Commissioners Restore Funding For UNH Cooperative Extension
By Kinney O'Rourke
LACONIA -- The Belknap County Commissioners voted unanimously to restore $108,000 to its previously recommended budget amount for the UNH Cooperative Extension Service at its regular meeting yesterday morning.
This action means that the full $143,899 requested by the agency for the 2009 budget year will be included in the spending package the commissioners submit to the county convention for its review on December 1.
It also represents what some may view as a "leak in the dike" departure from the commissioners' earlier declaration that they are not in favor of funding any "outside agency" whose activities do not fall within the traditional role of county government.
The motion to fund the full amount sought by the Extension Service was made by Commissioner Richard Long (R-Dist. 2). "I have a much better understanding of the direct services it provides to the county's residents," Long said. "Cooperative extension is almost a household term in the county. Statewide, it is funded in every county. It is part of the educational side of the university system. I would like us to be proactive on this now," he concluded. ….continue reading
Stevens Concedes Alaska Senate Race To Begich
By Sean Cockerham
ANCHORAGE - Sen. Ted Stevens today conceded the election for U.S. Senate to Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich, bringing to an end his 40 years as the dominant force in Alaska politics.
Stevens' office issued a written statement just before noon Alaska time:
"Given the number of ballots that remain to be counted, it is apparent the election has been decided and Mayor Begich has been elected.
"My family and I wish to thank the thousands of Alaskans who stood by us and who supported my re-election. It was a tough fight that would not have been possible without the help of so many Alaskans - people who I am honored to call my friends. I will always remember their thoughts, prayers, and encouragement. ...continue reading
Incumbent U.S. Senator
Ted Stevens
Daschle To Be Nominee For Health Post In Obama Cabinet
By Helene Cooper and Peter Baker
WASHINGTON -- President-elect Barack Obama will nominate former Senator Thomas A. Daschle of South Dakota as secretary of health and human services, and is leaning toward former Deputy Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. as attorney general, people close to the transition said Wednesday.
But most attention in Washington continued to be focused on the possibility that Mr. Obama might nominate Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton to serve as secretary of state. Democrats close to the situation said Wednesday that former President Bill Clinton has agreed to several restrictions on his future business and philanthropic activities to pave the way for his wife to become the nation's chief diplomat.
Mr. Clinton agreed to disclose some major donors to his charitable foundation and to subject his future foundation activities and paid speeches to ethics reviews, Democrats close to the negotiations said, speaking on the ground of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the selection process. ….continue reading
Former Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle
Dow Drops Below 8,000 In Another Stock Sell-off
By Jack Healy
NEW YORK - Shares on Wall Street closed at their lowest levels in five years on Wednesday as hope dimmed in Washington for an emergency bailout of the auto industry.
The late-day sell-off came in frenzy amid growing fears of deflation.
The Dow Jones settled below 8,000 for the first time since 2003, dropping 427.47 points or 5 percent to 7,990. The broader Standard & Poor's 500-stock index was 6.1 percent lower. The technology-heavy Nasdaq composite index was down 6.5 percent.
"It's painful," said Howard Silverblatt, senior index analyst at Standard & Poor's. "A lot of people have pulled a lot of cash out. They're sitting on the side. It's all I hear all day: 'Where can I hide?' " ….continue reading
Consumer Price Decline Prompts Fear Of Deflation
By Vikis Bajaj
NEW YORK - After gyrating wildly for weeks, the stock market lurched lower on Wednesday, falling to its lowest point in nearly six years, as concern spread that the economy might be facing a chronic and debilitating decline in prices.
The Dow Jones industrial average closed below 8,000 for the first time since early 2003 after new reports painted a grim picture of the economy and raised the specter of deflation, which would put more strain on hard-pressed businesses and workers.
The Labor Department reported that prices of consumer goods and services fell by a record amount in October, while another report showed that a measure of home building fell for the fourth straight month, to its lowest level in the 49 years that the government has kept that data. ….continue reading
Once Solid-GOP County Obama's Best In New Hampshire
By Dante Scala
Move over, Cheshire County. Your neighbor to the north, Grafton County, has staked a claim to be the most Democratic county in the state.
Barack Obama won exactly 64 percent of the two-party vote in Grafton, home of Hanover and Dartmouth College. He fell just shy of that in Cheshire, carrying 63.95 percent.
Four decades ago, Grafton County was rock-solid Republican. It voted some 20 percent more GOP than the rest of the Granite State throughout the 1960s. ….continue reading
