The stories of 2025 reflect the changes and challenges of our communities here in New Hampshire.
Some are uplifting, informative, and entertaining tales. Others leave us with a heavy heart or a lump in the throat — or maybe just shaking our heads. Others brought some closure.
It’s impossible to give every story its proper due in a single retrospective. Every day matters. Every story matters.
But before we turn the page on 2025, we wanted to give our colleagues one more chance to reflect on the last year. So we asked our friends across NHPR's news and podcast teams:
What story, interview or other reporting memory will stick with you from 2025?
Here’s what they said. (Some responses have been lightly edited for clarity.)
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A ‘big night’ with Keene's salamander crossing brigade
Mara Hoplamazian, NHPR Climate, Energy and Environment Reporter: There was a lot of climate news in New Hampshire this year! Our last coal plant shut down. Frozen federal climate money had ripple effects on projects across the state. We experienced a major drought. A rare willow tree was discovered. Landfill policy stalled out in the Legislature once again.
But the story that will stick with me most is from one night in early spring. It was dark and drizzly, with fog so heavy I couldn't see the car in front of me. The directions I was given brought me to a winding road in the middle of a cemetery. By the time I found the group I was looking for, I was starting to feel like I was in an episode of Scooby Doo. But the few hours I spent with a salamander crossing brigade were my favorite of 2025.
It was "big night," one of the rainy spring evenings when millions of amphibians wiggle out of hibernation to find vernal pools. The crossing brigade helps them get through obstacles that humans have created, like car-filled roads. During my research for the story, I learned one of my favorite fun facts to pull out at parties: If we were to put all the Eastern red-backed salamanders on one side of a scale, and put all the birds, mammals and reptiles on the other side, the salamanders would weigh more. And I learned a lot about how climate change is affecting their lives.
My favorite thing about being a climate reporter is that I get to see how so many different people understand their relationships with the natural world. That night, surrounded by glowing headlamps all pointed to the ground, I got to see some of those relationships up close. Plus — I got to hold a frog!
A conversation with an iconic author
Maria Aguirre, Producer/Reporter for NHPR’s ¿Qué Hay de Nuevo, New Hampshire?: I interviewed my favorite author, Isabel Allende. We talked about her most recent novel, the story of Emilia del Valle, which covers war, South American roots, underrepresented voices and more.
(Editor’s note: Did you know you can get local headlines in Spanish? Subscribe to the latest updates from the Que Hay team on WhatsApp!)
A major breakthrough in the Bear Brook cold case
Jason Moon, Senior Reporter/Producer for NHPR’s Document team, host of the Bear Brook podcast: Ten years ago I moved to New Hampshire and started following the story of the Bear Brook murders. This year, it finally reached a conclusion (of sorts).
I will always remember seeing the photos of Pepper Reed, who’s the mother of the last Bear Brook victim. There’s something about seeing the actual person who’s behind these cases which at once makes it so real and powerful, and reminds you of the original tragedy at the heart of the story.
One of the interesting things about the way the case was solved, with genetic genealogy, was that it was largely the work of volunteers, people who weren’t on the payroll of law enforcement, necessarily — people who just have an interest in genealogy and cold cases. They did so much of the legwork to solve this case, over so many years.
For them to reach this, in some ways, final moment this year — with the last identity of the original four Bear Brook victims — it was powerful to see that their work had paid off, after all these years.
A community gathers to grieve a baby nobody knew
Todd Bookman, NHPR Senior Reporter: Earlier this year, Manchester police held a press conference in a small park near the airport. With local reporters huddled around, they asked the public for any information related to a grisly discovery: the body of a newborn girl, found floating in the park’s pond.
That child would come to be known as Baby Grace. Soon after, officials arranged for a funeral service for her, a baby nobody knew.
I attended the service, and spoke with people who felt compelled, for their own personal reasons, to pay their respects to Grace. Manchester Police and Fire officials attended in full dress uniforms, and the mayor and other elected officials also passed by her tiny white coffin.
To date, it still isn’t clear who Baby Grace was, who her parents were, or why she was abandoned. But for that brief service, she was surrounded by people who cared deeply for her.
A long-buried family secret, brought into the light
Jackie Harris, Producer for NHPR’s Morning Edition: The story I did on Erin Moulton's research into her family history is going to stick with me for a long time.
Going through the records and reading about these people 100 years ago who went through a tragedy in towns I'd grown up around was very moving for me. As was being invited into Erin's home, her family's trip the cemetery to honor Mary, and their candidness in talking with me about such a dark story in their family.
It was all very meaningful for me, and I hope it is for listeners, as well.
(Editor's note: This reporting was published in partnership with The 19th, a nonprofit newsroom reporting on gender, politics and policy.)
A chance to elevate underrepresented voices in reproductive care
Olivia Richardson, NHPR Health and Equity Reporter: One story that will stick with me is one I reported for our series on maternal health in New Hampshire. I looked at how doulas are trying to help ensure Black moms are safe and heard during their pregnancy experiences. In general, doulas help many women advocate for themselves throughout their pregnancies and during labor. The women I profiled all have these unique perspectives on why they do the work they do.
It was also interesting to report on New Hampshire becoming the first state to require doctors and medical staff to follow a patient's desires to seek sterilization for their reproductive health. The lawmaker who brought it forth had her own story of how long it took to get her procedure when she knew she didn't want to have children, and doctors kept insisting she might change her mind.
(Editor’s note: Catch up on all of the stories in our maternal health series, Labors of Love.)
A quiet hero behind an iconic landmark
Kate Dario, NHPR Reporter: One of my best reporting memories from this year was riding the final descent of the second-generation Cannon Mountain tram, which had been in use since 1980.
It was late October, but by the time we reached the summit, it was a full winter storm at the top, making it feel like we jumped seasons on the short ride up. After securing my literal "Golden Ticket" for the ride down, they filled the car to its maximum capacity. Everyone there had a deep connection to Cannon and saw the tram as an essential part of that place. But no one's story stayed with me as much as Allan Girard's, who was maybe the only person standing quietly amongst the revelers.
Allan had helped build the very tram we were riding on. I found him at the back of the car, watching the snow give way to fall foliage as we glided down the mountainside. He told me he felt like this moment book-ended some chapter in his life. He said he was thinking about the people he had built that tram with and the lives he had seen evolve in the 45 years that had gone by.
It was a conversation that made me think more deeply about my own relationship to New Hampshire, the work I do, and the people I do it with.
An interview with rock royalty
Rick Ganley, Host of NHPR's Morning Edition: A stand-out moment for me in 2025 was sharing a stage with Peter Wolf, musician and Boston rock royalty. Growing up in New England with J. Geils Band playing on the radio, his voice was a constant soundtrack, and his long solo career and collaborations are underappreciated.
Talking about his book of vignettes that highlight his career was so much fun, and he was articulate, funny, humble and gracious, both on stage and off. I had met and interviewed him in years past, so I wasn't surprised, but I was impressed by how much time and attention he gave.
It's a great testament to why you should sometimes meet your heroes.
A surprise ‘Jersey Shore’ visit
Lau Guzman, NHPR Reporter: I got to see the cast of MTV’s “Jersey Shore” doing the chicken dance at the Puritan Backroom in Manchester to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the chicken tender.
(Editor’s note: The reality stars were in town to film a new series. Here’s a TikTok video with more scenes from that day!)
A reporter's hustle to cover food insecurity in NH
Christina Phillips, NHPR Senior News Editor: During the government shutdown, Kate Dario filed at least 15 stories about food benefits. One day, she drove to a food pantry in Nashua, spoke with folks there about how they were preparing for the first week without SNAP payments, drove up to the newsroom, reported a three-minute audio feature, and turned it in by 5:30 p.m. Normally, audio stories of that length take anywhere from one to four weeks, but Kate knew the story so well it poured out of her.
(Editor’s note: You can listen to Kate’s story here.)
A dash of inspiration from a younger generation
Annmarie Timmins, NHPR Senior Reporter: The education and youth beat gave me the opportunity to give the mic to kids, who I think are too often left out of the conversation, even on issues that directly affect them.
One piece that really stands out is this “rite of passage” story on Jhystoni Rivera’s transition from high school to college. (One tidbit left on the cutting room floor was a conversation I had with his mom in the lobby of his new dorm, which was my freshman dorm at the University of New Hampshire. I said the furniture looks like it hasn’t changed since 1990, when I arrived. She said, “That was the year I was born.“)
I’ll also remember my conversations with first-generation and low-income students at Manchester West High School who were relying on the TRIO program to pursue a future that looks so different than their parents’. One senior was the first in her family to graduate high school. I was also the first in my family to finish high school . . . and quickly landed on academic probation at UNH because I was so unprepared. My experience — contrasted with her experience — made the consequences of defunding this program, which amounts to less than $600 per student per year, so clear for me.
My conversation with students at Timberlane Middle School about their efforts to combat racism stuck with me for two reasons: The students were so candid about the racism they had encountered, and they were calling this out as the Trump administration and New Hampshire lawmakers were working to eliminate efforts that help to address discrimination. The students were brave to share their accounts — and the school was brave to let me spend a few hours with them.
On a more fun note, spending the day with 4-H students made me wish I was half as prepared as they were at their age, and I loved talking to Mahima Singh about being among the winners of the state’s latest “I Voted” sticker contest. (What 10-year-old is so into our Live Free or Die motto or understands the treasure of the Old Man, even though she never saw it?) That could have been a blah story if not for Mahima’s passion about all things New Hampshire, which she credited to her fourth-grade teacher’s New Hampshire history lessons.
A fresh perspective for a seasoned NH skier
Dan Tuohy, Senior Producer for NHPR’s Digital News Platforms: The old summit chairlift at Black Mountain is such a throwback. Riding that double chairlift for the first time in 2025, it felt like going back in time compared to some of the bigger ski resorts in New England with their bigger and faster lifts. I was at Black Mountain to report on the ski area’s upgrades and late-season operations.
I’ve skied nearly everywhere in New Hampshire, but had never visited this 90-year-old area in Jackson. New ownership in 2024 set out to monetize and modernize — no small proposition for a small, independent operation in an industry known for its economic and climate challenges. Anyway, the story mentioned “an authentic New England skiing experience.” And I’ve been noodling on what that means ever since.
It’s inspired me to put Tenney Mountain and other smaller ski areas on my calendar this winter. It’s a tough job, but somebody’s got to do it.
A pickleball predicament
Felix Poon, Producer/Reporter for NHPR’s Outside/In podcast: Pickleball is the fastest growing sport in the country. Its meteoric rise has not been without controversy though. There have been noise complaints, disparaging online jokes on whether it's a real sport or not, and tennis players grumbling over losing court space.
But in one neighborhood of Boston, it led to accusations that the local pickleball group was pushing out Black and brown youths playing basketball. The soil (or shall I say, concrete?) was ripe to report a particularly memorable episode for Outside/In called "Order on the pickleball court!!!"
This was a political story — complete with petitions, public meetings, and local politicians — without getting capital-P political. It was about gentrification, race and equity. But it was also a really fun story about sports.
All of this combined to make for a pretty memorable episode. Plus, I got to play pickleball in the making of it, so that's a win-win.
An up-close look at 'cruise-o-nomics' in New England
Marina Henke, Producer/Reporter for NHPR podcasts: For an Outside/In episode, I spent a couple months following an anti-cruise activist group in Portland, Maine. I was with several members when the first large ship of the season arrived in port, literally watching the vessel emerge on the horizon and eventually pull into its (very large) docking spot.
A deep dive on coyote urine
Taylor Quimby, Executive Producer for NHPR’s Outside/In podcast: One story I worked on this year that will really stick with me was prompted by a listener question to the Outside/Inbox. She had called about deer eating her garden strawberries, and she wanted to know whether coyote urine (which is sold as an all-natural pest deterrent) is effective, and more importantly, how it's collected. It was one of those classic times where a funny and curious question turned out to be frustratingly difficult to answer, and eventually led to some unexpected and dark places.
It also led me to buy a small container of coyote urine to see just how bad it smells, and let me tell you: Do not take a whiff right from the bottle.
A memorable morning at the movies
Nick Capodice, Host of NHPR’s Civics 101 podcast: It's been a hard, hard news year at Civics 101. But for an event, we decided to screen politcal-ish movies at Red River Theatres (in Concord) and do a talkback afterwards. This is not the sort of thing we do at the show. Usually, we stick to policies and procedures.
But to see a full theater watching “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington,” hearing uproarious laughter and dozens of knowing "mmmmms" at relevant times, seeing a message of hope and love for an experiment of a country, it gave me a pride in our democracy for the first time in a while.
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Sincerely,
Dan Barrick
News Director
