Four Displaced Following Fire at Hartford Apartment Building

Hartford — Three adults and one child are displaced after a fire in Hartford that started shortly after midnight on Saturday. Though there were no reported injuries, the fire inflicted moderate damage on the Christian Street building, with both of its apartment units rendered uninhabitable, Hartford Fire Capt. David Rowlee said in a news release.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation. The fire may have started on a deck on the back of the building, before spreading up an outside wall and into the attic space, the release said. The occupants had safely made it out of the house by the time Hartford, Lebanon and Hanover fire crews arrived at the scene, about six minutes after the alarm. They extinguished the fire within two hours.

The New Hampshire-Vermont unit of the American Red Cross is assisting the displaced individuals with short-term lodging.

New London Woman Honored For Service to Vets

Washington, D.C. — Priscilla West, of New London, has received the Barbara West Award from the National Association of Veterans’ Research and Education Foundations during the nonprofit association’s annual awards event on Sept. 11 in Las Vegas.

West, executive director of the Veterans Research and Education Association of Northern New England, located on the campus of the White River Junction VA Medical and Regional Office Center, was recognized for her service both to her nonprofit corporation and to the national association, serving on the board of directors for five years and as board chair for the last two years.

Under her direction, the Veterans Research and Education Association of Northern New England has obtained funding to grow its education program for veterans, the national association said in a news release.

In addition, she led the national board in its search for a new CEO and then worked to expand access to clinical trials for veterans through the network of VA-affiliated nonprofit organizations.

Waste District Receives $14,950 Grant

Hartland — A $14,950 grant from the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources has helped the Greater Upper Valley Solid Waste Management District’s hazardous waste collection efforts this fall.

The Solid Waste Implementation Program grant was used to advertise three household hazardous waste collections in the district and to cover approximately half of the disposal costs for the collected materials. The project aims to engage residents and to divert as much household hazardous waste as possible from landfills.

Two of the collection events have already occurred. The final collection will take place at the Vershire Fire and Rescue Station, 9111 Route 113, on Oct. 14.

The Greater Upper Valley Solid Waste Management District covers the towns of Bridgewater, Hartland, Norwich, Pomfret, Sharon, Strafford, Thetford, Vershire, West Fairlee and Woodstock. For more information, visit www.guvswd.org, email hgillett@swcrpc.org, or call 802-674-4474.

Hanover, Lebanon Host ‘Coffee With a Cop’

Hanover — The Hanover and Lebanon police departments are both inviting the public to meet members of the force during informal meetings on Wednesday, which is national “Coffee With A Cop” day.

“Coffee With A Cop” is a national program promoted by The United States Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services. It is meant to bring officers and community members together in a relaxed setting outside the emergency situations where most people encounter police officers.

The Lebanon Police Department will meet with the public at the McDonald’s restaurant, 249 North Plainfield Road, West Lebanon, from 8-10 a.m. For more information, contact Capt. Tim Cohen at 603-448-8800 or tim.cohen@lebcity.com.

The Hanover Police Department will be at the Hanover Co-op Food Store, 45 S. Park St. in Hanover, from 10 a.m.-noon. For more information on the Hanover event, contact Officer Nenia Corcoran at 603-643-2222 or nenia.corcoran@hanovernh.org.

Three Charged with Using Child to Smuggle Drugs Into Vermont Prison

Newport, Vt. (ap) — Police say that three adults are accused of using a child to smuggle narcotic drugs into a Vermont state prison.

Vermont State Police said Friday that Newport residents 34-year-old Samantha Watson, 27-year-old Jason Watson and 38-year-old Chad Paquette face charges such as contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile.

Jason Watson and Paquette are both inmates at Northern State Correctional Facility in Newport.

Police say narcotic drugs were brought into the facility and then handed to an inmate under the table by a child during a contact visit. State police said that the state department of corrections reported the incident Sept. 14.

More Immigrants Without Past Crimes Arrested

Portland, Maine (ap) — Federal arrests of immigrants without criminal records but in the U.S. without legal permission have tripled in New England through mid-July compared with the same period last year.

The Bangor Daily News reports U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers arrested 631 immigrants in New England without a criminal record from Jan. 20 through July 20. That’s compared to arrests of 206 immigrants during that time period in 2016.

Meanwhile, federal officers arrested 939 immigrants with criminal records from Jan. 20 to July 20, compared with 774 immigrants during that period in 2016.

Agency data shows arrests of immigrants without criminal records rose at a higher rate than immigrants who committed crimes.

Cyclist Dies After Bike, Dump Truck Crash in N.H.

Pelham, n.h. (ap) — Police say a 59-year-old Massachusetts man died after the motorized bicycle he was driving collided with a dump truck in New Hampshire.

New Hampshire state police say Lowell resident Raul Nieves died at Lowell General Hospital in Massachusetts from injuries he received from the Friday afternoon crash on Route 38 in Pelham.

Police say their initial investigation appears to show Pelham resident Patrick D’Alba, 39, was traveling south on Route 38 in a 2015 Ford dump truck when he failed to see Nieves traveling northbound in the breakdown lane.

State police say it doesn’t appear impairment was a factor in the collision.

— Staff and wire reports