WNTK Local News

Authorities from the Cheshire County Sheriff’s Office are seeking the public’s assistance finding an elderly woman who has been missing since the beginning of May, reports WMUR.

75-year-old Eleanor Turetsky of Gilsum, NH was last seen on May 1st. She is described as standing 5’6″, weighing approximately 100 pounds, and having gray hair.

According to officials, she often wears many layers of clothing, talks with her hands in front of her mouth, and can typically be seen walking towards Keene.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Cheshire County Sheriff’s Office at 603-352-4238 or 603-355-2000. 

On Wednesday, the Claremont Fire Department responded to their fifth residential fire in recent weeks, reports E-Ticker News of Claremont.

At 6:44 PM, Claremont Safety Services were dispatched to a fire at 20 Stone Avenue. According to Fire Chief Bryan Burr, two engines were at the scene by 6:48 PM, and the bedroom on fire was extinguished by 6:59 PM. The single-family home sustained “moderate” smoke and water damage throughout, while the bedroom sustained “heavy” fire damage.

One person was in the home, and was able to escape uninjured when a working smoke detector alerted them. Crews were off site shortly after 8 PM, and the home was turned over to the owner.

The cause has yet to be determined, but officials do not believe the cause to be suspicious. With this being the fifth fire in a short time span, Chief Burr assured Claremont residents by stating, “We would like to inform the public and alleviate any concerns from the recent fire activity in the city that none of the fires the city has experienced are connected and none is (SIC) considered arson or suspicious in nature.”

Police in Vermont are warning the public about the release of a “high-risk” sex offender from prison on Friday, reports WCAX.

Greg Curtis, 59, most recently served jail time for 2019 sexual-exploitation of a child case in 2019. Curtis was caught by undercover police when he thought he was meeting a 14-year-old boy to engage in sex acts. Prior to this, Curtis served time for lewd and lascivious conduct with a child.

According to the Vermont Department of Corrections, Curtis was compliant with his treatment, though he is still considered “high-risk” to commit more sexual crimes. If Curtis is to re-offend, his targets will most likely be young boys, based on past behavior.

Curtis is set to live in Burlington upon release according to police, but is deemed a threat to the state as a whole. 

In New Hampshire, pharmacists now have the authority to administer COVID-19 tests, reports nhpr.

This new power comes from a Governor Chris Sununu Executive Order in which he states that it will increase the availability of testing in the state. Pharmacists at pharmacies with the appropriate certification and state laboratory license will be able to administer the tests.

Other pharmacies who wish to perform COVID-19 testing can apply for a waiver from the state health department, if they meet health and safety standards. 

The VA Medical Center in White River Junction is set to resume some in-person service on June 1st, reports WCAX.

According to officials, they will be carefully expanding time-sensitive surgical cases and some specialty services, depending on the patient’s needs. Services continuing virtually include mental health, primary care, and other specialty services.

Unless it is an emergency, visitors must call ahead, and visitor restrictions are still in place. 

The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services have provided an update on the state’s COVID-19 statistics for the date of May 26, 2020, via WMUR.

On Tuesday, 34 new COVID-19 positive tests were announced, bringing the state’s total to 4,231 cases.

There were also four more deaths announced, all in people 60 years of age or older, bringing the number of deaths to 214.

Also announced was one hospitalization due to the virus, bringing the total of hospitalized cases to 421. 

New Hampshire residents who work in close proximity to co-workers will now be eligible for COVID-19 testing, reports the Sentinel Source.

NH Health and Human Services Commissioner Lori Shibinette announced that the state is expanding the testing criteria to include employees of any business who are not able to avoid working near co-workers or the public for extended periods of time. These workers are now eligible even without they are experiencing symptoms.

Tests can be scheduled online at http://www.nh.gov/covid19 and can be conducted at any of the state’s 11 permanent testing sites. 

On Monday, June 1, 2020, the New Hampshire Department of Transportation will begin road work in Claremont, reports E-Ticker News of Claremont.

The work will reportedly take place at the intersection of NH Route 11/103 and Bowen Street. The plan, according to NHDOT, includes extending the curbed median islands on each side of the intersection thus preventing left turns onto driveways nearest to the the intersection, construction of a new driveway opposite Bowen Street for shared access to AutoZone and Verizon Wireless, and construction of a new mast arm to the driveways. ADA upgrades, drainage, and paving will be other included improvements.

For the duration of construction there will be a one-way lane, alternating two-way traffic, and at least one lane will remain open at all times in both directions on NH Route 11/103. Lane closures will only be allowed during non-commuter hours, which are 8:30 AM to 3 PM. Work will depend on weather conditions and COVID-19 precautions.

The project, expected to be completed in October 2020, will be spearheaded by Weaver Brothers Construction out of Bow. 

Vermont health officials have released the state’s COVID-19 statistics for Monday, May 25, 2020, via WCAX.

As of today, the state has 962 confirmed COVID-19 cases, which have resulted in 54 virus-related deaths.

Approximately 30,000 citizens in the state have now been tested for the virus.

There are currently 31 people being monitored for symptoms, while 877 have completed the monitoring process.

Chittenden County currently has the most cases in the state at 440, while Essex County continues to have the fewest with three.

So far, 843 people have recovered from the coronavirus. 

The New Hampshire Fish and Game is seeking the public’s help to keep track of the state’s bat population, reports CBS Boston.

On Thursday, officials will hold an online training session which will explain how to identify the different species of bat, and how to participate in the NH Bat Counts Project. The project aims to get citizen volunteers involved in counting and locating bats on their property.

According to officials, monitoring female bats and their young due to the current outbreak of “white-nose syndrome”, which has caused a severe decline of bat populations in the Northeast United States.