The Buzz Online

In the Spotlight: The NH Tackles Hunger campaign generated more than 76,428 meals this fall. In a joint effort by WMUR-TV, the NH Food Bank and the NHIAA, all 58 NH high schools collected food and monetary donations during football games. The campaign generated the equivalent of 94,114 pounds of food—all of which stays in local communities to help those in need.

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Jewell Towne Vineyards in South Hampton is closing. According to a company statement, the owners plan to “pursue other interests such as grandchildren, travel, fishing, skiing, and friends.” The business will be open weekends through December 30, depending on inventory, and may re-open in May for a limited number of weekends.

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The NH Children’s Trust board of directors appointed Brenda Marotto as the organization’s interim executive director. NH Children’s Trust is the Governor’s designated statewide child abuse prevention agency and the NH chapter of Prevent Child Abuse America. Marotto has more than 30 years’ experience in the nonprofit sector.

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Cheshire Medical Center in Keene hired Todd Duggan, MD, to the pulmonary department, which provides therapeutic and diagnostic modalities for the management of respiratory disorders.

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Jewett Construction Company in Raymond hired Kat Howland as marketing manager. Howland has worked in nonprofit and higher education for a number of years.

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During its 30th annual Food for Good community food drive Bar Harbor Bank & Trust branches collected more than 5,000 food items, which were then distributed to local food pantries throughout New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont prior to the Thanksgiving holiday.

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Franklin Savings Bank presented a $500 donation to both Liberty House of Manchester and the NH Veterans Home in Tilton. The donations were made based upon the number of new checking accounts opened by Veterans. FSB’s checking account with perks for Veterans offers unlimited transactions with no monthly service charge or fees, overdraft forgiveness and other benefits.

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Fitch Ratings has assigned an 'AA+' rating to the state’s $60 million GO capital improvement bonds, 2018 series A. The bonds will sell via competitive bid on Dec. 4, 2018. According to a statement from Fitch, the 'AA+' rating reflects NH's low liabilities and strong ability to control its budget both in terms of revenues and expenditures. These strengths are offset by the state's relatively slow growing revenue system that does not fully capture economic growth and a slow recovery of financial resilience through this period of economic expansion.