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Yahoo
5 days ago
- Yahoo
Trial set for man accused in shooting Bedford officer in scuffle
A 40-year-old Nashua man who allegedly caused a Bedford Police officer to be shot in the leg after grabbing at his gun in January is set to go to trial early next year. Jared Masseur, 40, faces charges of resisting arrest, taking a gun from a law enforcement officer, first-degree assault with a deadly weapon, second-degree assault, felon in possession of a weapon, reckless conduct and interference with a police dog. Bedford's Police Chief Daniel Douidi and five other officers sat in the gallery at Hillsborough County Superior Court in Manchester as lawyers and Judge Amy Messer hashed out details for the trial, which is expected to last three days, and include expert testimony. A pre-trial hearing is set for March 12 and jury selection for March 23, according to the court docket. Masseur still has an opportunity to file a notice of intent to change his plea, but no deal has been reached. 'We have not made a response to the state's offer because we don't have all the evidence and medical records,' said Masseur's public defender, Delia McCarthy. According to a probable-cause affidavit in the Bedford case, Masseur had given police a false name when officers approached his tan 2006 Mercury Mountaineer parked behind a hotel on South River Road. Police told Masseur and a female they had 'reasonable suspicion to investigate loitering and prowling.' The area had been a target for recent thefts. Officer Joseph Wilhelmy hit Masseur twice with a stun gun as he attempted to flee, which did not appear to have any effect, according to the affidavit. Officer David Benway-Fongemie, who had just joined the department, was wounded by the gunshot. K-9 Odin was then brought in to assist, and Masseur allegedly wrapped his arm around the dog's neck. Prosecutor Patrick Arnold said the trial will likely include multiple expert witnesses, including a K-9 officer and medical experts. Arnold said Masseur could face up to 30 years in prison with multiple pending criminal cases. Masseur faces two other criminal cases in Hillsborough North (Manchester) on charges of being a felon in possession, receiving stolen property and being a habitual offender. In Hillsborough South (Nashua), he faces a case for being a felon in possession of a dangerous weapon. A motion to impose a sentence has been filed in that case. The other cases will be scheduled after the Bedford case. jphelps@
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Yahoo
Weare man gets 135 years in prison for sex trafficking boy, 10
A Weare man has been sentenced to 135 years in prison for sexually abusing a 10-year-old Louisiana boy, swapping expensive gifts like a cellphone, gaming system and money for sex. On May 20, Louisiana Judge William H. Burris sentenced 28-year-old Benjamin Hart of Weare to 80 years in prison on a charge of sexual battery of a juvenile under the age of 13, 35 years in prison on a charge of trafficking of children for sexual purposes, and 20 years in prison on a charge of computer-aided solicitation of a juvenile under the age of 13. Burris ordered the three sentences to run consecutive to each other, meaning Hart will be serving a 135-year prison term. Burris also sentenced Hart to six months in jail for an outburst in the courtroom during which Hart threatened a prosecutor and swore at the judge, District Attorney Collin Sims in Louisiana's Washington Parish said in a statement. Hart was convicted on the same charges in April, following a four-day trial. The jury returned its verdict after just 20 minutes of deliberation. Sims urged parents, educators, and community members to be aware of how predators target children through online gaming platforms including Xbox Live, Minecraft, Roblox, Grand Theft Auto and others. 'This case is a devastating reminder that human trafficking can start in the most seemingly innocent places — like a child's video game system,' Sims said in a statement. 'When a young child starts missing school or their grades suddenly drop, it should never be ignored. These may be red flags that something much more serious is happening behind the scenes.' Hart is also facing 14 pending similar but unrelated charges for six different victims in New Hampshire's Carroll County, including indecent exposure and prohibited computer service use. Officials in New Hampshire have been waiting for the case against Hart in Louisiana to play out before moving ahead with the local charges. According to Sims, Hart began communicating with a then-10-year-old boy over Xbox online back in 2020, before the conversations eventually moved to Snapchat, where Hart sent the boy an explicit image of himself. Officials say Hart eventually convinced the victim to meet in person, then began making regular trips from New Hampshire to Washington Parish, where he repeatedly sexually abused the victim, with much of the abuse occurring inside Hart's 18-wheeler truck. Prosecutors said between 2020 and 2022, Hart gave gifts such as a cellphone, a gaming system and money to the boy, using them to coerce further sexual acts from the child. Hart was captured in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in April 2024. He fought extradition, but was found competent by a New Mexico medical examiner and judge following a hearing in January 2024, and transported to a jail in Louisiana. pfeely@
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Merrimack mourns death of former Fire Chief Charles Hall
There aren't many Merrimack firefighters left who worked for late Chief Charles 'Charlie' Hall, but his legacy runs deep in the fire and rescue department and his stories will endure, Shift Capt. Mark Bickford said. Hall joined the department in 1974 and was chief from 1979 until his retirement in 1999. He no longer lived in Merrimack and died earlier this month in a nursing home, Bickford said. Chairman Finlay Rothhaus announced Hall's passing at last week's Town Council meeting, where residents and officials observed a moment of silence in Hall's honor. On Wednesday, Bickford shared his memories of Hall, saying the town owes a great deal to the man who greatly enhanced the fire service in town, pushing through unprecedented changes during a period of sharp growth in town. From the time Hall joined the department to the day he retired, the population of Merrimack grew from roughly 9,000 residents to more than 25,000. Hall was the town's fifth chief but only the second full-time chief, taking over for Herbert Duxbury. 'He oversaw the modernization of the fire department. He increased staffing and was way ahead of the curve,' Bickford said. In 1987, the town added 10 firefighters to the department to address the growing needs and to reduce the work hours for firefighters from 56 per week down to 42. During his tenure, Hall presided over the expansion of the South Merrimack Station to include living quarters in 1987 and a major renovation to Central Station in 1998, which doubled the space for apparatus and equipment. Hall is also credited for helping bring advanced technology for firefighter health and safety, fire officials said. Beyond that, he was just a good guy and a wonderful resource, Bickford said. 'You couldn't ask for a better guy. He was a true gentleman,' he said. 'He knew the names of everyone's wife and kids. He knew birthdays. He was an absolute joy to talk to. And he loved the fire service. He was an old-school chief with modern thinking, which is really rare.' Bickford said Hall loved his crews and was well-spoken. Hall served for 40 years in the fire service and was president of the New Hampshire Association of Fire Chiefs. In 2014, he was honored by Merrimack officials with the Public Safety Lifetime Achievement award. An obituary and details about Hall's death were not available Wednesday. Bickford said Hall had initially moved to Maine to live with family, but had moved back to New Hampshire recently as his health deteriorated. dpierce@
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Lane closures coming next week at Bedford tolls
Starting Monday, construction crews will begin work on the project to tear down the Bedford tolls on the F.E. Everett turnpike and replace the entire plaza with overhead E-ZPass sensors so drivers can eventually pass through without stopping. Commuters will face lane closures as crews work from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., New Hampshire Department of Transportation officials said in a news release. The first phase of the construction is expected to last through June 15 and is part of a larger widening project for the turnpike. Construction workers will widen the northbound and southbound lanes temporarily just north of the tollbooths to shift traffic outside of the roadway. With traffic diverted, crews will begin construction on permanent drainage, the barrier, pavement and the concrete roadway where the sensors will be. The overhead E-ZPass toll sensors will be in place before the plaza is completely removed, officials said. The $16 million project will convert the traditional tollbooths into all-electronic tolling. R.S. Audley of Bow is the contracted construction company for the project, which is expected to be done in the fall of 2027. For more information and to sign up for free text or email updates on New Hampshire highway traffic, visit dpierce@
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Bill mandating parental OK for child's medical trip clears Senate
Parents must give consent to an educator to bring their child to a medical appointment unless it's emergency transport by ambulance under a House-approved bill that cleared the state Senate Thursday. Unlike other parental rights bills, the measure (HB 231) drew overwhelming bipartisan support with the Senate voting 21-3 to pass it. That vote starts the final process for the legislation to eventually make its way to the desk of Gov. Kelly Ayotte. The sponsor, Rep. Kristine Perez, R-Londonderry, included an exception in cases where the transport complies with an emergency policy adopted by the local school district. Ayotte hasn't weighed in on the bill, but has expressed vocal support for other broader parental rights legislation, versions of which are pending in both House and Senate. State Sen. Daryl Abbas, R-Salem, said there are also insurance implications with teachers driving a student to a doctor's appointment without permission should an accident occur. 'I feel this goes far beyond the role of educators in our public system,' Abbas said. Sen. Debra Altschiller, D-Stratham, said the bill was poorly written and that not all school districts have an emergency policy that they can fall back on under these circumstances. 'I understand the importance of parental involvement. What we oppose is how this bill goes about it,' Altschiller said. 'School districts are already doing this.' Perez, a retired nurse, testified that she didn't find many school districts that had policies for these situations. Sen. Dan Innis, R-Webster, said he started out a skeptic but became a co-sponsor. This is one of those bills where I thought this couldn't possibly be happening. Turns out it was,' Innis said. 'There are children being taken to (Dartmouth Hitchcock) and the parents don't know it.' Ultimately, Senate Democratic Leader Rebecca Perkins Kwoka of Portsmouth and four other Democrats — Altschiller, Patrick Long of Manchester, Sue Prentiss of Lebanon and Tara Reardon of Concord — joined with all the Republicans in support of the legislation. The lone opponents were Sens. Donovan Fenton, D-Keene, David Watters of Dover and Democratic Leader Cindy Rosenwald of Nashua. +++ What's Next: The bill has passed the House and Senate in the same form, which means it now goes through the enrolling process before heading to Ayotte's desk. Prospects: Very likely to be signed in the coming weeks. klandrigan@
