Prout Park: Murder scene (Photo Credit: Jeffrey Hastings, Frame of Mind Photography)
The man found dead in Manchester’s Prout Park on Sunday morning has been identified as 6 1 year old Richard Carlson of Manchester. Attorney General Joseph Foster and Police Chief Nick Willard said the state’s Chief Medical Examiner, Dr. Thomas Andrew, determined Carlson was murdered. While the statement issued by the A G’s office failed to disclose how he was killed, our sources say Carlson was shot, though those reports are unconfirmed. The investigation, obviously, is ongoing and anyone with information regarding Carlson’s death is asked to contact the Manchester Police Department at 6 6 8 8 7 1 1 and ask for “detectives.”
Wanted: David Cherry
The State Police are searching for twenty eight year old David Cherry, of Manchester, who led state troopers and police from other departments on a high speed chase that started in Epping and ended in an epic crash in Manchester yesterday at just before five A M. Cherry fled the vehicle on foot evading a concerted effort by police to find him. Three people were seriously injured in the collision, including the two other occupants in Cherry’s car and one of the two people in the vehicle that was struck. The collision closed Bridge Street at Mammoth Road, diverting traffic from the main artery.
Epic crash on Bridge St. follows high speed police chase. Photo Credit Jeffrey Hastings of Frame of Mind Photography
According to a press release, the high speed chase started after Cherry was pulled over by Epping and State police for a traffic violation and discovered and found to have had outstanding felony arrest warrant. The accident that ended the chase happened because Cherry, his tires punctured by a spike strip deployed by the state police, turned into oncoming traffic after exiting I-9 3 at Exit 8. According to photojournalist Jeffrey Hastings, the collision pushed the car Cherry hit back about one hundred feet. The state police are asking anyone with any information about the chase or Cherry’s whereabouts to call Trooper George Sanborn of Troop A at 6 7 9 3 3 3 3.
Gilliand: New position
The New Boston School Board announced the appointment of Jennifer Gilliland as the Interim Special Education Facilitator at New Boston Central School for the coming school year. The schoolbBoard unanimously appointed Gilliland to the position last week. She began her career at N B C S after graduating from Rivier College and has been a special education teacher for twenty years. As an educator, she has provided highly-effective differentiated and specialized instruction for her students. N B C S Principal Tori Underwood said she was quote “confident in her skills and ability to provide leadership and guidance to the Special Education Team.” That sentiment was echoed in a statement issued by Superintendent Brian Balke.
News from our own backyard continues after this.
Livingston: Potential replacement to be interviewed
The Superintendent Search Committee of the Manchester School Board will convene tonight and tomorrow night in non-public session to interview semi-finalists for the Manchester School District’s soon to be vacant superintendency. Current Superintendent Debra Livingston will vacate the position on October first when she retires. The committee met Monday night to review the applicants and discuss the candidates recommended by its consultants. Following the interviews, the committee will further narrow the field, forwarding the finalists to the Board of School Committee for final interviews. In between, there will be community introductions, meetings and Q & A sessions.
Redistricting discussions continue
The Manchester School Board’s Special Committee on Redistricting met for a round table discussion on the final four plans under consideration with its middle and high school principals last night. Suffice it to say the three plans that would affect them weren’t well received. Administrators warned against transferring eighth graders from middle to high school, saying they’d become socially isolated from their peers and separated from extracurricular activities, especially sports. Likewise, they had concerns with moving fifth graders into the current middle schools, saying they simply don’t have the space to absorb that many students.
Dichard: It could be done
There was lively discussion over the two thousand seven plan that would transfer Parkside’s seventh and eighth graders to West, with West Principal Richard Dichard admitting there was enough space in the high school, but saying there may need to be changes to the building to segregate the incoming kids. Both he and Parkside Principal Forrest Ransdell also admitted the transition could be made, but said it would take a lot of planning to ensure it was done right. Hillside Principal Brendan McCafferty, who is also President of the Association of Manchester Principals, urged the committee to figure out how to use redistricting “to invest in the schools,” often suggesting the committee should revisit past proposals to build two new elementary schools to address its space needs. The committee will meet next week with elementary school principals to discuss the pending proposals.
MPPA: Has tentative agreement
It looks like Manchester Police Patrolman’s Association has a tentative agreement with the Board of Mayor and Aldermen for a three year deal. In an article in this morning’s Union Leader, Paul Feeley reports the three year deal would give rank and file police officers a retroactive one percent pay raise in the first year, which is this year, and three percent pay raises next year and the year after. Those are the cost of living raises which would be given in addition to the annual step and longevity raises that are part of the much maligned Yager Decker Personnel Classification System. The contract would also pay officers hazard pay. We’ve linked to the article with all the details for your convenience.
That’s news from our own backyard! Girard at Large hour ___ is next!
