New Hampshire's Business News for Aug. 12

A look at today's top business headlines, including: Big increase in OSHA fines take effect; Environmental group drops suit against Eversource; Consolidation continues among region’s broadband providers; Maine mother sues NH slaughterhouse in E. coli outbreak; Driver who crashed into Gov. Hassan ID'd as director of NH's oldest symphony

Big fine increase takes effect for OSHA, other labor violations  The U.S. Department of Labor is significantly raising civil penalties it can impose through the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and various other enforcement agencies it oversees. – NH BUSINESS REVIEW

Environmental group drops suit against Eversource  An environmental group has dropped its lawsuit against Eversource over a coal-fired power plant in Bow now that the utility has agreed to sell the plant. – NH UNION LEADER

Consolidation continues among region’s broadband providers  Consolidation among the region’s broadband providers continued apace this week with the announcement that Bellows Falls, Vt.-based telecom company Sovernet, has been acquire by Oak Hill Capital Partners. – NH BUSINESS REVIEW

Gittell renamed community college system chancellor  Ross Gittell has been reappointed to a full five-year term as chancellor of the Community College System of NH, a job he has held since 2012. – NH BUSINESS REVIEW

Task force requests more PFC testing at Coakley Landfill  A legislative task force is asking New Hampshire environmental officials to authorize testing for a complete perimeter of PFC contamination around the Coakley Landfill. – WMUR-TV

Nashua aviation technology program has growing pains  Officials at Nashua Community College say they need further support from the state in order to meet the demands of its growing Aviation Technology Program. – NH BUSINESS REVIEW

Jaffrey board OKs site plan for senior housing project  Plans for a proposed 24-unit senior housing development, currently dubbed Mountainside Senior Living, on the old St. Patrick School property on Main Street received site plan approval from the planning board Tuesday night. – NH UNION LEADER

Maine mother sues NH slaughterhouse in E. coli outbreak  A York County resident is suing PT Farm of North Haverhill, N.H. after she says her nine-year-old son was sickened and hospitalized after eating beef contaminated with E.coli bacteria. – NH UNION LEADER

In reversal, state to award grant to help drug-addicted mothers  The Department of Health and Human Services unexpectedly put the “Open Doors” grant on hold this spring, leaving two applicants in the dark about when, or whether, the money would ever be released. – CONCORD MONITOR

Report says insurers pay far less than Medicare for drug treatment  A new state report confirms what advocates have long suspected – that private insurance companies paid drug treatment providers substantially less than Medicare rates for the same common services. – CONCORD MONITOR

Dartmouth cleanup plan gets NH OK  State nuclear regulators have approved Dartmouth’s latest cleanup plan for the Rennie Farm, the former lab waste dump site that contaminated a private well. – VALLEY NEWS

New business proposed for Keene seeks to provide ready-made healthy foods A Brattleboro couple plans to open a business in Keene to provide ready-made plant-based meals. – THE KEENE SENTINEL

New Hampshire is best state for underprivileged kids, study says  New Hampshire ranks as the state that best accommodates underprivileged kids, according to a new study conducted by WalletHub. – WMUR-TV

Ex-CIA director to attend NH veterans event  Former CIA Director David Petraeus is visiting Portsmouth, New Hampshire this month. – LAWRENCE EAGLE-TRIBUNE

Driver who crashed into Gov. Hassan ID'd as director of NH's oldest symphony  The driver who crashed into the pickup truck Gov. Maggie Hassan was riding in has been identified as Marc Thayer, the executive director of Symphony NH. – NH1

In a tight state Senate race, what does Trump have to do with anything? What impact will the top of the ballot—the campaign everybody is thinking about—have on local elections? – NH PUBLIC RADIO

Rutland Herald owners announce sales agreement  The Mitchell family, decades-long owners of The Rutland Herald and the Barre-Montpelier Times Argus, announced plans to sell all their media properties to a Maine company, according to an article published online Wednesday night. – BURLINGTON FREE PRESS

Citgo sign’s future now in hands of developer Related Beal  The firm is buying the Kenmore Square building that sits under the famous sign, along with several neighboring properties. – THE BOSTON GLOBE