Petition turned aside as vote scheduled

/in /by

BRADFORD—Despite a valid petition, selectboard members in Bradford opted against placing an article on an upcoming special town meeting warning that would require public meetings to be livestreamed.
Last week, selectmen approved a warning for the June 22 special meeting, which is intended to address two items of business left outstanding after the annual town meeting in March. Following the March 2 vote, town officials revealed they inadvertently omitted two appropriation requests by area social services agencies from the municipal budget.

Teacher, para depart from WRVS

/in /by

WAITS RIVER—Two Waits River Valley School employees have resigned after being placed on leave by the Orange East Supervisory Union.
Damon M. Piletz, an enrichment teacher and interventionist at the middle school level for two years, resigned on May 1.
Rachel Pierson, a paraeducator for instructional support since December 2016, resigned Friday May 7.

Tractor Supply awarded Bradford permit

/in /by

BRADFORD—The Bradford Planning Commission has officially approved Tractor Supply’s plans for a new store on the Lower Plain.
There was a site plan review hearing on May 4 for the new store that would be constructed on a vacant parcel next to Bradford Evangelical Free Church.

Elections, roads top Corinth agenda

/in /by

COOKEVILLE—Postponed because of safety concerns related to the pandemic, Corinth Town Meeting will be held on May 25, beginning at 10 a.m. outside the Town Hall in Cookeville. Voting by Australian ballot will take place inside Town Hall, where the polls will be open from 8:30 a.m. until 7 p.m.
Masks will be required to enter Town Hall, hand sanitizer will be available at the door, and social distancing will be maintained throughout the polling area. Town Clerk Nancy Ertle said that anyone who chooses not to wear a mask can request an absentee ballot from an attendant at the door and fill it out outside.

Hearing held on local roads bill

/in /by

CONCORD—For a little while last week, the road funding dispute between Haverhill and Woodsville took center stage, virtually, in Concord.
Legislators from Bedford, Nashua and over 20 other Granite State communities that serve on the New Hampshire House Public Works and Highway Committee listened as more than a dozen witnesses testified about proposed changes to an obscure state law that sets the amount of property tax revenue the town of Haverhill gives the precinct of Woodsville for road maintenance and related expenses.

Tractor Supply hearing held

/in /by

BRADFORD—The largest new Bradford retail project in eight years appears one step closer to securing its local zoning permit.
The Bradford Planning Commission held a site plan review hearing on May 4 on the proposed Tractor Supply store that would be constructed on a vacant Lower Plain parcel next to Bradford Evangelical Free Church.
Commercial property developer Matthew Darling of New England Retail Properties told local officials last week that he would like to begin construction later this year with a store opening in October or early November if approved.

Covid outbreak limited at county jail

/in /by

NORTH HAVERHILL—Three Grafton County correctional officers are in quarantine after testing positive for COVID-19 last week, adding an increased burden to an already short-staffed department.
In a telephone interview, Thomas Elliott, county corrections superintendent, said that all Covid protocols, as prescribed by the Centers for Disease Control and the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, are in place.
The remaining staff members and all inmates were tested and found to be Covid negative.

ATV decision gets delayed

/in /by

WOODSVILLE—Selectboard members will wait until later this month to make a decision about opening roadways in Mountain Lakes to ATVs.
With one representative absent on Monday night, board members voted 4-0 to delay a decision until May 24 when they hope to have a full complement.
Monday night’s vote came one week after the board held a public hearing lasting nearly 90 minutes on the plan. At the conclusion of the hearing, board chair Fred Garafalo said they would likely make a decision on the proposal at their May 10 meeting.

Man arrested after Newbury murder

/in /by

WEST NEWBURY—A 70-year-old man and lifelong area resident allegedly shot and killed his daughter inside his West Newbury home on Monday.
At an arraignment on Tuesday afternoon, James D. Perry Jr. pleaded not guilty to the second degree murder of Karina Rheaume, 38. He also pleaded not guilty to aggravated assault and reckless endangerment.
According to a news release, Rheaume went to Perry’s home located on a quiet residential drive off of North Road on Monday afternoon. After not hearing from Rheaume for several hours, a male acquaintance went to Perry’s home. He encountered Perry, who was allegedly armed with a rifle and told him that the victim was dead.

Corinth man back behind bars

/in /by

BURLINGTON—An Orange County man, who received a nine-month federal prison sentence for being a felon in possession of explosive materials, is back behind bars after records show he failed to comply with his court-ordered supervised release conditions imposed last year.
Upon his release from prison, Mark A. Mattiace, 43, of East Corinth failed to undergo a proper substance abuse evaluation and enroll in a subsequent drug treatment program approved by the U.S. Probation Office, records show. They note he also tested positive for both amphetamines and marijuana in February.