Nashua schools hit top 30, tolls rise, and NH primary drops to third

Happy Friday, Nashua ☀️

It’s a decent day to get out.

Partly sunny, near 80, with a chance of showers before 10 AM. Saturday is the wet one, with showers most of the day and steady afternoon rain.

Nashua North ranked 26th and Nashua South 32nd among the state’s high schools, with Nashua’s own Academy for Science and Design at number one. Lawmakers overrode the governor on the transportation plan, so tolls go up in 2027.

And the DNC moved New Hampshire to third on the 2028 primary calendar, which state law says can’t happen.

Let’s dive in.

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What’s Happening Around Nashua

Shaheen tours the new scanner at Southern NH Medical Sen. Jeanne Shaheen and Mayor Jim Donchess stopped by Southern New Hampshire Medical Center on Thursday to see the new PET/CT machine, paid for with federal money Shaheen secured. The hospital is one of three in the state with full-time in-house PET imaging, and exam volume is up 16.5% since it went in. Nashua Ink Link

Nashua schools land spots in new state rankings U.S. News & World Report ranked Nashua North 26th and Nashua South 32nd among New Hampshire’s 101 public high schools, using data from the 2023-24 school year. Nashua’s Academy for Science and Design took first in the state and was the only school here to crack the national top 200. Patch

St. Joseph Hospital picks up four heart and stroke awards The 208-bed Nashua hospital earned American Heart Association recognition for its stroke care, including Gold Plus and Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite, plus a silver award for resuscitation. Nashua Independent

A Nashua teen band played its first real stage Fates Collide, the teen rock band out of the Nashua Community Music School, opened the school’s Play It Forward fundraiser at Taffeta Music Hall in front of about 220 people. Money from the show pays for scholarships and the free teen rock band program. Nashua Independent

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Upcoming Events in the Area

Quartet Showcase Friday, August 21 at 6:30 PM

• Nashua Senior Activity Center, Nashua, NH (70 Temple St, Nashua, NH 03060)

• An annual barbershop night of quartets and small groups singing a cappella, open to listeners as well as singers. Learn More

Light the Way Saturday, August 22 at 5 PM

• Greeley Park, Nashua, NH (100 Concord St, Nashua, NH 03064)

• An evening of remembrance put on by Avenues Recovery and Process Recovery, with food, cornhole, music, and tributes to people lost to addiction. Learn More

Summer Music at the Riverwalk: Ruby Shabazz and the Evolutionists Saturday, August 22 at 7:30 PM – 8:30 PM

• Renaissance Park Pavilion, Nashua, NH (23 Water St, Nashua, NH 03060)

• Free outdoor concert downtown, with a soul and R&B set from Ruby Shabazz and the Evolutionists. Learn More

Free Movie Night Wednesday, August 26 at 7 PM

• The Spot, Nashua, NH (217 Main St, Nashua, NH 03060)

• The Hellhound Film Club screens a movie for free and sticks around afterward to talk about it. Popcorn comes with a drink. Learn More

Puzzle Race Thursday, August 27 at 6 PM – 8 PM

• Nashua Public Library, Nashua, NH (2 Court St, Nashua, NH 03060)

• Teams of two to four race to finish a 500-piece jigsaw, with prizes for the three fastest. Registration is required. Learn More

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Other Happenings Around New Hampshire

Lawmakers override Ayotte on tolls and six other bills The Legislature overrode seven of the governor’s 31 vetoes on Wednesday, including the ten-year transportation plan. Out-of-state drivers without a transponder will pay double at the tolls starting January 1, 2027. NHPR

Easterseals is ending its adult day and in-home programs Easterseals New Hampshire said Thursday it will close adult day programs in Manchester and Rochester and end in-home care statewide on October 17. About 125 day program clients and 245 in-home clients will need to find other care. NHPR

New Hampshire drops to third on the 2028 Democratic calendar The DNC signed off on a primary lineup that opens in South Carolina on January 22, 2028 and puts New Hampshire third, on February 8. State law says the primary has to run at least seven days ahead of any similar contest, so this one is headed for a fight. Nashua Ink Link

That’s it for today.

Saturday’s rain puts outdoor events like the Light the Way gathering and Riverwalk show in doubt, with little relief Sunday.

I’ll be back in your inbox Monday.

– The Nashua Note