The Buzz Online

In the Spotlight: Keene State College will bestow two individuals with special awards and another with an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters degree at its commencement in May, where more than 700 students will receive undergraduate degrees. The college will confer Alice Wairimu Nderitu, special adviser on the prevention of genocide to United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres, with the honorary degree. The college will honor Dr. Yvonne Goldsberry, president of Endowment for Health in Concord, with its 2022 Granite State Award. The college will also recognize a student with the Leo F. Redfern Outstanding Citizenship Award. The recipient’s name is confidential until announced.

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Nikos Kalampalikis has been promoted to branch relationship manager for the Manchester branch of Bar Harbor Bank & Trust. He joined the Bank in 2018 as a floating customer service rep, later served as a personal banker in the Concord and Bedford, and in 2021, he was promoted to Assistant Branch Manager for the Bank’s location in Hillsborough.

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Associates at Fidelity Investments in Merrimack contributed $48,176 to the NH Food Bank. The fundraising drive will provide the equivalent of 96,352 meals to support individuals and families who do not know where their next meal is coming from. In addition to the $48,176 donation, Fidelity donated 500 crates of fresh produce, the equivalent of $5,000, to support those in need.

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Senet, Inc., a Portsmouth provider of cloud-based software and services platforms for the Internet of Things, and the Helium Network, are expanding their roaming integration to include Helium-compatible Hotspots deployed globally. This global expansion follows a previously completed network integration for US customers and the delivery of integrated network mapping and planning tools designed to simplify the rollout of IoT solutions.

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Empowerment Through Connections - Women in Hospitality & Tourism, is a day-long event to celebrate women in the hospitality and tourism industry, develop networks and mentorship opportunities, and explore a variety of top-of-mind topics through engaging sessions, hosted by NH Lodging & Restaurant Association Education Foundation. Tuesday, May 17, 2022, 8 a.m. - 5: p.m. at Church Landing, Meredith.

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Eli Wilson has joined North Branch Construction as a project superintendent with over 7 years of experience, including supervising the construction of custom homes, designing floor plans, managing remodels, and overseeing site development. Wilson also served in the U.S. Army as a military police officer and infantryman.

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E. & J. Gallo Winery, Pine State Beverage, and the NH Liquor Commission have joined forces once again to fight hunger in the Granite State, raising $40,000 for the NH Food Bank. During the months of November and December 2021, E. & J. Gallo Winery donated 50 cents on sales of select bottles of wine. Through this initiative, more than $184,000 has been raised for the New Hampshire Food Bank over the past six years.

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The NH Insurance Department had a major revenue surplus over the projections in the Fiscal Year 2021-2022 budget, collecting approximately $152 million in General Fund Revenue, $130 million in premium tax and $22 million in fees – nearly $30 million more than projected. This favorable variance includes $23 million in premium tax revenue and $7 million in fee revenue. $10.2 million in premium tax revenue was transferred to the Department of Health and Human Services for the NH Health Protection Trust Fund.

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Meredith Village Savings Bank donated $5,000 to support the After Prom Party in May for Inter-Lakes High School’s Class of 2022. The all-night event offers a fun, safe and substance-free celebration for seniors after Prom.

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Breezeline, formerly Atlantic Broadband, has deployed the first electric vehicle in planned fleet used by sales teams in New Hampshire and West Virginia, with plans in the coming years to also transition technician vans and trucks to electric. The company has committed to reduce its operational emissions by 65% by 2030 and achieve net zero emissions by 2050.

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Portsmouth based Step Up Parents proudly announced receiving the Neil and Louise Tillotson Fund of the NH Charitable Fund.  The $10,00 grant will allow the expansion and continued programming to offer financial assistance to kinship families due to a loved one’s substance misuse in the North Country of New Hampshire.