News

Wood-pellet heating rebates expanded

The New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission has made changes to its wood-pellet heating rebate program so that more wood-pellet boilers and furnaces now qualify for the rebates. The PUC made two changes to the rebate program, which applies to wood-pellet…

People's United earnings up 28 percent

In the midst of another acquisition, People's United Bank announced a slew of financial news, including quarterly and full-year earnings, a stock buy-back and a dividend.Bridgeport, Conn.-based People's announced fourth-quarter 2010 net income of $32 million, or 9 cents per…

December foreclosures fall

The New Hampshire Housing Finance Authority said there were 203 foreclosed deeds recorded in the state in December 2010, an encouraging 11 percent drop from November, and a significant 36 percent decrease from December 2009.December was also the third consecutive…

Harvard Pilgrim, Tufts mull merger

Harvard Pilgrim Health Care and Tufts Health Plan, both based in Massachusetts, have acknowledged they are considering a merger, with the potential of combining operations in four states, including New Hampshire.The insurers signed a memorandum of agreement that would consolidate…

SBIR extended through May

The outcome was no great surprise, but a key technology grant program of the U.S. Small Business Administration has been given another short lease on life.The U.S. House Committee on Small Business has passed a resolution granting the Small Business…

Unitil declares quarterly dividend

Hampton-based Unitil Corp. has declared a quarterly dividend of 34.5 cents per share, payable Feb. 15 to recorded shareholders as of Feb. 1, the company announced.Unitil officials said the dividend results in a current effective annual rate of $1.38 per…

Farah denies any 'criminal intent'

Scott David Farah, mastermind of the Financial Resources Mortgage Inc. Ponzi scheme, told lenders the day before his sentencing for wire and mail fraud, that he never intended to steal their money.He insisted he didn't have "criminal intent," although he…