A five-pound bear cub, at left, is under the care of bear expert Ben Kilham, of Lyme, N.H., after New London, N.H., police found it to be abandoned by its mother. (Ben Kilham photograph)
A five-pound bear cub, at left, is under the care of bear expert Ben Kilham, of Lyme, N.H., after New London, N.H., police found it to be abandoned by its mother. (Ben Kilham photograph) Credit: Ben Kilham photograph

Abandoned Bear Cub Rescued in New London

New London — Police over the weekend rescued a malnourished bear cub that had been abandoned by its mother, and Lyme bear expert Ben Kilham said Tuesday the 6-month-old female appears to be bouncing back from her near-death experience.

New London Police Chief Edward Anderson said his department received several calls Saturday morning about a small bear cub that kept trying to cross Seamans Road, a main artery near Colby-Sawyer College.

Police along with a Fish and Game officer and Kilham made the decision that the bear likely was abandoned by its mother and wouldn’t survive without her.

Officers were able to catch the cub, which was covered in ticks and malnourished, the chief said. She currently weighs about 5 pounds and is the size of a small house cat. A bear her age should weigh between 15 and 20 pounds, Kilham said.

The cub was transported to Kilham’s bear rehabilitation center in Lyme; she will stay there until she is 18 months old.

Kilham currently is fostering nine cubs, which were all born in January and were either injured, abandoned or their mothers were killed.

The cub is currently in an enclosure with four other clubs her size. She is playing and eating. Kilham expects a full recovery.

“She just needs food and companionship from the other cubs,” he said.

Kilham said bears who are first-time mothers sometimes abandon their cubs when they run out of milk. He said this is also breeding season and the cub’s mother could have abandoned her while searching for a partner.

Covered Bridge in CornishStruck by Another Motorist

Cornish — Police say the Dingleton Covered Bridge has again been hit and damaged by a vehicle.

Cornish Police Chief Doug Hackett said his department was notified Monday morning that an unknown vehicle had struck the bridge. The incident comes just two months after workers completed $1,100 in repairs to it following a February incident.

In February, a lost school bus driver from the Rutland area hit the bridge while trying to find Windsor High School.

Allan Henderson, of Brandon Vt., pleaded guilty in May to a bridge violation and conduct after an accident. The 67-year-old was fined for the offenses. His insurance company paid for the bridge fixes, Hackett said.

At the Cornish Selectboard meeting Monday night, Hackett said board members began discussing ways to better protect the bridge. No decisions were made.

The bridge, at Townhouse Road and Root Hill Road, dates back to 1882.

Police urge anyone with information about the recent incident to contact Cornish police at 603-543-0535.

N.H. Governor Signs Drug Court Program Bill Into Law

Manchester — New Hampshire Gov. Maggie Hassan has signed into law a bill establishing a statewide drug court program.

The program will help those battling addiction access treatment and recovery services.

The bill establishes a statewide drug offender grant program, setting up the drug courts or alternative programs. It provides more than $2 million in matching state grants.

It also transfers $40 million to the state’s Rainy Day fund this year.

Hassan signed the bill Tuesday in Manchester.

As Historic Flags Age, Civil War Brews Over Preservation

Concord — Visitors to New Hampshire’s State house are greeted by 88 Civil War flags that New Hampshire men carried as they marched into battle. Stored in glass cases, the flags are tattered, some stained in blood and ripped by bullet holes.

They’ve adorned the capitol’s front entrance, called the Hall of Flags, since 1968, and are now part of a collection of more than 100 battle flags.

But as time wears on, a debate rages over their future: If left as they are, how long will they last? And what can be done to preserve them without removing them from view?

Statehouses and museums nationwide grapple with similar questions as they seek to preserve historical relics for centuries more. New Hampshire, now raising money for preservation, has been slow to act.

High Concentration of PFOA Found at North Pownal Site

Pownal, Vt. — Vermont officials have announced that the state found a new concentration of a potentially cancer causing chemical in the village of North Pownal.

Trish Coppolino of the Department of Environmental Conservation said Monday that PFOA monitoring near the former Pownal Tannery found levels of the chemical above 200 parts per trillion. The safe drinking water advisory level for PFOA in Vermont is 20 parts per trillion. PFOA is a suspect carcinogen that could lead to birth defects and thyroid damage.

Coppolino said state conservation officials were just checking the Pownal Tannery as a precaution and they weren’t expecting to see PFOA levels that high.

— Staff and wire reports