Monday Local News Headlines

New Hampshire is getting another seven-point-six-million dollars for home heating cost assistance.  The federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program provides aid to help residents with gas, electric and oil heating expenses.  The state’s congressional delegation was among a group of legislators who had urged the White House to release the funding as soon as possible.  More information about LIHEAP, including eligibility guidelines is available online at capnh.org/home.  

 The average price for a gallon of regular gas in New Hampshire is three dollars 26 cents.  That’s four cents lower than a week ago according to Triple-A.  The national average is three dollars 36 cents per gallon.  

 Nearly a dozen local housing authorities in New Hampshire will share in nine-point-six-million dollars for capital investments.  The Department of Housing and Urban Development says grants are awarded to communities regardless of size and in both urban and rural areas.  The funding is intended to build or renovate public housing with projects ranging from replacing roofs and energy-efficient heating system upgrades, to installing water conservation measures.     

 The executive assistant to Portsmouth Police Chief Mark Newport was arrested for DUI early Saturday morning.  Indepthnh.org reported State Police said 35-year-old Jacqueline Burnett of Hampton, was involved in a one-vehicle crash that took down wires on Peaverly Hill Road in Portsmouth.  She’s due in court March 29th. 

 An investigation is still underway into what started a fire inside of a laboratory at Dartmouth College. Crews were called to the Hanover campus yesterday and arrived to find smoke on the seventh floor of a building. While the flames were quickly put out, there was extensive smoke water damage done to the lab which was unoccupied.  There were no injuries reported. 

 The results of a new poll shows support for legalizing recreational marijuana in the Granite State is growing. Data gathered by the University of New Hampshire revealed 71 percent of people surveyed want marijuana legalized, compared to 18-percent who are against the idea. When a question about this issue was first asked in 2013, 49-percent of respondents were in favor of marijuana legalization. New Hampshire is the only state in New England that doesn’t allow marijuana use for recreational purposes.