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Judge sides with cyclists; orders halt to Exit 4A road crossing

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Judge sides with cyclists; orders halt to Exit 4A road crossing


A federal judge is ordering a pause on construction of a stretch of road in Derry after finding that state and federal highway planners failed to follow proper regulations when they altered a proposed rail trail.

The ruling is a victory for the Committee to Save the Derry Rail Trail Tunnel, an advocacy group that argued the state’s shift in design from an underground tunnel for bicycles and pedestrians to a curvy ramp and crosswalk across a 6-lane road violated federal law.

The judge’s order means that the state’s Department of Transportation must decide now whether to appeal, perform a new analysis on the competing rail trail designs, or simply opt to build the underpass, which was its initial proposal.

“We’re not over the goal line yet,” said Bob Spiegelman, a cyclist and member of the rail trail advocacy group. “Hopefully DOT will just come back and regroup, and rather than waste more money and time trying to fight this, we’ll just go ahead and do the right thing and build according to the original approved plan.”

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In 2024, state highway officials formally submitted the new design for the crossing. Instead of burrowing under the new exit ramp off of Interstate 93 in Derry, the revised plan called for a ramp leading to the elevated roadway. Officials estimated it would save approximately $770,000 over the tunnel design.

Opponents derided the “spaghetti loop” nature of the path, and said it, along with the road crossing, was unsafe.

An existing rail trail begins in Salem and heads north along a paved, protected route into Derry. But there is an approximate one-mile gap where the Derry trail ends and the Londonderry rail trail starts again. Portions of the proposed connecting strip of trail happen to cross an existing rail corridor that was deemed historically significant by the state in 2009.

The Manchester and Lawrence Railroad was “an engineering feat in its day—the work of Irish laborers who cut through New Hampshire’s granite hillsides with hand tools and blasting powder,” Judge Paul Barbadoro wrote in his opinion.

Under existing federal regulations, highway projects that disrupt historically significant assets are required to undergo an evaluation to see if any alternatives plans could be implemented to lessen any impact. Barbadoro ruled that because that harm analysis wasn’t performed, construction on an approximate 1 mile stretch of the new road must be paused.

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William Cass, New Hampshire’s transportation commissioner, said his office is still reviewing its options. “The Department is disappointed by the order. We are working with the NH Attorney General’s Office to determine our next steps,” he said.

Construction has already begun on other portions of the new exit ramp, and DOT initially said that work on the section of road that would intersect with the rail trail could begin as early as August.

The one-mile stretch of road that’s being constructed as part of the second phase of the project was originally projected to cost $33 million, while the total cost of the new exit ramp and connecting roads are forecasted to top $134 million, portions of which are being paid for by the 2021 bipartisan federal infrastructure law.





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New Hampshire

Missing motorcyclist found dead after crash in Shelburne, NH

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Missing motorcyclist found dead after crash in Shelburne, NH


A New Hampshire motorcyclist who had been missing since the Fourth of July was found dead in Shelburne late Thursday night.

State police say they received a request from the Berlin Police Department just after 7:30 p.m. Thursday for help locating 41-year-old Wesley Grondin — the Berlin man was last seen riding his motorcycle on Saturday, July 4, and had been reported missing.

Troopers received a call a couple of hours later, around 10:10 p.m. Thursday, from a concerned resident who had been out looking for Grondin along Route 2 in Shelburne. The person told police they had found Grondin dead, along with his Harley Davidson.

According to state police, a preliminary investigation determined that Grondin was riding his Harley on Route 2 westbound in Shelburne when, for reasons that remain under investigation, he crossed over into the opposing lane, struck a post, and came to a final rest in the wood line.

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The crash is believed to have occurred just before midnight on July 4. At this time, police say there’s no indication that another vehicle or person was involved.

All aspects of the crash remain under investigation, however. Anyone with information that may assist investigators is asked to contact Trooper Hunter Newsham at Hunter.P.Newsham@dos.nh.gov.



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Nashua, NH, woman jailed for falsifying marriage to claim late man’s estate

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Nashua, NH, woman jailed for falsifying marriage to claim late man’s estate


KEENE, N.H. — A Nashua woman who had a town clerk falsely certify a marriage that never happened so she could claim her late partner’s property has been sentenced to seven days in jail, placed on probation and ordered to repay thousands to his estate.

Attorney General John Formella said Wendy Leedberg‑Snow, 60, turned to Winchester Town Clerk Jim Tetreault after the death of her longtime partner, Eric Leedberg — who was born in Lowell — using the falsified license to pose as his spouse and lay claim to property from his estate, an effort prosecutors describe as an attempt to rewrite the couple’s history for financial gain.

“This case involved a deliberate effort to manipulate official government records and exploit the death of a loved one for personal financial gain,” Formella said in a press release announcing the sentencing. “Our vital records system depends on honesty and integrity, and those who seek to corrupt that system will be held accountable. I want to thank the investigators and prosecutors whose work ensured justice for the victim’s family.”

According to Leedberg’s obituary, he was 53 when he died on Oct. 12, 2023, following a two‑year battle with cancer.

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In the obituary, Leedberg-Snow is described as his “significant other.”

Prosecutors said Leedberg‑Snow moved quickly after his death, relying on Tetreault’s signature to fabricate a marriage that never occurred and position herself as Leedberg’s surviving spouse.

Tetreault, who was a New Hampshire justice of the peace at the time, falsely signed the marriage license claiming he had officiated the couple’s wedding. He later admitted he never performed any ceremony for Leedberg‑Snow and Leedberg and had no personal knowledge of them ever being married.

Leedberg‑Snow used the fraudulent certificate to obtain property from Leedberg’s estate, including a pickup truck and trailer, and later attempted to influence a witness connected to the scheme.

Leedberg‑Snow pleaded guilty in Cheshire County Superior Court in Keene to felony counts of solicitation to commit vital records fraud, title fraud, theft by misapplication of property and witness tampering.

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In addition to her seven‑day jail term, she must serve two years of probation, pay $4,600 in restitution, return the truck and trailer to Leedberg’s estate and comply with a suspended three‑and‑a‑half‑ to seven‑year prison sentence, which means the sentence only takes effect if she violates the conditions of her probation.

Tetreault, who continues to serve as Winchester’s town clerk and “fully cooperated with the State’s investigation,” according to prosecutors, pleaded guilty in April to notarial misconduct, a Class A misdemeanor. As part of a negotiated plea, prosecutors dropped a felony charge of vital records fraud. He was sentenced to 90 days in the house of corrections, all suspended for two years on good behavior, and ordered to pay a $1,000 fine plus a $240 penalty assessment.

He resigned his commissions as a justice of the peace and bail commissioner and agreed not to seek recommissioning as a justice of the peace or notary public during the two‑year suspension period.

Tetreault could not be reached for comment at his office number.

Follow Aaron Curtis on X @aselahcurtis, or on Bluesky @aaronscurtis.bsky.social.

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Rescue Crews Help Injured Woman Off Mt. Washington

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Rescue Crews Help Injured Woman Off Mt. Washington


SARGENT’S PURCHASE – On Saturday, personnel from multiple rescue crews teamed up to help an injured woman get off of Mt. Washington to seek medical treatment.

At approximately 7:45 AM, New Hampshire Fish and Game Department Conservation Officers were notified that a staff member at the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) Lakes of the Clouds Hut had taken a serious fall at the hut and was left unable to walk.

Fish and Game subsequently mobilized search and rescue personnel to come and help evacuate the young woman from her remote location.

By 10:00 AM, members of the Androscoggin Valley Search and Rescue Team (AVSAR), Pemigewassett Valley Search and Rescue Team (Pemi), AMC and Fish and Game had gathered at the Base Station of the Cog Rail. The Cog Railway generously donated room on their trains, and rescuers and equipment were given rides up Mt. Washington to the West Side Trail, which allowed for a shorter and less strenuous 1.6 mile hike than other routes.

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By 11:20 AM rescuers were at the hut with the patient. The patient was subsequently packaged in a litter and prepared for an overland carryout back to the Cog tracks.

Rescue personnel made steady progress, and by 2:15 PM had made it back across West Side Trail and to the train tracks. A Cog Railway train picked up the whole rescue party and brought everyone back down the mountain. Once roadside, the patient was evaluated by personnel from Twin Mountain Fire and Rescue.

She was ultimately driven from the scene by a friend and went to Memorial Hospital in North Conway for further evaluation
and treatment of multiple injuries related to her fall. The patient was identified as Cali Turner, 26, of Willimantic, Maine.

Fish and Game would like to thank all of the people and organizations involved in this rescue effort. Through the help of everyone, the rescue was a great success and got done in a timely manner.

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