The Monitor Weekly

For the last several months, Rebeca Pereira and Rachel Wachman worked on a project honoring Christa McAuliffe’s life and legacy. Christa was a history teacher at Concord High School when she was chosen to ride aboard the Challenger space shuttle as part of NASA’s Teacher in Space program. Her mission to teach live lessons from space was unfortunately an ill-fated one: 73 seconds after its launch i...

For the last several months, Rebeca Pereira and Rachel Wachman worked on a project honoring Christa McAuliffe’s life and legacy. Christa was a history teacher at Concord High School when she was chosen to ride aboard the Challenger space shuttle as part of NASA’s Teacher in Space program. Her mission to teach live lessons from space was unfortunately an ill-fated one: 73 seconds after its launch i...

Her laugh was contagious. Her mission was electrifying. Her plans for the future were inspiring. Christa McAuliffe was the perfect choice for the Teacher in Space program. She understood that she was an ordinary person bringing us all along on her extraordinary journey. It was a responsibility she took to heart. Christa sought to document her experiences and share them with the American public, to...

This is an excerpt from The Monitor Weekly episode that will accompany our series, coming soon: 'Christa's Legacy: Concord's pioneer woman, the world's teacher.' To read a transcript of Bob Hohler's 1986 column memorializing Christa McAuliffe, and to stay up-to-date on 'Christa's Legacy,' visit https://www.concordmonitor.com/christas-legacy/ This except was prod...

At the Monitor, whenever we have questions about the mechanics of virtually any process, we turn to the Granite Geek, David Brooks, our science and technology writer. It turns out Dave has been writing about the logistics of Christmas, dispelling skeptics’ doubts about Saint Nick’s existence, for a while.

Between 1970 and 2015, the number of malls in North America grew over twice as fast as the population. As anchor stores began shuttering locations and customers turned to malls less and less, these behemoth shopping centers also had no option but to close. In Concord, one location exemplifies this decline more than others: the Steeplegate Mall on Loudon Road. Fifteen years ago, the Steeplegate Mal...

On the first day of school this fall, students across New Hampshire experienced a revolutionary change to their education: the dawn of the bell-to-bell cell phone ban. Students predicted the ban would either be met with widespread noncompliance or not enforced by teachers and administrators at all. Education reporter Jeremy Margolis joins the podcast this week to discuss how the phone ban has fare...

City reporter Catherine McLaughlin and State House reporter Charlotte Matherly spearheaded the bulk of the Monitor's election coverage, bringing readers inside polling locations ahead of and on Election Day. By and large, incumbents swept this municipal election, with Mayor Byron Champlin, school board member Cara Meeker and Councilors Fred Keach and Kris Schultz defeating challengers and main...

With cold cases, where leads have been exhausted and evidence remains scant, hope rests in investigators who return to the unexplained crime and continue to pursue it, even if public interest has waned. Recently, two new investigators joined New Hampshire's Cold Case Unit, reviving hope for the families and friends of the victims of unexplained crimes. Community editor Rachel Wachman joins us...

Investigative reporter Sruthi Gopalakrishnan joins the podcast to discuss two recent stories that took place in local cemeteries: one a cemetery clean-up ahead of Veterans Day, the other an account of families who've had their mourning rushed along by law enforcement at a Bow cemetery. Also, hosts Alex and Rebeca give a high-level overview of the Monitor's reporting staff and coverage area...

City reporter Catherine McLaughlin joins us this week to discuss Concord's upcoming municipal election. The Monitor has aggregated a comprehensive guide to your November ballot with our Concord Votes project. There, you'll find profiles on every candidate running for public office and all our most recent coverage of the biggest issues on voters' minds. Look for the Concord Votes banner...

Statehouse reporter Charlotte Matherly joins the podcast to discuss her story "'Ingrained resistance to cannabis': New Hampshire’s medical marijuana program offers comfort, but access and cost remain a challenge." Hosts Rebeca Pereira and Alexander Rapp discuss the proposed models for recreational cannabis in the legislature and where Governor Kelly Ayotte stands on the issue. Fo...

Community editor Rachel Wachman sits down to discuss her story, 'Absolute devastation': Fire destroyed their homes. Now they must rebuild their lives from scratch. Hosts Rebeca Pereira and Alexander Rapp discuss common causes of house fires and preventative measures people can take in their homes after speaking with Canterbury's Fire and Rescue Lieutenant Herb Batchelder. For more info...