Local and regional news

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Conway Man Arrested After Allegedly Assaulting Roommate

CONWAY, NH – A Conway man is under arrest for allegedly assaulting his roommate on multiple occasions.

Conway Police reported that last month they a Conway woman reported that her roommate, 22-year-old Lawrence Coates, had assaulted her and threatened her with a sharp object a few days prior when the two were staying at a local hotel. The victim also claimed that Coates had sexually assaulted her earlier this year.

On Monday Police apprehended Coates on an open warrant obtained by the Conway Police Department Investigative Services Division. He faces multiple felony charges including Reckless Conduct with a Deadly Weapon (Felony B), Criminal Threatening (Felony B), 2nd Degree Assault (Felony B) and Sexual Assault (Misdemeanor A).

Lawrence Coates was transported to the Carroll County House of Corrections and arraigned on Tuesday at the Carroll County Superior Court where he was released on Personal Recognizance bail.

Coates has multiple prior convictions including thefts in 2018 and 2014, criminal threatening, trespassing, criminal mischief, parole violations and prohibited acts involving drugs.

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Rochester Man Dies After Crashing Into Dover Tolls

39-year-old Justyn Tyndaal, of Rochester, New Hampshire was killed when his SUV crashed into the Dover Tolls Monday Morning. ~ Photo courtesy of NH State Police Troop A

DOVER, NH – New Hampshire State Police say a driver died after his SUV crashed into a concrete barrier at a toll plaza and caught on fire.

Police said 39-year-old Justyn Tyndaal, of Rochester, New Hampshire, was traveling north on Route 16 in Dover when he lost control of his 2018 Chevrolet Equinox at around 2:10 am this morning. He crashed into the barrier while attempting through an EZ Pass lane at the Dover toll plaza.

Police said the SUV came to final rest perpendicular in the travel lane of the toll plaza and became engulfed in flames.

Tyndaal sustained serious injuries and had to be extracted from the vehicle. He was taken to a Portsmouth Regional Hospital, where he died.

Three northbound travel lanes at the toll plaza were closed for approximately 2 hours as Troopers conducted the on-scene investigation.

The New Hampshire State Police were assisted at the scene by members of the Dover Fire Department, Newington Fire Department and NH DOT.

The crash remains under investigaton by the New Hampshire State Police Troop A. Anyone with further information related to this crash or who witnessed this crash are encouraged to contact Trooper Eric Call at 603-223-8490 or by email at Eric.Call@dos.nh.gov.

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Cancellations & Delays For December 17th

school-closings2

 

Delays

 

Schools

 

MSAD 61 Bridgton Maine –  2 Hour Delay

 

 

 

 

 

To Report a Cancellation or Delay contact our Office at 603-356-8870

 

Cancellations and Delays are brought to you by:

 
 

Granite State Glass

 

 

 

 

Valladares Transportation and Repair

(603) 447-2101

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State Police Seek Public’s Help As They Investigate Injured Child In Chocorua

Chocorua, NH – State Police are investigating an injured child in Chocorua. According to State Police Troop E they were called to 196 Deer Hill Road at 8:20 Monday night to investigate a report of a minor child who had been significantly injured.

Police said this morning that they are continuing to investigate the cause of that injury.

The State Police are being assisted by the Carroll County Sheriff’s Department, and the Tamworth Police Department.

Authorities ask that anyone with information regarding the investigation is asked to contact Sergeant Craig S. McGinley of the New Hampshire State Police, Troop E, Tamworth. (603) 323-3333.

 

 

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Conway Police Cram Their Cruisers

Conway Police held their annual Cram The Cruiser Food Drive Saturday. ~ Photo Courtesy Of Conway Police

 
North Conway, NH – On Saturday Conway Police Department held their sixth annual Cram the Cruiser Holiday food drive at the North Conway Hannaford Saturday.

Conway Police dispatch Supervisor and food drive organizer Joanne MacKenzie said that thanks to the extremely generous monetary donations from The Conway Area Lions Club, the North Conway Firefighters Association, the Center Conway Firefighters Association and individuals in the community they spent nearly $1,700 in cash inside the store on non-perishable food, toiletries, and paper goods for local food pantries. 

The food drive also received over $2000 in donations of the Hannaford Helps Fight Hunger boxes, and approximately $1000 worth of bagged groceries donated by Hannaford customers doing their weekend shopping. 

“The Conway Police Department Command Unit was stuffed nearly to the top by the end of the drive”. ~ Photo courtesy of Conway Police

 
MacKenzie said the Conway Police Department Command Unit was stuffed nearly to the top by the end of the drive. Officers, Dispatchers and staff then delivered the donations to the Vaughn Community Center food pantry and the Conway Village Congregational Church food pantry.

According to Melody, the Conway Village Congregational Church pantry has supported 492 households, which equals 45,400 meals, over the last eleven months. Vaughn Community Services pantry supports 1,068 households annually which, according to Jennifer Perkins at Vaughn, equals 110,886 meals.

With the high temperature on Saturday reaching only in the twenties, the Police Department staff stayed mainly in the lobby at Hannaford, received warm greetings and holiday wishes from the shoppers, and handed out candy canes to children. Some children even got to sit in a police car and turn on the blue lights.

MacKenzie, Conway Police Chief Ed Wagner and Lieutenant Chris Mattei all agreed that this was their biggest food drive yet. Saying that they were grateful to the Mount Washington Valley Community for the outpouring of support during what can be a difficult time of year for local families.

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Kennett High School & Middle School Locked Down After Alarm Activation

North Conway, NH – Kennett High School and Middles school went into a lockdown Wednesday after someone activated the alarm. According to Conway Police the high school lockdown alarm was activated at 10:20 A.M. triggering a school wide lockdown.

The School Resource Officer, was on scene at the school and reported that the cause of the alarm was unknown. Within minutes, eight Conway Police Officers along with officers from the Carroll County Sherriff’s Department and NH State Police arrived on scene.

Officers conducted an initial search of the school but no immediate threats were identified.  At that time, a cursory search of each and every room of the school was completed by search teams. 

All staff and students were systematically removed from their classrooms and offices.

The search of the entire building took officers approximately 2 hours.

As the Lockdown at the High school was being lifted a lockdown alarm at Kennett Middle School was reported. Officers responded and determined it was an accidental activation.

While this was taking place SAU 9 schools were to shelter in place as a precaution. A shelter in place is a lower-level response to a specific threat and involves the school making sure people aren’t coming in or out until the situation is over.

After the two lockdowns had been lifted Police issued a press release saying that the point of origin of the alarm activation at the high school was identified and they are working to identify the person responsible for activating it. Authorities said that if the person responsible had no legitimate reason for initiating activation, criminal charges may be brought.

Later in the day SAU 9 Superintendent Kevin Richard issued a statement saying the alarm at the high school was triggered when a person moved his or her phone and the alarm button was inadvertently hit.  

The alarm at the middle school was triggered when someone dropped something on a console and the button was hit.

Richard said the incidents were totally unrelated.

Conway Police Lt. Christopher Mattei said “The Conway Police Department would like to thank the SAU 9 staff and students at both schools for their patience and cooperation.  We would also like to thank both the Conway and North Conway Fire Departments, the Carroll County Sherriff’s Department and NH State Police for their prompt assistance.”            

 

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Conway Public Library Receives $4,000 Grant For Conservation Treatment on Art Collection

The original drawing of the Conway Public Library by building architect Thomas Silloway is on of the three pieces of art works set to be conserved using the grant money. ~ Photo courtesy of Conway Public Library.

 
Conway, NH – November 29, 2018 – The Conway Public Library is pleased to announce it has received a $4,000 grant from the Robert and Dorothy Goldberg Foundation to perform conservation treatment on three items in the Library’s art collection. The project was jump started through the generous support of the Friends of the Conway Public Library, whose backing covered the expenses associated with producing conservation treatment reports for the Library art collection. These treatment reports were essential to the success of the grant proposal.  

The three works of art to be conserved are “Making Soap” by Benjamin T. Newman, an untitled work by the artist Anne Goldthwaite, and the original drawing from which the Conway Public Library was built.

Making Soap (pictured above) by Fryeburg Academy art teacher Benjamin T. Newman is a community treasure of the Mount Washington Valley. Donated to the library in the year of its opening, 1901, this fascinating and unusual painting has been a part of the library patron experience since the very beginning. The painting was originally created for the 1893 World Columbian Exhibition as a part of the Maine exhibit. At 48×68 inches the painting is quite imposing but suffers from significant surface grime.

The untitled work by the noted late 19th and early 20th century artist Anne Goldthwaite (pictured above) was discovered last winter in the attic of the Conway Public Library. It is with a certain amount of embarrassment that the Library admits that an important work of art languished in its attic for 40 or so years. As Goldthwaite was born in Alabama and lived much of her life in New York City, the Library was uncertain of the provenance. After some research it was determined that the item was donated to the Library by Keith and Nella Henney, the founders of the Henney History Room at CPL. The Nella Henney journal, now in book form under the title “Summers on Foss,” confirms the Henney’s knew Anne Goldthwaite so there is no other explanation as to how the painting made it to CPL.

Goldthwaite was a prodigious artist and her works are in numerous museums across the Nation including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Smithsonian, and the Cleveland Museum of Art to name just a few. Conservator Cobbs key recommendation is for the painting to be “dry cleaned” and placed in an archival quality frame for display.

The original drawing of the Conway Public Library building by architect Thomas Silloway is another community treasure.  The Library and the library building are beloved and no other image documents the library in such detail from its early days as does this drawing. Conservator Cobbs key recommendation is to remove the acidic board from the drawing and deacidify.

Once the items have been conserved the library plans to have the Goldthwaite and Silloway items placed in new archival quality frames as described in the estimate from Vintage Frames in North Conway. The Library’s conservator has advised that “Making Soap” does not need a new frame. Once the objects have been conserved and reframed the Library plans to put these works of art on display.

Library Director David Smolen said, “We thank the Goldberg Foundation and the Friends of the Conway Public Library for their generous support of this project. We look forward to showing off the items once they have been conserved.”

Founded in 1900, the mission of the Conway Public Library is to create an environment that promotes and facilitates lifelong learning and community engagement. To meet that end the library collects and provides access to materials, in print and digital form, that meet the intellectual and cultural needs of the community. In addition to this, the library serves as a meeting place for programs where ideas are exchanged and relationships are built.