Firefighters worked to combat a fire at 11 Runnells Hall Road in the early afternoon today. Route 16 had to be temporarily shutdown so that firehoses could be run across the road. The building appears to be the former location of Mari’s Treasures in Chocorua. American Red Cross New Hampshire and Vermont reported having trained volunteers on scene to assist and promised to provide food, shelter, clothing, mental health counseling and referral services as needed.

Picture Contribution from local resident and Innkeeper of The Farmstand: Kimball Packard.

Yesterday President Trump signed an Executive Order called the ‘National Initiative to Empower Veterans and End Veteran Suicide.’ It creates a task force to identify ways the government can help cut down on the number of veterans committing suicide every day. The transition from being in the service to being a civilian can be a daunting one. Veterans often go into the military at a critical time for job training, spend years acquiring skills that are hard to translate to civilian life, and sometimes even experience traumatic events that will stay will them for the rest of their lives. A veteran commits suicide once every 65 minutes. That’s an average of 22 veterans a day and it’s a statistic a lot of people want to put a stop to. Valley resident and former Army Captain Ray Gilmore recently spoke on his personal experience. Gilmore says his best friend and roommate committed suicide in 2013. “You know, sapper qualified ranger, qualified combat advisor just like me. Did his stuff, five kids- six kids. Six kids, he was an overachiever. It was just, it was a shock. When 22 soldiers a day are committing suicide, there’s no such thing as ‘not that guy,’ that guy is everywhere.” If you’re a veteran contemplating suicide, you are not alone. You can find help by calling 800-273-8255 ext. 1, or by going to mentalhealth.va.gov