New Hampshire

Former state adviser named in NH youth center abuse lawsuits – The Boston Globe

Published

1 year ago

February 10, 2023

Former state adviser named in NH youth center abuse lawsuits – The Boston Globe

One girl, who was 14 when she was incarcerated in 1993, mentioned Ball raped her dozens of occasions — generally whereas she was in a straitjacket — and repeatedly choked her to the purpose of unconsciousness.

“I actually thought in some unspecified time in the future there, I used to be going to die,” she informed The Related Press in an interview.

Ball, now 76, is amongst roughly 150 former staffers who’re implicated by former residents in additional than 700 lawsuits naming the state because the defendant slightly than particular person staff.

Ball mentioned he didn’t know till a reporter known as him final week that 20 lawsuits filed between October 2021 and January of this 12 months accuse him of bodily or sexually assaulting 18 ladies and two boys between 1981 and 1999.

“I don’t consider that’s true. I do know it isn’t true,” Ball informed the AP, saying he by no means hit or in any other case abused any of the youngsters and that he has not been questioned by police.

The lawyer normal’s workplace declined to touch upon whether or not Ball is a part of the prison investigation launched in 2019. Eleven former staff have been charged with both sexually assaulting or performing as accomplices to the assault of greater than a dozen youngsters from 1994 to 2007.

Legal professionals for the victims have argued Ball and different supervisors fostered a tradition of violence and in some circumstances have been abusers themselves.

“Mr. Ball, and staff like him, have been allowed to sexually, bodily and emotionally abuse children for many years with out concern of reprisal as a result of baby abuse by state staff was not solely tolerated, it was condoned,” lawyer Rus Rilee mentioned after studying from the AP about Ball’s high-ranking job and post-retirement appointment to a state advisory group.

State employment information present Ball started working on the youth middle in 1974 as a dormitory assistant and have become a dorm chief in 1983. He was head of the women dormitory in 2000 when he informed a reporter for the New Hampshire Union Chief that a lot of the residents there got here from abusive houses.

“Plenty of the women say that is the most secure place they’ve been,” he informed the newspaper on the time. “They don’t prefer it right here. It’s very confining. However they don’t have to fret that somebody goes to molest them at night time.”

A resume obtained by the AP lists Ball’s title as chief of operations from 2001 to 2009 and describes him as liable for overseeing all workers “together with motivation and self-discipline” and “creating and sustaining a secure and safe setting for each workers and residents.” He then spent 5 years as a subject administrator overseeing juvenile probation and parole places of work earlier than retiring in 2014.

Inside months, Ball joined the federally mandated State Advisory Group for Juvenile Justice. Republican Gov. Chris Sununu abruptly disbanded the group in July 2021 and changed it with a Juvenile Justice Reform Fee, with practically all new members. At that time, Ball had not been recognized in any lawsuits, however a minimum of one among his accusers had given his identify to state police investigators.

Sununu’s spokesperson, Ben Vihstadt, mentioned the governor wasn’t conscious of the allegations towards Ball when he disbanded the group to herald recent views and guarantee compliance with guidelines for receiving federal grants.

“He finds the allegations surrounding David Ball, who was appointed by then-Gov. Maggie Hassan, extremely regarding, and hopes these allegations are totally investigated,” Vihstadt mentioned.

Hassan, a Democrat now within the U.S. Senate, appointed Ball on the advice of the state well being commissioner. Her workplace declined to remark.

4 of the lawsuits accuse Ball of sexual assault, together with a girl whose lawsuit says he got here into her room at night time to molest her and compelled her and her roommate to sexually abuse one another. Three accusers mentioned he choked them till they handed out; two mentioned he punched them within the face.

One girl claimed Ball slammed her towards a wall the night time she arrived on the middle and informed her he was going to “break her” as a result of she checked out him mistaken. One other described him as a “significantly vicious supervisor who taught and directed others to emulate him.” A number of mentioned he usually watched ladies within the restrooms.

The lady whose lawsuit accuses him of placing her in a straitjacket mentioned she as soon as tried to flee throughout an off-campus medical appointment and informed a police officer who discovered her hiding in a car parking zone dumpster in regards to the abuse. Ball dismissed her claims and took her again to the youth middle, the place she mentioned Ball’s abuse intensified.

“He informed me that he had already warned us that nothing was to be mentioned, that individuals have been going to be punished if stuff obtained out and that I made it worse for the opposite ladies by taking off,” she mentioned.

The AP doesn’t sometimes determine individuals who say they’ve been victims of sexual assault until they consent to being named.

One other girl suing the state informed the AP she tried to discuss the abuse in 1992 after a woman complained throughout a bunch counseling session that Ball had groped her, however that she was rapidly hushed by the feminine counselor.

“I began to say, ‘I don’t admire Mr. Ball …’ however she simply informed me to calm down and that one of the best factor to do is simply mainly flow,” she mentioned. “All hope was shot down.”

The lady, who was 17 on the time, mentioned Ball backed off when she began gaining weight.

“So then I simply ate loads, however that didn’t deter something as a result of then different issues occurred with different folks,” she mentioned.

Ball steered his accusers are motivated by cash they might get through the lawsuits or the state’s $100 million settlement fund for individuals who determine to not take their claims to courtroom. He acknowledged being “strict” with youths and mentioned that as a supervisor he had the ultimate say relating to self-discipline or selections about weekend furloughs and different privileges.

“So I usually needed to put on the hat because the man who mentioned no to them,” he mentioned. “I assumed, total, I had an excellent relationship with a lot of the children and their households.”

The youth middle, which is predicted to shut subsequent 12 months, is called for Sununu’s father, former Gov. John H. Sununu. It as soon as housed upward of 100 kids however now sometimes serves about 10.

Cody Belanger, 28, mentioned he did not cross paths with Ball when he was incarcerated in 2008, however he served with him for a number of years on the state advisory panel. Belanger, a former state lawmaker who now leads the brand new juvenile justice fee, known as the allegations towards Ball tough to listen to.

“As somebody who has confronted abuse on the middle myself, it disheartens me to consider that anyone I’ve trusted would have finished that, when these college students are essentially the most susceptible youth of an already susceptible inhabitants,” he mentioned. “It simply goes to indicate that the abuse that these children went via, it simply continues to develop.”

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New Hampshire

Neighbors in this N.H. town came together to repair a senior citizen’s greenhouse after it was damaged in a storm – The Boston Globe

Published

5 hours ago

June 27, 2024

Press Room

Neighbors in this N.H. town came together to repair a senior citizen’s greenhouse after it was damaged in a storm – The Boston Globe

“She’s a beautiful old lady,” said Kevin Parker, 70. “We just wanted to help her.”

Parker, who also lives in Fitzwilliam, was one of the neighbors who joined the team to help repair the greenhouse. He said work got underway a few weeks ago, after he and another neighbor, Todd Reed, had assembled a team.

“It became like a barn raising thing for a couple of days,” Parker said. The repairs took about 15 hours, according to Parker, who has been spending summers in Fitzwilliam for as long as he can remember. Twenty-five years ago, he became a full-time resident.

Todd Reed said the team of volunteers stripped rotten wood off the frame of the greenhouse and cut two pieces of 40-foot plastic to drape over the frame. Amanda Gokee/Globe Staff

Parker, who is a retired general contractor turned vegetable farmer, said Bullock is beloved in town, and when it became clear that she needed help, people were willing to volunteer.

“She’s been struggling,” he said. “The thing got ripped a couple of years ago. Rolls of replacement have been there since the fall, but no one got the ball going to help her.”

That changed this spring, when her longtime neighbor Todd Reed, 60, led the repair effort.

When Reed moved to Fitzwilliam in 1986, Bullock and her husband were the first people he met. Her husband passed away in 2017, but Bullock has kept the farm stand going on her own.

“She’s just one of the nicest, sweetest ladies you ever want to meet,” said Reed, who was happy to work on the repairs after Bullock called him and asked for help. He has an auto body repair shop and raises honey bees.

Reed said the team stripped rotten wood off the frame of the greenhouse and cut two pieces of 40-foot plastic to drape over the frame. They also installed ventilation and a double-layer of plastic that can be filled with air in the winter to provide extra warmth.

Some people were there for their knowledge, while others were just needed to hold the huge piece of plastic, according to Reed.

“You’ve got to realize unrolling a piece of plastic that size, if you get any wind at all, it makes a pretty big kite,” he said. “You need people just to hold down the corners. They don’t necessarily need to know what they’re doing, they just need to be a body holding a corner.”

Thanks to his recruitment, he said there plenty of bodies: around eight to 10 people were there to help, which was enough to avoid the kite scenario.

Frances Bullock's farm stand has been a roadside fixture in Fitzwilliam for at least the past 40 years. — Frances Bullock’s farm stand has been a roadside fixture in Fitzwilliam for at least the past 40 years. Amanda Gokee/Globe Staff

Reed said the repair should last for about three to five years before it needs to get done again.

Bullock has already filled the greenhouse with annual flowers that she can sell this year.

“I’m really happy to have this,” Bullock said. She said the money from the farm stand helps her pay to heat her house in the winter.

Bullock said she started the farm stand about 40 years ago. “We grew more than we could eat and neighbors kept coming by looking for stuff,” she said.

Now, she said the ears of corn have become a favorite among her customers.

“Fitzwilliam is split politically but all the residents love the loons on Laurel Lake and Mrs. Bullock’s corn,” said Barbara Schecter, a longtime summer resident of Fitzwilliam.

Residents said in the town of about 2,400, it’s typical for neighbors look out for each other.

“I’ve been helped through times, too,” Parker said. “It is a place where money’s not the first issue.”

Amanda Gokee can be reached at amanda.gokee@globe.com. Follow her @amanda_gokee.

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New Hampshire

New Hampshire Boat Museum showing off new home July 5

Published

12 hours ago

June 26, 2024

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New Hampshire Boat Museum showing off new home July 5

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New Hampshire

Someone Is Stealing Kias And Hyundais In Concord; Police Seek Tips

Published

19 hours ago

June 26, 2024

Press Room

Someone Is Stealing Kias And Hyundais In Concord; Police Seek Tips

CONCORD, NH — Concord police are asking for the public’s help finding perps who have been stealing Kias and Hyundais around the capital city during the past two weeks or so.

On Wednesday, the Concord Regional Crimeline issued an alert about the stolen vehicle cases — eight in all, asking for tips.

“The thefts are occurring during the overnight hours, specifically in the Heights and Penacook sections of the city,” Sgt. Ben Mitchell of the Concord Police Department said.

Find out what’s happening in Concordwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Mitchell and police advise residents to lock their vehicles and remain vigilant when safeguarding their property. Residents should also be aware of content circulating on social media showing others how to steal Kias and Hyundais.

Anyone who has information relative to any criminal incident is asked to call the Concord Regional Crimeline at 603-226-3100, or submit information online to the website at concordregionalcrimeline.com, or Txt TIP234 and their message to CRIMES (274637). Crimeline awards cash to anyone whose information leads to the arrest and indictment of criminals. All tips remain anonymous.

Find out what’s happening in Concordwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Do you have a news tip? Please email it to tony.schinella@patch.com. View videos on Tony Schinella’s YouTube.com channel or Rumble.com channel. Follow the NH politics Twitter account @NHPatchPolitics for all our campaign coverage.

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To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.

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