Couture: Was missing, but now is found
In an update to a scary story we brought you yesterday, Paulette Couture of Londonderry was located yesterday morning. The Londonderry Police Department issued a missing persons alert at nine P M the day before last, saying the seventy two year old woman was last seen walking on West Road at eight thirty that morning. Detectives from the department located her outside her residence at 6 8 West Rd. inside a pool filter box stored inside of a shed on her property.
All indications are that Couture was outside most of the night and into the early morning hours returning to the property at some point prior to being found. She was wet, covered in dirt, mud and mosquito bites and was transported to Southern N H Medical Center in Nashua in stable condition. In addition to the Londonderry Police Department, N H Fish and Game, State Police, Upper Valley Search and Rescue K-9 teams, Southern NH Special Operations Unit and Londonderry Fire Department took part in the overnight search. Police offered no explanation as to what caused Couture’s disappearance.
Osgood: What? We have a drug czar?
Looks like officials in Manchester weren’t the only ones who were left out of the loop by the state’s Drug Czar Jack Wozmak. According to a press release issued yesterday by the New Hampshire Republican State Committee, Concord Police Chief Bradley Osgood said in a recent interview he didn’t even know the state had a drug czar until sometime last week! We’d be willing to be it was after Manchester Police Chief Nick Willard said he’d not heard from Wozmak in a television interview that Osgood learned of Wozmak’s existence.
Willard: Comments raise awareness
On Monday, Wozmak met with Willard, Mayor Ted Gatsas, Health Director Timothy Soucy and Fire Chief James Burkush. On Tuesday, he released twenty two recommendations on combating the heroin epidemic that’s battered the state. As we learned in our interviews with Gatsas and Soucy yesterday, Wozmak made no mention that he was planning on releasing any recommendations, never mind within twenty four hours of meeting with them.
In response to the Concord chief’s revelation, G O P Chair Jennifer Horn said quote
If Governor Hassan’s drug czar failed to contact the police chiefs of two of New Hampshire’s largest cities, it’s likely that he failed to contact top law enforcement officials in cities and towns across the state. It’s clear that the Hassan Administration’s response to the heroin epidemic has been inadequate and that her incompetent drug czar has dropped the ball on numerous occasions.”
She went on to chide Hassan for not knowing the state had been awarded a twelve and a half million dollar federal grant to combat the state’s horrific heroin problem.
News from our own backyard continues after this.
Gatsas: “No” to campaign cash from Planned Parentod
Manchester Mayor Ted Gatsas says, if received, he will return any campaign contributions that come from Planned Parenthood. Gatsas made the statement yesterday in response to a question posed during his weekly interview on Girard at Large. He also said the other candidates had to make their own decisions about whether or not to take money from Planned Parenthood, which operates an abortion clinic in Manchester. On April thirtieth mayoral candidate Joyce Craig appeared at a Planned Parenthood fund raiser and was thanked via Twitter by them for her appearance. She replied to their tweet by thanking them for all they do in the Granite State. Neither Craig, Gatsas nor rival Patrick Arnold replied to our Tweet, following the first video released last week which brought to light Planned Parenthood’s dealing in body parts from aborted babies, asking whether or not they would forgo campaign contributions from Planned Parenthood. All three candidates are “pro-choice.”
Executive Councilor Christopher Pappas: Loses solar panel vote on Executive Council
Elton John famously sang “don’t let the sun go down on me.” Yesterday, the Executive Council said “the sun will not rise on Manchester’s proposed solar energy project on top of Mount Manchester That’s the city’s old dump, in case you didn’t know.). Turns out three of the five councilors didn’t think it was a good return on investment. The project, which was downsized after the Public Utilities Commission provided a”RGGI” grant of less than half the size originally requested by the city to do the project, was projected to save the city twenty six thousand dollars per year in electricity costs and make an annual five thousand dollar payment in lieu of taxes. While the Board of Mayor and Aldermen voted to support the project, Mayor Ted Gatsas was less than enthusiastic, openly challenging the proposal, questioning whether or not it was a deal worth entering. That may have had a bearing on the Executive Council’s vote as it went along party lines with all three Republicans opposed and both Democrats in favor.
Two days left, lots of open slots
While a technical glitch prevented yesterday’s candidate filings from being posted to the city of Manchester’s Web site, we can tell you that in addition to my filing for School Board at-Large, Ward Four Alderman Jim Roy filed for reelection and Christine Duffley, mom to our Number One Fan Christopher Duffley, filed her candidacy for school board in Ward Twelve, setting up a possible rematch with incumbent Connie Van Houten who edged her out in the last campaign. It’s a possible rematch as former Ward Twelve School Committeeman Roger Beauchamp has said he will run for the seat, but has yet to file. If he does, there will be a primary to whittle the field down to two candidates. If he doesn’t, the two women will square off in the general.
Lehoux: Will run in Ward 8.
And, a bit of breaking news, local music star Jimmy Lehoux sent us a message last night saying he has decided to run for school board in Ward Eight, where incumbent Erika Connors is seeking a third term. Lehoux became active in school politics after Connors proposed consolidating Jewett Street Elementary School, where his kids go to school, with Southside Middle School, to create a K-8 school that would enable the school district to convert Jewett into a district-wide pre-K facility. That, as you may recall, didn’t go over well with the parents of Jewett Street School.
Correction: This came from Manchester City Clerk Matthew Normand after we went off the air this morning.
Rich,
Alderman Roy did not file for office yesterday as I indicated to you last night. As I went through the filings on the website to make sure I have posted the correct filings, I must have seen Andre Roy for Alderman in Ward 6.
I apologize for any inconvenience this caused.
That’s news from our own backyard, Girard at Large hour ___ is next.
