AGP Executive Report

Fall Culture: The New Hampshire Film Festival runs Oct. 15–18, bringing four days of cinema to the state. New Hampshire PBS’s Windows to the Wild also returns Oct. 15, with stories of cold-water plunges, an all-women sailing crew and outdoor adventures. Education: Gov. Kelly Ayotte is proposing free community-college tuition for residents in families earning up to $100,000, starting in fall 2027 if lawmakers approve funding. Schools: Bedford leaders warn a proposed tax cap could mean a $1.4 million school budget cut; Londonderry officials have projected cuts of up to $2 million. Community: Nashua’s Multicultural Festival offered a diverse lineup of attractions, while a new public piano on Meredith’s Main Street adds music to the Lakes Region. Changing Landscape: A 41-year satellite study finds alpine areas across the northern Appalachians, including New Hampshire, are gradually greening as warmer weather reshapes high-elevation habitats.

Housing & Community: Granite Staters from across the political aisle agreed on six housing proposals at New Hampshire’s first citizens’ forum; state lawmakers will consider them for the 2027 session. Arts & Culture: Meredith’s new public piano, created by local artists, students and volunteers, invites passersby to stop and play. The New Hampshire Film Festival opens Thursday in Portsmouth and runs through Oct. 18. Education: A new report warns that teacher shortages could persist as the state loses educators and fewer graduates enter the profession. UNH, meanwhile, reports a nearly 5% increase in first-year enrollment, bucking national trends. Farm Life: Pick-your-own outings, farm stays, corn mazes and other agritourism offerings are helping New Hampshire farms diversify while giving visitors new ways to enjoy the countryside.

Campus & Education: UNH reports a 5% rise in first-year enrollment, bucking national trends; the incoming class includes students from 40 states and 25 countries. Arts & Community: Meredith’s new public piano on Main Street invites passersby to play, in a project created by local artists, students, businesses and volunteers. Granite State Voices: A cross-partisan New Hampshire Forum reached agreement on six housing proposals, now headed to state legislators for consideration. Culture & Events: The New Hampshire Film Festival runs Oct. 15–18, while Dartmouth students marked Indigenous Peoples Day as the state observed Columbus Day. Books & Farms: New Hampshire resident Jodi Picoult’s latest novel, Hollow Bones, explores postpartum psychosis; meanwhile, local farms are turning pick-your-own outings, farm stays and other visitor activities into added income through agritourism.

Education: New Hampshire schools may need to fill about 1,114 teaching positions a year through 2034, even as enrollment falls. Retirements, low pay and fewer education graduates are driving concern about future staffing. Student Life: A federal judge blocked the state’s directive barring student IDs at the polls, but the law excluding school IDs remains in place and the state has sought a pause before Election Day. Culture: Dartmouth students marked Indigenous Peoples Day with songs and a celebration of their identities, while New Hampshire continues to observe Columbus Day. Arts: The New Hampshire Film Festival runs Oct. 15–18, bringing films and events to audiences across the state.

Indigenous Culture: Dartmouth students celebrated Indigenous Peoples Day on the Green, sharing their cultures and raising awareness as New Hampshire continues to call the holiday Columbus Day. Schools and Taxes: Candidates in New Hampshire Senate races are sparring over education funding and the state’s property tax burden, key issues for families and school communities. Arts Calendar: The New Hampshire Film Festival runs Oct. 15–18, bringing four days of screenings to the state. Student Achievement: Manchester School of Technology students unveiled a second student-built aircraft, an RV-12iS, at the Aviation Museum of New Hampshire. Campus Life: UNH is offering students transportation to the polls on Election Day.

Indigenous Peoples Day: Communities mark the day with ceremonies, dances and rallies; local event listings offer ways to take part. On the Big Screen: The New Hampshire Film Festival runs Oct. 15–18, with queer indie films among the highlights. Small Acts, Big Impact: A ScrubaDub attendant in Salem makes car-wash visits special for a young boy with autism, drawing characters on car windows to help him feel at ease. Student Makers: Manchester School of Technology students have completed a second aircraft, unveiled Oct. 10 at the Aviation Museum of New Hampshire. Medicare Alert: CVS Health and WellSense are ending their Medicare Advantage plans in New Hampshire on Jan. 1, affecting more than 14,200 members. Those who need a replacement plan should choose one by Dec. 7.

Small Acts, Big Impact: A Salem ScrubaDub attendant’s cheerful greetings and window drawings have made car washes a favorite outing for 5-year-old Liam, who is autistic, and his family. Caregiver Support: Dartmouth College and its health system are launching a Family Caregiver Institute, while NAMI New Hampshire encourages caregivers to seek help, set boundaries and make time for their own well-being. Family Milestone: A Hudson town clerk surprised a woman returning 65 years after her wedding by locating the original marriage record for her son to present. Film & Community: The New Hampshire Film Festival runs Oct. 15–18, bringing more than 100 films to the Seacoast, along with filmmaker talks and chances for audiences to connect. Student Voting: UNH is offering shuttles to polling places and will host voter-registration drives to help students prepare for Election Day.

Caregiver Support: Dartmouth College and its health system plan to create a Family Caregiver Institute offering education, support and access to home health aides. NAMI New Hampshire’s Jessica Renda also urges caregivers to set boundaries, seek help and make time for their own well-being. Film & Arts: The New Hampshire Film Festival’s Oct. 15–18 program featured more than 100 films, screenings at five Portsmouth venues, and filmmaker talks and workshops. Upper Valley Baroque also scheduled performances of Pergolesi and Handel in Lebanon, Randolph and Marlboro, including a Lebanon Opera House concert. School Libraries: A Monadnock Regional parent objected to a graphic memoir about serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer being available to students, adding to debate over how schools handle books that families find objectionable.

Film & Culture: The New Hampshire Film Festival returns to Portsmouth Oct. 15–18, with more than 100 films, screenings at five venues, filmmaker talks and workshops. Organizers say the festival is as much about connecting with fellow film lovers as watching movies. Campus Life: UNH is offering students rides to the polls on Election Day, with Durham town clerks also planning voter-registration drives and reminders about required documents. Classical Music: Upper Valley Baroque brings Pergolesi and Handel to Lebanon Opera House on Oct. 18, with earlier performances in Vermont. Halloween: Plymouth’s Flying Monkey will screen the silent horror classic “Nosferatu” on Oct. 22, accompanied live by New Hampshire musician Jeff Rapsis.

Arts & Film: The New Hampshire Film Festival returns to Portsmouth Oct. 15–18 with more than 100 films, screenings, panels and workshops. In Plymouth, “Nosferatu” gets a live musical accompaniment at the Flying Monkey on Oct. 22. Classical Music: Upper Valley Baroque brings Pergolesi and Handel to Lebanon Opera House on Oct. 18, with earlier performances in Vermont. Schools & Communities: Kearsarge school board plans to consider closing Sutton Central and Simonds elementary schools; a local opinion writer says the impact on their communities should be part of the decision. Child Care: New Hampshire’s child-care scholarship enrollment grew 46% after program changes, but licensed providers have fallen by 120 since 2017, limiting families’ options. Campus Safety: Rivier University students say they’re shaken by sexual assault allegations; Nashua police arrested a 20-year-old suspect, and the university says it is cooperating with police and conducting its own inquiry. Teacher Pipeline: New Hampshire student teachers can apply for $9,000 stipends through Nov. 2.

Arts & Film: The New Hampshire Film Festival runs Oct. 15–18, bringing more than 100 films, panels and workshops to five Portsmouth venues; queer indie films are among this year’s highlights. Plymouth’s Flying Monkey follows with a live-music screening of 1922’s Nosferatu on Oct. 22. Campus Safety: Rivier University students say they’re shocked by sexual assault allegations against a 20-year-old man charged in Nashua; the university says it is cooperating with police and reviewing the case. Education & Childcare: Northern New Hampshire student teachers can apply by Nov. 2 for $9,000 internship stipends. Meanwhile, a new report says childcare costs rose about 32% from 2017 to 2025 as the state lost 120 licensed providers. Fall Around NH: Pumpkin festivals, foliage and other seasonal events are on this weekend’s calendar. Books & Ideas: New Hampshire libraries are marking Banned Books Week with a focus on academic and cultural freedom.

Fall Weekend: New Hampshire’s Indigenous Peoples’ Day weekend brings pumpkin festivals, foliage celebrations, Oktoberfest and scenic chairlift rides. Milford’s festival runs Oct. 9–11, with Somersworth’s pumpkin celebration on Oct. 10. Community Life: Manchester’s Mark Stebbins Community Center has opened, bringing health care, after-school activities, a food pantry and nonprofit referrals together under one roof. Arts & Culture: The New Hampshire Film Festival is spotlighting queer independent films, while Banned Book Week celebrates academic and cultural freedom across the state. Outdoors: Visitors can watch raptor migration from a New Hampshire mountaintop as fall color reaches its seasonal peak.

Voting Access: New Hampshire college students are unsure whether they can use campus IDs at the polls. A federal judge ruled poll workers may consider student IDs when voters lack another accepted form of identification, while the state seeks to challenge the ruling. Community Health: Jaffrey is weighing an ordinance to prohibit sales and displays of kratom and other psychoactive substances, aiming to prevent future problems rather than respond to an emergency. Fall Outdoors: Pack Monadnock’s raptor observatory is in the midst of peak hawk migration, with birdwatchers tracking species including broad-winged hawks, kestrels and eagles. Arts & Culture: The New Hampshire Film Festival is bringing queer indie films north, while autumn foliage, fairs and pumpkin events are drawing visitors around the state.

Film & Culture: The New Hampshire Film Festival returns to Portsmouth Oct. 15–18, with LGBTQ+ films including “Adam’s Apple,” a documentary about a transgender teen and his mother. Family Life: New childcare programs are opening around the state, but providers face hurdles balancing costs, affordability and staffing as New Hampshire has lost 14% of its childcare programs since 2017. Local History: Portsmouth’s Historical Society hosts an Oct. 15 program revisiting Betty and Barney Hill’s famous 1961 abduction story, with a look at art inspired by the couple. Fall Traditions: Dartmouth’s 138-year Homecoming bonfire returned this year, with police reporting no arrests during the weekend celebration. Arts & Housing: Rye musician Caitlin Piper has released her debut album with a dozen Seacoast collaborators, while a new state report puts the median home price at $575,000 and median rent at $2,011.

Fall in Full Color: Foliage, fairs and pumpkins are taking over New Hampshire, with Warner’s 79th Fall Foliage Festival and Sandwich Fair among the weekend draws. Local Music: Rye singer and teacher Caitlin Piper has released her debut album, made with a dozen Seacoast musicians, after returning to songwriting following her father’s death. On Stage: “Dancing with the Stars” will launch its 2027 live tour in Manchester on Jan. 21. School Life: Dublin School’s new Camp Nielsen and weekday cellphone ban aim to get students outdoors and off screens. Books & Belonging: New Hampshire advocates are celebrating the defeat of another proposed school and library book-ban bill during Banned Books Week. College Costs: Eligible New Hampshire families earning up to $100,000 can receive free in-state tuition at public universities.

Schools & Screens: Dublin School has banned student cellphone use during academic hours and is building Camp Nielsen, an outdoor space designed to get students off screens and into nature. Reading Freedom: New Hampshire’s latest school-book-ban bill failed, and educators and booksellers are marking Banned Books Week with a renewed focus on the freedom to read and local control. College Access: New Hampshire’s public universities are launching free tuition for eligible families earning up to $100,000 a year. Local Programs: New Hampshire Audubon’s Lakes Region chapter will host a free Oct. 15 talk on Cuba’s birds and daily life at the Loon Center; Wolfeboro Public Library has a free Oct. 21 program on Benedict Arnold. Live Music: Staind’s 2027 “Break the Cycle” anniversary tour is set to open in Manchester on March 4.