New Hampshire's Business News for April 6

A look at today's top business headlines including: breastfeeding bill still a hot topic in NH, HomeAway helps kill short-term rental bill, Saint-Gobain to buy water for contaminated homes, Friendly's in Nashua wants to offer a drive-through option, Whole Foods offers sneak peek to locals and answers to the L.A. Burdick sale

Will hospitals voluntarily pay $40M to keep expanded Medicaid going? New Hampshire’s newly approved Medicaid expansion is riding on a hope that hospitals and insurance carriers will voluntarily help foot the bill, or else it’s doomed.  – CONCORD MONITOR

Proponents seek to return ‘reasonable accommodations’ to breastfeeding bill Reasonable accommodations and pregnancy protections will be put back into a bill to help breastfeeding moms, if the NH House agrees to a proposed amendment to Senate Bill 488. – N.H. BUSINESS REVIEW

Short-term rental bill likely dead for session A bill that would have required short-term rental web portals to include their rooms and meals tax identification on their sites appears to be quashed for this session, after a lobbyist for the vacation company HomeAway testified against it.  – N.H. BUSINESS REVIEW

NHBR Featured Event: Annual Conference on Homeownership New Hampshire Housing hosts a discussion on "Reaching Borrowers Responsively and Responsibly in the Internet Age" with marketing professionals, real estate professionals, lenders, and counselors.  Breakfast included.  Tomorrow morning in Bedford.  

State looks into unit to investigate financial crimes against elderly  The New Hampshire Department of Justice is seeking to relaunch a two-person unit dedicated to prosecuting and investigating financial crimes against the elderly. – CONCORD MONITOR

Saint-Gobain to buy bottled water after wells show contamination Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics announced Tuesday it will foot the bill for bottled water being provided to people affected by perfluorooctanoic acid contamination in Merrimack, Litchfield and Bedford.  – WMUR-TV

Sununu to sit out vote on Sunapee expansion to avoid “perceived conflict” A member of New Hampshire's Executive Council who's running for governor says he'll recuse himself from an upcoming vote on a plan to expand skiing on Mount Sunapee, because he's the CEO of another ski resort. – N.H. PUBLIC RADIO

Police investigating new sexual misconduct complaints at Phillips Exeter Police are investigating four new complaints alleging sexual misconduct by former faculty members at Phillips Exeter Academy, Police Chief William Shupe has confirmed. – N.H. UNION LEADER

Kingston online retailer adapting as purchases on mobile devices soar A local online retailer is cashing in on a trend that has seen a growing number of consumers making their purchases on the go. – N.H. UNION LEADER

TechWomen to honor award winners today TechWomen TechGirls, a program of the New Hampshire High Tech Council, will honor three distinguished women at its first awards luncheon today at LaBelle Winery in Amherst. – N.H. UNION LEADER

Friendly's Restaurant in Nashua proposes drive-through service Friendly's Restaurant is planning to bring back its drive-through service, with renovations and construction expected to take place next month. – N.H. UNION LEADER

Law Logistics expands to Merrimack site Law Logistics, a long-time Nashua company, is moving a portion of its operation on Airport Road to a site in Merrimack, which had become the most recent home to another well-known area employer, Nashua Corporation. – NASHUA TELEGRAPH

Locals sneak a peek at new Bedford Whole Foods The Whole Foods on South River Road is 3,000 square feet bigger than the Nashua store and offers a juice bar that Nashua doesn't. – N.H. UNION LEADER

Milford board OKs warehouse rehab plan Plans call for the larger building, a former Fred Fuller Oil Co. warehouse, to become a dance studio and for the smaller one to be for offices and a warehouse. – NASHUA TELEGRAPH

Rindge pet salon owner faces animal cruelty charge after dog's death  When Pamela Forrest dropped off her recently adopted dog at a Rindge pet salon a month ago, she didn’t imagine it would be the last time she saw him alive.  – KEENE SENTINEL

Burdick clears the air on rumors of Walpole chocolate company sale  After remaining mum for months, chocolatier Lawrence Burdick is setting the record straight on what he and his wife and business partner Paula Burdick sold in their Walpole chocolate business and what they didn’t.  – KEENE SENTINEL

New store brings vintage video games, comics downtown After two years of planning and product acquisition, it’s vintage video game on for Chris Leclair, owner of One Last Life, a one-stop retail shop for gamers and superhero enthusiasts. – CLAREMONT EAGLE TIMES

Shumlin forms working group to explore purchase of TransCanada dams Shumlin said the purchase could help Vermont meet its “green-energy” goals while strengthening the state’s economy.  – VT DIGGER

Athletic club to reopen with new owners The Laconia Athletic and Swim Club sold Tuesday at a foreclosure auction for $735,000 and the buyers plan to reopen it following extensive renovations. – LACONIA CITIZEN