Portsmouth Herald
‘Only limitation is you’
HAMPTON — Navy veteran Tracey LaCroix said he felt “lost” when he became paralyzed and in need of a wheelchair, never imagining he would surf again. LaCroix and dozens of other veterans with disabilities were back in the waves Aug. 28 with help from...
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‘OUR CHILDREN CAN’T STAY HERE’
Editor’s note: This article is the first in Granite State News Collaborative’s “Invisible Walls: Seacoast” project. The series produced in collaboration with Seacoastonline.com and Fosters.com, looks at how zoning laws, housing and other public...
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‘A blooming, vibrant, wonderful environment’
EXETER — Painted buttercup yellow with a flowering garden in the back, Art Up Front Street looks like it was plucked straight out of a storybook, though it sits right in west Exeter. For the last decade, the art collective has opened its doors to...
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Major projects in Newington advance
NEWINGTON — Expansions of the Sig Sauer and SubCom campuses have received the backing of town planning leaders, while Costco Wholesale’s arrival in Newington moved a step closer to reality, too. Sig Sauer, a gunmaker and defense contractor...
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Reworking a landmark
KITTERY, Maine — A feasibility study on the future of the former Portsmouth Naval Prison building, long ago abandoned by the Navy, may be on the horizon. This spring, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-NH, requested $5 million in federal funding in the fiscal...
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COURAGE FROM TRAGEDY
Thick smoke, fire and debris surrounded Shawn Walsh on Sept. 11, 2001, during his escape from the Pentagon, moments after hijackers crashed American Airlines Flight 77 into the western facade of the building. ● Two weeks before, Walsh said, he and his...
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Rye Select Board chair resigns
RYE — Select Board chairperson Rob Wright, a member of the board since March 2024, has resigned. Wright stepped down Thursday, Aug. 20, effective immediately, according to an email written to Town Administrator Matthew Scruton. “With great sadness,...
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Former firefighter recalls Dover rescue ‘There wasn’t much time’
DOVER — James Pozdziak, a former firefighter, ran into a burning home at 14 Old Rochester Road early Sunday morning, Aug. 16, as he knew he had to get occupants out. As he raced to the house, one of his companions called 911. Their actions saved the...
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ECONOMIC IMPACT
PORTSMOUTH — A total of $2.3 billion in wages and salaries — along with “local consumption expenditures” — were driven “by the activity of the Pease Development Authority” in 2025, according to an economic impact study released by the Pease Development...
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Few differences on display at GOP debate
Before the debate at Grace Ministries International church even began, the moderator had an offer for the candidates on stage. It was warm inside the unairconditioned Brentwood church. Would they like to take off their suit jackets before they got down...
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‘It’s very important’
ROCHESTER — Departing U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-NH, will soon exit political life but is strongly advocating for the federal government and the Pentagon to support hiring initiatives at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. The congressional delegations...
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PARKING PUSHBACK
PORTSMOUTH — The City Council rejected a proposal to hike on-street parking fees for non-residents by $1 to $3 an hour during a lengthy discussion on parking issues in Portsmouth. The council voted 5-3 to defeat a motion to support increasing the...
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NH’s school vouchers expand to 12,500 students
Enrollment in New Hampshire’s school voucher-like program, known as Education Freedom Accounts, is up 25% for the upcoming academic year. There are 12,500 students enrolled, and the Children’s Scholarship Fund, which operates the program, said another...
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DEVELOPER PLANS 40 TOWNHOMES
RYE — Forty townhouses may be built on land adjacent to Airfield Place on Route 1, as proposed in a purchase and sale agreement. The Kane Company, a Portsmouth real estate investment and development company, is under agreement to buy the property,...
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Portsmouth celebrates sound walls on I-95
PORTSMOUTH — City and state officials — along with a group of Pannaway Manor residents — gathered Aug. 14 to celebrate the completed installation of sound barrier walls and privacy fencing along Interstate 95. A variety of neighborhood activists, as...
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‘IT’S A SLIVER OF WHO HE WAS’
PORTSMOUTH — Seacoast New Hampshire ties are abundant in A24’s “Tony,” a biopic about one eyeopening summer in the life of late chef, writer and television personality Anthony Bourdain. Amy Greene and Chris Stinson, Portsmouth filmmakers and frequent...
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Crowdsourcing a new look
EXETER — Potential was the word on everyone’s lips at a planning charrette dedicated to reimagining the Exeter train station and the surrounding Lincoln Street neighborhood. Over the course of two public discussion sessions and a rapid-fire sixhour...
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Kittery wants hearing on shipyard water project
KITTERY, Maine — The Town Council is asking the state’s Board of Environmental Protection to hold a public hearing on the Navy’s proposal to improve water capacity at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard with a new 2.5 million-gallon tank. The Navy’s anticipated...
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Exploring expansion
NEWINGTON — Tavern in the Square is exploring expansion to Newington with a potential new restaurant and bar location in 2028. Colleen Fleming, an executive with Broadway Hospitality Group, the Boston-based owner of the chain, confirmed the company is...
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PFAS at Coakley
NORTH HAMPTON — Despite being closed for more than 40 years, the former Coakley Landfill is still leaching “unacceptable levels” of contaminants the city of Portsmouth and others must deal with. Peter Britz, Portsmouth’s director of planning and...
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Amie Hendrix aims to create ‘lasting imprint’
KITTERY, Maine — New Town Manager Amie Hendrix sees parallels between Geneva, New York, her prior place of employment, and Maine’s oldest town as she settles into her first month on the job. The city in the Finger Lakes region, with a population of...
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Seacoast martial arts center closing
GREENLAND — Seacoast Family Martial Arts Center will close Aug. 31 after its owner, Harry Charache, was ordered to register as a sex offender in New Hampshire. Four women, three of whom are mothers of his former students, alleged sexual misconduct...
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SEACOAST’S BEST SLICE
Whether it’s Sicilian, Greek, Italian, New York, Chicago or Detroit-style, pizza is one food accessible to nearly everyone. And everyone has their favorite. Here are 11 of the most often mentioned favorite pizza places in Seacoast New Hampshire and...
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Hampton Beach lifeguards dominate New England Lifesaving Championship
HAMPTON — Hampton Beach lifeguards captured the New England Lifesaving Championship for the eighth straight year, topping competitors from four states. The July 29 event unfolded under gray skies and, later, a heavy afternoon downpour, but 67...
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CONTACT SPORT
DOVER — Gina Bowker (aka Ginan Toxxic) of Rochester takes off her glasses and puts her contact lenses in before practice. She knows it’s going to get rough. She’s looking forward to it. Bowker is a blocker for the Cocheco Valley Rollers. She and her...
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‘We’re going to try to work together’
The town Planning Board will review a preliminary proposal for the Betty’s Kitchen site to make room for a future 25-unit condominium vehicle-storage facility. ● Granite Post Green, owned by Joseph Roy and Julio Jaramillo, will bring the proposal to...
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‘ON CLOUD NINE’
Katie Carter was in the midst of a meltdown at her great aunt’s vacation home on Laurel Lane — her engagement ring was lost, somewhere at Long Sands Beach. ● The ring is actually two, as she previously had her diamond engagement ring soldered to her...
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‘Dream come true’
SALEM — Portsmouth didn’t get too comfortable despite a 16-run lead over Bedford entering the bottom of the sixth inning in the deciding Game 3 of the New Hampshire Little League championship series on Aug. 2. Portsmouth players were still encouraging...
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‘I want kids to DREAM BIG’
YORK, Maine — The sign on the door at 6 Main St. reads “Micah Dreams.” Inside is a studio where Micah Johnson gets lost in his creations, from paintings and charcoals to Aku, the main character of his New York Times best-selling children’s book. “The...
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‘THE MATH IS JUST BROKEN’
PORTSMOUTH — Families seeking childcare on the Seacoast must deal with high costs and a lack of available spots for their infants and toddlers, according to a recently released report prepared by the Portsmouth Childcare Working Group. “When we talk...
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A ‘spritz for summertime’
Il Cornicello swept both categories in the Exeter Chamber’s Great Cocktail and Mocktail Challenge this year, bringing home the win with drinks reminiscent of an Italian summer. ● The Water Street restaurant won diners’ votes for best cocktail for the...
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Bridge Street Inn developers ask city for additional time
PORTSMOUTH — The developers of a proposed three-story, 10-room inn located in the heart of downtown have filed a request to postpone their scheduled appearance at the Aug. 4 Technical Advisory Committee meeting. John Adams of the Rafferty Investment...
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Seacoast Women’s Giving Circle awards $272,000 to 11 youth nonprofits
PORTSMOUTH — The Seacoast Women’s Giving Circle distributed $272,000 to 11 nonprofit organizations, marking the largest fundraising effort in the group’s 20-year history. “We received a record 56 grant applications this year,” said Daphne Schwab,...
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‘It’s been a long time coming’
Madison McLaughlin of Boston has spent her summers at Hampton Beach and competed in the Miss Hampton Beach pageants for years without ever taking home the crown. ● That changed Sunday, July 26, when the 18-year-old was named the 80th Miss Hampton...
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GRIFFIN FARM MAY BE SAVED
PORTSMOUTH — Developer Eric Chinburg may back out of a purchaseand-sale deal for the historic orchard lot next to the late Ruth Griffin’s Richards Avenue farmhouse as her children and family work to conserve the property. The South Street-facing...
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Father of shooting victim seeks answers as son recovers
HAMPTON — Chase Perault woke up from his induced coma and immediately grabbed a pen to write down in large letters his girlfriend’s name, according to his father, Robert Perault. “I said she’s fine,” Robert said. “Then he said (in writing), ‘D-I-E-D.’...
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New Hampton Harbor Bridge nears opening
HAMPTON — The construction project to replace the Neil Underwood Bridge over Hampton/Seabrook Harbor is on budget and on schedule, and traffic should flow over it soon, according to the New Hampshire Department of Transportation. Tobey Reynolds,...
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Honoring history
PORTSMOUTH — The Sail Portsmouth Festival kicked off with the Parade of Sail the evening of July 23 led by three tall ships arriving for the event, which runs Friday-Sunday, July 24-26. The festival is back in 2026 with the Portsmouth Commercial Fish...
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‘That really upset the neighborhood’
PORTSMOUTH — City Councilor Kate Cook raised the possibility of creating a Heritage Commission to protect historic homes outside the city’s historic district from demolition. Cook pointed to hearing “some very significant questions that have been...
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Struck by lightning
PORTSMOUTH — A lightning strike recently damaged equipment that helps operate the lights on the Memorial Bridge, according to Peter Rice, the city’s public works director. One of the computer controllers that city employees use to coordinate the...
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LUCAS SENT TO PRISON
BRENTWOOD — Andrew Lucas was sentenced to 3 to 7 years in state prison for his role in the August 2023 assault prior to the death of Rochester resident Zachary Colbroth in Portsmouth. The prison time issued July 20 comes despite a mistrial on two...
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Linda’s Lobsters opens on Hampton Harbor
HAMPTON — Little did Denise Gilbride know that a childhood gift would eventually lead her to owning her own business on Hampton Harbor: Linda’s Lobsters. “When I was six, my uncle gave me a tackle box, and I’ve loved fishing and the ocean ever since,”...
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Harris takes the stage in Noah Kahan’s sold-out Fenway run
Exeter native Aubrey Harris has shared the stage with Gigi Perez and Chappell Roan, performed at major music festivals like Coachella, and was a part of Perez’s band that kicked off Noah Kahan’s historic four-night run at Fenway Park. Though her...
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HISTORY HITS THE WAVES
PORTSMOUTH — The Sail Portsmouth Festival is bringing tall ships back to the city to celebrate the Seacoast’s maritime history. The festival took last summer off due to construction at the Portsmouth Commercial Fish Pier, but it’s back in 2026 with...
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Harwood brings local flavor to inn’s new era
EXETER — To Katie Harwood, cooking is comfort — and as she steps up to the plate as chef de cuisine at Epoch Restaurant & Bar at the Exeter Inn, she hopes to serve up a memorable, cozy dining experience to guests. Harwood, who grew up in Exeter, took...
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Barricaded Hampton suspect arrested at Ann’s Lane home
HAMPTON — A Hampton man was arrested July 15 after barricading himself inside his Ann’s Lane home during a high-risk warrant operation, according to police. Jason J. Wagg, 49, was taken into custody at his residence at 54 Ann’s Lane following a...
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Convenient housing
A property sandwiched between Route 33 and Interstate 95 is being eyed for a 140unit multifamily apartment complex. ● The potential five-story building would be built at 1471 Greenload Road near the B&M Railroad line and Pickering Brook, opposite the...
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‘Wine for the people’
KITTERY, MAINE — In her native Arkansas, Katie Howard-Smith attended winetasting events at a small liquor store close to the Little Rock television station where she worked in sales. Those post-work sips sparked a fascination within Howard-Smith, who...
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A SWEET IDEA
YORK, Maine — A graduation celebration and two birthday parties had the Ciampa family on the hunt for an ice cream truck this summer — but after striking out, they decided to create one themselves. “I mean, what kid doesn’t want an ice cream truck...
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$16M oceanfront sale ranks third highest in NH history
NORTH HAMPTON — Balmoral, an oceanside home constructed for a one-term New Hampshire governor, has sold for $16 million, the third-highest single-family residence sale in the state’s history. The Little Boar’s Head estate, adjacent to the...
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WHEN THE MALL COMES CRUMBLING DOWN ...
NEWINGTON — The empty Mall at Fox Run, a 43year staple in the Seacoast, is close to being leveled as Torrington Properties’ demolition effort remains on pace to be completed by the end of 2026. The demolition of the longtime mall, part of Torrington’s...
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Captain Burke’s Store preserves lighthouse keeper’s legacy
YORK, Maine — A century ago, Captain Burke’s Store on Broadway sold just about everything a seaside town could need — fishing gear, bait, ice cream, soda, even real estate. Today the building serves as storage, but owners Herb and Tracie Carpenter...
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Hampton OKs project at Cinnamon Rainbows site
HAMPTON — The town Planning Board has approved a proposal to redevelop the former Cinnamon Rainbows surf shop and North Beach Bar & Grille site — destroyed by fire — into a four-story mixed-use building at 931 Ocean Blvd. The board voted unanimously...
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Shooter identified
HAMPTON — The man who died by suicide after allegedly shooting two people on Ocean Boulevard early Sunday, July 5, was an active-duty member of the U.S. Navy assigned to the USS Hampton, according to officials. Attorney General John M. Formella, New...
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EXETER AMERICA 250 CELEBRATION GUIDE
EXETER — One of the Seacoast’s biggest Independence Day and America 250 celebrations will unfold in Exeter, New Hampshire’s Revolutionary capital, with a parade, a 5K, live music, fireworks, historical reenactments and more. Exeter celebrates later...
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‘TODAY MAKES IT ALL WORTH IT’
PORTSMOUTH — Nadezhda Saliba, who is from Bulgaria, became a new U.S. citizen July 4, joined at the annual naturalization ceremony at Strawbery Banke Museum by her husband Brandon, her two young children, and her grandmother. Her grandmother had...
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Portsmouth Brewery building sold for $3M
PORTSMOUTH — Three years postpipe rupture and flooding, the closeddown former Portsmouth Brewery building has been sold for $3 million, ending an era for New Hampshire’s first licensed craft brewery. Party of Five Hospitality LLC, based in Portsmouth,...
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DYNAMITE DOGS
From Flo’s world famous hot dogs to the creative franks at local breweries, the Seacoast’s hot dog game is surprisingly strong. Here are some of the eateries that grill up hot dogs sure to satisfy that craving at the height of summer: Liars Bench...
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The Onion launches new InfoWars with 2 shows
The Onion has pressed ahead with its takeover of InfoWars, the conspiracy-laden media empire formerly owned by far-right provocateur Alex Jones. The satirical news site debuted its initial slate of programming just in time for America’s 250th birthday...
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Woodman Museum of Dover’s new 9/11 exhibit provided by first responder
DOVER — Maj. John Fischer, who has lived in Dover since 2017, was a first responder to Ground Zero following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Fischer said he was a member of the New York Naval Militia, serving as a military liaison to the New...
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NH BEACH WATERS SAFE
HAMPTON — Environmental officials say New Hampshire’s beaches remain safe for swimming even as millions of gallons of sewage continue flowing into the Merrimack River from just over the state border due to a Haverhill, Massachusetts, pipe...
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‘That’s her comfort space’
The owners of the Omelette Factory say the town is unfairly targeting them over their collection of six-foot rooster statues on their front lawn, which they say provide comfort to their daughter who has autism. ● Five-year-old Pyper LeBlanc loves...
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Pease airport flights keep going
PORTSMOUTH — Portsmouth International Airport at Pease’s air traffic control tower is closed and will remain so until as late as Aug. 3, according to Pease Development Authority officials. The closure began on Friday, June 19 and was expected to last...
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Rye to ‘revisit’ beach parking
RYE — Facing outcry from residents, the town Select Board has agreed to revisit its decision to eliminate 90 free public beach parking spaces along Ocean Boulevard. McClure, a Portsmouth firm, was contracted by the town to study the possible...
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‘Overwhelmed’
PORTSMOUTH — Kristen Bourbon describes her daughter Norah as an “amazingly kind person and such a good friend.” “It’s just been such a great loss,” the Portsmouth mother said about “the very unexpected” passing of Norah Bourbon, a 9year-old New...
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York removes ‘eyesore’ Blinn House on Route 1
YORK, Maine — After town officials determined they could not burn the Blinn House, long considered an eyesore along Route 1, they are now moving forward with demolition instead. The Selectboard voted June 22 to award a $44,250 contract to Abbott...
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Soccer fans find their people at June Cork Pub
DOVER — Many England fans gathered at The June Cork Pub, for England’s World Cup match against Ghana on June 23. The British pub at 66 Third St. has been busy “nonstop, every day, open to close” since the tournament started, according to owner John...
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Converting businesses
NEWINGTON — The former Shogun Japanese Steakhouse property adjacent to the Spaulding Turnpike will be converted into a lumberyard. The $2.75 million sale of the 51-year-old 347 Shattuck Way building was finalized June 17. The buyer, North & South...
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Why Rye is closing popular public trails
RYE — With protecting wildlife in mind, the town’s Conservation Commission has begun to decommission several public trails, a decision being challenged by some Rye voters. The orange- and yellow-marked trails within Cedar Run and the Jim Raynes Forest...
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Massive water tank in $500M shipyard project
KITTERY, Maine — A $500 millionplus Navy project will target utility upgrades at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard and adjacent towns, headlined by the proposed addition of a new 2.5 milliongallon water storage tank near the former Portsmouth Naval...
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SUMMER SETLIST
PORTSMOUTH — The sweet sound of summer music in the park is on its way. For 20 glorious evenings, new voices, familiar favorites and some of the most important voices in music today will fill Prescott Park in one joyful house party that will last into...
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Dover’s Evan Hennessey wins James Beard Award
CHICAGO — Renowned Dover, New Hampshire chef Evan Hennessey has been named winner of the 2026 James Beard Award in the category of Best Chef Northeast. “If your dreams don’t scare you, they’re not big enough.” Hennessey said on stage as he accepted...
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Portsmouth Pride 2026 is a protest and a celebration
PORTSMOUTH — Serving approximately 500 LGBTQ+ youth across the state, the nonprofit New Hampshire Outright has increased its programming by 25% over the past year. Portsmouth Pride, the organization’s largest annual event, is set for Saturday, June...
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Fire strikes 1700s home
PORTSMOUTH — A second-alarm fire in a circa-1750 South End home June 17 sent one city firefighter to the hospital and forced the closure of several surrounding streets. The Portsmouth Fire Department was called by neighbors at 4:52 a.m. reporting the...
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‘Yes Chef ’ success
Lee Frank is returning to the kitchen he led as executive chef 12 years ago – this time with Mazon, a new fine dining restaurant of his own. ● Frank, a two-time James Beard Northeast finalist, had just learned he needed to close his restaurant Otis in...
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