A truck stolen from Claremont, New Hampshire and driven to Vermont has been found, along with the suspect, reports WCAX.
According to VT State Police, Matthew Tyler stole a 2020 Toyota Tundra from a dealership in Claremont, before traveling to Peru, VT, where he broke into a general store. The truck was eventually found in Springfield, VT.
Tyler is being charged with Burglary, Operating Without Owner’s Consent, and Unlawful Mischief. He is currently being held at the Southern State Correctional Facility.
Mt. Ascutney Hospital and Health Center have announced the addition of an “enhanced wide-bore magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner, with same-week scheduling available ” reports Vermont Biz.
The mobile unit will be on the hospital campus in Windsor, Monday through Thursday, every week. Aiding in the project are Valley Regional Healthcare in Claremont, New Hampshire and Alliance Healthcare.
MRI units allow 3D images of the body to be taken without radiation. Wide-bore units, like the one to be at Mt. Ascutney Hospital, is helpful for larger patients (the unit can accommodate up to 550 pounds) and those who experience claustrophobia or anxiety in smaller units.
Those who are seeking for information pertaining to the new wide-bore MRI system should contact their primary care provider or Mt. Ascutney Hospital directly at 802-674-6711.
The New Hampshire Senate has returned to the Statehouse for the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, reports the Associated Press.
However, Tuesday’s session was not held in the Senate chamber, it was held in Representatives Hall to allow the 24 members to maintain social distancing.
During the session, senators voted on nearly 200 bills, most of which were combined into omnibus measures. They were grouped by subject matter, with most dealing with criminal justice, education, and health care.
Other topics addressed included pandemic response and police matters.
New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu has signed an executive order that creates the NH Commission on Law Enforcement, Accountability, Community and Transparency, reports WCAX.
The order, which was signed on Tuesday, creates a 13-member panel consisting of ACLU members, police officers, and the public to develop recommendations for police reform in the state.
Of the decision, Sununu stated, “We’ve made great strides, we’ve passed some good legislation, but there is still a gap. We know there is still a gap. And it is nothing that is insurmountable, but I also believe that it’s nothing that can wait. And so we are going to move, we are going to move quickly, we are going to put the right people at the table and we are going to get some results.”
The panel has 45 days to offer their recommendations.
Vermont Governor Phil Scott has extended the state’s “state of emergency” to July 15th, reports WCAX.
The extension comes as health officials report that the growth rate of COVID-19 remains below two percent. On Monday, officials reported that there are now a total of 1,128 cases in the state and there have been 55 deaths related to the virus. 83 of those cases are part of the Winooski-Burlington area outbreak.
Vermont plans to issue new guidelines on Wednesday, that will outline visitation of residents at long-term care facilities and nursing homes.
Scott has said that due to the state’s stockpile of personal protective equipment and hospital space, he has continued to ease restrictions.
Construction on two roundabouts on Route 5 in Harford got underway Monday, reports The Hour.
The project will also include the construction of nearly a half-mile of sidewalk from Lily Pond Road to the post office on Sykes Mountain Road.
The project was devised by the town of Hartford and the Vermont Agency of Transportation to make the intersections along Route 5 and Sykes Mountain Road safer for all travelers.
Construction will take place Monday through Friday 7 AM to 6 PM, with the possibility of daytime work on some upcoming Saturdays.
Dartmouth College has announced that it will be removing a controversial weather vane from the campus, reports NBC 5.
The weather vane, which is being removed for offensive imagery, sits atop the Baker Library Tower on the school’s Hanover campus. According to a press release from the school, the weather vane depicts, “…a Native American, wearing feathers and smoking a long pipe, seated on the ground in front of Eleazar Wheelock, Dartmouth’s founder. A round shape behind Wheelock is presumed to be a barrel of rum, according to Dartmouth historical records.”
Many students and community members have expressed concerns over the image, which has sat atop the library for nearly 100 years. According to Dartmouth President Philip J. Hanlon, “we are tremendously proud of our historic – although at times flawed – commitment to welcoming and educating our accomplished Native American students.”
The college will be taking recommendations for a new weather vane from a group, which will take into consideration the iconography of the institution.
A New Hampshire Fish and Game office was seriously injured following an incident on Saturday, reports WMUR.
At approximately 5 PM on Saturday, Conservation Officer Matthew Holmes was attempting to stop two OHRVs that were speeding on Dummer Pond Road. A third OHRV hit Holmes from behind. The impact threw Holmes off his ATV, according to Fish and Game’s press release.
Holmes was assisted by a fellow Conservation Officer and a few riders with medical backgrounds before an ambulance arrived. He was then driven to a hospital in Berlin, before being airlifted to the Central Maine Medical Center.
The crash is currently under investigation by state police. Holmes is expected to make a full recovery.
The town of Hartford, Vermont will recognize Juneteenth as a national holiday, reports WCAX.
Juneteenth is a celebration of the date June 19, 1865, on which slavery was abolished in Texas when Union general Gordon Granger read federal orders in Galveston that stated that all previously enslaved people in the state were now free. Although the Emancipation Proclamation had formally freed slaves over two years earlier, Texas was a largely remote slave state, so enforcement of proclamation was inconsistent and slow to reach the area.
The town will celebrate the event, also known as Juneteenth Freedom Day, with activities on the third week of June in order to “show solidarity and stand with our black, indigenous and communities of color.”
At 6 PM on June 19th, there will be a reading of the Proclamation, guest speakers, and music at Lyman Park.
Windsor School Principal Tiffany Riley has been placed on paid leave following a Facebook post that “uniformly appalled” school board members, reports WCAX.
The Mount Ascutney School Board voted unanimously to place Riley on leave following a post she made about the Black Lives Matter movement.
The post is as follows according to the school board’s report;
“I firmly believe that Black Lives Matter, but I DO NOT agree with the coercive measures taken to get to this point across; some of which are falsified in an attempt to prove a point. While I want to get behind BLM, I do not think people should be made to feel they have to choose black race over human race. While I understand the urgency to feel compelled to advocate for black lives, what about our fellow law enforcement? What about all others who advocate for and demand equity for all? Just because I don’t walk around with a BLM sign should not mean I am a racist [sic].”
Riley made a follow up post that, according to school board members, “acknowledged no culpability, expressed no specific contrition of empathy, and showed no humility.”
According to a Valley News report, former students and community leaders were met with indifference or dismissive comments when offering recommendations on how to address racial issues within the school.
While Riley is currently on paid leave, the school board has deemed her employment harmful to the school and its students, and “are resolved that she will no longer lead our school.”
WNTK Local News 