BY RYAN O’CONNOR Last year, Auburn’s Joey Dudek rode his arm and leg to Gillette Stadium – and very nearly the Super Bowl. Dudek, who won the 10- and 11-year-old division of the local Pepsi Punt, Pass and Kick competition last August, also triumphed at the sectional competition in Bristol, R.I., and then the regional ...

EASTERN EQUINE ENCEPHALITIS Although Eastern equine encephalitis, or EEE, has not been detected in samples taken from around New England this year, officials urge that care be taken to avoid contracting this viral disease, considered to be one of the most deadly mosquito-borne diseases in the United States, according to the U.S. ...

BY JENN McDOWELL As warm summer weather entices people to spend more time outside, state health officials are warning residents to be more aware of the big dangers that lie in wait in the tiniest of organisms. Jason Stull, New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services’ public health veterinarian, said that right now ...

BY GINGER KOZLOWSKI If there’s one person who’s doing well in this changing economy, it’s John Labbe. Labbe is the owner of Hearth Designs in Hooksett, and he sells pellet stoves, wood stoves, fireplaces and other heating-related items. With people looking for alternatives to heating with oil, he said pellet stoves ...

BY RYAN O’CONNORSitting at a youth hockey conference, watching what was likely to be another boring prerecorded training video, Kermit Brunelle sighed. On the screen, Don Lucia, coach of the national champion University of Minnesota ice hockey team, was giving a speech. “A lot of people think I have the best job in hockey, and I tell ...

BY GRETA CUYLERAs rain began to fall the night of Wednesday, May 21, Jameson Thissell, 35, called his wife to tell her he’d be home soon. Minutes later, the motorcycle he was riding went out of control along Hackett Hill Road in Hooksett. The case is under investigation as to why Jameson Thissell of Bow veered out of his lane at 5:55 ...

BY JENN MCDOWELL With gas prices flirting with the $4 mark, it’s a wonder people are sticking to their summer vacation plans. But for the most part they will, according to the American Automobile Association. They’ll just be more frugal. While AAA has not released official summer travel projections yet this year other than ...

BY MATT SCHOOLEYLong after the snow has melted beneath the warm rays of spring sunshine, New Hampshire towns will still be feeling Mother Nature’s wrath. This time, it won’t be barraging residents from the sky. Instead, it will hit them under their tires. “I was coming from Hannaford the way I come up every day,” said Jane ...

BY RYAN O'CONNOR Don Dumais is a dentist who plays rugby. But despite the stereotypes, the Bow resident said there are few teeth lost in the sport, though he can remember a few instances where one player’s mouth met another player’s skull, and the result wasn’t pretty. “Most guys are pretty good about wearing their ...

MST’s success surfaces from focus on individual improvementBY SAPNA PATHAKSteve Van Der Beken can’t tell you how many undefeated seasons he’s had. He can’t list how many career wins and losses he’s compiled, nor can he recount how many plaques and trophies he has in his home. He’s a coach with no use for awards ...