NH News Briefs 3-18-2026

A lot of New Hampshire residents are paying more to keep their homes warm these days. The U.S. Energy Information Administration reports the average price for heating oil is sitting at four-83 per gallon, which is almost a dollar more than it was in mid-February. The Department of Energy says New Hampshire ranks second in the country for heating use oil per capita at 42-percent. The bad news is with winter weather continuing, prices may climb even higher.

There is a new development in the ongoing legal case against a man convicted of a double homicide in Concord. A warrantless cell phone search used by law enforcement to take Logan Clegg into custody is being deemed unconstitutional by the state’s highest court. The evidence will be subject of a status conference Friday and it’s possible Clegg could be ordered to appear. Clegg was found guilty of murdering Stephen and Wendy Reid in 2022 and sentenced to life in prison.

A bill is being debated in the state House of Representatives that’d make it mandatory for public college students to pass a civics test before getting a degree. Critics claim the measure would exert too much control over a school’s curriculum, but supporters believe it’s necessary. A similar bill ended up being vetoed by former Governor Chris Sununu in 2022 because the civics exam requirement was already being put in place for high school students. This bill would exempt any student who already passed the test.