NH News Briefs 8-27-2026

A Dalton man is in custody after allegedly trying to steal a fire truck while his house was burning. According to fire officials, it happened at a home in the area of Faraway Road and Mountain Road on Tuesday morning. The resident, Nestor Roman, wasn’t in the building at the time of the fire, but he is accused of jumping into a Whitefield fire engine and driving away. He hit another Whitefield fire truck and drove over water supply lines, almost hitting three firefighters. The 30-year-old was charged with reckless conduct with a deadly weapon, theft by unauthorized taking, burglary and resisting arrest. The home was destroyed in the fire and the cause is still under investigation.

Some New Hampshire school districts are having a hard time finding enough qualified people to fill special education positions. Schools in Bedford are still looking to fill those positions as the school year begins. Manchester is trying to fill 11 positions, but will use contracted service providers in some cases as a backup plan. The Concord and Pittsfield school districts have some educators working in special education under a statement of eligibility, allowing them to be hired without having all the required credentials. According to the state Department of Education, New Hampshire has had a critical shortage of special education teachers for the last several years.

Comedian Jay Leno is asking a New Hampshire court to recognize his wife’s conservatorship to sell a property they own in the state. The conservatorship is recognized by California, but not the Granite State. Leno and his wife are co-owners of the property. It’s estimated to cost about 400-thousand-dollars and was listed for sale in June.