News/Business
Owner of prominent White River Junction buildings floats plans for their future
By ETHAN WEINSTEIN
David Briggs, who owns two large buildings that are at the heart of downtown White River Junction, is starting to talk publicly about an “exit plan.” Last week, Briggs presented a mockup to the Hartford Selectboard of his vision for the Coolidge...
Sanborn opts against appealing NH casino closure
By SRUTHI GOPALAKRISHNAN
Concord Casino will continue to keep its lights off as Andy Sanborn has decided not to appeal the suspension of his gaming license.The deadline for filing an appeal was Jan. 19, and the Lottery Commission confirmed that they hadn’t received one.Now,...
Strafford community creates fallback plan to save beloved general store
By FRANCES MIZE
SOUTH STRAFFORD — When Melvin Coburn takes Amtrak’s Vermonter train eight hours south to visit his son in New Jersey, he makes sure spend some time in Wegmans, a chain supermarket.“I say, ‘All you have to do, Craig, is take me down there in the...
Planet Fitness gym planned for Route 12A in West Lebanon
By PATRICK ADRIAN
WEST LEBANON — A name-brand fitness center will be joining the bevy of chain restaurants and retailers that occupy the city’s busiest commercial corridor. Planet Fitness, a health club franchise with over 18 million members and 2,500 locations...
City Council to seek proposals for West Lebanon mixed-use development
By PATRICK ADRIAN
WEST LEBANON — The City Council will seek proposals to redevelop three city-owned parcels in West Lebanon for a mix of uses, but will not consider the site for a new fire station. The Council voted unanimously last Wednesday to solicit proposals from...
Putney paper mill shuts down, eliminating jobs for 127 workers
By JEFF POTTER and FRAN LYNGGAARD HANSEN
A paper mill has operated next to Sacketts Brook in downtown Putney, Vt., for more than 150 years — a tradition that came to an abrupt end on Tuesday with the sudden closure of Putney Paper Mill by its current owner, New Jersey-based Soundview Vermont...
MOOVer adds shopping route between Windsor and Claremont
By LIZ SAUCHELLI
WINDSOR — Windsor residents now have access to shopping in Claremont via public transit twice a month.MOOVer, a micro public transportation service operated by Southeast Vermont Transit, has added a route that will connect Windsor-area residents to...
J.Crew plans outlet store in West Lebanon
By JOHN LIPPMAN
WEST LEBANON — Preppies will finally have a reason to come to West Lebanon.The collegiate-conscious clothing store chain J.Crew plans to open an outlet store in the Upper Valley Plaza on Route 12A in West Lebanon, a rare new commercial tenant at a...
Upper Valley photography studio celebrates self-acceptance
By NICOLA SMITH
In a downtown Claremont hair salon, Shelby Soulia sat patiently in a chair while Meghan Brown delicately affixed false eyelashes to Soulia’s eyelids. Soulia has gotten used to wearing them for special occasions, even though, she said, they are like...
Lucky’s opens drive-through coffee spot on Mechanic Street in former Jake’s space
By PATRICK ADRIAN
LEBANON — Sometimes when one coffeehouse drive-through window closes, another one opens.On Friday, Lebanon coffee bar Lucky’s opened a second location on Mechanic Street, in the space previously held by Jake’s Coffee Co. — which closed in October to...
New car dealership slated for Route 120 in Lebanon
LEBANON — Massachusetts-based auto dealer McGee Motorcars has acquired the former Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram property on Route 120 in Lebanon and said it expects to open a new car dealership at the site.McGee acquired the property for $6.5 million from...
Longtime employee purchases Molly’s in downtown Hanover
By JOHN LIPPMAN
HANOVER — At 40 years old, Molly’s has a new parent.The mainstay Hanover brasserie that has made habitués of generations of Dartmouth College students, visitors and townies alike has been acquired by Jennifer Packard, a longtime manager of Molly’s for...
Upper Valley readers’ most read stories at vnews.com in 2023
STAFF REPORT
The start of the New Year offers an opportunity to look back on the stories that captured the attention of Valley News readers in 2023.The list was compiled using analytics from our website, vnews.com. In other words, this is what you clicked on,...
Claremont board approves plan for restaurants
By PATRICK O’GRADY
CLAREMONT — The Claremont Planning Board unanimously approved a site plan for the proposed construction of a Wendy’s and Chipotle Mexican Grill restaurants on Washington Street.Before the site plan approval on Wednesday, the board approved a...
River Bend Career and Tech Center expands cosmetology program
By LIZ SAUCHELLI
BRADFORD, Vt. — Growing up in Hartland, Iris Morand started working with horses as a young child and developed an affinity for a particular skill: braiding hair.As she got older, Morand’s interest in hairstyling increased and during her junior year at...
A year into retail sales, Upper Valley cannabis industry growing
By FRANCES MIZE
CHELSEA — An old-timer might plant potatoes in accordance with phases of the moon. To best suit his cannabis plants, 31-year-old Sean Trombly carefully times his LED grow lights.This winter, Trombly is growing hydroponically, which for him means that...
Jim Kenyon: A small win for tenants
By JIM KENYON
Jesse Keenum, a 67-year-old disabled veteran, is staying home for the holidays — and hopefully well beyond — after his landlord recently backed off from trying to kick him out of the Lebanon apartment he’s lived in for 14 years.While Keenum’s case...
Chipotle and Wendy’s coming to Claremont
By PATRICK O’GRADY
CLAREMONT — A developer is planning to bring burritos and burgers to Washington Street.Pending city approvals, DDMNS Realty will build a Chipotle Mexican Grill and a Wendy’s restaurant on the lots at 384 and 392 Washington Street, according to Daniel...
Lower natural gas prices all over the world drive down NH electrical rates
By DAVID BROOKS
When it comes to our electric bills, sometimes global fuel trends giveth and sometimes they taketh away. Right now they’re giving.Eversource on Thursday said it has asked state regulators to cut its energy supply rate as part of the twice-yearly...
Upper Valley residents, businesses face mail delivery delays
By NICOLA SMITH
Jane Spooner, who lives with her husband in Woodstock, relies on a regularly scheduled UPS delivery of medical supplies that comes through the Woodstock post office and is delivered to their home mailbox. They’ve never had problems with delivery,...
