New Hampshire seniors receive diploma on mountain top

A look at coronavirus-related developments around New England on Saturday.

NEW HAMPSHIRE

It’s all downhill from here for New Hampshire high school seniors who got their diplomas atop a mountain before riding a chairlift back to the ski area’s base.

With high school graduation ceremonies in jeopardy because of the coronavirus pandemic, Kennett High School in North Conway principal Kevin Carpenter says he wanted to use the community’s resources to make the best of a horrible situation. Cranmore Mountain ski resort offered its services at no cost for Saturday’s ceremony.

The 174 seniors each were allowed to have four guests join them for a 10-minute ride on the chairlift to the mountain summit, where they got their diploma and were photographed.

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RHODE ISLAND Rhode Island is offering landlords a financial incentive to rent property to those without homes during the pandemic.

A new state program gives landlords a $2,000 bonus for the first rental unit they make available for someone experiencing homelessness, and they can receive $500 for each additional unit.

Gov. Gina Raimondo said the state provides housing vouchers to those in need, but many struggle to find landlords willing to rent to them. She's calling on landlords to pledge at least 100 rental units by July 1.

“Right now, there are many housing-insecure Rhode Islanders that need a safe place to stay,” the Democratic governor said in a statement. “Homelessness is always devastating, but all the more so during a global pandemic.”

The program is being coordinated by United Way, which will help match renters and landlords.

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MASSACHUSETTS

The Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles is resuming road tests for new drivers whose exams were canceled because of the pandemic, and it's offering a new...