Dartmouth Hires New Library Dean

Hanover — Dartmouth College on Wednesday announced that it had hired an academic from Cambridge University as its new dean of libraries.

Susanne Mehrer, the deputy librarian of Cambridge University Library in Cambridge, England, will start work on Dec. 1, a news release said.

She will replace Jeffrey Horrell, who announced in November that he planned to retire in June, after 11 years on the job.

Mehrer, a graduate of the University of British Columbia, has also worked in libraries at Queens University Belfast, the London School of Economics, and the Manchester Metropolitan University. She has worked at the Cambridge University Library since 2006, helping to coordinate a network of more than 100 libraries there, according to the release.

She will oversee Dartmouth’s collection of nearly 3.4 million volumes, held in nine libraries and serviced by nearly 200 staff, the release said.

The college will rely on Jennifer Taxman, its associate librarian for user engagement and technologies, to serve as interim dean until Mehrer begins work.

Vt. Man Cited in Police Chase

Claremont — A 20-year-old Brattleboro, Vt., man who eluded police on Interstate 91 and reached speeds of 110 mph on Tuesday has been cited into court on several charges.

Jack Baker allegedly failed to pull over for a routine motor vehicle stop on Route 5 in Rockingham, Vt., around 6 p.m., and instead engaged police in a chase on the interstate, according to a Wednesday afternoon Vermont State Police news release.

Police say Baker got off I-91 north at Exit 8 in Weathersfield and continued on into Claremont. According to scanner chatter on Tuesday night, police lost sight of Baker for a period of time.

Baker subsequently met with Vermont State Police at the Claremont police department, according to the release. It is unclear from the release how police knew Baker was a suspect.

Police cited him into court on charges of attempting to elude, negligent operation, excessive speed and violating his conditions of release, which would have been put in place in connection with a prior offense.

He is slated to appear in Windham Superior Court on Aug. 23.

Study: Pipe-Corroding Well Water Prevalent in N.H.

San Francisco — Half of U.S. states — including New Hampshire — have a high prevalence of well water that’s corrosive enough to leach lead from pipes, the U.S. Geological Survey said on Wednesday.

The findings were based on the broadest sampling yet of untreated groundwater from private wells supplying 44 million Americans, the federal agency said.

While federal and state governments regulate public water supplies, testing and treating water in private wells is almost entirely the responsibility of homeowners.

The study provides a reminder that routine testing of well water, including its likeliness to leach lead from plumbing, is essential for homeowners, said Stephen Moulton, chief of the USGS water quality program.

The USGS sampled untreated groundwater in more than 20,000 wells nationwide.

Corrosive groundwater was rated very prevalent in New Hampshire, Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Rhode Island and South Carolina, as well as the District of Columbia. Another 14 states had a slighter but still high percentage of wells with corrosive groundwater. Those were generally Eastern states, but included Washington, Oregon and Hawaii.

N.H. Town Hires New Police Chief

Canterbury, n.h. — The town of Canterbury hired a new police chief, two weeks after its former chief was acquitted of sexual assault charges.

Lt. Michael Labrecque, who worked in Hooksett, N.H., will assume the post beginning Aug. 1.

Former Chief John LaRoche formally resigned in January. The Merrimack County Sheriff’s Office assisted Canterbury police in their search for a new chief.

— Staff and wire reports