WMWV – 93.5

Thompson & Meserves Purchase, NH – A group of Adults and their children got lost on Mount Washington During Saturday’s heavy rainstorm. According to New Hampshire Fish and Game Conservation Officers said that at around 9 o’clock Saturday night they received a call from a group of three adults and two children who took a wrong turn on Jewell trail and ended up lost off trail while still above tree-line. After several hours of working through the tough vegetation and blowdowns and enduring the heavy rains and approaching darkness, the group decided to call for help.

The call came in via 911, but an attempt to pinpoint the lost hikers was unsuccessful. The group reported that they were on a brook and they were advised to continue following the brook down.

While plans for a search were being initiated, a second call to 911 by the hikers stated that two of the adults were too exhausted to continue, but one adult and his two young sons decided to continue trying to find their way out. This time the call did give authorities their location, which placed the three on Jefferson Brook, approximately a mile from the Jewell Trail, but less than a ¼ mile from Jefferson Notch Rd.

Shortly after 9:45pm the adult and his 2 sons, later identified as Patrick Ford, and his two minor children from Brewster, NY made it to Jefferson Notch road and met up with conservation officers.

Two Conservation Officers hiked in and located the other two hikers, identified as Edward Stivers and his son Andrew Stivers from NJ, approximately ¾ of a mile from Jefferson Notch Road. They were evaluated and assisted out of the woods, back to the road arriving at approximately 2:00a.m. The hikers were cold, wet, and tired, but otherwise uninjured.

New Hampshire Fish and Game reminds Hikers and outdoor enthusiasts that being prepared with essential gear, such as a headlamp or flashlight, maps and understanding how to follow a trail could mean the difference between making it out of the woods by yourself or calling for help. For safe hiking tips and a list of essential gear, visit hikesafe.com.

Outdoor enthusiasts are encouraged to purchase a Hike Safe card at wildnh.com/safe.  The card helps support Fish and Game search and rescue efforts.

Holiday, FL – A man convicted of killing his wife in in Conway in 1999 has admitted to killing a woman in Florida. The Tampa Bay Times reports that 71-year-old Warren Birkbeck called Pasco County sheriff’s deputies early yesterday to confessed that he had stabbed 42-year-old Denise Cook to death in the home they shared.

The paper reports that Birkbeck told authorities he stabbed Cook because she did not have romantic feelings for him, saying “I just have a hard time being rejected”.

Birkbeck was convicted of killing his estranged wife in Conway in 1999. He was sentenced to 15-30 years in prison, and was granted parole in 2015, and moved to Florida shortly after.

Photo Courtesy of Fryeburg Police

Fryeburg, ME – A section of Route 302 in Fryeburg was closed this morning after a tractor-trailer accident. According to Fryeburg Police at 1:55am an 18-wheeler struck a large tree that had fallen completely across the roadway due to recent storms. The 31-year-old driver was uninjured. The tree had punctured both fuel tanks and was leaking diesel fuel onto the ground.

Fryeburg Fire Department contained the fuel spill until Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) arrived to assist and Fryeburg Rescue was staged in the area as a safety precaution due to the leakage. Maine Department of Transportation (MDOT) responded to remove the tree and tend to damaged guardrails.

Fryeburg Police Chief Joshua Potvin said “Fortunately nobody was injured in this crash. There are no street lights on this section of roadway making it nearly impossible to avoid collision with the downed tree. After confirming the driver had no injuries, our second concern was containing the diesel fuel leak that is in close proximity to Manchester Brook which leads to the Saco River. Fryeburg Fire Department and their mutual aid did an excellent job containing the fuel leak to avoid water contamination.”

The Chief added ““The Mashpee, Massachusetts based Forestry Product Company, Govoni Forestry Products was unloaded at the time of the crash and was enroute to Casco Maine to pick up a load of woodchips. Investigators had Route 302 closed for approximately 5 hours.” 

26-year-old Ashalee James’ rented ATV crashed after going down a 60 foot embankment Wednesday. ~ Photo Courtesy of New Hampshire Fish and Game

Dixville, NH – A New York Woman was seriously injured in an ATV accident in Dixville Notch yesterday. Fish and Game Officials said that 26-year-old Ashalee James of Central Islip New York was driving a rented ATV on Flume Brook Trail at the rear of a group when her riding party noticed her missing at around 1:04pm. They attempted to find her for about 30 minutes.

Another group or riders on the trail discovered the crash scene and an injured James at the bottom of a 60 foot embankment. The good Samaritans called 9-1-1 and rendered aid to James then transported her out to Route 26 to an awaiting ambulance.

  26-year-old Ashalee James was flown via DAHRT helicopter to Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center ~ Photo Courtesy of New Hampshire Fish and Game

James was transported to a helicopter landing zone at Upper Connecticut Valley Hospital in Colebrook, where she was immediately transferred into a DHART helicopter and airlifted to Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon with serious but non-life threatening injuries.

Authorities said that due to sustaining a loss of consciousness, James could not remember any details about the crash, and the incident was not directly witnessed by any other riders.

James was wearing a full-faced helmet and eye protection at the time of the crash. Authorities believe that alcohol was not a factor in the crash and that operator inexperience was a likely contributor to the incident.

Good Samaritans, New Hampshire State Police, 45^th Parallel EMS, Colebrook Fire/Rescue and DHART personnel assisted Conservation Officers with the incident.

22-year-old Jordan C. Lamonde is being charged with the attack on a woman outside of a Rochester Planer Fitness ~ Photo Courtesy of Rochester Police

Rochester, NH (AP) – Police have arrested a man in connection with an attack on a woman outside a Planet Fitness gym in New Hampshire last month that was captured on surveillance video.

Police arrested 22-year-old Jordan C. Lamonde, of Portsmouth, on Monday, in connection with the June 12 attack. He’s been charged with second-degree assault and was held on $150,000 bail. He’s scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday. A man who answered the phone at Lamonde’s home said he had an attorney, but was told not to give out the name.

Surveillance video from the gym in Rochester showed a man getting out of his car and walking toward the gym. Unprovoked, the man comes up from behind the woman and starts hitting her as she is about to get into her car. Police said she punched 39 times, but didn’t suffer life-threatening injuries.