Local and regional news

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MASSIVE Interstate Drug Bust

A massive cross-border initiative involving dozens of law enforcement agencies between Carroll County and the State of Maine concluded several months of investigations Thursday by arresting 35 individuals for a myriad of charges from distributing drugs such as fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, and marijuana to destruction of evidence, child abuse, theft, and more. Official arrests released include people from Conway, N. Conway, Fryeburg, Brownfield, Ossipee, Berlin, Tamworth, Tuftonboro, Jackson, Shapleigh, Laconia, Porter, Milton, Rochester, Bartlett, and Sebago. Authorities say the effort isn’t over and that law enforcement agents from town, county, state, and federal agencies are still working on arresting more individuals as they move forward with prosecution.

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Ski Area Tax Voted Down

New Hampshire’s proposed ski ticket tax has been voted inexpedient to legislate by an overwhelming majority of the House. The Thursday vote on HB1652 means the propose 9% tax on ski area tickets is dead. The final roll call was a vote of 323 against 7 to kill the bill. The controversial measure proposed last year wanted to create a 9% tax on ski area tickets in order to fund education funds and scholarships in the State of New Hampshire. The bill died alongside a proposed tax on electronic devices in the state to fund education. That bill, HB1492, was voted inexpedient to legislate by a vote of 320 to 11.

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Local Healthcare Providers Prepared for COVID-19

Memorial Hospital and White Mountain Community Health Center both say they are prepared for COVID-19. The medical centers are following recommendations by the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services Health Alert Network and are reminding patients to call them if they are experiencing any form of concerning illness. White Mountain Community Health Center says they can assess patients by phone and provide help in making informed decisions without putting other patients in risk. Memorial Hospital says they’ve been following updates from New Hampshire’s DHHS since January regarding the virus and have built questions into their visitor registration process to assess the likeliness of possible cases.

New Hampshire’s Department of Health and Human Services says COVID-19, and all respiratory illnesses, are most commonly spread through respiratory droplets. They say residents should take the same precautions as those recommended to prevent the spread of influenza:

  • Stay home and avoid public places when sick (i.e. social distancing)
  • Cover mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing
  • Wash hands frequently
  • Avoid being within 6 feet (close contact) of a person who is sick
  • Avoid sharing drinks, smoking/vaping devices, or other utensils or objects that may transmit saliva
  • Disinfect frequently touched surfaces

Memorial Hospital NH is a part of the MaineHealth network who have published an informational page on their website advising concerned residents about the virus.

Dartmouth-Hitchcock Health has been at the center of New Hampshire’s part of the COVID-19 outbreak. One of their employees had traveled to Italy where they contracted the virus. Even though they had reported themselves after developing symptoms, they broke quarantine after testing positive for the virus by going to a social event at White River Junction, Vermont. Since then another person who was in contact with that man has tested positive for the virus and a fellow attendee to the event has reported symptoms and is being tested. Both are under self-quarantine. Dartmouth-Hitchcock health has released two videos addressing the issue. The second video speaks to when it’s appropriate to wear a mask or not. That can be seen below:

See the official New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services page on COVID-19 here.

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Ossipee Fire on Route 16 UPDATED

Shortly after noon on Thursday scanner calls indicated a serious fire at an apartment building off Route 16 in Ossipee, New Hampshire. New Hampshire’s State Department of Safety has confirmed that a fire had trapped multiple people in the upper floors of a four story apartment building. State Fire Marshall Paul Parisi says three occupants jumped from windows on the third and fourth stories and two children were dropped from those upper level windows as well. Firefighters extracted at least one victim using a ground ladder. Ossipee’s Police Department closed down Rt. 16 near the fire and began redirecting traffic sometime around 1:45pm. Authorities say there was a total of 8 victims transferred to hospitals for a mixture of traumatic injuries from jumping as well as smoke inhalation. Most of the victims were transferred to Huggins Hospital in Wolfeboro for treatment. They ranged from a 2-year old girl to a 53-year-old man. Three victims had to be further transferred to Dartmouth Hitchcock, two by DHART helicopter and one by ambulance. Among them, a 1 month old girl who was reported to be in critical condition as well as two female teenagers in serious but non-life threatening conditions. WMUR-TV reports a woman named Doran Garland was driving along Route 16 when she saw the fire and pulled over to help. According to WMUR and social media posts, she and others were using a blanket to catch victims as they jumped from the building.

Approximately half of the 49 occupants of the apartments were home at the time of the fire. The origins of the fire are still under investigation. Authorities report Red Cross is helping families displaced by the fire. Parisi says the town of Ossipee has also been instrumental in providing aid for the victims. Lakes Region Humane Society say they can help find temporary housing situations for the cats and dogs of those affected. New Hampshire’s Department of Safety is reminding residents once again to make sure their smoke alarms are working.

 

 

 

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MWV Skating Brings Home The Gold

The Mt. Washington Valley Skating Club participated in two skating competitions last month and say they took home the gold as well as other medals. The Snowflake Skate was held in Falmouth, Maine and a number of members of the club received various awards for their Basic Level team, Freeskate level team, individual competitions, and individual freeskate competitions. The club says they also participated in the Skate Your Heart Out competition in Hallowell, Maine where members of the club again placed in the top tiers of the various categories. The Mt. Washington Valley Skating Club is a part of the US Figure Skating Association that teaches all ages and abilities in skating at the Ham Arena in Conway.

The Snowflake Skate

Gold Medal, Basic Level Team Event – Amelia Barboza, Candice Pickering, and Holly Pierce

Gold Medal, Freeskate Level Team Event – Georgia Knowles, Jordan Goldblatt, Julia Silvia, Olivia and Patrick Sandahl

Gold Medal, Basic 2 with music – Candice Pickering

Silver Medal, Basic 2 with music – Amelia Barboza

Bronze Medal, Basic 3 with music – Holly Pierce

Fourth Place, Pre-Freeskate with music – Georgia Knowles

Fourth Place, Freeskate 1 with music – Patrick Sandahl

Silver Medal, Freeskate 2 with music – Olivia Sandahl

Bronze Medal, Freeskate 2 with music – Julia Silvia

Fourth Place, Freeskate 2 with music – Jordan Goldblatt

Gold Medal, Adult Pre-Bronze Pattern Solo Dance – Jeni Wilder

Gold Medal, Basic 6 with music – Sativa Hoeflich

 

Skate Your Heart Out

Gold, Basic Level Team – Amelia Barboza, Candice Pickering, and Holly Pierce

Fourth, Freeskate Level Team – Georgia Knowles, Che Che Stoddard, and Patrick Sandahl

Fourth, Freeskate Level Team – Jordan Goldblatt, Julia Silvia, and Olivia Sandahl

Gold, Basic 2 with music – Candice Pickering

Silver, Basic 2 with music – Amelia Barboza

Bronze, Basic 3 with music – Holly Pierce

Gold, Basic 6 Compulsory – Sativa Hoeflich

Gold, Basic 6 Showcase – Sativa Hoeflich

Silver, Basic 6 with music – Sativa Hoeflich

Bronze, Pre-Freeskate with music – Georgia Knowles

Silver, Freeskate 1 with music – Patrick Sandahl

Silver, Freeskate 2 with music – Julia Silvia

Bronze, Freeskate 2 with music – Olivia Sandahl

Bronze, Freeskate 2 with music – Che Che Stoddard

Fourth, Freeskate 2 with music – Jordan Goldblatt

Gold, Adult Bronze Showcast – Jeni Wilder

Gold, Adult Pre-Bronze Solo Dance Pattern – Jeni Wilder

Gold, Adult Bronze Compulsory – Jeni Wilder

Gold, Pre-Pre Moves – Nina Stoddard

Gold, Adult 4 with music – Nina Stoddard

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Jackson’s Community Bridge

The Jackson Public Library has announced something they’re calling, “The Jackson Bridge.” The idea? To build a bridge between neighbors to help each other. The program allows people to sign up to be a part of an electronic mailing list. Once a member, people will receive emailed requests for help from throughout the community. The goal is to create a community forum for people to request favors such as asking a neighbor to grab a grocery item you need to pick up but can’t. Organizers say the list does have guidelines to prevent abuse. Listeners can find more information at the Jackson Public Library’s website.

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Super Tuesday Election Tomorrow

In a move that has perplexed many, Pete Buttigieg dropped out of the Democratic Primaries the weekend just before Super Tuesday and Amy Klobuchar dropped out just one day before. Both candidates are attempting to pool their votes behind former Vice President Joe Biden in a bid to beat the progressive candidates. Though it may seem confusing for Buttigieg, the move is likely related to his strategy which had planned to utilize momentum in the first states to build a wave of support as the primaries progressed. That momentum died with the late entry of Michael Bloomberg. Amy Klobuchar’s campaign has been about even with Elizabeth Warren’s delegate count but polling indicated that she was unlikely to make significant gains this coming Tuesday. Still, some voters are wondering if cabinet positions were promised in exchange for the change of heart. The delegate count currently has Bernie with a slight lead against Biden, but that could change Tuesday with recent events. Super Tuesday features voting in over a dozen states including Maine. The Republican ballot in Maine will feature only Donald Trump and the choice to write-in someone different. Maine has closed primaries meaning only members of the particular parties can vote inside their respective primary.

Regardless of party, all of Maine’s eligible voters will be able to vote on the referendum tomorrow. Question 1 reads, “Do you want to reject the new law that removes religious and philosophical exemptions to requiring immunization against certain communicable diseases for students to attend schools and colleges and for employees of nursery schools and health care facilities?” A ‘yes’ vote would protect the ability of people under current Maine law to refuse vaccines. A ‘no’ vote would allow a law that will force the requirement of vaccines.

Listeners can click here to find where they can go to vote.