Latest official figures released by the Census Bureau have confirmed that for the first time in about 209 years, the population of New Hampshire has managed to exceed that of Maine. Both the states have nearly 1.3 million residents, and new figures released Wednesday have estimated that New Hampshire's population is plus 6,274 people.

Among the many changes and demands that are being made under the new US healthcare reform bill by the Government is the fact that hospitals would have to be more open and public about their standard charges for all services, but it seems that New Hampshire and Maine have gone much further and are looking to make things and cost related issues as transparent for customers as possible.

Senator Dennis Damon introduced a bill on Tuesday, rewriting the marriage law in Maine - that currently defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman - defining it as a union between two people.

Fairchild Semiconductor International has informed that it will cut its worldwide workforce by 12 percent, or about 1,100 jobs, to cut costs and boost cash flow.

Along with job cuts, the South Portland, Maine-based company has also decided to cut its revenue outlook for the fourth quarter and said it expected more downward pressure on margins.