Hartford — Police say they will heighten patrols at Hartford schools today and through homecoming weekend because of a nationwide social media threat regarding people dressing up as clowns and showing up at schools.
Hartford Deputy Chief Brad Vail said the threat is believed to be a hoax to “take advantage of national fear” and is based off of “non-credible social media sources.”
There is no information to believe that Hartford schools will be targeted, he said in a Thursday news release.
“The Hartford Police Department takes the safety and well being of our school children and school staff very seriously,” Vail wrote. “We would also like to remind children and staff to report any unsafe or suspicious behavior.”
The Newport School District on Thursday also said they had investigated several clown reports, with police help, and had determined that none of them were credible.
In a news release, SAU 43 Superintendent Cindy Gallagher and Newport Police Chief James Burroughs asked parents to prevent their children from dressing in clown costumes “until the hysteria passes.”
“We realize that these kinds of situations can and do create real fear among students,” they wrote.
Thetford — The Selectboard is looking for a new member after Selectman Jim Lanctot resigned last month, citing a busy schedule running a pizza shop that has relocated to Bradford, Vt.
Lanctot, a former Thetford police chief, resigned from the Selectboard on Sept. 20 due to time constraints.
“I am disappointed that I cannot fulfill my obligation. I have served the Thetford community for the past 16 years, and it is certainly an odd feeling to end that,” he wrote in his resignation email. “My best to all of you on the board, it is a time-consuming and often thankless task.”
Lanctot’s pizza shop, 5-Oh Pizzeria, moved to 134 Main St. in Bradford from Fairlee. Wednesday was its first day open in its new location, and Lanctot on Thursday said he is likely to be working there six days a week.
Thetford Selectboard Chairman Stuart Rogers said Lanctot’s resignation was officially accepted by the board at its Sept. 26 meeting, and the vacancy has been posted in town.
The Selectboard is accepting letters of interest in the position, he said.
Quechee — A plastic garbage bag containing cigarette ash ignited in a Quechee garage on Tuesday evening, causing minor damage.
No injuries were reported in the small blaze, according to a Hartford Fire Department news release, and the fire didn’t spread beyond a wall in the garage.
Firefighters were called to 88 Dawn Drive just before 7 p.m., and found light smoke coming from the garage.
A resident told them cigarette ashes had been placed in a garbage bag in the garage. When that person came back minutes later, the bag had caught fire and spread to a nearby wall.
Residents quickly began evacuating the house, called 911 and put the fire out with a fire extinguisher. When they arrived, firefighters helped cool the burned area and checked for carbon monoxide.
Concord — Former St. Paul’s School student Owen Labrie is going back to court arguing that his misdemeanor sexual assault conviction resulted from ineffective counsel during his trial.
Labrie, who graduated from the Concord school in 2014, is out on bail while his case is under appeal.
The Tunbridge resident was found guilty of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl in 2015 and was sentenced to one year in prison.
WMUR-TV reported Wednesday’s hearing started the process of figuring out if Labrie had ineffective counsel during his trial. If he did, a new trial date will be set.
Labrie was accompanied by his parents and his new defense attorney, Robin Melone, of Nashua, N.H.
— Staff and wire reports