🌱 Patch AM: Why a former Exeter man can’t undo his 1997 sex-assault plea

Hey hey Exeter! Your one-stop source for local news is here. Continue reading for all the updates. ☀️

In today's newsletter:

• Why a former Exeter man can’t undo his 1997 sex-assault plea
• Why is Exeter named in this high-profile police shooting lawsuit?
• How will Concord’s big new solar farms benefit Exeter schools?

Also on today's calendar: Exeter Rotary Luminaires and 6 more events.

Today's riddle: My brother swallowed a box of firecrackers. - Is he all right now? 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

• Thursday: Times of clouds and sun, with a high of 42 and low of 34 degrees.
• Friday: Windy with rain, temps: high: 54, low: 24.
• Saturday: Much colder, with a high of 33 and low of 31 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. Ex-Exeter man loses bid to overturn guilty plea in 1997 sex assault (seacoastonline.com) — A Rockingham Superior Court judge has again denied a former Exeter resident’s attempt to withdraw his guilty plea in a 1997 misdemeanor sexual assault case. The ruling leaves in place his requirement to register as a sex offender, following an investigation that began with a 2016 tip to Exeter police and involved multiple local law enforcement agencies.
   

2. Mother of Kensington man killed by police files wrongful death suit (seacoastonline.com) — Exeter is one of seven Seacoast communities named in a new federal wrongful-death lawsuit over a 2024 police shooting in Kensington. The suit, filed by the victim’s mother, accuses multiple departments of using excessive, militarized tactics during a mental health crisis, while the state attorney general previously ruled the officers’ use of force legally justified.
   

3. Big solar is better late than never (concordmonitor.com) — Exeter School District will buy power from two new large solar arrays in Concord, potentially lowering electricity costs while supporting renewable energy. A columnist explains how zoning rules, net-metering limits, and state laws slowed these projects for years, and argues that New Hampshire must cut red tape to speed future solar development.
   

4. Republicans fail to override vetoes of book ban, bathroom bills; vow to return to issues (newsfromthestates.com) — Exeter’s own House Democratic Leader Alexis Simpson backed sustaining Gov. Kelly Ayotte’s vetoes of GOP-backed bathroom, book removal, and school health video bills, saying these culture-war fights will resurface next year. The closely divided New Hampshire House repeatedly fell short of the two‑thirds margin needed to override vetoes, exposing rifts between conservatives and the governor while both parties eye 2026 campaigns.
   

📸 Around Exeter

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🗓 Upcoming Events in Exeter

Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!

★ Featured events ★

Thursday December 18

• Teen Anime Club
  4 Chestnut St, Exeter
  8:30 pm

Want to see your event featured? Click here!

Other local events

Thursday December 18

• Taverntainment Trivia at Shooter' Sports Pub
  Shooter's Sports Pub , 6 Columbus Avenue , Exeter
  7:15 pm

Friday December 19

• 12 Cocktails of Christmas at Epoch
  Exeter Chamber of Commerce , 120 NH-111 , Exeter
  4:00 pm
• Epoch Happy Hour
  Epoch Restaurant and Bar
  4:00 pm
• Candlelight Stroll
  Strawbery Banke Museum , 14 Hancock Street , Portsmouth
  4:30 pm
• Book Talks: Riverwoods
  4 Chestnut St , Exeter
  7:00 pm

Saturday December 20

• Italian Table
  Exeter Public Library , 4 Chestnut St , Exeter
  10:00 am
• 12 Cocktails of Christmas at Epoch
  Exeter Chamber of Commerce , 120 NH-111 , Exeter
  4:00 pm

Wednesday December 24

• Exeter Rotary Luminaires
  Buxton Water, Charter St, Exeter, NH, 03833
  2:30 pm

📣 Exeter Shout Outs!

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🗓 Events Nearby

Thursday December 18

• Bone Builders
  Kingston Community Library , 2 Library Ln , Kingston
  10:00 am
• Story Time with the Animals
  New Hampshire SPCA , 104 Portsmouth Ave , Stratham
  10:45 am
• Adult Craft
  Kingston Community Library , 2 Library Ln , Kingston
  11:30 am
• Silly Skit Studio
  The Children's Museum of New Hampshire , 6 Washington Street , Dover
  3:30 pm

Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.

Thank you 👏👏👏 to the local businesses for making Exeter PatchAM possible:

• Blackdog Design/Build/Remodel — (603) 898-0868
  Making Your Dream Home a Reality Since 1989
• Total Basement Finishing, a Blackdog Affiliate — (603) 458-7962
  Basement Remodeling Experts in NH, MA and ME
• Dogtopia of North Hampton — (475) 338-3501
  Dogtopia – Dog Daycare, Boarding, Spa & Wellness

Click here to show your appreciation! 💚

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💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

• NH Attorney General John Formella’s Silence Signals the Death of the State’s Right-to-Know Laws​ —Jeffrey Clay Read on Patch

• McDonald's posted a job opening for 9:00am -2:00pm Team Member Shifts in Exeter. Apply here.
• Tractor Supply posted a job opening for Team Member in Exeter. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Exeter here.

Ok Exeter! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: I don’t know. I haven’t heard the last report.
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Send it to us!

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