Stories

‘6 Feet Apart Or 6 Feet Under’: Singing The ‘C-19 Blues’

April 26, 2020

When the coronavirus crisis started heating up weeks ago, Bob L’Heureux was texting with his bandmates in The All Mighty Cowboys about whether to meet for practice. Sure, someone said, so long as we stay six feet apart. That gave Bob an idea for a song. “I just started writing the song,” L’Heureux said. “It…

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Maine’s College Seniors Face Uncertainty After Graduation

April 23, 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic has put a lot of stress on college students. In just a few weeks, many have had to pack their bags and leave campus, then transition to new, online classes. And for those set to graduate this spring, the economic uncertainty caused by the pandemic has many on edge and some rethinking…

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Mavericks Pitch Novel Buyout Plan For Flood-Prone Warren

April 22, 2020

Tidal rivers and bays surround Warren. The Palmer River runs up the town’s west side, Belcher Cove curls around the town center, and the Kickemuit River and Mount Hope Bay hug the eastern part of town. This makes Warren vulnerable. If a major storm were to hit today, the town projects almost half of the…

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With Schools Closed, Science Teachers and Students Look to the Outdoors

April 22, 2020

Before school closure, Dr. Susan Pike’s classrooms were loud, and she prided herself on it. Students in her high school science classes at the private school St. Thomas Aquinas High School, in Dover, would do calculations together on the white board, bounce between group experiments, and crowd over microscopes to inspect pond scum. “One of…

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Coronavirus Forced A Chaotic Transition To Telemedicine; New Hampshire Doctors Hope It Sticks

April 21, 2020

For some healthcare providers in New Hampshire, the COVID-19 pandemic has jump-started a move to something they’ve wanted for years: more telemedicine. But the state’s insurance system has been slow to catch up – and it’s still unclear if it can last. Cristin Zaimes runs Oceanside Physical Therapy, a clinic in Stratham focused on pelvic…

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‘All In The Same Boat,’ Faith Leaders Bring People Together When They’re Far Apart

April 17, 2020

Virtual platforms have become a gathering place for many religious groups in New England during the coronavirus pandemic. Faith leaders are tweaking the experience to bring a sense of human contact or address community needs. Pastor Brent Damrow still leads services every Sunday in the big sanctuary of the First Congregational Church in Stockbridge, Massachusetts.…

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‘Stupid or Brave?’ New Hampshire Health Care Workers Face Moral Dilemmas During Pandemic

April 14, 2020

Health care workers in New Hampshire are at the center of the state’s response to the coronavirus pandemic. Patients rely on them, hospitals scramble to buy gear to protect them, and citizens laud them as heroes in this national crisis. But what is it like be a health care worker right now? NHPR’s Jason Moon…

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Advocates Fear Domestic Abuse Survivors Are ‘Trapped With Their Abusers’ During Pandemic

April 13, 2020

While the state’s social distancing and quarantine measures help mitigate the spread of the coronavirus, these same measures have created new challenges for people living in violent households. Domestic violence support groups said they’re trying to adapt to this new reality by finding new ways of connecting with survivors. Read the rest of this story…

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Fish Plant Workers Demand Safer Working Conditions Amid COVID-19 Pandemic

April 13, 2020

About a month ago, fish plant worker Yamileth Alvarado says she and her team got together at the Tichon Seafood facility in New Bedford to listen to a presentation on how workers can protect themselves from COVID-19. A government employee, through a translator, told them what many of us have been hearing for weeks: Maintain…

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Farming’s COVID Crisis: Specialty Cheese Sales, Milk Prices Plummet

April 12, 2020

Laini Fondiller describes the scene in her Westfield barn as “organized mayhem.” An excited goat chorus reverberates through her barn as the 30 or so Alpine and Saanen dairy goats – her “ladies” as she calls them – assemble for the morning milking. Fondiller has been winning fans for her specialty cheeses since the late…

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