MANCHESTER, N.H. (AP) – A new poll is giving departing Gov. Craig Benson poor marks for his job performance for the past two years.

Of the 600 people interviewed, 19 percent gave the Republican an F and 27 percent gave him a D. Only three percent gave him an A.

Twenty-one percent gave him a B and 26 percent a C.

The poll was conducted by the American Research Group Dec. 17-20. The margin of error is 4 percentage points.

Democrat John Lynch beat Benson in November.

It was the first time in 78 years that voters denied a freshman governor a second, two-year term.

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Deportation Sentencing

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CONCORD, N.H. (AP) – A federal judge sentenced a 36-year-old Mexican national to two years in prison Tuesday for illegaly re-entering the country after being deported.

U.S. Attorney Tom Colantuono said Eduardo Garcia-Cecenas was arrested in March when he tried to register a car in Mexican Voter Identification Card.

Garcia-Cecenas had received a 25-year suspended sentence and was deported to Mexico after he was convicted of a drug-related offense in Iowa in 1996.

Federal authorities said he would be deported again once he serves his prison term.

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Tame Deer

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CONCORD, N.H. (AP) – State Fish and Game officials said Tuesday they captured a deer fed by a group of Manchester residents and moved it to a rehabilitation facility.

Mark Ellingwood cautioned people against feeding deer. He said when they do, deer lose their wild nature and leave their natural habitat.

He said Fish and Game took action because the deer was endangering its life and that of motorists by crossing city streets. The deer was captured near Interstate 93.

The deer was reportedly orphaned and had been fed by a neighborhood since August.

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Lynch-Staff

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CONCORD, N.H. (AP) – Gov.-elect John Lynch on Tuesday named Richard Sigel of Manchester as his chief of staff and Kate Hanna of Bedford as his legal counsel.

Sigel is a lawyer who served as a senior adviser to Lynch during his campaign. He also served as former Gov. Jeanne Shaheen’s chief of staff.

Hanna is a partner at Sheehan, Phinney, Bass and Green in Manchester where she focuses on health care issues.

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Drug Sentencing

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CONCORD, N.H. (AP) – A 31-year-old Manchester woman has been sentenced in federal court on drug charges.

Corina Barcus pleaded guilty in September to possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it and to using the mail to commit a controlled substance offense. She was sentenced Tuesday to 30 months in prison and placed on three years probation after her release.

Federal prosecutors charged her, her sister and a third person with intending to distribute more than 47 grams of the drug in April. They said the entire scheme involved between 200 and 300 grams.

Her sister, Margaret Barcus of Pittsfield, was sentenced Monday to 33 months in prison and three years probation after her release.

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Heating Assistance

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WASHINGTON (AP) – New Hampshire Sens. Judd Gregg and John Sununu joined 44 of their colleagues in calling on President Bush to release the $300 million in emergency funding for heating assistance.

The senators sent a letter to Bush noting that record energy prices is disproportionately burdening low-income Americans.

Gregg said the cold snap that hit New Hampshire this week is a stark reminder that the assistance is critical to many families.

Sununu said the government should make sure the needy have access to the help when they need it most.