In The News
NH's Shaheen asks help for dairy farmers
CONCORD, N.H. (AP) - New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen has asked Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to increase price supports for dairy farmers. Shaheen says prices have remained too low for dairy farmers to make ends meet and are projected to remain below the cost of production. She notes the USDA took several steps to help farmers last year, and requested similar action this year.… Continue Reading
April 17, 2010
Checking in on ARRA work
by Gail Ober
U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., toured the Wingate Village Apartments Friday afternoon to champion the efforts of weatherization projects made available by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The 88-unit project being managed by the Community Action Program of Belknap-Merrimack Counties entails insulating the basements and attics, wrapping the hot water pipes and sealing air holes. The $220,000 project was funded in part by ARRA, as well as by Public Service of New Hampshire, N-G… Continue Reading
April 14, 2010
Shaheen, five others fight airlines on carryon bag charges
ATLANTA (AP) - New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen and five other Democratic senators want to tax any U.S. airline that tries to charge passengers for their carryon bags. The legislation announced Wednesday comes after a small Florida airline, Spirit Airlines, said recently that it plans to begin charging its customers as much as $45 to bring a bag aboard its aircraft and put it in an overhead bin. Air travelers have been forced to pay a barrage of fees for once-free amenities since 2008. … Continue Reading
April 14, 2010
Volunteer steps up to maintain memorial to fallen officers
by Dan O’Brien
EPSOM - It's been two years since a memorial at the Epsom Traffic Circle was dedicated to the memory of Jeremy Charron and Michael Briggs, police officers killed in the line of duty. But not long after the dedication ceremonies ended and the photo ops were over, the site around the memorial fell into disrepair. The neglect quickly caught the attention of Mike Dempsey, an Epsom resident who knew both officers well. The military veteran and retired Valley Street jail corrections officer as… Continue Reading
April 07, 2010
Long-gone GIs belatedly earn medals
by Albert McKeon
They died in prison camps in Germany, Japan and Korea. Now, decades later, 28 New Hampshire men will each posthumously receive a Purple Heart, a prestigious military decoration. The state's four federal legislators announced Tuesday that family members of the World War II and Korean War veterans will soon receive the medals. Three Nashua natives and a Lyndeborough native are among those who will be recognized. "It's the one medal you don't want to get. You either got a wound or got kille… Continue Reading
April 07, 2010
28 Purple Hearts to be awarded posthumously in N.H.
by Kathy McCormack
CONCORD, N.H. - Jennie Laleme remembers how handsome her older brother was and how much he loved to sing, especially the old cowboy classic "Mule Train.'' Herbert Hesseltine of Littleton - everyone called him "Herbie'' - joined the Army and fought in the Korean War. On her 11th birthday, Nov. 30, 1950, Laleme had just come home from skating when she learned that he had been taken captive and was in a POW camp. "It was the first time I saw my father cry and I'll never forget it,'' said L… Continue Reading
April 01, 2010
Shaheen tours, praises Salem company
by Jillian Jorgensen
SALEM - U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen made an example out of LNX Corp. yesterday - a good example. Shaheen toured the radar and communication company's facilities as part of a push for local small businesses to pursue exporting as a way to expand their companies and the state's economy. "One of the reasons I wanted to come here today is because of the success you have had with exporting," Shaheen, D-N.H., told employees before the tour. The company, which has designed and manufactured various… Continue Reading
April 01, 2010
New Durham Fire Department gets $64,000 federal grant
by Jake O'Donnell
NEW DURHAM - The town Fire Department has been awarded $64,600 from the Department of Homeland Security's Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program for the purpose of operations and safety. The awarding of the grant was announced by Sen. Jeanne Shaheen on Wednesday. "Our firefighters and first responders deserve the best training and equipment we can offer, and this grant will provide an important boost in resources for the New Durham Fire Department," said Shaheen in a statement." These b… Continue Reading
April 01, 2010
Local, female World War II pilot honored posthumously for service
by Joshua Clark
EXETER - When the late Frederica McAfee Richardson took to the skies over 65 years ago, she did so as a pioneer, a patriot and a hero. On Wednesday afternoon, she was honored for her service to the country with its highest civilian honor. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen on Wednesday presented Richardson's husband of over 50 years, Artemas, with the Congressional Gold Medal in honor of Frederica's service as a member of the Women Airforce Service Pilots, the first women in history who were trained to … Continue Reading
March 30, 2010
Shaheen praises reform of nation's health care
by Shira Schoenberg
The effects of health care reform will help Granite Staters immediately, Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen said yesterday. Shaheen spoke at a press conference at the Dartmouth-Hitchcock clinic in Concord attended by several dozen health care advocates and analysts. "We've been trying to do this for about 70 years," Shaheen said. "Within six months, individuals in New Hampshire will benefit from insurance market reforms that will end the practices that are hardest for people in the insurance… Continue Reading
March 30, 2010
Shaheen hears small business owners' woes
by Jim Kozubek
PORTSMOUTH - U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., met with small business owners struggling to pay for health care yesterday to field questions about the passage last week of sweeping federal health-care legislation. Rising health-care costs have been particularly onerous to small businesses, according to the senator, and as she met at Jumpin' Jay's Fish Cafe with owner Jay McSharry; Jon Bailey, owner of Bailey Works Inc.; and Dennis Lunn, owner of The Bagel Works Cafe, she told them the rec… Continue Reading
March 30, 2010
Shaheen talks health care tax credits with business owners in Portsmouth
by Geoff Cunningham Jr.
PORTSMOUTH - Small business owner Dennis Lunn has struggled to offer his employees affordable health insurance for years with each renewal period bringing drastically increased premiums that result in fewer opting to buy the coverage. Portsmouth-based Bailey Works owner John Bailey has never been able to offer his three workers health insurance with coverage for them being out of his price-range. However, the passage of the controversial health care package by Congress may remedy the cha… Continue Reading
March 30, 2010
N.H. approved for wind storm disaster monies
by Adam D. Krauss
DOVER - President Barack Obama delivered a bright spot in otherwise crummy weather Monday. He granted New Hampshire's request for a major disaster declaration from late February's wind storm. Gov. John Lynch sought the declaration, which will make public assistance available for impacted communities in Strafford, Rockingham, Grafton, Hillsborough, Merrimack and Sullivan counties. Lynch's office says preliminary and partial damage assessments compiled by the state and local communities e… Continue Reading
March 30, 2010
Shaheen touts health care reform in Portsmouth
by Dave Choate
PORTSMOUTH - Trying to draw attention to health care tax credits for small businesses, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., held a news conference Monday afternoon alongside owners of three such local businesses. The health care tax credits for small businesses, part of sweeping and controversial health care reform legislation passed by Congress, are available to businesses with fewer than 25 employees making annual wages of $50,000 or less. Those that qualify can receive a tax credit of up to 35 … Continue Reading
March 29, 2010
Shaheens honored at City Year gala in New Castle
by Leslie Modica
NEW CASTLE - Bill and Jeanne Shaheen have been a part of City Year since it was only an idea. When City Year Co-Founder Alan Khazei mentioned the idea of an "urban peace corps" to Sen. Jeanne Shaheen - back when they were working together on the presidential campaign of Sen. Gary Hart in 1984 - Shaheen knew it was a good idea. She admitted, however, that she couldn't have imagined that it would become what it is today. Twelve years later, when Shaheen was elected governor, she called K… Continue Reading
March 22, 2010
Transitional care included in health overhaul bill
by Holly Ramer
Home health care providers in New Hampshire and Maine are praising a provision of the health care overhaul legislation that would expand upon their efforts to keep elderly patients out of the hospital. The provision, sponsored by Sens. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., and Susan Collins, R-Maine, would create a transitional care benefit for Medicare recipients. The goal is to provide follow-up care for patients after they leave the hospital in hopes of preventing costly re-admissions. Typical serv… Continue Reading
March 18, 2010
Shaheen To Host Export Forum In NH This Month
MANCHESTER, N.H. (AP) - Sen. Jeanne Shaheen is hosting a forum to help New Hampshire's small businesses explore export opportunities and expand into new markets. The Granite State Export Forum will be held March 31 at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics at Saint Anselm College. It will include a panel discussion featuring the senator, representatives from federal and state trade organizations, and small business leaders. Speaking on the Senate floor Wednesday, Shaheen said increasing … Continue Reading
March 15, 2010
Unfinished Work in the Balkans
by Sens. Jeanne Shaheen and George Voinovich
After two devastating world wars on the European continent, the United States and its trans-Atlantic allies made a difficult but strong commitment to build a Europe that is whole, free, and at peace. This historic endeavor has not been easy, and it has come with extraordinary effort, time, and cost. Although the U.S. has made tremendous progress over the past 60 years, the job is not yet finished. The Western Balkans remains the missing piece of the puzzle in Europe, and its integration i… Continue Reading
March 14, 2010
Insurance rate hikes in N.H. are questioned
by Deborah McDermott
United States Sen. Jeanne Shaheen said she sees the increases in the health insurance premiums of Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Hampshire as emblematic of a disconnect between health insurance companies and rank-and-file Granite Staters - and all Americans, for that matter. "When you see the profits that they've made, and you hear the stories of people who are desperate to pay their bills, something's wrong," said the New Hampshire Democrat. New Hampshire individual and group ratep… Continue Reading
March 11, 2010
Salem Fire Department gets $24K grant
by Jillian Jorgensen
SALEM - The Fire Department has been awarded a $24,300 Assistance to Firefighters grant, U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen announced yesterday. The grant is administered by the Department of Homeland Security. Fire Chief Kevin Breen said the department will use the money to purchase thermal imaging cameras. The cameras are used primarily for search and rescue, finding people in smoke-filled rooms. They also can be used to find fires in walls and ceilings, or determine where in a smoky building a f… Continue Reading
