Snow Results in Multiple Crashes, Slide-Offs

Lebanon — The first significant snowstorm of the season created slick road conditions on Saturday night, resulting in multiple reports of vehicle slide-offs and road closures.

Interstate 89 southbound was closed at Exit 17 in Lebanon for about four hours due to “multiple motor vehicle accidents,” Hanover police and fire dispatch announced.

Along Route 4 in Enfield, the Drybridge Hill area was closed due to multiple accidents, and the Baltic Street area was closed due to accidents and people trying to push cars uphill, according to additional Facebook posts around 5 p.m. from the Hanover dispatch.

The interstate reopened at about 8 p.m.

Between 5 and 6 p.m., the Upper Valley Fire Alarm Facebook page reported multiple motor vehicle accidents, including near Anderson Pond Road in Grantham, on Interstate 89 southbound in Springfield, N.H., and motor vehicle rollovers on Beaver Meadow Road in Norwich and on Old Etna Road in Lebanon. The page also reported multiple vehicles going off the road in Plainfield, and multiple cars stuck on School House Hill on Route 4 in Canaan.

Minor accidents were also reported in Claremont area, including Dump Hill, the E-Ticker News of Claremont posted on its Facebook page.

Multi-Town Energy Meeting Planned in Chelsea

Chelsea — Residents from Chelsea, Vershire and surrounding towns are invited to discuss forming a multi-town energy committee during a meeting set for Thursday, at 7 p.m., at the Chelsea Public Library, 296 Route 110.

More than 100 Vermont towns have energy committees, which advise selectboards, residents and businesses on how to use less energy, increase use of renewable power and save money on energy bills. Bob Walker, a community organizer working for Vital Communities who has helped many towns form energy committees, will describe some of the energy planning, weatherization and renewables programs that an energy committees can implement.

For more information, contact Phillip Mulligan, of Chelsea, at phillipgmulligan@gmail.com or 802-685-7784; or Neil Hochstedler, of Vershire, at neilhochstedler@gmail.com or 802-685-3129.

Lebanon Police Host Coffee With A Cop

Lebanon — The public is invited to meet officers from the Lebanon Police Department during “Coffee With A Cop,” a program designed to bring the public and police together for informal conversation in a neutral space.

The event takes place on Thursday, from 8-10 a.m., at Shyrl’s Diner, 31 Main St., West Lebanon.

For more information, contact Capt. Tim Cohen at 603-448-8800 or by email at tim.cohen@lebcity.com.

Anonymous Donor Again Helps N.H. Food Bank

Manchester (ap) — An anonymous donor who already has given the New Hampshire Food Bank $275,000 in recent years is prepared to give another $100,000.

Food bank officials say the donor will match each dollar given to the program through the end of the year, up to $100,000. The $200,000 total would be enough to pay for 400,000 meals.

The food bank is a program of Catholic Charities New Hampshire and distributes food to a statewide network of more than 400 agencies. By year’s end, it expects to have distributed more than 14 million pounds of food.

The donation was part of the annual WMUR Spirit of Giving Food Drive.

Burlington Mayor Stands By Sanctuary City Status

Burlington (ap) — The mayor of Vermont’s largest municipality says the city’s status as a “sanctuary city” adheres to federal immigration laws.

Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger wrote his stance in a letter responding to the federal Department of Justice on Friday. The Democrat wrote that the federal government’s concerns about Burlington are “unwarranted and misplaced.”

Burlington enacted an updated policy earlier in the year that attracted the attention of the Justice Department.

The Burlington Free Press reported the city received a letter that raised the possibility of losing federal grant money.

U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions holds that cities that adopt “sanctuary city” policies are placing the protection of undocumented immigrants above protection of citizens. Weinberger says the city’s policy was crafted specifically to avoid violating federal laws and interfering with criminal investigations.

N.H. Obamacare Enrollment Nears 20,000

Concord (ap) — The federal government says about 19,500 people in New Hampshire have selected insurance plans so far during the current open enrollment period under the Affordable Care Act.

The enrollment snapshot released this by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services covers signups through Dec. 2. Nationally, about 823,000 people selected plans using the healthcare.gov platform during week five of open enrollment, bringing the total to 3.6 million.

In New Hampshire, 19,486 people had selected plans. The number does not include consumers who are automatically re-enrolled in their plans.

Enrollment ends Dec. 15.

— Staff and wire reports