Daily editionSunday, September 20th, 2026
Good morning, Manchester.
The 5AM Manchester Team
Here’s your local news at a glance for Sunday, the 20th of September.
Culture
The 51st annual Highland Games (hosted by NH Scot) are scheduled this weekend at Loon Mountain in Lincoln.
The festival will feature athletic contests, a stone lifting challenge, piping, live music, and Scottish cooking demonstrations.
WMURRead more
Saturday, the Southern New Hampshire Ukulele Group hosted the 10th annual SNHUG Fest in downtown Dover to raise funds for the Ukulele Kids Club, which supplies music therapy and ukuleles for sick children in hospitals.
WMURRead more
Economy
New Hampshire residents will face higher heating bills this winter as rising energy costs drive up expenses across fuel types — including electricity, heating oil, propane and natural gas.
CitizensCountRead more
Environment
On Saturday, community members gathered at Hampton Beach for the 40th annual International Coastal Cleanup Day.
The Surfrider Foundation reported that 26 volunteers collected 48 pounds of trash in two hours, with cigarette butts being the most common item.
WMURRead more
Government
Portsmouth International Airport at Pease held an emergency preparedness exercise on Saturday + more than 30 local, state, and federal agencies tested a coordinated response with over 100 UNH students acting as simulated crash victims.
WMURRead more
Drivers on the Spaulding Turnpike southbound will face lane closures between mile markers 4.2 and 3.6 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. starting Oct. 5 until Nov. 16 as NHDOT removes the old General Sullivan Bridge — boaters will also experience brief channel closures during these hours.
CitizensCountRead more
Real Estate
A 16-story mixed-use tower is proposed for the current Hartnett Lot – if approved, it will offer 196 residential units and commercial spaces to downtown Manchester.
Union LeaderRead more