WNTK Local News

Over $400,000 have been recovered by the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office from a nonprofit that misappropriated funds meant to go towards military veterans, reports the Associated Press.

In 2018, the co-founder and former director of Project Vet Care, Danielle Goodwin, pleaded guilty to diverting money from the Hanover-based charity for her own use. Goodwin was sentenced to three and a half years in state prison and mandated to pay back almost $100,000. She was released from prison last month.

According to a report from the Valley News, the Charitable Trust Division of the AG’s Office stated Tuesday that funds recovered from Project VetCare included funds for veterans programs

Vermont health officials are reporting that over 21,000 Vermonters signed up for the COVID-19 vaccine on Monday.

According to the Associated Press, on Monday, January 25th, vaccine registration opened to VT residents aged 76 and older. Vaccinations for this age group will begin on Wednesday.

Health officials estimate that there are 49,000 citizens in this group, called Phase 1B, and that it will take about six weeks to vaccinate all of them. Following this age group, the minimum age will drop to 70-years-old. VT expects to begin vaccinating citizens aged 65 and older by the beginning of April. Individuals from the ages of 18 to 65, who are deemed to be high risk, will follow.

VT is planning on having 54 vaccination sites across 39 towns. 

A Sunday evening shooting is under investigation in southeastern Vermont, according to a press release from the Westminster State Police Barracks.

At approximately 6:25 PM on Sunday, January 24th, the VSP were notified that a man was dropped off at Brattleboro Memorial Hospital with multiple gunshot wounds. Detectives responded to the scene, and were able to identify the individual as 23-year-old Colby Boyce of Guilford, VT. Boyce was then airlifted to Lebanon, New Hampshire’s Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, where he is currently in intensive care.

An initial investigation into the shooting uncovered that the incident could have occurred on Guilford Center Road in Guilford, but all aspects of the shooting remain under investigation.

Police are looking to speak to anyone with information regarding the incident, including the citizen(s) that dropped Boyce off at the hospital and the location where it occurred.

If you have information, please contact Detective Trooper Jason Lengfellner at 802-772-4600, or anonymously at http://www.vtips.us. 

A Sunapee, New Hampshire resident was injured Saturday afternoon in a snowmobile accident in Pittsburg, reports the NH Fish and Game Department.

According to the report, Terrie Kelly, 53, of Sunapee, crashed her snowmobile at approximately 3:45 PM on Saturday, January 23rd, on Pittsburg’s Round Pond. She was reportedly trying to exit the pond and return to shore when she struck a rock under the snow.

Kelly told authorities that, prior to reaching the shore, she had attempted to evade a patch of slush, which left her vehicle off-center to the exit trail. The snowmobile’s front left side hit the snow-covered rock, causing the rear of the vehicle to spin right. This ejected Kelly over the handlebars and through the windshield.

She was transported to Colebrook’s Upper Connecticut Valley Hospital to be treated for serious, but non-life threatening injuries.

At this time, authorities believe that the primary factor in the accident was the hidden rock. 

The New Hampshire State Police have announced plans to end a longstanding hiring process, reports the Associated Press.

According to the report, the NH State Police will be ending a ban on hiring individuals with arm tattoos. Recruitment and Training Unit Commander Lt. Brendan Davey stated, “We’ve walked some pretty talented people out of our lines and out of the opportunity merely on the basis that they had a little ink that would’ve shown in the shortsleeve uniform.”

Indecent, racist, or sexist tattoos will still not be allowed. Any recruits hired with arm tattoos will be asked to cover them with a sleeve while on duty, according to Davey. Face, hand, or neck tattoos will remain prohibited.

The agency is making the change in hopes to expand their applicant pool.  

A Brookfield, Vermont resident has been charged with a domestic assault following an altercation on Wednesday evening.

According to a press release from the VT State Police-Royalton Barracks, at approximately 6 PM on Wednesday, January 20th, troopers received a report of a family fight at a home in Brookfield.

Upon investigation, it was discovered that Erin Saldi, 29, of Brookfield had assaulted a member of the household, which resulted in bodily harm to the victim. Saldi was taken into custody and transported to the Royalton Barracks to be processed.

She was released with a citation to appear in Orange County Superior Court on Thursday, January 21st, at 12:30 PM to answer to the charge of domestic assault. 

Vermont health officials are expected to release new details on the COVID-19 vaccine roll-out on Friday, according to the Associated Press.

The new information, according to the report, will be aimed at individuals age 75 or older and explaining how they can receive the vaccine. Reservations for this age group will begin being accepted on Monday. Details on how to make an appointment to get vaccinated are expected to be explained on Friday as well.

Once this age group is serviced, the focus is said to shift towards individuals between the ages of 18 and 64 who have underlying conditions that make them more susceptible to COVID-19 complications.

As officials do not currently know how many doses of the vaccine VT will receive, it is not known how long vaccinating that population will take. 

The Lebanon Police Department has announced the arrest of a Vermont man who was allegedly attempting to victimize children.

According to a press release, the Lebanon Police Cyber Crimes Unit recently launched an investigation into social media provider targeting individuals who “were looking to victimize children.” Officers began a dialogue with a male over social media, who then arrived at a location to meet someone, who he thought was a juvenile, to perform sexual acts.

On January 19th, 2021, he arrived at the location and was apprehended. The man, who has been identified as 30-year-old Nicholi Vines of Bethel, VT, was charged with; Certain Uses of Computer Services Prohibited, Attempted Felonious Sexual Assault, and Attempted Endangering Welfare of a Child. All are classified as Class B Felonies.

Vines was held in preventative detention before being arraigned at the Grafton County Superior Court on Wednesday, January 20th. 

A Jamaica, Vermont man has been charged with DUI following an early morning incident on Interstate 91 South.

According to a report from the VT State Police-Westminster Barracks, at approximately 1:20 AM on Wednesday, January 20th, 2021, troopers identified a vehicle struggling to maintain its lane while traveling the highway. The vehicle was also seen to be speeding. At this time, troopers conducted a traffic stop near mile-marker 10 on I-91 South in Brattleboro.

The operator, who has been identified as 50-year-old Tod Davis, was screened and subsequently arrested for DUI #1.

Davis was processed and issued a citation to appear in Windham County Superior Court on February 2nd. 

A Boscawen, New Hampshire couple have been honored as the 2021 Outstanding Tree Farmers of the Year by the state’s tree farm program, reports the Associated Press.

According to the report, Charles and Mabel Niebling bought their 67-acre tree farm in 2001.

Since 2003, the farm has been under a forest management program that focuses on maintaining and improving the quality of the timber and forest products, protecting the water quality of wetlands and riparian zones, providing a recreational resource, conserving native plant species, and creating a diverse range of wildlife habitats. In addition to these goals, the farm is managed to maintain soil productivity, and to protect fragile and unique natural land.

The Tree Farm program states that their four pillars are recreation, water, wildlife, and wood.