catching up on local news

new unit picks up old murder cases

A new law creates a Cold Case Unit within the N.H. State Police Department, dedicating more resources to investigations of unsolved homicides. Gov. John Lynch signed House Bill 690 into law late last month. The law allows State Police to allocate investigators to work in conjunction with the Attorney General’s Office on cases that have stymied law enforcement agents for years. More than $1 million in funding comes through the federal Edward Byrne Justice Assistance grant program, made possible through federal stimulus funds.

“This new law is part of our continuing efforts to better protect the public,” Lynch said in a press release. “And for the families of the victims of unresolved crimes, with this new law, there is now a better chance that they may receive the closure they have sought.”

The bill establishes the homicide unit through July 1, 2013.

sharks of the Seacoast

In the wake of the Discovery Channel’s ever popular “shark week,” the Blue Ocean Society has released a guide to sharks found in the Gulf of Maine. The list spans the massive, 30-foot basking shark (the second largest fish in the world) to the comparatively petite spiny dogfish (also known as a sand shark). Many of the world’s 360-plus shark species are over-fished. A U.S. Senate committee is currently reviewing the Shark Conservation Act of 2009. Blue Ocean offers shark viewing opportunities with its whale watches to Jeffreys Ledge, as well as chances to “adopt a basking shark” (the group has already spotted about 10 basking sharks this year during whale watches). The Gulf of Maine is also home to blue sharks, shortfin makos, porbeagle sharks, thresher sharks, sand tiger sharks and even great whites. For more information, go to www.blueoceansociety.org.

New Heights receives $16k gift

According to staff at New Heights, an after-school youth program in Portsmouth, research shows that from 3 and 6 p.m. there are higher rates of teen suicide, drug use and sexual activity, as well as 911 calls involving adolescents. In light of these statistics, the Seacoast Women’s Giving Circle recently chose New Heights as its 2009 grantee with a gift of $16,000. The first $10,000 will go toward the organization’s Junior Staff Program. The junior staff works alongside senior personnel to help kids between the ages of 11 and 18 with fun and healthy activities. “New Heights plays a critical role in our community by offering opportunities for teens to engage in confidence building activities in a safe and healthy environment both after school and during school vacations,” said Anne Rouse Sudduth, founder of the Seacoast Women’s Giving Circle, in a press release. For more on New Heights, visit www.newheightsonline.org.

Fresh Local Truck gets GQ writeup

Readers who open the August issue of GQ magazine might notice a shout-out to the Seacoast’s own Fresh Local Truck. A review of the mobile restaurant operated by chef Josh Lanahan and his partner Michelle Lozuaway appears in a broader article about the nation’s best food trucks. GQ visited other trucks in New York, Seattle, San Francisco, Austin, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., but reserved special praise for the Fresh Local Truck in Portsmouth, speaking highly of the slow-roasted pork sandwich, the freshly ground burgers and the local blueberry soda. The magazine even had a few words for the Portsmouth Police Department, referencing a brief battle between Fresh Local and the city over vending ordinances (the city has allowed the truck to continue parking on State Street, at least through the summer). The big, orange truck can also be found at Prescott Park during many summer events.