MOUNT WASHINGTON, N.H.

Record-high temps observed on summit

The January thaw in New England has even reached Mount Washington, which on Sunday recorded the highest temperature ever for the month.

Meteorologist Margaret Curtis of the National Weather Service in Gray, Maine, said the temperature at the Mount Washington observatory hit 48 degrees at 6 a.m. Sunday, making New England’s tallest mountain warmer than Phoenix and San Diego for a brief spell.

The previous record high for the month atop Mount Washington was 47, set on Jan. 20, 1995.

Curtis said temperatures will begin cooling across the region starting Monday, with the possibility of extreme cold Friday into Saturday.

LEWISTON

Veterans encouraged to attend Tuesday job fair

A Maine job fair is featuring businesses that are the lookout to hire veterans.

Oxford Casino is sponsoring the event, which is being held at the Lewiston career center on Tuesday from 9 a.m. to noon.

Besides Oxford Casino, other businesses on hand will include Lowe’s, Americorps, VIP Auto, CompuPay, First Light Home Care and Merrymeeting Behavioral Health Services.

The fair is open to anyone, but officials say they are particularly interested in hiring veterans.

PORTSMOUTH, N.H.

Brewers opposed to higher beer taxes

A proposal to increase taxes by a dime a gallon on beer sold in New Hampshire isn’t going down smoothly with brewers.

State Reps. Charles Weed of Keene and Richard Eaton of Greenville say their proposal would raise $4.2 million, which would be used by the Department of Health and Human Services for alcohol treatment programs.

But Smuttynose Brewery owner Peter Egelston tells the Portsmouth Herald that the proposal is “a combination of bad social policy and very bad economic policy.”

The proposal leaves unchanged taxes on wine and liquor. Rep. Adam Schroadter, R-Newmarket, said that if the goal is to help people with alcohol problems then it would make sense to have the state kick in from revenue from wine and liquor sales at state-run stores.