New Hampshire imposed a statewide mask mandate last week after “substantial community transmission” of COVID-19 was found in all 10 of the state’s counties.
Under the mandate, all New Hampshire residents over the age of 5 will have to wear masks or cloth face coverings over their noses and mouths when they are within indoor or outdoor public spaces and cannot maintain a physical distance of at least 6 feet. The order defines “public spaces” as any public or private spaces generally open to the public from lobbies and waiting areas to restaurants and retail businesses to parks and patios.
The mandate took effect on Nov. 20 and will remain in place until Jan. 15 under the current executive order from Gov. Chris Sununu.

NEWBURY—A legislative panel voted on Nov. 12 to approve a plan to open a new state juvenile detention center in Newbury.
The Joint Legislative Justice Oversight Committee signed off on a recommendation from the Vermont Agency of Human Services and Vermont Department of Children and Families to enter into a contract with the Becket Family of Services for a six-bed, secure residential treatment program for youth involved in the state criminal justice system.
Under the deal with Becket, the state would spend more than $3.1 million to renovate a former bed and breakfast on 280 acres at the end of Stevens Place, a dirt-covered, dead-end road off of Fish Pond Road. For the last five years, Becket has been operating the Vermont Assessment Center at Newbury at the site

WAITS RIVER—Surging coronavirus infections in Central Vermont prompted one local school to move to remote learning this week.
Waits River Valley School moved to remote learning through Nov. 18 at the earliest after at least eight people from Corinth, Topsham, and Barre connected in some way to the WRVS community have potentially been exposed to or have been infected with COVID-19.

CHELSEA—A woman convicted for her role in a 2007 fatal car crash on Route 5 in Newbury wants an early discharge from probation.
A court hearing has been scheduled for next week on the request by Kristy O’Meara, who was convicted of gross negligent operation with death resulting after the car she was driving collided with another car driven by Christina Vinnacombe, a North Haverhill woman who was 8 months pregnant at the time of the crash. The baby was stillborn at the scene. Vinnacombe, who was on her way to work as a waitress at P&H Truck Stop in Wells River, died two weeks later.

NORTH HAVERHILL—Whiplash. Sweeping gains in 2018 which lifted Democrats to majorities on the Executive Council and in both chambers of the General Court vanished last week.
Republican Gov. Chris Sununu won re-election; Republicans went from a 3-2 minority to a 4-1 majority on the Executive Council; and Republicans are now the majority party-pending the outcomes of several recounts—in both the House and Senate.