Also on today’s menu:
Fiery Crash In Andover
Fallen Rock Climber Identified
Record-Breaking Boost In Social Security
Nine departments in New Hampshire state government are looking at funding through the State Workforce Efficiency Enhancement Program to make a range of one-time technology purchases and upgrades, from tools like tablets and scanners to computer systems that would reduce their reliance on paper. In addition to outdated equipment, the state is having to cope with a number of vacancies in its workforce.
“The governor has told all of us the same thing: We have to get used to this very competitive recruiting effort,” said former Franklin mayor Ken Merrifield, now commissioner of the Department of Labor. Merrifield’s workforce is down 23 percent. “You make investments like this in one-time technology that can save man-hours, and it can make the difference between being able to serve customers efficiently or not.”
There are more than 500 state job postings on the Department of Administrative Services’ website, but Commissioner Charlie Arlinghaus noted that state agencies are not actively recruiting for all jobs at once. He said it is not uncommon for a state with 10,000 jobs to have a 10 to 14 percent vacancy rate. Arlinghaus said a better measure is the number of filled positions, which was 8,900 before the pandemic and 8,700 now.
Fiery Crash In Andover
A westbound vehicle that crossed the double yellow line on Route 11 near Plains Road in Andover crashed head-on into an eastbound vehicle around 3:41 p.m. on October 12, but all passengers were able to escape or were pulled from the vehicles, according New Hampshire State Police who investigated the crash with the Andover Police Department.
Both vehicles caught fire upon impact but passersby helped everyone out of the vehicles. Two people were transported by a medical helicopter to a hospital and a third was transported by ambulance.
Route 11 was shut down in both directions for several hours as the New Hampshire State Police Crash Analysis and Reconstruction Unit mapped the scene and had the vehicles removed.
Fallen Rock Climber Identified
The Weare Police Department has identified the victim of an October 9 climbing accident as 18-year-old Colbee Cammarata-Hodgman of Nashua.
The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department was notified of the incident around 4 p.m. on October 9. Cammarata-Hodgman had been climbing a cliff near the Everett Dam in Weare without any climbing gear or safety equipment. Due to the nature of the cliffs, which were not near any trails, conservation officers assisted in a high-angle extraction utilizing rope rescue techniques.
Weare fire personnel, Weare police, and conservation officers were able to remove the victim, but life-saving measures by Weare Fire Department personnel and Weare police officers were unsuccessful, and the individual succumbed to the injuries.
Record-Breaking Boost In Social Security
Record-high inflation means that Social Security recipients will get an 8.7% boost, or more than $140 more per month, in their benefits in 2023.
It is a historic increase, fueled by the increased cost of living.
The Social Security Administration released the new estimate of the cost-of living adjustment on Thursday.
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