WNTK Local News

A Springfield woman was arrested on DUI charges following an accident on Saturday in Weathersfield.

According to the Vermont State Police Westminster Barracks, troopers responded to reports of a motor vehicle crash on Interstate 91 Southbound, at approximately 7 PM on Saturday, February 27th. Upon arriving at the scene, authorities discovered Kristy Walck, 41, of Springfield, attempting to wave down traffic.

An investigation yielded that Walck had been on her way home from work when she lost control of her motor vehicle and crashed into the highway’s median. It was determined that she was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the accident. Walck was taken into custody and transported to the Springfield Police Department to be processed.

She was released and cited to appear in Windsor County Superior Court Criminal Division on March 16th at 1:30 PM to answer to the charge of DUI #1. 

Dartmouth College is making guideline changes following an uptick in COVID-19 cases on-campus, reports WCAX.

According to the report, there are now, at least, 25 confirmed COVID-19 cases on the Hanover campus, and the college believes that number could continue to rise. School leaders are reportedly looking into the cause of the higher rate of transmission.

Students who have tested positive are currently in isolation, while individuals who have been identified as close contacts are also in quarantine.

To combat any potential spread, all dining options on campus have been changed to a “grab and go” option, and this change will remain in place until at least Sunday.

At time of reporting, outdoor activities such as ice skating and walking are still allowed with mandatory social distancing and mask-wearing. 

An assault in Lebanon on Tuesday led to an arrest on Criminal Threatening Charges, according to a press release from the Lebanon Police Department.

At approximately 2:40 PM on Tuesday, February 23rd, the Lebanon PD responded to a reported assault. The caller alleged that his son had been assaulted by a man wearing brass knuckles. By the time officers arrived, the suspect had fled the scene.

During their investigation, the suspect returned. When officers attempted to apprehend him, he resisted arrest. At this time he was identified as 63-year-old Randall Bishop of Lebanon. Bishop was charged with Resisting Arrest, Criminal Threatening, and Carrying or Selling Weapons, all of which are classified as Class A Misdemeanors. He will also face the charges of Criminal Threatening with a Deadly Weapon and Felon in Possession of a Dangerous Weapon, both Class B Felonies.

Bishop was held in preventative detention and was arraigned on February 24th in Grafton County Superior Court.

A Grafton man was arrested on Tuesday when the Lebanon Police Department responded to an incident of domestic violence in progress, according to a press release.

Reportedly, at approximately 9 AM on Tuesday, February 23rd, authorities responded to a domestic violence incident as it was occurring. An investigation identified that the incident started when the suspect became upset with the victim for not providing him a ride home. The suspect was seen pulling the victim from her vehicle by the hair, and breaking one of the vehicle’s windows with a flashlight. Subsequently, police arrested the suspect, 30-year-old Joshua Champney of Grafton.

Champney was also found to have a knife in his possession. He has been charged with Domestic Violence Simple Assault and Criminal Mischief, both classified as Class A Misdemeanor offenses. He was also charged with Felon in Possession of a Dangerous Weapon, a Class B Felony.

Champney was released on Personal Recognizance bail and will appear in court at a later date. 

A White River Junction man was arrested on Tuesday for Possession of a Deadly Weapon following an incident at the Lebanon Wal-Mart.

According to a press release from the Lebanon Police Department, officers responded to Wal-Mart at approximately 3:40 PM on Tuesday, February 23rd, to address reports of a male and female in the store “acting high and being loud.” Reports also stated that the male had a handgun in his back pocket.

While speaking to the two individuals, police identified and removed the loaded revolver in his back pocket. The male initially provided authorities with a fake name, but was later identified as 38-year-old Peter Wiggins of White River Junction.

Wiggins was arrested and charged with Felon in Possession of a Deadly Weapon, a Class B Felony. He was also charged with Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Following his arrest, it was discovered that Wiggins also had a warrant out for his arrest for Controlled Drug Acts Prohibited.

He was released on Personal Recognizance Bail and his court date will be announced at a later time. 

The Newbury Police Department has taken to Facebook to warn citizens of a new property scam in the area.

According to a Facebook post, the Newbury PD have received phone calls regarding property for rent, for either weekend stays or full-time leases. Many photos connected to these posts have been stolen from websites and used in the advertisement.

These scams have shown up on a variety of sites including; Airbnb, Craigslist, and other sites. There have been cases of these properties being double-booked, the theft of personal information, and the theft of money.

The Facebook post encourages individuals who have their property up for sale or rent to monitor various sites to ensure their pictures have not been stolen. Prospective renters are encouraged to research to confirm that the property they are looking to rent is legitimate.

The post closes by warning citizens not to give personal information or money until they can confirm that the renter is legitimate, and to notify police if they discover that they have been scammed. 

Market Basket is warning customers of a new Facebook scam involving a profile impersonating the supermarket chain.

According to a post from the official Market Basket Facebook page, there is an unauthorized profile using the company’s name and iconography that is contacting customers claiming to be the company. The fake page allegedly sends customers friend requests before asking them to provide sensitive personal information as a requirement to enter the chain’s new Drink Up, Work Out giveaway.

The post states that the company’s official page will never request personal information from citizens.

Market Basket closes the statement by stating, “we ask our community to be vigilant and to not provide this information to other Facebook pages. The safety and privacy of our customers is very important to us and we are working diligently to address this concern.”

Britany Barron, the Jaffrey woman awaiting trial in connection to the death of a Keene man, has been denied bail and will remain in jail, reports WMUR.

Her husband, Armando Barron, has been accused of shooting and killing 25-year-old Jonathan Amerault in September 2020. Armando Barron allegedly killed Amerault after discovering his wife was having an affair with the Keene man. Amerault’s body was found in northern New Hampshire.

Britany Barron is accused of destroying and falsifying evidence. Recently, her defense attorneys asked for bail on her behalf, stating that she does not pose a threat to the public. Defense attorney Richard Guerriero alleges that his client fits the “classic definition of a victim of domestic violence”, and believes that her situation should be viewed from this perspective.

However, prosecutors state that Britany Barron’s behavior proves that she is a danger to society. Assistant Attorney General Scott Chase stated, “What we do know is that after seeing Jonathan get tortured and shot multiple times and hearing him moaning in the back of his car, she made absolutely no attempts to help him.” Prosecutors also state that she could have gone for help sooner, but chose to wait.

The case’s judge sided with the prosecution, saying that she will remain in jail as she poses a threat to the public. At this time, her trial is scheduled for December, although court officials believe it could happen sooner and that there is a possibility for a plea bargain. 

A Saturday afternoon snowmobile accident in Woodstock, Vermont caused serious injury to two riders, according to WCAX.

Reportedly, the accident occurred at approximately 4 PM on Saturday, February 20th, on a West Woodstock snowmobile trail. Emergency crews struggled to find the crash site at first, mostly due to the riders not knowing where they were along the trail. After DHART helicopters were called in to assist in the search, crews were able to find the scene of the accident using the cellphone location of the caller.

The two injured individuals were found over an embankment approximately 1.5 miles from the road.

Once they were removed from the woods by ATV’s, one individual was flown by helicopter to the hospital, while the other rider was transported by an ambulance. Both sustained “severe” injuries. 

A Lebanon man has pleaded guilty to voting twice in the 2016 general election under two separate names, reports the Associated Press.

Reportedly, 65-year-old Vincent Marzello was arrested in 2020 and charged with wrongful voting, a felony charge. Authorities state that, in 2016, Marzello voted once under his own name and then under the name Helen Elisabeth Ashley.

Someone under the latter name had signed up to be an election inspector for the New Hampshire Democratic Party. A party spokesperson stated that it had no prior interaction with Ashley, and suspended the individual’s appointment after learning of the ongoing investigation.

Marzello’s sentence of 90 days was suspended for two years, and he is required to pay $300 of the $3,000 civil penalty. The rest of that amount has been suspended for five years.