Heres’s some feel-good news you should read. Yeah, that kind of thing still exists, believe it or not.

Here’s what’s inside today’s newsletter:

📸 Your NH photo

📰 What we’re reading: News from around the state

✏️ NH runs on small businesses: Here’s how

📢 Question of the week: Do you support a Republican bill that would allow students to openly carry firearms on campus?

🌞 The bright side: Your local good news roundup

P.S. Spread knowledge, not clutter. This newsletter is free and easy to share.

(Courtesy of Rich Collins)

Shoutout to Rich Collins who shared this incredible photo. He calls it “Granite State Gold.”

Got a picture of your pet? Beautiful New Hampshire scenery? Something funny, or anything else worth sharing? I want to see it all. Send it my way, and I’ll feature it in this newsletter.

(Stacker)

By Stacker

New Hampshire runs on small businesses—and for many leaders, that means wearing a lot of hats.

On average, small business owners in the state say they spend 34% of their work time on tasks outside their core expertise—that’s roughly 89 days a year. Even more striking, about 3 in 10 report spending over half their time (130+ days annually) on work that isn’t central to what they do best.

Those non-core tasks include:

📱Social media management: 25%

💻 IT or cybersecurity: 22%

📝 Administrative tasks: 16%

College campuses in New Hampshire might look a lot different starting next year. Lawmakers just passed a bill in the House that would let students and staff carry weapons.

So this week’s question is:

Do you support a Republican bill that would allow students to openly carry firearms on campus?

Here’s what you’re saying:

“Just when you think you heard it all, the NH Legislature approves of college students being allowed to carry firearms on campus. Seriously? The most volatile, hormone-raging, indecisive, emotionally-charged population carrying firearms on a college campus is a disaster waiting to happen. It is only a matter of time before the headlines report a tragedy on campus. Congratulations lawmakers, NH joins the mass killing statistics group! — 
Kay Campbell

“I teach on a campus and this legislation is both terrifying and malicious. Do the lawmakers actually want a mass shooting on a NH campus? Don’t they know that nearly 40% of US college students say they are depressed? While this bill definitely increases the risk of shootings, we’re mainly likely to see many more suicides on campus.” — Allison Cummings

“Completely absurd, as made clear by all empirical evidence in the US and around the world!” — Bill Black

The following briefs from the region are presented in partnership with Granite Goodness. Subscribe today.

🚮 Rhode Island tests curbside composting: Three communities are piloting the state’s first municipal compost pickup programs, aiming to divert waste from landfills and cut greenhouse gas emissions. Governing

🌎 Massachusetts expands geothermal network: An $8.6 million federal grant will double a pioneering heating and cooling system in Framingham, bringing underground energy to more homes and businesses. Canary Media

🌾 Western Massachusetts protects farmland: Three regional planning agencies are launching a new initiative, backed by a $268,000 state grant, to help towns preserve agricultural land and support local farmers. Greenfield Recorder

Thanks for reading. This newsletter was written by Katy Savage with stories from  USA Today via Reuters Connect, Stacker, CBS, WMUR, and Granite Goodness. It was edited by Brook Bolen.

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