The all-time leading scorer and rebounder for the Laconia Spartans now has a new home and she announced her commitment to play college basketball at Division 1 Milwaukee A report compiled by the Lakes Region Planning Commission indicates the broader Lakes Region significantly lacks available housing The 2023 Lakes Region Housing Needs Assessment details strong population growth over the past 20 years The local experience over that time period closely mirrors conditions throughout New England “Housing trends in the Lakes Region are very similar to trends experienced by the rest of the state population has increased faster than the number of housing units driving up prices we have another unique problem resulting from the second vacation home market The additional demand for housing in the region increases land and building prices and reduces the percentage of the housing stock available for year-round and nonseasonal use.” Their study estimated a need for 372 total units per year — including 158 affordable units — through 2040 The report sought to investigate four core questions: Are there enough housing units for people who work in the Lakes Region at present?; Is the available housing adequate and affordable for those people?; Can we expect adequate and affordable housing to be available for those living and working in the Lakes Region in the future?; and if the answer to the previous three questions turns out to be ‘no’ The Lakes Region covers all of Belknap County and includes portions of Carroll Municipal populations in the Lakes Region tend to be rural in nature while many individuals live in the area year-round many others are unable to find affordable housing and commute extensive distances to work here The population of year-round residents in the Lakes Region increased slightly more between 2000 and 2010 than it did between 2010 and 2020 A 2022 report from the New Hampshire Office of Planning and Development projected those trends would continue before slowly leveling off and going into decline Moultonborough experienced the highest population growth rate between 2010 and 2020 and the second largest increase in population at 874 Laconia had the largest increase in population with 920 new residents followed by Alton and Gilford at 644 and 573 The study identified several factors likely to influence the future supply of housing housing affordability and the cost of developing new housing: the overall supply which is generally provided by the private sector and subject to market influences; tourism which the Lakes Region’s economy is largely dependent on and increases demand for short-term rental availability; remote work which became increasingly common post-COVID pandemic; changing demographics; and development opportunities in terms of available land which can be developed based on rules governed by zoning the Lakes Region labor force has varied slightly it’s always been between 60,000 and 65,000 people and corresponding unemployment rates have ranged between 2.4% and 6.7% the number of jobs in the region increased 10% More than 60% of jobs are dispersed between just five industries: retail; health care and social assistance; education; accommodations and food service; and manufacturing Almost half of the region’s renters are low-income households The total percentage of low-income renters is larger than the proportion of low-income homeowners The assessment notes those figures indicate a need for rental housing assistance programs in the Lakes Region The overall number of housing units increased by 1,174 between 2010 and 2020 but only about two-thirds of those units are considered occupied — the other third are listed as vacant and are most likely seasonal The growth rate of available units is much slower than the rate of population growth which was 4.6% between 2010 and 2020 — the growth rate of housing was just 1.5% “There has been some growth in the number of housing units however not as much as the population has grown About two-thirds of the housing in the Lakes Region is considered vacant including seasonal housing,” the report reads “Much of the housing that has become available in the past decade is due to formerly vacant (seasonal) housing being converted to occupied housing.” The Lakes Region has a much higher rate of vacant housing units compared to the rest of New Hampshire the Lakes Region proportion was twice as high as the state writ large and might be attributed to the Lakes Region’s identity as a vacation destination with many second homes A statewide look at short-term rental properties found there were 5,500 units available statewide with nearly a quarter of those found in the Lakes Region there were 2,238 income-restricted housing units about 4% of the total number of housing units About half of those are designated for families the elderly or those with mental or physical disabilities Of the 31 communities comprising the Lakes Region 16 have income-restricted units: Laconia had the most at 569 and Franklin was second The region’s housing market also inflated significantly home sales prices increased more than twice-over a 20% down payment increased from $28,400 to $71,993 Median rent for an apartment also increased the proportion of renters who were overburdened meaning they dedicated more than 30% of their income to rent Nearly half of all households earning between $35,000 and $50,000 were overburdened The population of the Lakes Region is projected to continue to increase through 2040 To read the entirety of the 2023 Lakes Region Housing Needs Assessment, navigate to lakesrpc.org “Through several versions of the Lakes Region Housing Need Assessments stretching back nearly two decades the message has been consistent that there continues to be a need for more housing throughout the region but a mix of housing options,” the study reads “A sufficient variety of housing allowing reasonable options for the single person or couple starting out and for those of us who might be downsizing later in life must be made available.” These articles are being shared by partners in the Granite State News Collaborative. For more information, visit collaborativenh.org you agree with our use of cookies to personalize your experience measure ads and monitor how our site works to improve it for our users InDepthNH.org (https://indepthnh.org/2025/02/05/laconia-state-school-sale-moving-forward-but-a-ways-to-go/) Lebanon Police and Fire Department members were recognized for their heroic efforts by the governor Wednesday for their efforts in a structure fire in Lebanon in which they rescued three individuals on a roof CONCORD – The Laconia State School property is still on track to be sold and developed into a multi-family mixed use community by Pillsbury Development though the process could take another 18 months the state’s Executive Council was told Wednesday the due diligence period ended and the company has gone forward and told the city of Laconia they want to continue the contract and deposited another $250,000 which now has an escrow balance of $500,000 They have entered a contingency period and a filing application for a master development plan is expected in the next few months Get unbiased nonprofit watchdog news sent directly to your inbox Kenney said various state permits will likely be sought to connect the former state school grounds with necessary services to support development The council agreed to a two-year security agreement for the property but it was noted when and if the state sells the land to the developer that deal would end “It very well could be sold this year,” he said The $10.5 million deal was to develop about 2,000 units of housing on the state land which has been off the tax books in the city for most of the past century A deal to sell the more than 200-acre parcel to another developer for $21.5 million fell through but the state rebid it and selected Pillsbury which is developing the former Woodmont Orchards in Londonderry into multi use mixed family and commercial development.  “Don’t spend it before you get it,” said Charlie Arlinghaus commissioner of the Department of Administrative Services which has been working to see the state come to a closing with a developer on the land for some time He said when the council agreed to go with Pillsbury last August it was envisioned that the process toward closing could take two years Kenney said the development company is moving in the right direction Arlinghaus said the company would lose “a bit of money” meaning the $500,000 but he said it is still “a long way ahead.” the Executive Council opposed a $564,415 contract for the implementation of a federally required four-year combined Workforce Opportunity state plan with one councilor maintaining the state could find someone to do it in-house for less Miller and Associates of Indianapolis had been placed on the table at the last meeting after Executive Councilor John Stephen made the contention that the state could save money a former Health and Human Services Commissioner who replaces the retiring Ted Gatsas said he has vowed to find efficiencies and reduce government costs Voting to support the contract were Executive Councilors Karen Liot Hill The state is in the midst of a hiring freeze and there is a deadline to renew the statewide WIOA in two-years or face the potential for loss of funds in excess of $8 million in federal funds The plan revisions are required under federal law and the contract was to run through June 30 All the money to fund the plan was being provided by the federal government said the state will have to sit down and decide whether the contract should be rebid or if there are methods where in-house staff can do the work.  But she acknowledged there are deadlines and could be in-house staffing limitations The contract was to be between the Department of Business and Economic Affairs Office of Workforce Opportunity and the company for a four-year state plan across state departments as well as drafting and implementing the two-year revisions as required under WlOA A selection committee reviewed and scored the proposals and identified the Miller Associates proposal to be the most in line with the scope and deliverables outlined and therefore ranked their submission the highest a federal contract for roughly $8 million for three years was approved.  director for the Division of Economic Stability within DHHS said there is no expectation that the fund is “drying up” as was questioned by one councilor There has been a tremendous increase in interest in use of the scholarship grant program noting a 44 percent increase in utilization in the past year.  Ayotte said there was an increase in eligibility thus access during that time frame and the changed formula is allowing for more children and their families to be able to take advantage of the grant She said that while there have been closures of child care agencies since COVID-19 the state is not at the declining position it was several years ago “It seems to be going in the right direction,” Hebert said Councilor Kenney noted several items on the agenda to increase child care and he said he is noticing fewer calls for concern in that area The state has closed on its deal with Mary Hitchcock Memorial Hospital to operate state-owned Hampstead Hospital for Children said Commissioner of Health and Human Services Lori Weaver Offers were made and the majority of the hospital staff is on board as employees with the state’s largest health care provider while there has been an increase in the number of beds there and a reduction in the number of people waiting for beds for mental health care She said the average stay for a child at Hampstead is about two weeks though it varies A $25,000 contract with Mary Hitchcock Hospital requiring vaccinations for care at New Hampshire Hospital was tabled while the Attorney General said the state is getting clarification that its contractor Dartmouth Health is in keeping with the state’s patient bill of rights which prohibits the withholding of treatment for those who are not vaccinated.  Assistant Department of Transportation Commissioner David Rodrigue was pressed by Councilor Stephen about contracts that were way above state estimates Stephen noted that one $23 million project for roads in Jaffrey is $6 million above a state estimate Rodrigue said the location of that project only brought out two bids and he said he doubted if rebidding it would bring a lower price Don Kreis of the Office of Consumer Advocate was asked by Councilor Liot Hill on the impact of House Bill 610 which would eliminate his office He was there to get approval for an annual membership for his office it would eliminate the Office of Consumer Advocate Kreis said the department is independent of the executive branch and speaks for the public instead of a portion of state government he said his job is to question how it is going to impact consumers in terms of costs “I am just an advocate,” he said “But I try to raise those issues.” he said there is worry about energy costs and it was good news to have President Donald Trump put off Canadian tariffs for a month Lebanon Police and Fire Department members were recognized for their heroic efforts by the governor Wednesday for their efforts in a structure fire in Lebanon in which they rescued three individuals on a roof on Jan to help make Lebanon and the state among the safest in the nation Four police and four firefighters were individually honored for their actions hosted her first council meeting and chose the musical duo Second Wind from her district to perform She also hosted a breakfast meeting at the NHTI Concord facility This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License A generous gift in any amount helps us continue to bring you this service InDepthNH protects independent journalism that holds government accountable to the people Our investigative reporting prompts civil discourse that spurs citizens to action corruption and influence-peddling while giving voice to the disenfranchised InDepthNH fulfills the press’ watchdog role as envisioned by the founders of our democracy InDepthNH.org is published by the New Hampshire Center for Public Interest Journalism Built with the Largo WordPress Theme from the Institute for Nonprofit News Snow covers buildings on the former Laconia State School property as the development team refers to its plan for the former State School property would add 2,000 new homes to the city — the equivalent of a small town popping up like a mushroom on the northern edge of the community It would a significant increase in population for Laconia perhaps as much as 20% when compared to the 2020 Census figure of 16,800 City leaders said accepting those residents would require an increase in services but they would be able to rise to the challenge was for decades the site of the Laconia State School a residential facility for children and adults with developmental and other disabilities and the state utilized the land afterward as a state prison until 2009 A regional emergency dispatch continues to operate on the site The state has been trying to sell the property to a developer for several years only to fall apart in April of this year when the buyer failed to come up with the $21.5 million she had offered in 2021 The state now has a new developer on the hook approved by the Executive Council in September Kettenbach’s offer of $10.5 million was less than half of Alexander’s but it comes with a much better likelihood of completion Pullsbury is on the tail end of developing Woodmont Acres multi-use project so large it’s getting its own exit off Route 93 a group from the Pillsbury team attended a meeting of the Laconia Planning Board to present their vision for the property The presentation came during the six-month due diligence period which allows Pillsbury to examine the property and while their $500,000 deposit remains refundable The balance of Pillsbury’s offer is contingent upon the firm realizing all permitting necessary to pursue its vision told the board Tuesday their presentation was still just a concept his team would be working with the city during coming months on technical aspects of the plan and the developer would likely return before the city in the spring to present their development plan Those plans aren’t to be confused with site plan reviews of architecture and planning firm City Collective said the vision for Laconia Village incorporates many existing elements of the site with an emphasis on preserving those attributes as much as possible as will the natural lay of the land and the access it provides to Lake Winnisquam and Ahern State Park “These are all things that we can build upon in a really will contain many elements typically included in a self-sustaining community The main gateway to the development will feature retail spaces organized and phased around individual neighborhoods Along with residential structures will be retail The neighborhoods would be pedestrian-friendly and intersections would be managed by rotaries instead of traffic lights “There’s a series of quaint neighborhood streets and alleys that make the neighborhood fabric feel very That’s then further punctuated by a very robust and integrated open adding the plan calls for the preservation of about 90 acres of open space The exact mix of housing will be determined by the city which will decide how dense the developer can build the plan envisions about 2,000 total residences with a “robust cross section of housing choice,” as Kearnan said from workforce housing and apartments to more luxurious and costly appointments Given the nationwide average is 1.8 persons per residence Kearnan said 2,000 housing units equates to around 3,500 residents Responding to a question from planning board member Gail Ober Kearnan said each development phase will likely take around three years meaning it would likely take a decade or more for Pillsbury to complete the plan concerned development of the property could affect the views from other parts of the city or the influx of new citizens could overburden roadways or city services said Laconia should be able to handle 3,500 more residents — especially considering they wouldn’t arrive overnight we know this is a project that’s going to take seven 10 years to complete,” said City Manager Kirk Beattie so would our services needed to respond to it.” More residents means greater need for police and fire services It will also mean more people visiting the library and parks “It’s probably going to affect all of our departments in some shape or form,” Beattie said The school district is taking a close look at the plan the state-owned parcel sits right between the designated catchment areas for Pleasant Street and Elm Street schools — so it’s possible students who live there could be split between those two elementary schools Some could even be sent to Woodland Heights if needed Champlin said the district could likely handle more students without much difficulty He noted current enrollment at Laconia High School is 600 “We are lower in attendance than we have been in the past that tells me that our capacity has some room,” Champlin said Champlin saw the proposed development as offering some benefits for the district the middle and high schools could offer a richer array of academic programs for students And more workforce housing means there might be more places for prospective teachers to live “Workforce housing makes a lot of sense to us,” Champlin said Mayor Andrew Hosmer said the addition of new residents is only problematic if the city fails to prepare for their arrival “The city has the capacity to absorb new residents,” Hosmer said He favors a strategy for the project to be built in phases and those thousands of residents arrive in a steady trickle rather than a flood — and if the city develops a clear and predictable method for regulating developments going forward “When the planning board and city council make demands of developers it’s in writing and everyone understands what the expectations are,” Hosmer said “I think we can do this,” Hosmer said “It’s just a matter of having a good strategic plan and holding developers accountable.” This article is being shared by partners in the Granite State News Collaborative. For more information, visit collaborativenh.org A committee tasked with reviewing concepts for housing development on Old North Main Street heard from Lakes Region Community Developers discussed the conceptual plan for the development of a 10-acre parcel A 12-unit raised commercial building was pitched in 2024 to replace the shack businesses but that idea was scrapped following public criticism The site will be cleared and equipped with utility service needed for the new units by the end of 2025 with construction scheduled to start in 2026 A developer plans to construct six buildings with a total of 36 housing units could soon see new life as an assisted-living and elderly housing facility The White House wants to eliminate federal support for public media Congress will vote soon on a proposal to slash millions from NHPR and NHPBS’ budgets advocates braved the cold and wind at a public gathering at Bronstein Park in Manchester to take a stand against youth homelessness JCPenney has sued the Steeplegate Mall’s owner which wants to tear down most of Steeplegate and build some 600 apartments as well as businesses such as Costco or perhaps Whole Foods New Hampshire Supreme Court Chief Justice Gordon MacDonald is implementing a hiring freeze and warning of potential layoffs across the judicial branch as the Legislature looks to make deep cuts to the budget DERRY – On a night in which she unknowingly eclipsed 1,000 career points the biggest contribution Oyster River High School senior Vivian O’Quinn made was to keep her team confident during timeouts as a nine-point lead evaporated in the fourth quarter of Wednesday’s Division II girls basketball semifinal against Laconia After trailing by nine points entering the fourth quarter top-seeded Laconia erased the deficit and tied the game at 35-35 4 Oyster River was not about to let this opportunity slip away Oyster River held Laconia scoreless in the final 2:51 and O’Quinn’s transition feed to Caitlin Klein with less than a minute left helped seal a 39-36 upset victory at Pinkerton Academy’s Hackler Gymnasium “I told them that we’ve got it and that this is our game and not to give up,” O’Quinn said don’t think about the turnovers and just play in the moment.” What's next for BobcatsOyster River (17-4) returns to its first Division II championship game in 16 years on Saturday when it faces No Tip-of is scheduled for noon at the University of New Hampshire’s Lundholm Gymnasium Milford advanced with a 37-29 victory over No 3 Derryfield in Wednesday’s early semifinal The Bobcats beat Hanover for the 2009 crown and are seeking the program's fifth overall championship O’Quinn finished with eight points on the night while classmate Olivia Andersen scored a game-high 19 Andersen heated up with eight points during a second quarter that paced Oyster River to a 17-14 halftime lead She also drilled a 3-pointer to give the Bobcats a 35-28 in the fourth but I trust my team that we had it in us just to pull it out and win this thing,” Andersen said “I knew we weren’t going to let this get away from us.” well-coached and strong," Oyster River head coach Bryan Wall said but I said consider it a tie game because they’ll fight back Laconia (18-2) began the fourth quarter on a 7-0 run to tie the game with a hoop by Division II Player of the Year Macy Swormstedt (17 points) Makayla Keegan then converted a steal into a 3-point play by Madeline Mousseau and Ava Currier evened the game at 35-35 “The girls played with resiliency and obviously we know games like this are going to be tight and it was going to be about momentum and runs,” Laconia coach Jeff Greeley said “I thought the girls battled and it was good to see that out of them.” Laconia had one last chance but Swormstedt elected not to attempt a potential game-tying 3-pointer but didn’t make the basket with 0.9 seconds left She missed the first free throw and then intentionally missed the second for a chance at a miracle that wasn’t answered who was primarily responsible for guarding Swormtedt and making her work for her points Klein fought her way back onto the team for the tournament run in her senior year after she missed the regular season after breaking her right wrist playing soccer last fall “I thought I was going to miss this whole season and didn’t think I’d get to play at all,” Klein said “I love basketball and this is kind of my favorite thing ever Just to get the opportunity to be out here again is super exciting.” Housing authorities across New Hampshire are facing financial uncertainty as the state and federal governments are considering funding cuts that means having to roll back on certain programs meant to reduce evictions and homelessness A state budget proposal has eliminated funding for the Congregate Housing Support Program a pilot program that helps elderly people and people with disabilities stay in their homes Laconia Housing says it could affect nearly 30 individuals in the city and leave them without services Federal plans to slash the U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development [HUD] which provides funding for local housing voucher programs means Laconia could have to reduce the number of vouchers it provides the executive director of Laconia Housing Authority spoke with NHPR’s All Things Considered host Julia Furukawa Editor's note: This transcript has been lightly edited for clarity What's the current state of the housing voucher program in Laconia Nationally, [thanks to] the federal budget that was just passed They're going to have to revote on the budget federally at that point We went into shortfall for the first time last year in Laconia Housing's history of operating the voucher program The state of New Hampshire had other housing authorities who also went into shortfall [and] what shortfall means is you don't have enough federal funds to be able to support the vouchers that you have available to you What does it mean for folks who use these vouchers or are maybe on the waitlist for one if Laconia Housing doesn't receive the money it needs to fund the voucher program Department of Housing and Urban Development] awards a housing authority so many vouchers Laconia Housing has 509 vouchers available to them What that means to you or to the general public is that we are not able to fully fund the program for the number of vouchers we do have available to us which is why we are using so much of our funding faster Rents have increased so much in New Hampshire and particularly in our region of Laconia [Costs are] so much higher for a one bedroom unit it has reduced the number of vouchers we can put out on the street because of that We have a wait list of 850 people who are looking for housing and the person who is next on the list has been waiting almost five years at this point for her housing So it's necessary in the community to be able to have this Laconia Housing Authority is also facing some possible cuts at the state level, as lawmakers put together a state budget We have quite a few programs that have been impacted We have been providing what is called Choices for Independence (CFI) program which is a medicaid-funded program that the state of New Hampshire offers The three properties that we provide these services are [for our] senior and/or disabled population homemaker services and LNA [licensed nursing assistant] services We take care of their daily living needs so that they can remain independent in our properties which are federally-funded subsidized funds and not end up going into a nursing care environment which would be far more expensive to the state of New Hampshire it's under $19,000 a year for them to participate in the CFI program compared to $50,000 to $80,000 in a nursing home depending on where they are placed in the state of New Hampshire we take the person and we put them into a pilot program called the Congregate Support Services Program which is the grant that we are absolutely losing at this point Our intent was to be able to provide services to people to keep them in compliance in their apartments and to be able to keep them housed So if they had homemaker issues [or] housekeeping issues we would go in and we would help them to maintain their apartment so when the next inspection came around that they were in compliance in their unit Can you expand a little bit more on how these programs actually currently help save the state money What will happen is if people are not allowed to stay or we don't have the resources to be able to keep them in our housing which would cost the state substantially more money If they are not in compliance and they are not able to maintain their apartment that costs the state a lot of money in court time It costs us money to be able to hire an attorney to fight that It's better if we can keep people in their apartment and be able to supply services If a person loses housing from a housing authority it's very difficult for them to get housing [from] any other source If you lose your voucher or you have been evicted from a housing authority that is really going to put you in a bad situation because another landlord is not going to look at you favorably and be able to provide housing for you So as the [Laconia] Housing Authority faces these potential cuts what are you hearing from the people that rely on the services you provide The tenants themselves have been very concerned They're concerned [about] the status of their voucher How am I going to be taken care of on this program They're concerned about all of those issues I have reassured them that for this calendar year Where is Laconia Housing looking to make up for funding losses at the federal and state level When we knew we were going to go into shortfall we had started talking with Congressman [Chris] Pappas about it at this point and provided her information We have reached out to [Belknap] County to support us So we hope to be able to house and host some of the state representatives to come into Laconia Housing and walk through our program [and] see what it is we offer in the community instead of just blatantly cutting the [Congregate Supportive Services] program I wish that they had come and approached us We would be able to still do something with the money and we would still be able to secure the people It's just disheartening that nobody approached us and said What are you seeing?” We had 17 evictions from 2022 to 2024 And it's huge to the people that we take care of that we were able to do that All of these will affect the state of New Hampshire and [have] a downstream effect if people don't have housing and if their voucher is all of a sudden at risk It's going to have a detrimental effect on the community We rely on readers like you to support the local and international coverage on this website Your support makes this news available to everyone A monthly donation of $5 makes a real difference A sand-blasted wall on the Hanover Street side of the Laconia Antique Center one of a dozen downtown buildings that Laconia Police said had been defaced with offensive graffiti Laconia police arrested two Massachusetts men early Friday morning for allegedly spray-painting a dozen downtown properties with lewd and racist graffiti were charged with felony criminal mischief linked to graffiti on buildings on Main Street Canal Street and Pleasant Street that is believed to have occurred sometime Thursday and obscene imagery,” Laconia Police said in a news statement who were released on bail and are to be arraigned Feb are also believed to have spray-painted graffiti in Gilford where Laconia Police Chief Matt Canfield said they were staying at a rental property and enjoying local attractions Laconia police said they received a report of the vandalism on Thursday and identified the Yarbroughs through surveillance camera footage The graffiti “is going to require a significant amount of cleanup,” Canfield said The chief said the Yarbroughs were charged with felony criminal mischief because the cost of removing the graffiti would be in excess of $1,000 per instance said he wants the Yarbroughs to pay restitution for cleanup “There’s a difference between graffiti and this crap,” St I couldn’t stand having that stuff on my building so I hired them (the sand-blasting company that was cleaning a nearby business) to remove it” said St several downtown businesses displayed posters allegedly showing the Yarbroughs and a third man with the text “WANTED: LOCAL ARTISTS.” who has a space at The Galleria Salon on Pleasant Street said the graffiti on that building looked terrible “should buy a big roll of paper” for them to spray paint upon LakesNews@unionleader.com Email notifications are only sent once a day Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: Account processing issue - the email address may already exist Would you like to receive our daily news? Signup today Invalid password or account does not exist Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account and allowed three hits across four innings and was named Thursday's Seacoast Standout "I think everyone was feeling a lot more confident this game which really helped," Trela said "Comparing this game to last game (Coe-Brown) This made it easy for me to have trust in the defense I think this team performance and contributions from our entire roster really helped everyone grow confidence." helping Oyster River improve to 3-1 on the season "Morgan had a solid performance both in the circle and at-bat," Oyster River head coach Chad Michaud said Trela struck out the first two batters of the game and then Laconia loaded the bases on an error "She was able to get out of the inning by inducing a weak pop-up on a change-up.," Michaud said she was very efficient with her pitches over the next three innings." Michaud said Trela showed 'great confidence' with her three hits highlighted by an opposite field double that just missed clearing the fence by inches in left field I felt like it was the best I have hit in a single game in a long time," Trela said "It felt good knowing that I can show the type of hitter that I am." Aubrey Leonard and Molly Duel made their debut at the girls state basketball tournament and this week the five seniors from Laconia will play in their fourth straight and last state tournament The fivesome has been integral in the Spartans' success since they stepped on the court as freshmen Entering Thursday's Division 3 state semifinal against Oostburg at the Resch Center Laconia has a 104-12 record the last four seasons with two gold balls and one silver ball but for the final time this group will battle together as high school teammates "Just don't want it to end early on the first game," said senior Tierney Madigan who leads Laconia with 18.9 points per game "We've had really good success the past three years and we've obviously made it to the championship game every single year "We don't want that to be different this year we just want to make it all the way." Coach Chris Morgan has two daughters on the team "I've been trying not to think about it "Just trying to roll into this week like any other week the last three years I'm sure after we're done it will all sink in but right now I'm trying not to think this is it After settling for a silver ball as freshmen Laconia's five seniors now have won two straight Division 4 state titles Now in Division 3 due to the performance factor they're looking for a third gold ball "These past four years have been so incredible and I am so proud of my team and the legacy that we're leaving and it's better than I ever could have imagined," said senior Aubrey Leonard including 28 of the team's 42 points in a championship game loss to Mineral Point Since then Laconia has won four straight state tournament games and this group is a major reason why "We knew this was a special group when they were younger but when you come in as freshmen you don't expect them to do what they did," Morgan said "Obviously we had some other pieces as well but these five girls were a big part of that even as freshmen there's not a lot of kids that can say that "There's probably not a lot of kids who have been to state four years Laconia is looking to be the second girls basketball team in the last four years to win three straight state titles as Notre Dame won gold from 2021-23 "It would mean a lot," Madigan said "We definitely left our mark on the school already but especially going out there and winning a third one this group of seniors will never be forgotten at Laconia --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DIVISION 3 GIRLS STATE BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT Winner of Game-2 - Following Division 4 final (about 2:30 p.m.) This story was originally produced by the Laconia Daily Sun. NHPR is republishing it in partnership with the Granite State News Collaborative In the wake of the loss of three primary care physicians from Concord Hospital's Laconia Clinic health care professionals in the Lakes Region say they’re worried about patient outcomes and hospital officials have left them with more questions than answers But hospital representatives assure the public there are no intentions of consolidating primary care to Concord Three primary care doctors — Valentin Milchev Gurvinder Bali and Daniel Kallmerten — all working out of the hospital’s internal medicine department — were unceremoniously fired at the end of September leaving as many as 6,000 patients in limbo as they try to reschedule appointments A hospital spokesperson said the Concord Hospital system offers 15 primary care practices but doctors who’ve recently retired say there’s no way Lakes Region primary care practices can reasonably absorb the number of patients affected by the change Many of those patients may be forced to travel to Concord to seek medical care or find a new health care system altogether Hospital spokesperson Dawn Beers confirmed Wednesday Milchev Kallmerten and Bali were no longer employed by Concord Hospital and other physicians would be rotating to Laconia to provide care for patients during the transition “Our goal is to add [two to three] additional primary care providers in the Lakes Region over the coming year,” she wrote in an email She said there are 30 primary care providers employed by their practices in the Lakes Region between offices in Laconia The internal medicine practice in Laconia employs three providers and practices in Belmont and Franklin are accepting new patients Internal medicine in Laconia is "committed to ensuring our patients' health care needs are met during this transition,” Beers wrote “Providers within the Concord Hospital Health System (CHHS) are rotating up to IML to help meet patient needs.” Noting the hospital is actively recruiting for more primary care providers Beers said last week a new physician is expected to join the team in November Patients whose primary care provider is no longer employed there are instructed to call the patient referral line at 603-224-7879 or toll-free at 800-322-2711 to locate a doctor who’s taking new patients Those with urgent or acute needs are encouraged to contact internal medicine directly and medication refills will be processed as soon as possible But patients are reporting months-long wait times to get a new appointment with another doctor bringing up the question of how outcomes for patients with acute care needs or patients with pending diagnoses will be met What would happen with a patient who was ordered to conduct blood tests who then lost their primary care physician in the meantime and retired from Concord Hospital this year noting there would be some number of affected patients who are dealing with acute medical problems or new cancers “This is patient abandonment of approximately 5,000-6,000 people,” he said in an interview “I guarantee there’s a significant number of those who are dealing with acute issues.” has to do with why three doctors were fired immediately and not allowed time to make proper arrangements for their patients a 36-year retired urologist with the Laconia Clinic when a doctor is set to leave their practice they notify their patients at least 30 days in advance and provide them instructions and other resources to assist in finding a new provider They’ll offer a list of recommended physicians and write their patients referrals answering any questions they may have and offering advice regarding navigating the ordeal When asked why patients were not afforded a 30-day notice of the departure of those physicians instead noting patients were notified more generally and that communication could be improved patients were notified of these vacancies and have options to see other primary care providers with additional health system physicians rotating through the practice,” Beers wrote by email “We recognize any change in provider personnel can be challenging to our patients and there are always opportunities to improve our customer service and communications with our patients.” “It’s good etiquette to do that,” Fernholz said wondering if the timing of the employment decision came in an attempt to prevent both internal and external backlash “That’s a lot of patients that they offloaded.” Miller said patients experiencing acute care needs would be unlikely to secure an appointment with a new provider within a week or so and noted some with specific medical needs or extenuating circumstances can’t afford to wait months to see a doctor “They haven’t set up any way to handle this,” Miller said Fernholz noted when Concord Hospital-Laconia lost local oncology that presented patients with a large burden forcing some to travel to Concord to seek treatment That’s not just inconvenient — some patients are unable to travel do not have the money to make frequent trips or do not have access to reliable transportation And both doctors said the decision could have been a financial one noting the medical industry nationwide is moving toward reliance on nurse practitioners rather than physicians for primary care Even if that does reflect the “new direction” referred to by hospital executives in firing Kallmerten Fernholz and Martin wondered why they’d make the move all at once Hospitals can temporarily fill vacant positions through the use of “locum tenens” physicians but that route is generally much more expensive Locum tenens physicians are independent contractors who usually demand a higher rate than full-time physicians who was still working at the time Concord Hospital purchased LRGHealthcare said hospital executives initially promised to maintain all services for five years and to work to increase the availability of primary care Miller said normally during a merger of this kind some major aspects of the health care system are consolidated and many doctors assumed some level of consolidation would take place after the purchase the operations of primary care are usually maintained locally He is concerned they may be consolidated in Concord “It seems like this was done with no planning with concern for the patient,” Miller said Concord Hospital Health System has no plans to consolidate primary care in Concord She pointed to the hiring of 67 providers in the Lakes Region over the past three years $25 million in patient-forward investments the establishment of rheumatology and orthopedics practices and the expansion of various medical specialties as evidence of their commitment “This kind of a decision is pretty major,” Shafique said “The infrastructure on primary care is already very stressed and then you go and fire three people The immediate termination is patient abandonment — they’ve taken a wrecking ball to the whole primary care in this area.” Miller and Fernholz said the growth of Laconia and the surrounding areas pointing specifically to the revitalization of downtown and the forthcoming development of the former State School property on Parade Road will necessarily drive higher demand for primary care physicians as the population increases in tandem with those developments A hospital spokesperson declined a request for an interview with any member of the hospital's executive leadership noting they have "other communication initiatives planned to address this concern with the community." The Winnipesaukee Public Health Region is considered rural according to the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services Approximately 30% of residents statewide live in similarly rural public health regions and patients there experience the greatest barriers to medical care Rural residents travel further to see a primary care doctor and do so much less frequently than other residents Rural residents in New Hampshire were less likely than other residents to have visited a primary care physician over the previous year Rural residents were also diagnosed with late-stage breast colon and rectum cancers at higher rates than their non-rural counterparts Data from the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services shows the state’s most vulnerable patient populations reside in these rural public health regions The Winnipesaukee region has among the lowest ratios of primary care providers to patients across the state at 22.07 providers per 100,000 people — only the Greater Sullivan Public Health region has a lower ratio at 18.73 providers per 100,000 patients has about twice as many providers per 100,000 patients as Winnipesaukee A New Hampshire Fiscal Policy Institute study projects employment in the health care sector will increase by 5.8% between 2022 and 2032 adding about 42,000 jobs at a pace of about 4,000 each year nurse practitioners and physician assistants are projected to comprise the largest proportion of those annual increases at 50.7% and 30.4% “Physician shortages within the primary care sector is likely a contributing factor for this predicted growth from 2022 to 2032 as other employees may fill some of the duties previously performed by physicians in health care settings,” the study reads in part “You cannot abandon patients,” Shafique said “My feeling is Concord Hospital has some explaining to do,” Fernholz said These articles are being shared by partners in the Granite State News Collaborative. For more information, visit collaborativenh.org GREEN BAY (WLUK) -- As the final seconds ticked off the clock the tears started running down Laconia players faces After rallying from a 17-point second-half deficit against Oostburg to take the lead the Spartans just could not make enough plays in the final three minutes and saw an incredible run come to an end looking to win a third straight state title in a fourth straight state tournament appearance fell to the Lady Dutch 66-57 in a thrilling Division 3 state semifinal at the Resch Center on Thursday "It was like a heavyweight fight," coach Chris Morgan said "They came out and made some shots in the first half and kind of built a lead When they went up by 15 points in the second half looked like it was going to slip away from us Just really proud how the girls battled." 3-seeded Laconia (24-5) trailed 29-19 at half and then 36-19 with 16:14 to play It appeared as if the Spartans' quest to three-peat was over but championship-caliber teams don't quit Laconia turned up its defense with full court pressure and half court traps started cutting into the lead and four minutes later the Oostburg lead was 40-32 The Spartans finally tied the game at 50-all and took its first lead at 51-50 with 6:23 to play 2 Oostburg (27-2) scored the final 10 points of the game to put away the Spartans "We got back on the lead by putting some full court pressure on them we did some scramble stuff in the half court," Morgan said "We couldn't get it to more than a one-possession lead "If we could've pushed that lead a little further maybe that would've helped What helped get us back in the game kind of did us in the end We gave up a couple layups on the backside Maybe we should've pulled out of it and go straight up." The loss ended a run of five Laconia seniors who had played in three consecutive state title games -- Tierney Madigan When talking about their run and 104-13 overall record with two gold balls and one silver ball the tears were tough to contain "It's been super special," Madigan said I love playing with these girls and I'm definitely going to miss it a lot." "These last four years have been some of the best years in my life being able to play with them and I know I've been playing with them since second grade," Payton Morgan said "The memories we made these last four years have been super special." "We know it was going to be a tough season to end it just was," coach Chris Morgan said "I've seen these girls play so many basketball games over the years They're a special group and will be remembered for a long time." This sketch shows a neighborhood in the proposed Laconia Village that a Londonderry developer hopes to build on the former State School property in Laconia Four months after a conceptual presentation for a mixed-use development on the former Laconia State School property got a favorable response from the Planning Board the project is now up for its first reviews before Laconia’s Technical Review Committee it will return to the Planning Board in July in the form of a density master plan the project manager for Pillsbury Realty & Development in Londonderry with the developers submitting site plan applications as conditions warrant where it is developing the 600-acre Woodmont Commons Pillsbury has said it wants to build a similarly upscale Laconia Village would be located on the 217 acres of state-owned land at the corner of North Main Street (aka Route 106) and Meredith Center Road Laconia Village would be divided into three walkable “neighborhoods” and have more than 2,000 units of housing The village would include a wellness district areas for outdoor recreation and a “grocery hub.” There has been some speculation about who the grocery operator might be The governor and Executive Council accepted a $10.5 million offer from Pillsbury to buy the property and Pillsbury made a $500,000 payment on Jan Pillsbury now has 18 months to close on its purchase Opened in 1903 as the Laconia State School for Feebleminded Children It was later repurposed as the Department of Corrections’ Lakes Region Facility The Lakes Region Facility’s medium-security inmates were relocated to the Northern New Hampshire Correctional Facility in Berlin and the state eventually put the property up for sale lakesregionnews@unionleader.com there are no recent results for popular images there are no recent results for popular videos there are no recent results for popular collections InDepthNH.org (https://indepthnh.org/2024/09/26/laconia-city-officials-hope-new-day-for-former-state-school-property-is-finally-here/) One of the abandoned buildings at the former Laconia State School LACONIA – Its 30 dilapidated buildings some with environmental hazard warnings signs and some surrounded in razor wire from its use as a medium security prison remain but a new day may have dawned for the former Laconia State School property adjacent to a state park and snowmobile trails the 217 acres of the former Laconia State School property are now under agreement for the second time to be developed as a village with both residential and commercial uses envisioned and city officials are expressing optimism the state’s Executive Council voted 3-0 with two councilors recusing themselves from the vote to enter into a contract to sell the tract for $10.5 million to Pillsbury Reality Development LLC Kettenbach is the developer of Londonderry’s Woodmont Commons a residential retail complex located near Interstate 93 in the southern part of the state The other bidders included Hawthorne Development Corporation AP & Affiliates and the Lakes Region Athletic Advancement Complex Both Mayor Andrew Hosmer and City Manager Kirk Beattie said they feel comfortable with the state decision to sell and as Hosmer said will “wait and see how this goes” and that the city is willing to work with the developer on its plan “I’m happy we are here,” said Beattie who has done much of the city’s bidding in the process has been a “big supporter” and was a key vote to approve the deal Wednesday Beattie said it has also been “great” working with Charlie Arlinghaus the state commissioner of the Department of Administrative Services which is in charge of the sale Arlinghaus convened an advisory committee including Beattie and Kenney to choose among five potential buyers each having their own strategy.  and said it would take a little more time to sort out the paperwork in the full bids to be released Some offered a cash deal which would lead to a quick sale while others like Pillsbury offered a contingent sale after all permitting had been accomplished “We met with all the potential buyers and are very pleased with the decision We feel confident they as a group will do well with the city,” Beattie said after the meeting He said they have been very responsive to the “needs and wants” of Laconia and are “good and constant communicators,” which will be key as he said the process of building out the parcel could be “decades long.” Hosmer also said the city does not prioritize an expedited closing as Kenney had stressed optimism for fewer than 18 months but rather a good process that takes the needs of the city’s citizens into consideration For both Hosmer and Beattie the goal has been to get the property back on the tax rolls where it has not been since the early 1900s and Beattie said there is potential for significant taxable real estate which will help offset costs While he said he was unsure of the exact number of units residential in a village-like setting with a mixture in the types of housing Kenney said it was his understanding that the chosen developer wants to work on the retail aspect of the property first before constructing housing but Beattie said “we have a lot of confidence” the deal will go through and be a benefit of mixed use The state’s first effort to sell the property fell apart when Robynne Alexander offered $21.5 million for the property in 2022 but could not come to the table with the cash after three delays in closing Alexander’s Legacy at Laconia LLC had an ambitious plan for housing and retail on the tract and had worked to get in place many of the necessary permits it will receive 5 percent of the sale price about $525,000 and the remaining $9,975,000 will go to the state’s general fund There is a lease-back agreement which goes with the property allowing the Department of Safety’s 911 center to remain on the property along with the Lakes Region Mutual Fire Aid Association’s dispatch Pillsbury Realty Development LLC was registered in New Hampshire in November It has been primarily working on Woodmont Commons development which includes retail restaurants and a brewery and is located on an old apple orchard It is at least twice the size of the project envisioned for Laconia but in some ways The developer will need to address the “as is” aspect of the property which was a long time home for the state’s disabled which closed in 1991 The 30 buildings and two water towers are in need of either extensive renovation or demolition and there are needs on the property which include tying into the water and sewer systems While officials for Pillsbury have not made public comment Hosmer said Wednesday he is confident in their experience and ability and is really a “top notch” group for the city to work with And while it was not the governor’s first choice among the proposals Chris Sununu issued a statement on Laconia State School “I’m thrilled that the Laconia State School redevelopment project passed at today’s Executive Council meeting This is an exciting opportunity for the City of Laconia InDepthNH.org (https://indepthnh.org/2024/09/25/council-agrees-to-sell-former-laconia-state-school-for-10-5m/) Aerial view of the former Laconia State School HOLLIS – The state Executive Council has agreed to enter into an agreement to sell the former Laconia State School property in Laconia to a developer for $10.5 million The vote was 3-0 with two executive councilors Democrat Cinde Warmington and Republican Janet Stevens recusing themselves from the vote at the council meeting which was held at Brookdale Fruit Farm in Hollis The state received five offers for the 217-acre tract that once housed the state’s developmentally disabled Michael Kettenbach put in the offer to develop the property, and it was not the highest offer, said Charlie Arlinghaus, commissioner of the state Department of Administrative Services. Kettenbach is the principal owner of Pillsbury Realty Development in Londonderry and is the developer of Woodmont Commons in Londonderry. https://woodmontcommonsnh.com/  Arlinghaus said it is a contingent offer rather than a cash offer Laconia Mayor Andrew Hosmer said the city would move forward thoughtfully “to put guardrails in place” and the focus should not be on doing things “expeditiously” but to fulfill the responsibilities  the city has to its residents Hosmer said the City Manager has been supportive of the group which has been chosen and has always gone above and beyond to work with the state’s chosen developer “We will wait and see how this goes,” Hosmer said said that this was not his first choice of the four proposals but his second He said that through conversations and concerns with the developer he was able to get assurances that the history of the property which housed the developmentally disabled in the state for the better part of the 1900s would be honored While he said he conveyed that the city of Laconia would like to see housing on the property he said he understood the developer’s first priority would be to develop retail as a necessary return on investment and that he likes their “village” model of housing development for the property He also said that the developer has assured that it might not take 18 months but less time to close the deal should the city be able and willing to move with the proposal He voted to support the measure with Executive Councilors Ted Gatsas of Manchester and fellow Republican David Wheeler agreeing This is not the first time the state has sought to close on the property The first was a deal for $21.5 million which was offered by developer Robynne Alexander Alexander had an ambitious plan for housing, retail and commercial use. Questions were raised early on about whether she could raise the money. See story here: https://indepthnh.org/2022/12/14/questions-swirl-over-vetting-financial-backers-in-former-laconia-state-school-property-sale/ The sale has stirred controversy since Sununu gained control of the sale in 2021 with the goal of quickly selling it The Lakeshore Redevelopment Planning Commission had been working for five years to prepare the property for sale the Executive Council voted 3-2 to enter a purchase and sales agreement to sell it to Alexander’s Legacy at Laconia LLC for $21.5 million Voting to oppose the sale were Councilors Gatsas and Wheeler The property has been off the tax rolls for a century Bill Boyd at the helm during the six-dog race of the Sled Dog Derby in Laconia on Saturday takes off with Maisel and Malarkey for their first ever race during the Sled Dog Derby in Laconia on Saturday Two of Josiah Ramirez’s three dogs take in the crowd before the junior’s race of the Sled Dog Derby in Laconia Natasha Phaneuf waves to the crowd during the 6-dog race of the Sled Dog Derby in Laconia Malarkey hypes up Maisel before their 3-dog junior race with William Strobridge during the Sled Dog Derby in Laconia Kelly Berg’s lead dogs enjoys the sun and spectators before the 6-dog race of the Sled Dog Derby in Laconia Spectators lined the start and finish line of the Sled Dog Derby in Opechee State Forest Ashley Noris’ team charges through the trail during the 6-dog race of the Sled Dog Derby in Laconia Lidia Dale lines up her dogs for the 6-dog race during the Sled Dog Derby in Laconia