New Hampshire's Business News for May 12
A look at today's top business headlines, including: New test reveals higher PFOA levels in Amherst water, The Mountain Corp. gets a new owner, Fred Fuller sex harassment settlements, study says NH has third-highest property tax rates in nation, contractor says Portsmouth permits cost him than project
New test reveals higher PFOA levels in Amherst NH DES releases results for former Textiles Coated International site. – NH BUSINESS REVIEW
Keene T-shirt company has new owners The Mountain Corp., home of the famous "Three Wolf Moon" T-shirt, has been acquired by Gladstone Investment Corp. – NH UNION LEADER
Ex-employees of Fred Fuller get millions in settlements from sex-harassment lawsuit Two former employees of Fred Fuller have been awarded $2.7 million and $1 million in a lawsuit that alleged the owner of the now-bankrupt oil company harassed them with “offensive, unwelcome, sexual conduct” in the office. – CONCORD MONITOR
Study finds NH has third-highest median property tax rate New Hampshire has the third-highest median property tax rate in the United States, according to a recently released survey by real estate data analytics firm CoreLogic. – NH BUSINESS REVIEW
Location of intake structure for Balsams snowmaking draws opposition Dixville Capital’s plan to pull water out of the Androscoggin River to make snow for its proposed expanded Balsams ski resort in Dixville has run into some opposition over the input site. – THE BERLIN DAILY SUN
Contractor: Portsmouth permitting costs more than project Contractor Gene Bergeron said it cost him more to go through the city's permitting process and hire a city-mandated engineer for a construction project than the total cost of the project being permitted and engineered. – PORTSMOUTH HERALD
Portsmouth panel seeks affordable housing solutions Members of the city’s new Housing Committee talked about the need for more affordable housing and the difficulty in making it a reality. – PORTSMOUTH HERALD
April Seacoast condo sales surge, home sales fall While sales of single-family condominium units on the Seacoast set a new volume record for April, it wasn’t the same story for single-family home sales. – NH BUSINESS REVIEW
Apartment application withdrawn in Lebanon The Lebanon Housing Authority on Tuesday withdrew its applications to construct a four-story apartment building downtown, citing pushback from the community and planning board members. – VALLEY NEWS
House approves just under $10 million for drug programs Drug package include money for drug courts, increased police activity and more funds for treatment and recovery programs. – NH UNION LEADER
House OKs bill to make possessing small amount of pot similar to traffic ticket Once again the House approved a bill to ensure a first-time marijuana offender does not have a criminal record that follows him or her for a lifetime. – NH UNION LEADER
Real ID-compliant NH driver’s licenses are coming New Hampshire residents will be able to obtain licenses compliant with the federal REAL ID law starting early next year. – NH PUBLIC RADIO
Charter schools tax break denied in Nashua A proposal to offer tax breaks to charter schools in the city was narrowly rejected by aldermen on Tuesday. – NH UNION LEADER
Hassan calls for investigation into force used during police pursuit arrest New Hampshire's governor is calling for a full investigation into the use of force by police after video surfaced of officers appearing to pummel a suspect who had led them on a high-speed chase from Massachusetts to New Hampshire. – NH PUBLIC RADIO
All eyes on impact national races will have in NH Movers and shakers and heartbreakers. As candidates prepare to file papers to run for state Senate or House, they are lacing up during a volatile presidential year that could trigger a wave one way or another. – NH UNION LEADER
Hassan hits Washington 'dysfunction' Democratic Gov. Maggie Hassan said Wednesday that combating climate change, supporting women's reproductive rights and making college more affordable will be some of her top priorities if elected to the U.S. – FOSTER’S DAILY DEMOCRAT
Obamacare insurers request double-digit rate hikes in Maine Insurers on the federal health insurance exchange serving Maine have requested double-digit rate increases for 2017 in filings submitted Wednesday to state regulators. – BANGOR DAILY NEWS
Blue Cross and MVP request price increases over 8 percent in Vermont Blue Cross Blue Shield of Vermont covers about 90 percent of customers on the exchange, and its proposed increase is similar to those in previous years. Regulators must decide whether to approve, modify or reject the two insurers’ proposals. – VTDIGGER
