$5,000 Reward in Pomfret Burglary, and More News Briefs

Reward Offered in Break-In At Pomfret Post Office

Pomfret — The Postal Service is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the recent break-in of a South Pomfret store and post office, where deliveries and Toys for Tots donations were stolen. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service announced the reward on Tuesday afternoon.

The Teago General Store, which houses the post office and is located at 2035 Pomfret Road in South Pomfret, was burglarized sometime between 6:15 p.m. on Dec. 21 and 6:30 a.m. on Dec. 22.

In addition to the parcels — many of which were likely Christmas presents — and donations, the thief or thieves also made off with cash, cigarettes and alcohol, according to the news release.

Anyone with information should contact Postal Inspector Kristin Miller at 802-872-2279 or the U.S. Postal Inspection Service at 1-877-876-2455, according to the release. All information will be kept confidential.

Russian Plane Crash VictimHad Ties to Vermont

Cabot, Vt. — A Russian doctor who died in the crash of a Russian military plane has left behind a husband with a Vermont law practice.

Dr. Yelizaveta Glinka, who was 54, was one of 92 people who died when a Tu-154 aircraft crashed on Christmas morning just moments after taking off from an airport in the Black Sea community of Sochi on its way to Syria. Glinka, who’s known for her charitable activism, was bringing medicine to Syria when the plane crashed. She is the wife of Vermont bankruptcy attorney Gleb Glinka, who co-founded a Rutland law firm and remains a managing partner of the Moscow office. The Glinkas had a home in Cabot and they had also lived in nearby Marshfield.

Gas Prices Rise in New Hampshire,But Under National Average

Concord — Gas prices rose more in New Hampshire than in the rest of the country last week, though the price remains below the national average.

The gasoline price website GasBuddy says the average retail gasoline price rose 3.3 cents per gallon to $2.24 a gallon on Monday. The national average increased 2.7 cents to $2.28 per gallon.

In New Hampshire, the average price is about 25 cents more per gallon than it was a year ago and about 12 cents more than it was a month ago.

Hiker Rescued From Mount WashingtonAfter Leg Injury

Sargents Purchase, n.h. — The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department said an Indiana man was rescued from the summit of Mount Washington after he suffered a leg injury on a trail.

Officials said 45-year-old Thomas Southwood, of Westfield, Ind., was hiking up the Lion Head Trail toward the summit Monday afternoon but was unable to hike down due to his ankle injury.

Mt. Washington State Park employees provided shelter and called for help around 2:30 p.m. Fish and Game personnel sent a snowcat to Southwood as weather conditions worsened. The hiker was brought down the road to safety. Officials said Southwood was an experienced hiker with the appropriate gear.

2 Vermont Utilities WarningOf Bill Payment Scam

Montpelier — Two Vermont electric utilities are warning customers about a bill payment scam.

Burlington Electric and Green Mountain Power said customers have been receiving telephone calls threatening disconnection if payment is not made immediately. The utilities said the calls have been targeting primarily restaurants, but other customers have received similar calls. The utilities emphasize the calls are not from Burlington Electric or Green Mountain Power. Customers who receive such calls should hang up if they receive a call with such demands.

The utilities follow clear rules when working with customers about paying past due bills and do not ever demand credit card information or alternate payment methods. Customers are reminded to never provide payment or other personal information, don’t speak with the caller or call the number back.

Mount Eustis Ski Area Re-OpensWith Permanent Rope Tow

Littleton, n.h. — A neighborhood ski area in Littleton is open again with a permanent rope tow on Mount Eustis.

The ski area opened in 1939 and closed in the 1980s. In 2013, community members began working to restore it, raising more than $100,000. Two winters ago, it opened with a temporary rope tow that only went a quarter of the way up the hill.

— Staf fand wire reports