project opportunities, including the creation of a new mass transit hub in West Lebanon.On Wednesday the Lebanon City...
Billing difficulties still hang over many Liberty customers
By FRANCES MIZE
CANAAN — As temperatures drop and the Upper Valley braces for colder months ahead, some electric customers of Liberty Utilities in New Hampshire are still playing catch-up from last winter.Last fall, Liberty — which covers areas of Cornish, Enfield,...
Trail Break eatery owner says hiring shortages, too much success leading to closure and move
By PATRICK ADRIAN
WHITE RIVER JUNCTION — It may sound odd that a restaurateur would respond to the success of a flagship restaurant by closing it.But Topher Lyons — who recently announced plans to close Trail Break, a popular Tex-Mex restaurant in downtown White River...
Construction to begin by year’s end for Newport workforce housing project
By PATRICK O’GRADY
NEWPORT — Almost seven years after the Planning Board first approved a proposal to convert the former Ruger Mill on Sunapee Street into housing, the project is ready to move forward. Work is expected to begin before the end of the year.“We are ready...
Troubled timber industry joins trade association for voice in Montpelier
By FRANCES MIZE
RANDOLPH — An Upper Valley timber harvest all but ruined by this summer’s flooding and persistent rain is one in a chain of challenges that have axed earnings for Vermont’s loggers in recent years.Looking for solutions, industry leaders have turned to...
Developer buys long-closed nursing home in Wilder, eyeing change to school or housing
By PATRICK ADRIAN
WILDER — After sitting vacant for several years, the former Brookside Nursing Home has new owners and a fresh coat of paint, giving hope to neighbors that the property will be put to productive use.In August, a real estate firm owned by Upper Valley...
Applicants line up for chance at apartments that won’t be open for six months
By PATRICK ADRIAN
WHITE RIVER JUNCTION — On Monday, the nonprofit Twin Pines Housing Trust began accepting applications for two multi-family housing projects that are expected to open in about six months.Combined they will provide 82 apartment units for people making...
Former Element Hotel owners seek zoning change to extend lease lengths
By PATRICK ADRIAN
LEBANON — The owners of the former Element Hotel on Route 120 are asking the city to allow long-term residential leases at the property AAM Lebanon Residences, a private equity firm based in Burlington, Mass., is seeking a zoning variance to allow...
COVER to celebrate 25th birthday and renovations
By LIZ SAUCHELLI
WHITE RIVER JUNCTION — This Friday, COVER Home Repair will celebrate two milestones: Its 25th anniversary and that its renovations are almost finished.From 5 to 6:30 p.m., the nonprofit home repair organization will host a “Books and Beer Birthday...
Gile Hill condo owners face steep fee hikes
By PATRICK ADRIAN
HANOVER — Condominium owners at Gile Hill are facing steep increases in their monthly homeowner fees to cover the costs of insurance and long-term maintenance.Last month, the board of directors for the Gile Hill Condominium Owner Association notified...
Riders welcome expanded Upper Valley bus routes and hours
By LIZ SAUCHELLI
WHITE RIVER JUNCTION — Upper Valley residents are taking more advantage of the region’s public transportation options, which area organizations have expanded in recent weeks.On the second Saturday of Advance Transit’s weekend routes, a bus that went...
Owners look ahead from closing Bistro Midva in Windsor
By CHRISTINA DOLAN
WINDSOR — The dining room at Bistro Midva was full of warm light and lively conversation on a September weeknight. At the small tile-topped bar, Kurt Dermody, a West Windsor resident and Ascutney Outdoors board member, and Ryan Palmer, the Windsor...
Feds have rejected visas for eight investors; money raised before reforms in visa for jobs program
By MARK HAYWARD
Sixty-six of the 71 foreigners who lined themselves up for a U.S. green card by investing in the Ragged Mountain ski area come from China or Russia, according to court documents.The investors — including 36 from Russia and 30 from China — anted up...
Report: Without more housing and child care, employers won’t find workers
By ANNMARIE TIMMINS
When adjusted for inflation, the average hourly wage in New Hampshire over the last 12 months is lower than it was in 2021. For every unemployed person, there are more than three unfilled jobs, due in part to limited affordable housing and child care....
Photos: Market rebound in Woodstock
Lead cashier Nina Paczykowski opens The Woodstock Farmers Market for the first time in 56 days in West Woodstock on Friday after is was forced to close by the floods of July. Customers began congregating at the doors shortly before 8 a.m.Valley News...
Older adults in Upper Valley keep working for money and purpose
By PATRICK ADRIAN
WHITE RIVER JUNCTION — Evelyn Adams, who turns 69 this month, had hoped to fully retire by now. She has worked over 50 years in the customer service industry, beginning as a waitress at the age of 15 to her present job as a cashier at the Co-op Food...
Liberty proposes rate hike for New Hampshire gas customers
By MARA HOPLAMAZIAN
Liberty Utilities is proposing an increase in gas rates for many of its heating customers. The plan would add about $220 per year to the average customer’s bill.The proposal is part of the company’s rate case, a process they go through every few years...
