Shawne K. Wickham

With the start of school just days away, an event in the Manchester Millyard on Thursday offered families a chance to make cherished memories, and have some fun.

Michael and Helen Dutton readily admit that theirs is a pretty unorthodox retirement plan.

Helen Fernald was 40 years old when her mother died unexpectedly, the news coming in a telegram while Fernald was vacationing with her family in Spain. After the funeral, the Wolfeboro resident busied herself in work and her growing family.

On a day when terrible news was dominating the headlines, employees of a Seacoast business joined efforts to bring some joy to needy children — and a little hope to their community.

"Trouble." The ominous text arrived at 6:47 a.m. Tuesday on Denise van Zanten's phone, sent by the custodial crew working at Manchester City Library.

New Hampshire has not forgotten.

The big yellow barn looks somehow bereft, its broad doors closed for the season. Missing are the pumpkins, gourds and mums that beckoned visitors seeking the colors and flavors of the season.

Seacoast-area fire departments have been sounding the alarm after Exeter Hospital notified them it was abruptly ending a program that sends paramedics to medical emergencies when advanced critical care is needed.

A Dartmouth College student who drowned in the Connecticut River in July had a blood alcohol level that was twice the legal limit, officials said.

A federal judge has approved a class-action lawsuit to go forward against state officials on behalf of teenagers in the foster care system who were placed in institutional settings instead of foster homes.