Also on today’s menu:
Student Debt Agreement
Alton Woman Strikes State Police Cruiser
Dana Dwinell-Yardley, Daniel Flynn, Johnny Sanchez, and Jay O’Hara, who had been found guilty on two counts of criminal trespass for delaying a shipment of coal to Merrimack Station in Bow in December 2019, were fined, ordered to pay restitution to Pan Am Railway, barred from getting near the power plant or entering railroad property, and ordered to refrain from conspiring with others to engage in any further illegal activity, even in other states, for the period of their sentences”: four to six months’ “good behavior.”
The protest was part of a demonstration organized by No Coal No Gas, a campaign backed by 350NH Action and the Climate Disobedience Center, aimed at shutting down the Bow power plant to help protect against climate change. Twelve members of the campaign were arrested on Robie’s Bridge that day; seven of them entered a plea agreement in district court, while Dwinell-Yardley, Flynn, Sanchez, O’Hara, and Emma Schoenberg appealed for a Merrimack County Superior Court trial.
Judge Andrew Schulman equated the protest to the notion that “everybody can be a government unto themselves” if they feel strongly about an issue and think they have the right “to do whatever they want,” like anti-abortion activists shooting doctors.
For the defendants, the attempt to stop the coal shipment was a step toward avoiding a “climate catastrophe.” Sanchez testified, “Coal is responsible for roughly 30 percent of CO2 emissions,” and the Merrimack Station is “the last major coal-fired power plant in New England.”
The action evokes images of the “No Nukes” movement that arose following the meltdown at Three-Mile Island and the Clamshell Alliance protests against the building of Seabrook nuclear power plant. In all those cases, there was a public perception that those in power were ignoring the danger, mainly due to the profit motive.
Along those lines, the documentary on the Boeing 737 Max provides a sobering look at how large companies continue to place profit over safety.
Still, there is an argument to be made that the continued operation of the Bow coal-fired power plant is necessary to ensure the electric power supply can meet residents’ needs during periods of high usage, such as summer air conditioning.
Student Debt Cancellation Agreement
Attorney-General John M. Formella’s office has reached an agreement with Navient Corporation and Navient Solutions, LLC, a student loan service provider, to cancel $3,590,988.96 in debt for 129 New Hampshire borrowers due to “illegal and harmful practices.” Formella said the consent judgment filed in Merrimack County Superior Court resolves allegations that Navient violated the New Hampshire Consumer Protection Act.
The company provided subprime student loans that it expected to lead to high-rate defaults; it made billing and payment systems difficult for borrowers and cosigners to use; it placed some borrowers with long-term financial hardship into forbearances instead of exploring alternative repayment plans; and it failed to provide renewal notifications that indicated the urgency of those notifications.
The loans to be canceled were private education loans under default that were charged off. Qualified borrowers will receive a notice from Navient in the next few months to cancel the loans. Borrowers do not need to take any action to receive the benefit.
Alton Woman Strikes State Police Cruiser
Julie Petelle, 23, of Alton lost control of her car and struck a New Hampshire State Police cruiser on Monday morning. Trooper Joshua Farmer was parked in a crossover on Interstate 93, just south of Exit 16, when Petelle’s car traveled across the two lanes and off the road, into the parked cruiser.
Petelle told police she was driving in the right lane when the vehicle in front of her braked abruptly. She also braked, which resulted in her losing control of her vehicle. She admitted to be driving too close to the vehicle in front of her.
Petelle was issued a summons for “Following too close.” Neither Petelle nor Farmer were injured in the collision.
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