WNTK Local News

Vermont Governor Phil Scott has announced the start date for the fall semester, reports WCAX.

Scott plans to sign an executive order making September 8th the start of in-person schooling in VT. However, officials stated that some schools may open sooner for in-person and hybrid instruction. This plan would largely be for Middle and High School students.

Scott also announced that he will be changing calendar requirements, with an aim towards giving school districts greater flexibility.

Many VT officials have stated that the time is right to re-open schools. Pediatrician and American Academy of Pediatrics VT Chapter President, Rebecca Bell, has stated that, “returning pre-k through fifth grade students to school is a priority — including kids with special needs.”

Districts will continue to roll out their plans over the coming month. 

The town of Windsor is considering renaming a street that honors a former resident who owned a slave, reports WCAX.

Jacob Street is named after Stephen Jacob, a local lawyer and politician, who purchased and owned Dinah Mason, a black slave, after Vermont outlawed slavery in 1777.

On Juneteenth of this year, a nonprofit dedicated to Windsor’s historic preservation placed a marker outside Jacob’s home that honors Mason.

The Windsor select board is set to continue the discussion on whether or not to rename the street on Tuesday.  

On Monday, New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu announced that he will be rescinding the statewide ban on reusable grocery bags, reports WMUR.

The ban was originally put in place to help slow the spread of COVID-19.

In a tweet, Sununu announced his intentions to end the ban, stating, “Today I will be issuing a new emergency order that rescinds the ban on reusable bags when shopping. We looked at the latest data, consulted with officials at public health, and ask (sic) individuals to be courteous and respectful to retail/grocery workers by cleaning your reusable bags.”

According to the report, the change is in large part due to the continued low rate of COVID-19 cases in the region.

One man is dead following a motorcycle accident in Laconia, New Hampshire, reports WMUR.

Police responded to an accident on Roller Coaster Road in Laconia at approximately 1 AM Saturday morning.

According to officers, the motorcycle appeared to have driven off the road and into the woods, on a sharp corner. The driver was not wearing a helmet at the time of the crash. He was taken to Lakes Region Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Police have asked anyone with information pertaining to the accident to call 603-524-5252. 

Police have found the body of a missing Springfield, Vermont man, reports WCAX.

Robert Redfield was reported missing last week. According to his wife, Redfield had left his home without leaving a note, and without his cellphone.

The Chester Police reported finding his body at approximately 2:30 PM on Thursday, after his vehicle was located. The vehicle was found on an access road near the intersection of Route 103 N and Route 10.

While autopsy results are pending, police have stated that there is no evidence of a threat to public safety. 

New Hampshire health officials announced three more COVID-19 related deaths on Thursday, reports WMUR.

One of the three deaths was linked to a long-term care facility. As of today, 405 NH citizen’s deaths have been linked to the coronavirus.

25 new COVID-19 cases were also announced, bringing the state’s total since the beginning of the pandemic to 6,318 confirmed cases. The report states that NH has been averaging a couple dozen new cases per day, down from a May peak, which saw over 100 new cases on some occasions.

Also announced today was a new program; the Support Persons Program for Acute Care Hospitals. This program will allow one designated “support person” when someone goes into the hospital for an emergency, scheduled surgery, or in-patient stay.

Flexibility will be built into the program, allowing for hospitals to expand or scale back the program, depending on the severity of COVID-19 concerns at the medical facility. 

A lawsuit against the city of Claremont and an officer involved in a fatal 2016 shooting has been dropped, reports the Associated Press.

The lawsuit was filed by Tracy McEachern, the mother of Cody LaFont, who was shot and killed by police in 2016.

According to the Valley News, the lawyer representing McEachern stated that the case was taking an immense emotional toll on the family. In her lawsuit, McEachern had stated that LaFont was suffering from severe depression when he called police for help at his home in Claremont. She accused the officer, an Officer Kibbe, of using excessive force.

Initially, Kibbe was found “legally justified” in shooting LaFont by the NH Attorney General’s Office.

However, this decision was amended in October, after Kibbe’s credentials were called into question due to an unrelated case. 

A bill that aims to expand burial eligibility in veterans cemeteries has been introduced in New Hampshire, reports the Associated Press.

The bill, which was introduced by Democrats US Senator Jeanne Shaheen and US Representative Chris Pappas, would allow the burial of National Guard members and Reservists. Current law bars state veteran cemeteries from burying Guard members and Reservists, if they want to receive Department of Veteran Affairs grant money. They are barred due to rules regarding service requirements.

The new legislation would allow state cemeteries to decide whether to inter honorably discharged Guard members, Reservists, or their spouses without jeopardizing grant money.

The bill is supported by Colonel Warren Perry, the deputy adjutant general of NH, as well as Shawn Buck, the director of the NH State Veterans Cemetery. 

Construction is underway on a multi-million dollar expansion project at the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, reports WCAX.

The $150 million project is set to add a new inpatient pavilion to the Lebanon campus, with 64 single-person rooms. Included is more room to grow, as the area’s aging population grows. The project was reportedly financed prior to the COVID-19 pandemic’s beginning.

The 200,000-square-foot expansion is expected to begin taking patients in spring of 2022.

Along with increased patient capacity, it is set to create 300 new jobs at DHMC. 

A Claremont man has been sentenced to three years in prison following a “botched” drug deal, reports WCAX.

According to prosecutors, Ira Flowers was not meant to bring a gun when he went to the Springfield Holiday Inn for a drug deal. Flowers was going to exchange a few thousand dollars for bulk marijuana and THC products, authorities stated. But, a fight broke out between Flowers and the three men at the hotel, resulting in him being stabbed and then shot with his own gun.

Flowers reportedly has a long rap sheet, including assault, DUI, and theft.

According to United States Attorney Christina Nolan, this case highlights the harm that results from the mix of guns and drug trade.