🌱 Ricciardi Helps + Clean Energy Blocked + Fly This Airport

Hey, everyone! It's me again, Paula Constance, your host of the Bedford Daily.

First, today's weather:

A mix of clouds and sun in the morning followed by cloudy skies in the afternoon. Mainly cloudy with a mixture of rain and snow showers developing late. High: 37 Low: 32.

Shoutout to our premier local sponsor:

Have you stopped by T-BONES Great American Eatery off River Road lately? If you buy a $25 gift card from now through New Year's, you'll get another $5 thrown in for free. Learn more here.

Want to see your business featured in this spot? Click here to get started.

Here are the top stories in Bedford today:

1. Thanks to Bedford Sen. Denise Ricciardi (R), cities and towns across New Hampshire received a greater share of the state's Meals and Rooms Tax and the state’s Rentals Tax. Sen. Ricciardi introduced legislation incorporated into the state budget package in June increasing the funds that cities and towns receive. The New Hampshire Treasury transferred $100,143,752 to cities and towns across New Hampshire, including $8,114,126.62 to Manchester on Monday. Governor Chris Sununu said that although The Meals and Rooms Tax dropped in October from 9% to 8.5%, New Hampshire’s strong hospitality industry was responsible for increased funding from the tax. You can read more here: (Manchester Ink Link)
2. A lawsuit filed by Clean Energy New Hampshire, as well as several energy efficiency advocates including construction firms, the New Hampshire Housing Authorities Corporation, and the Town of Hanover, is the latest step in a legal fight that activists say could determine the fate of New Hampshire’s energy efficiency industry. Bedford is one of many New Hampshire communities that have clean and renewable energy businesses and initiatives, including solar panel company New England Clean Energy on South River Road. A superior court judge heard a request today to temporarily halt a recent order by the Public Utilities Commission to scale back energy efficiency programs in New Hampshire. You can read more here: (NHPR)
3. Passengers flying in and out of the Manchester-Boston Regional Airport over the holiday weekend experienced few cancellations amid a wave of canceled flights nationwide due to the pandemic. According to Airport Director Ted Kitchens, Manchester’s cancellation rates are low because airlines like Delta and JetBlue that experienced most of the delays are not flying out of Manchester. Fewer flight problems is a relief for Bedford travelers visiting friends or family over the holidays and in the New Year. Travel through the Manchester-Boston Regional Airport has rebounded to almost 90 percent of what it was before the pandemic in 2019, according to Kitchens. You can read more here: (NHPR)

Today's Bedford Daily is brought to you in part by our friends at GoodRx — the best way to save money on your prescriptions. GoodRx helps you locate the lowest prices for medications at local pharmacies, so you're not overpaying. Works for pet medications too! To see how much you can save, go to GoodRx.com.

Today in Bedford:

From my notebook:

• Bedford Hockey: "Next game Dec. 27 vs. Trinity, 8 p.m. JFK Arena in Manchester." (Facebook)
• Tony Schinella, Patch Staff: "The Copper Door restaurant recently celebrated 10 years in Bedford. Mariana Vis took these photos after attending a recent brunch at the restaurant and submitted them to Bedford NH Patch. Some of the folks in the photos including Tammy, ..." (Patch)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Featured businesses:

• Healthy Buffalo — (Visit website)
• RD1 Fitness — (Visit Website)
• Tiger Warrior Dojo — (Visit website)
• MJ'S Market, Inc — (Visit website)
• Add your business here

Events:

• Ring In the New Year With 15 Percent Off Beautiful Blooms From FTD! (Dec. 31)
• Add your event

If you love the Bedford Daily, here are all the ways you can get more involved:

• Send a friend or neighbor this link so they can subscribe for free
• Get your local business showcased in front of readers
• Send me a news tip or suggestion at paula.constance.patch@gmail.com

Now you're in the know and ready to head out the door on Wednesday. I'll see you soon!

— Paula Constance

About me: I am a freelance writer, author, and media producer. I am committed to media projects that empower, engage, and help make the world a better place.