Image courtesy of AAA.com

The coming holiday weekend is set to see the highest volume of travelers in a dozen years.

AAA projects 2.4 million New Englanders will travel 50 miles or more away from home this Thanksgiving, a 5% percent increase over last year.

Drivers in New England are forecasted to exceed the national average and see an increase of 5 percent from 1.99 million to 2.09 million

Experts believe the 2018 holiday weekend will see the highest Thanksgiving traveler volume since 2005, with 115,000 more people taking to roads, skies, rails and waterways compared with last year.

Motorists can expect to pay the highest Thanksgiving gas prices in four years, with a national average of $2.65 as of November 15, 9 -cents more than a year ago. New Hampshire’s average price is $2.66 per gallon, 14 cents higher than one year ago. In Maine the average price is $2.63 per gallon, 6 cents higher than one year ago.

Pat Moody, manager of public affairs for AAA Northern New England said “Consumers have a lot to be thankful for this holiday season: higher wages, more disposable income and rising levels of household wealth. This is translating into more travelers kicking off the holiday season with a Thanksgiving getaway, building on a positive year for the travel industry.”

18-year-old Austin Murphy is being charged with Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Images. Photo courtesy of Conway Police

CONWAY, NH – A Conway Teen has been arrested for allegedly possessing child pornography. According to Conway Police 18-year-old Austin Murphy was taken into custody on an open warrant for Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Images on October 23^rd after a lengthy investigation.

Conway Police Lieutenant Christopher Mattei said in a press release that the investigation began after the Conway Police Department Investigative Services Division was advised by the New Hampshire Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force that they had flagged an account originating in the Town of Conway.

The ICAC is a multi-jurisdictional team made up of Law Enforcement Officers from several different agencies throughout the State responsible for investigating cases of child sexual exploitation using technology.

Authorities were granted multiple search warrants throughout the investigation and said there are several more pending. Investigators anticipate additional charges to follow.

Authorities said that none of the images allegedly found on Austin Murphy’s electronic devices appear to involve local children.

The charge of Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Images is a class A felony and carries a maximum penalty of over 7 years in jail.

Murphy was arraigned in the Carroll County Superior Court on October 24. He was released on an unsecured bond of $10,000 under the conditions that he is not to have unsupervised contact with any minor and he is not to use any electronic device that can access the internet.