Calling Hours Today for Claremont Man

Claremont — Calling hours will be held today for Cody Lafont, the 25-year-old Claremont man who was shot and killed by police early Sunday morning.

Friends may call at the Roy Funeral Home at 93 Sullivan St. in Claremont this evening from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

A Mass of Christian burial will be held at 3 p.m. Friday at St. Mary Church, according to the funeral home.

The family asksed that in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions be made to Lost My Way Animal Shelter, 21 Hartford St., Claremont, N.H. 03743 or CHaD, 1 Medical Center Drive, Lebanon, N.H. 03756.

Authorities have released few details of the incident, which is under investigation by the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office.

Nonprofit Formed to Oppose NewVista

South Royalton — Residents and members of statewide preservation organizations gathered on the town Green on Wednesday to announce the formation of a nonprofit that opposes NewVista, a massive settlement that a Utah multimillionaire plans to build here and in Sharon, Strafford and Tunbridge.

The Alliance for Vermont Communities was founded this year “to protect working farms, forests and communities in central Vermont and to promote responsible development that will sustain the rural heritage an values for present and future generations,” according to a Wednesday news release from the organization.

The nonprofit also will work to stop David Hall, the developer from Provo, Utah, who has bought up roughly 1,400 acres in the four White River Valley towns in hopes of creating a community of tens of thousands, or more.

“The future of our Vermont towns and rural heritage requires that each of us be active in standing up against development that is out of scale, that does not strengthen our communities, and that ignores the character and history of our towns,” said a statement accompanying Wednesday’s release.

The alliance’s board of directors seats several members of the towns’ planning commissions, and part of the group’s mission, its statements say, is to thwart Hall through planning and land-use regulations.

“If necessary, we will use every legal means available to us to block the project,” Michael Sacca, president of the alliance board, said in a statement.

Two major statewide preservation organizations, the Preservation Trust of Vermont and the Vermont Natural Resources Council, on Wednesday offered support for the newfound alliance, saying they also opposed NewVista.

Lebanon Coffee With a Cop Set for Oct. 7

Lebanon — The Lebanon Police Department will host a Coffee With A Cop event at The Fort next Friday.

The event will provide a place for officers and community members to build relationships and talk about community issues in a neutral and informal setting, according to a news release issued Tuesday.

The event will be held at 8 a.m. on Oct. 7 at the eatery off Heater Road.

Similar events will be held across the United States on that day, as Oct. 7 marks National Coffee With a Cop Day, a country-wide initiative to build relationships between officers and the communities they serve.

“The majority of contacts law enforcement have with the public happen during emergencies, or emotional situations,” the release states. “Those situations are not always the most effective times for relationship building with the community and some community members may feel that officers are unapproachable on the street. Coffee With a Cop breaks down barriers and allows for a relaxed, one-on-one interaction.”

Anyone with questions about the event may contact Capt. Tim Cohen at tim.cohen@lebcity.com or 603-448-8800.

— Staff reports