Lyme Police Issue Warning About Stretch of River Road

Lyme — Lyme police are asking residents to steer clear of a barricaded portion of River Road, just south of East Thetford Road.

In a notice on the town’s Listserv on Monday, Lyme Police Chief Shaun O’Keefe said the fences, gates and signs placed around the area are intended to keep people out. He asked people to stop jumping the gates and fence.

“It is unlawful to trespass in this area and should you be caught inside the gated area you will be prosecuted for trespassing,” O’Keefe wrote.

This is true at all times, not only when construction is actively ongoing.

“Just because there may not be workers around, does not mean that … it is safe and fine to cut through,” he wrote.

N.H. Congressional Delegation Wants Toxic Contamination Studied

Concord — New Hampshire’s Democratic Congressional delegation wants a federal agency to expand its study of contaminated water to a community near a factory believed to have released toxic chemicals into the air and groundwater.

The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Register is slated to conduct a nationwide study into the implication of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl, also known as PFAS. They were used in fire-suppressing foam, fast-food wrappers, and stain-resistant fabric, but are no longer used in U.S. manufacturing. Water around military bases, factories and other sites were found contaminated with the chemicals.

In a letter, the delegation called on the agency to expand its services from southern New Hampshire near a former military base to Merrimack, N.H., where high levels of PFAS were found in a well near Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics.

Towering Pines Will Come Down In Concord Due to Blight

Concord— New Hampshire’s capital city is cutting down a group of towering white pine trees due to a poorly understood disease that is affecting them.

City officials believe the trees have a type of needle blight. That means 22 white pines will be removed, the Concord Monitor reported. That is the recommended course of action when white pine needle blight is found in a woodlot.

The city also had to remove red pines from a park last year. City tree supervisor Ryan Rambeau said there are small parcels owned by the city that are dominated by one type of tree. That means when a problem hits, the entire parcel’s affected. He said this has become more of a problem in the last five years because of the arrival of new pests.

Gas Prices Change Little In Northern New England

Concord — Gas prices haven’t changed much in northern New England.

GasBuddy’s daily survey of gas outlets in New Hampshire found that the average retail gasoline price went down a penny last week, to an average price of $2.77 a gallon. The average price also went down slightly in Maine, to $2.82 a gallon. Vermont’s price was unchanged at $2.86 a gallon.

The national average is $2.83 per gallon. It’s dropped 1.7 cents per gallon in the last month and stands 46.9 cents per gallon higher than a year ago.

Vt. Homeless Shelter to Open Early To Help Those in Need

Middlebury, Vt. — A Vermont shelter is opening more than a month ahead of schedule to address a growing homeless population.

The Charter House in Middlebury decided to open on Sept. 1 this year to help individuals and families in the area. The change will cost the shelter an additional $12,000, WPTZ-TV reported.

Charter House Co-Director Doug Sinclair said the nonprofit recognizes more people need help.

It takes about $140,000 for the shelter to stay open half the year. Sinclair said he’s hopeful that the organization eventually will be able to stay open year-round.

Police: Gun Report at Vt. Fair Leads To Juvenile With Air Pistol

Essex Junction, Vt. — Police at a Vermont fair have accused a juvenile found with an air pistol of reckless endangerment and other crimes, and say social media reports about an active shooter were false.

Essex police assigned to the Champlain Valley Exposition on Sunday night responded to the report of a male running with a handgun. They said they found the juvenile and an air pistol that looked like a firearm.

Police said the juvenile also faces disorderly conduct and assault charges. They say they are confident it is an isolated incident and still are investigating.

— Staff and wire reports