New Hampshire's Business News for July 8
A look at today's top business headlines, including: Anthem-Cigna merger info slow to come by, fiber-optics providers consolidate some more, Hassan outraises Ayotte in quarter, U.S. economy posts big jobs gain
Anthem is slow to provide information about proposed health insurance merger with Cigna The state review of a proposed merger between health insurance giants Anthem and Cigna is being delayed because Anthem has thus far provided “incomplete” information to state requests. – CONCORD MONITOR
Aetna will meet with Dept. of Justice about Humana deal Aetna Inc. is preparing to meet with top U.S. Justice Department officials on Friday as it seeks to win antitrust approval for its $37 billion takeover of rival Humana Inc., people familiar with the matter said. – NH UNION LEADER
Consolidation continues in region’s fiber-optic industry Lewiston, Maine-based Oxford Networks, a fiber-optic bandwidth infrastructure services provider operating in New Hampshire, Maine and Massachusetts, is being acquired by Oak Hill Capital Partners. – NH BUSINESS REVIEW
4G LTE wireless service slated for North Country Wireless provider Sprint is planning to fill a giant gap in northern New Hampshire and Maine by providing 4G LTE service to under-served areas in the region. – NH BUSINESS REVIEW
Obama, candidates, Granite Staters react to Dallas killings Condemnation of the sniper attacks in Dallas on Thursday where 5 police officers were slain and many others wounded came quickly from all quarters. Following is some notable reaction from across the nation and the Granite State. – NH UNION LEADER
NH firm settles patent dispute with HP The president of a New Hampshire-based company that was named in a recent patent dispute says HP Inc. has accepted a settlement offer. – NH UNION LEADER
Brian Toohey leaves DEKA for PhRMA post Brian Toohey, executive vice president at DEKA Research & Development Corp. in Manchester, will be joining the PhRMA, Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America as senior vice president later this month. – NH BUSINESS REVIEW
Judge upholds HarborCorp's approval A Superior Court Judge has upheld the Planning Board’s decision to grant site plan approval for the major downtown mixed-use development North End Portsmouth. – PORTSMOUTH HERALD
Westward Shores Campground expansion plans concern area residents Ambitious expansion plans recently outlined by Westward Shores Cottages and RV Resort, a campground on the northwest shore of Ossipee Lake in Ossipee, have area residents concerned about what that might do to the lake. – THE CONWAY DAILY SUN
Pats Peak looks to swap out chairlift Pats Peak Ski Area in Henniker may swap out one of its double chairlifts for a triple chair, but it won’t happen any time soon. – CONCORD MONITOR
Change Direction NH announces steering committee Newly formed mental health coalition Change Direction announced a steering committee made up of New Hampshire political, business, and community leaders on Wednesday. – CONCORD MONITOR
Baker, Hassan to lead opioid session at NGA meeting in Iowa Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker plans to travel to Iowa next week where he will join his New Hampshire counterpart to lead a session on fighting opioid abuse at a National Governors Association meeting. – THE SALEM NEWS
$1m grant to increase legal aid for abuse victims The Executive Council approved $1 million in new funding last week for NH Legal Assistance and two other organizations to expand legal aid services to more victims of stalking and domestic violence. – CONCORD MONITOR
Hassan outraises Ayotte in second quarter Gov. Maggie Hassan outraised Sen. Kelly Ayotte during the second quarter in their U.S. Senate race, but Ayotte’s campaign had more cash on hand for the quarter ending June 30. – THE HILL
Gatsas raises new concerns about Northern Pass Northern Pass doesn't pass the transparency test, according to Republican gubernatorial candidate and Manchester Mayor Ted Gatsas. – WMUR-TV
Hillary returns to NH as endorsement reports heat up Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton returns to New Hampshire next Tuesday with growing hopes her primary rival Bernie Sanders will be there to endorse her, according to high-ranking officials in both campaigns. – NH UNION LEADER
Landline customers express confusion at FairPoint meeting in Bangor If anything was clear during the first of seven public meetings about changes to FairPoint Communications’ price-controlled, basic landline phone service in Maine, it was that there is confusion among customers about how they may be affected when those changes kick in next month. – BANGOR DAILY NEWS
U.S. economy posts largest job gains in eight months in June U.S. job growth surged in June as factories and retailers boosted hiring, confirming the economy has regained speed after a first-quarter lull, but tepid wage growth could see the Federal Reserve still cautious about hiking interest rates. – REUTERS
