New Hampshire things to know: Dartmouth moves forward
CONCORD, N.H. (AP) - Dartmouth College unveiled the steps it will take to rein in bad behavior, a big snow storm pelted the state and New Hampshire lawmakers considered whether they should make it easier to carry a concealed weapon. Next week, a judge is set to hear from lawyers for a woman accused of fleeing the country with her then-8-year-old daughter a decade ago. Here are things to know in New Hampshire:
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DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
Dartmouth College President Philip Hanlon came to the university in the middle of 2013 as the campus was wrestling with bad behaviors including heavy drinking and sexual assault, problems he said were hijacking the Ivy League school's mission. On Thursday, he unveiled the ways he hopes to move the college forward, including banning hard liquor on campus and requiring all students to take part in a sexual violence prevention program all four years. He didn't ban Greek societies but said fraternities and sororities would be held to higher standards.
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CONCEALED GUNS
Senate Majority Leader Jeb Bradley was a key sponsor of a bill making it easier to carry a concealed weapon. Currently, people who can legally own a gun have to take a second step - securing a separate license - to carry it out of sight, in a holster under a coat, for example. The new bill would eliminate the separate permit and make carrying a concealed gun a constitutional right. Police groups oppose the bill, saying it gives dangerous or unstable people the element of surprise.
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WINTER'S WRATH
The season's first major snowstorm buried parts of the state in nearly 3 feet of snow, even as it failed to live up to expectations in other East Coast cities. Packing high winds and deep snow, Tuesday's storm shut down state government, kept school kids home for up to two days and had officials imploring people to stay home if they could. More snow on Friday complicated matters for some cities still trying to clean up.
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SUNAPEE EXPANSION
Efforts to expand the Mount Sunapee Resort in western New Hampshire have been underway for nearly two decades and a new report by the state's Natural Heritage Bureau may pose another hurdle. The report issued Monday identifies a 16-acre stand of red spruce trees that may be considered "exemplary." If the Department of Resources and Economic Development declares the trees "exemplary," they would be protected by state law and could derail the contentious expansion plan. A spokesman for the mountain says he's sure the trees are not "old-growth" and that expansion will proceed.
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CYCLISTS KILLED PLEA
The unlicensed New Hampshire driver charged with plowing into a group of bicyclists, killing two Massachusetts women, was sentenced to 15- to 40-years in state prison after admitting she was on drugs when the crash happened in September 2013. Darriean Hess, 20, pleaded guilty to two counts each of manslaughter and second-degree assault in the deaths of Pamela Wells, 60, of Hamilton, Massachusetts, and Elise Bouchard, 52, of Danvers, Massachusetts.
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FLED WITH DAUGHTER
Lawyers for a woman who fled with her then-8-year-old daughter to Central America a decade ago in a custody case will ask a judge to allow her defense that she was "acting in good faith to protect the child from real and imminent physical danger" from her father. A prosecutor says that defense only applies if Genevieve Kelley had stayed in New Hampshire with the girl. A hearing is set for Wednesday in North Haverhill.