Kibby: Million Dollar Man
A million dollars cash bail. That’s the price of freedom for Nathaniel Kibby, the accused kidnapper of Conway’s Abigail Hernandez. Hernandez was in court yesterday for Kibby’s arraignment. She refused to answer media inquiries. Following the arraignment, Attorney General Joseph Foster defended the use of law enforcement resources to locate Hernandez and said that similar efforts would be made for any missing child in New Hampshire. Assistant Attorney General Jane Young was tight lipped at the press briefing, though she dis say that it appears as if Kibby acted alone and investigators are working to determine whether or not Hernandez was held against her will for the entire nine months.
Hernandez: Appeared at Kibby’s arraignment.
Kibby’s residence is being thoroughly searched to learn more about Hernandez’s kidnapping and determine whether or not other crimes were committed. Young disclosed that the State Police SWAT Team descended on the trailer park where Kibby’s home was located at 2 A M to determine the best way to apprehend Kibby, ten hours before he would be arrested. Of interest to investigators is a storage unit behind Kibby’s trailer, which has been the subject of much speculation. A probable cause hearing will be scheduled, at which additional details may be disclosed to the court, which so far, has sealed investigative reports, even refusing to release them to the defense. Investigators are uncertain how long their search of Kibby’s property will take.
Mara: Can’t wait for sentencing of former officer.
A former Manchester cop has been sent up the river for aiding a known drug dealer. Joseph Cespedes plead guilty to felony charges in U. S. District Court for doing favors for a known drug dealer in Massachusetts, receiving three hundred fifty dollars and some cocaine in return. The dealer was an illegal alien in Lawrence, Mass, where Cespedes lived in violation of a department policy requiring officers live within twenty miles of the city. Authorities said he knew what he did was a federal felony. Police Chief David J. Mara said Cespedes, who was a Manchester Police Officer from two thousand six until he resigned in January of two thousand twelve, more than deserved his conviction saying he violated the public trust and that of his fellow officers. “I’m looking forward to his sentencing,” said Mara. U. S. Attorney John Kacavas, credited the Manchester Police Department for acting on information it received, saying it did a quote unquote “great job.”
The Manchester Health Department announced that higher than safe levels of E. coli bacteria are once again present in Crystal Lake, so they’ve shut it down again. They’ll continue to test the water and let us all know when it’s safe to swim there again.
Gatsas: And the city gets…?
The negotiations committees from the Manchester Board of School Committee and the Hooksett School Board will meet for the first time tonight. On the agenda, no doubt, will be the question of guaranteeing that any Hooksett student that starts in a Manchester school can finish in that school. As the two communities look to make short and long term arrangements to educate Hooksett students in Manchester schools, this question has become controversial with Hooksett School Board members James Sullivan and John Lyscars pushing for a written guarantee in response to their board’s letter to Manchester Superintendent Debra Livingston seeking assurances and Manchester Mayor Ted Gatsas questioning the need for a written guarantee saying it would make no sense for the city to turn any student away for any reason and intimating that Hooksett was looking for guarantees without offering the city anything in return. The meeting, which is open to the public, is at six o’clock in the media center at the Cawley Middle School.
News from our own backyard continues after this.
Hassan: Vetoes transparency measure, juvenile reforms
Governor Margaret Wood Hassan vetoed House Bill 6 8 5 yesterday. The bill would have prevented state agencies from claiming attorney client privileged to withhold information from the Office of the Legislative Budget Assistant and otherwise required the release of information about the operations of state agencies. The bill would disallow state agencies from claiming information was privileged and therefore not subject to audit by the Legislative Budget Assistant. In vetoing the bill, Hassan said enabling a greater review of departmental documents could quote “place the state in significant financial and legal jeopardy while violating the constitutional separation of powers.” End quote. Besides, she said, the L B A already enjoys a good working relationship with the agencies it audits. Could be better said State Senator David Boutin, Republican of Hooksett, who said opening up those documents to audit was essential to the legislature’s ability to hold them accountable. Senator Sharon Carson, Republican of Londonderry hammered Hassan saying quote “Governor Hassan continues to throw a smokescreen around her Administration, preventing the public from seeing the workings of state government. Our Constitution requires that ‘Government, therefore, should be open, accessible, accountable and responsive.’ H B 6 8 5 would make our state agencies more accessible and accountable to the people of New Hampshire.”
Carson: Blasts governor over vetoes.
Hassan also drew Carson’s ire in vetoing Senate Bill 3 9 1, a bill that would have reformed the state’s juvenile justice system. Hassan complained bill quote “fundamentally shifts New Hampshire juvenile justice policy in a direction that could too strongly emphasize incarceration.” End quote. Carson said the bill, which revises the membership and duties of the Juvenile Justice Advisory Board, requires the governor and council to appoint a Director of Juvenile Justice Services and Sununu Youth Services Center, was a bipartisan effort that should be respected. Quote “The Governor wants to replace the hard work of the Legislature with an Executive Order, and paper over the structural problems in New Hampshire’s juvenile justice system. I urge my House and Senate colleagues to stand by our overwhelming bipartisan support for S B 3 9 1 in overriding the Governor’s veto.”
We’ve linked to both bills for your review from this newscast at Girard at Large dot com.
That’s news from our own backyard, Girard at Large hour ___ is on the way!
