Local and regional news

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Social Security Scam Calls on the Rise

Concord, NH – Attorney General Gordon J. MacDonald issues a scam alert for New Hampshire residents, especially its older adult population, related to a rise in Social Security-related scam calls.  Over the last month, the Attorney General’s Consumer hotline has experienced a sharp increase in calls reporting Social Security-related scams.

New Hampshire residents have received scam phone calls from an automated message stating there has been “fraud” associated with the recipient’s Social Security Number. The message asks the recipient to press “1” or stay on the line to speak with an individual who can “help” or “assist” with the fraud. The recipient is then connected to an individual (a scammer) who requests personal identifying information, including the recipient’s name, date of birth, and Social Security Number. Those receiving this type of call have reported that the scammers use scare tactics and threatening language in attempts to obtain the personal information. It has also been reported that the scammers are leaving messages when their calls go unanswered, requesting that recipients call them back. 

The Attorney General’s Office reminds New Hampshire residents that the Social Security Administration (SSA) will NEVER:

  • Threaten you;
  • Suspend your Social Security Number;
  • Demand immediate payment, require payment by cash, gift card, pre-paid debit card, or wire transfer; or
  • Ask for gift card numbers over the phone.

Further, the SSA will never make an unsolicited call to you and ask for your Social Security Number or other personal identifying information.

The Attorney General’s Office urges New Hampshire residents to be vigilant. Anyone receiving a suspicious call from someone claiming to be with the SSA, or requesting Social Security-related information should take the following steps:

  • Do not engage with the caller;
  • Hang up the phone immediately;
  • Do not return unknown calls, texts, or e-mails;
  • Do not give money or personal information;
  • Report the scam to the Office of the Inspector General – Social Security Administration:
  • https://oig.ssa.gov/report;
  • 1-800-269-0271
  • Report the scam to the office of the Attorney General – Consumer Protection Hotline:
  • 1-888-468-4454
  • E-mail: Doj-CPB@doj.nh.gov
  • doj.nh.gov/consumer/complaints

Be aware that scammers are able to “ghost” or utilize what appear to be trusted telephone numbers, including those of government agencies and law enforcement. As a result, even if it appears that the telephone number is familiar or is from a reliable source, the Attorney General’s Office advises all to be cautious and aware of the potential that it may be a scam call.

Anyone with knowledge that a vulnerable adult has been scammed or financially exploited should contact local law enforcement as well as the New Hampshire Bureau of Elderly and Adult Services, at 1-800-949-0470.  

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Two Escaped Inmates Captured in Ossipee, NH

Picture provided by the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office’s Facebook Page

 

OSSIPEE, NH – On Sunday October 4th, 2020 around 8:00pm, a subject reported a suspicious vehicle near the Westward Shores Campground, Ossipee. When the Ossipee Police Department arrived, two subjects fled from the vehicle on foot.

Ossipee PD requested the assistance of a K9, Carroll County Sheriff’s Deputy Rowe and K9 “Charlie” responded and after about 20 minutes of tracking, K9 Charlie alerted to two subjects hiding in a swampy area.

The two male subjects were taken into custody without incident by the Ossipee Police officers,

The subjects identified as Dana Cameron and Raven Dakota both 24 years old.

On September 30th, 2020, both subjects had fled from the Waldo County, ME, re-entry Center where the two were incarcerated and were wanted since fleeing the Center.

The suspicious vehicle had been reported stolen to the Searsport Police Dept., ME, and was towed from the scene.

The Ossipee Police Department was assisted by the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office, NH State Police, Madison Police Department, and Effingham Police Department.

The public is extremely important in stopping criminal activity. “See Something, Say Something.” These arrests and recovery of a stolen vehicle were possible because an individual noticed something suspicious and made a call to the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office Regional Communication Center.

Source: Press Release from Carroll County Sheriff’s Office’s Facebook Page

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New Hampshire’s Ski Area COVID Guidance Released

Bretton Woods Cross Country – Photo provided by: Ski NH

 

CONWAY, NH – Friday afternoon the Reopening Guidance for NH Ski Areas was released by the Office of Governor Sununu, and ski areas around the state are looking forward to continuing to develop their operating plans for this year around the guidance provided.  

“The draft guidance that we submitted and presented to the Governor’s Reopening Task Force was put together with input and consensus across our ski area members. It’s been a real team effort and I’m very proud of the work that our re-opening committee and ski area members have been able to accomplish together,” said Jessyca Keeler, President of Ski New Hampshire. “The approved guidance takes the health and safety of our guests and staff seriously, and with additional input from the Department of Public Health, we’re confident that we have a guidance document that will lead us through this very different upcoming ski season.”

The COVID-19 Reopening Guidance for NH Ski Areas will be implemented statewide and includes guidance for staff and guests alike to wear face coverings inside buildings (except when eating or drinking); in lift lines and mazes as well as when loading, riding, and unloading from lifts; and in other places where 6 feet of physical distancing cannot be achieved.  Resorts will implement enhanced cleaning regimens, implement employee protocols (many of which have been in place since summer operations began), chairlift rides will only group families and those who have traveled together, ski areas will shift to more online ticket sales to avoid lines and in-person transactions at ticket windows, and there will be physical distancing requirements and capacity controls within lodges and other indoor facilities.  These adaptations and others will be common across the state’s ski areas and should provide a baseline of what guests should expect at any given area.

In addition to topics in the guidance that address ski-area specific operations such as chairlifts and lodges, other existing guidance is referenced that will be followed, including the NH Universal Guidance and guidance for the Food Service Industry, Child Care, Retail Stores, Amateur & Youth Sports, NH Performing Arts Venues, and various CDC guidance.

Resorts will be responsible for implementing operating plans designed to reduce the risk of infection from COVID-19. Guests will be responsible for following these procedures prior to and when they arrive at the ski area. Skier services will vary by resort as each area will decide which parts of its operation will be available to its guests. Guests should check the ski area’s website for the status of each ski area’s offerings and policies before arriving. 

“We’re all looking forward to this ski season. It’s almost as if we have some unfinished business after having our season come to an abrupt end in mid-March,” said Keeler. “That said, the key to opening and staying open this year will be for ski areas to do their part, and guests to do theirs.  It’s up to all of us to observe and respect the new protocols being put in place that are designed to keep staff and guests safe and healthy.”

Ski New Hampshire is the statewide association representing 30 alpine and cross-country resorts in New Hampshire. For more information on ski areas, trail conditions, vacation planning, and updated winter events at Ski New Hampshire resorts, visit SkiNH.com. For statewide travel info, go to VisitNH.gov.

A copy of the NH ski area guidance can be found here.

 

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Single Vehicle Accident Near Outlook Apartments in North Conway Causes Power Outage

At approximately 7:00 pm on Thursday night Conway Police Department (CPD) was dispatched to a single vehicle accident into a telephone pole in the area of 3158 White Mountain Highway. When officers arrived on scene they observed a Silver 2004 Saab that had come to rest against a telephone pole located off of the southbound shoulder. After striking the pole the vehicle struck the white fence in front of the Outlook Apartments. The vehicle operator, a 17 year old female from Fryeburg, ME, was uninjured in the crash. She stated that she was traveling southbound and was blinded by a vehicle passing her in the northbound lane that failed to extinguish its high beams. It does not appear that speed or operator impairment were factors in the crash. The telephone was replaced and power was lost in the area for a short time. Two vehicles lawfully parked in the parking lot of Overlook Apartments were damaged as a result of debris from the telephone and fence that were struck by the vehicle.

Chief Christopher Mattei
Conway Police Department

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Invasive Spotted Lanternfly Egg Masses Found in Maine

Spotted lanternfly adults. (Image: Sarah Scally, Assistant Horticulturist, Maine DACF) 

 

AUGUSTA – The Maine Department of Agricultural, Conservation and Forestry (DACF) announced finding egg masses of the invasive spotted lanternfly (SLF) on trees in Maine communities and is urging residents to report any sign of the invasive pest. The egg masses were found on trees from Pennsylvania, where SLF is established and planted in Boothbay, Freeport, Northeast Harbor, and Yarmouth.

DACF urges anyone who received goods or materials, such as plants, landscaping materials, or outdoor furniture, from a state with a known SLF infestation to carefully check the materials, including any packaging, for signs of SLF. There are currently known populations of SLF in Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia.

If any life stages of SLF are found, residents should take a photo or collect the specimen and report any pest potential sightings to bugwatch@maine.gov. Residents should look for large, gray insects, about one inch long, with black spots and red underwings, or inch-long, rectangular yellowish-brown egg masses covered with a gray waxy coating. Egg masses may be found on any flat surface.

“These most recent finds call attention to the fact that there are many ways that spotted lanternfly can travel here from other states,” said State Horticulturist, Gary Fish. “Early detection plays an important role in the protection of our state’s economic and ecological resources from invasive species, and we ask anyone who may have received shipments of wood, ornamental plants, or any other materials from Pennsylvania or other Northeastern states to help protect the natural resources and agricultural industries of Maine by checking for and reporting any signs of spotted lanternfly.”

The spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) is an invasive sap-feeding insect from Asia first found in the United States in 2014, in Pennsylvania. While the preferred host plant of this pest is tree-of-heaven (Ailanthus altissima), spotted lanternfly attacks over 100 species of trees, shrubs, and vines, and has the potential to impact a broad range of agricultural commodities, including apples, peaches, grapes/wine, maple syrup, as well as the ornamental nursery industry.

As many families across the state spend more time at home during the COVID-19 pandemic and are undertaking activities such as gardening to improve their outdoor spaces, Maine has seen an increase in purchases of items such as outdoor furniture, play structures, gazebos, as well as trees and shrubs for landscaping. When shipped from areas with SLF infestations, these products, and the vehicles used for transportation, can unintentionally carry the pest into new areas.

Because no live SLF has been found in Maine, there is currently no evidence that SLF has become established. The DACF Horticulture Program has inspected all the suspect trees and asks the homeowners and landscape companies to keep an eye on the areas where egg masses were found to confirm that no live populations are present. Spotted lanternfly has not previously been found in Maine. 

Photo: Spotted lanternfly egg mass. Credit Sarah Scally, Assistant Horticulturist, Maine DACF) 

 

A spotted lanternfly nymph (immature). The 4th instar has red and black patches with white spots. (Image: Lawrence Barringer, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Bugwood.org) 

 

A spotted lanternfly nymph (immature). Instars 1-3 are black with white spots. (Image: Lawrence Barringer, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Bugwood.org)

 

For more information about the spotted lanternfly, please visit: https://www.maine.gov/dacf/php/caps/slf/index.shtml

If you have seen any of the life stages of this insect in Maine, please report it: bugwatch@maine.gov.

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TRUMP AND BIDEN TO MEET IN FIRST DEBATE TONIGHT AT 9PM!

President Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden will meet tonight (September 29th) in the first of their three presidential debates, being held on the campus of the Cleveland Clinic and Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, there will be no traditional pre-debate handshake and the audience will be limited to just 75 to 80 people, all of whom will be tested beforehand. The 90-minute debate will run from 9:00pm to 10:30 p.m. ET and be aired on ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, Fox News, MSNBC and C-SPAN, as well as on several streaming platforms. The vice presidential debate is next on October 7th between Vice President Mike Pence and Senator Kamala Harris, and then Trump and Biden will debate again on October 15th and 22nd. 

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New Hampshire to Receive Supplies from US FDA to Conduct 25,000 Rapid Antigen COVID-19 Tests per Week

Concord, NH – The State of New Hampshire will soon be able to conduct an additional 25,000 COVID-19 rapid antigen tests per week as a result of the new shipment of Abbott BinaxNOW Rapid-Antigen COVID-19 tests distributed in the State as part of the US Food and Drug Administration’s effort to increase rapid COVID-19 testing across the nation. These rapid antigen test cards will be placed in community testing sites around the state to support symptomatic individuals that are in need of a quick test, including in-person school settings, frontline healthcare workers, emergency responders and other high-risk populations.
 
“The BINAX test will allow the state to significantly ramp up testing in a targeted fashion — specifically for students and vulnerable populations,” said Governor Chris Sununu.  “The rapid results will make decisions much easier for parents and educators.” 
 
The BinaxNOW COVID-19 Antigen Test can be used by laboratories that have Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 (CLIA) certification. The State will distribute these tests to the 20 community testing sites established to support COVID-19 testing in New Hampshire, as well as National Guard drive-through testing locations. BinaxNOW cards are being placed in these locations because they were established to support individuals who are experiencing symptoms associated with COVID-19.
 
“As more and more residents return to school, work and other communal settings, residents experiencing symptoms will have greater access to rapid results to quickly determine whether they have COVID-19,” said Lori Shibinette, Commissioner of the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services. “Community transmission of the new coronavirus continues to occur throughout the state and we do not want symptomatic people going to a school or place of work to get a test and potentially exposing others. The BinaxNOW Rapid Antigen tests will be located in our already established community testing locations because they have procedures in place to avoid additional exposures.”
 
“New Hampshire schools have worked hard to get students back to school safely,” said Frank Edelblut, Commissioner of the New Hampshire Department of Education. “Increased rapid testing will greatly benefit these ongoing efforts, as well as assist schools responding to cases in their communities.”
 
Each BinaxNOW Rapid Antigen testing kit will include a nasal swab and results are available in 15 minutes. It is anticipated that the BinaxNOW tests will be available at community testing locations in the next few weeks. The FDA expects New Hampshire will receive supplies to conduct as many as 400,000 rapid tests by the end of the year.
 
For information on availability of the BinaxNOW Rapid Antigen Test as well as other testing options, please click here.