New Hampshire
New Hampshire Sex Offender Accused Of Failing To Register; Missing For 7 Months
CONCORD, NH — The New Hampshire Department of Corrections is asking for the public’s help finding a sex offender accused of failing to register with police.
Paul James Laplante is 38, white, about 5 feet, 6 inches tall, and weighs around 160 pounds. He has blue eyes and brown hair. According to officials, he sometimes uses the alias “Paul Laplante.” An alert stated he had a scar on his right kneecap, a surgery scar on his left wrist, and a surgery scar on his lower left back.
Laplante was released on probation after being convicted on indecent exposure and lewdness charges in Sullivan County. He was last known to be living in Keene.
“Laplante then,” officials said, “absconded from probation, and his current whereabouts are unknown.”
Keene police issued a warrant against him in October 2023, while the Sullivan County Superior Court issued a probation violation warrant against him in November 2023. Laplante has ties to the Springfield, Vermont area, the Erving, Massachusetts area, and communities in Cheshire and Sullivan counties in New Hampshire.
According to superior court records, the case involved two incidents in January 2018 in Claremont. Charges were brought against him in November 2019. He pleaded guilty to both charges a year later and was sentenced to state prison for 12 months on one count with three years probation and two to four years, all suspended, for three years, on the second count.
Laplante violated probation in July 2022 and pleaded guilty to one count a few months later. He was sentenced to six months in prison with 16 days credit.
According to the court, the case was reopened in November 2023, and a warrant was issued for his arrest.
If you know where Laplante is, contact corrections at 603-271-1804, the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office at 603-542-9538, or the police.
New Hampshire
Mass. tenants of Brady Sullivan and NH tenant advocates protest outside developer's Manchester HQ | Manchester Ink Link
MANCHESTER, NH – About three dozen people gathered outside Brady Sullivan Tower Friday afternoon to call attention to tenants of an Ayer, Mass., complex, owned by Brady Sullivan Properties, who are facing the prospect of eviction from what are presently low-priced, affordable apartments.
The protesters held signs calling for an eviction freeze and rent control. Other signs declared, “Housing is a human right,” and “Don’t Evict Negotiate!” One protester held a silver shield, with a house at its center, with the words, “No one leaves.”
Members of the Granite State Organizing Project, which advocates for tenants and has helped those in New Hampshire being ousted from their apartments through “renovation evictions,” joined the Massachusetts tenants in the protest.
Jessica Margeson noted that Brady Sullivan had done the same thing to tenants of a housing complex on Kennard Road in the city. In 2020, Brady Sullivan Properties bought the rundown complex, consisting of 23 buildings that included duplexes and garden-style apartment buildings, among others. The complex was owned by John Vratsenes, who managed it for 50 years. He died in 2017.
Immediately rents – that were as low as $750 – were increased by a couple of hundred dollars a month. As tenants moved, apartments were renovated. Four years later, the apartments rent for $1,700 for a one-bedroom and $3,100 for a three-bedroom.
Brady Sullivan generally followed the same playbook in Ayer, Mass. The company bought the rundown apartment complex housing 110 families consisting of low-income residents that included bus drivers, child care and retail wokrers, retirees and the disabled. Like Kennard Road, the complex had been family-owned and operated for 50 years. Brady Sullivan, however, didn’t increase the rents, which were about $900 a month. Instead, as tenants left, they renovated the apartments and then hiked up the rents.
The renovated apartments start at $2,200 a month for a one-bedroom.
Attorney Ann Jochnick, who represents the tenant association, said some tenants moved out after Brady Sullivan bought the complex because they knew they would be unable to pay the anticipated higher rents.
Devenscrest Management LLC, Brady Sullivan’s company which bought the complex, issued a statement on Thursday saying no tenant is being evicted unless they haven’t paid their rent or they committed a serious violation of their lease.
They said the Devenscrest Tenant Association owes more than $30,000 in unpaid rents, but Jochnick said the association doesn’t owe any money at all. (The organization isn’t a tenant.) Management also said some members have not paid rent for years.
The company said they’ve repeatedly asked residents to meet with them in various forums but they have refused.
“Over the years, we have made multiple proposals to these residents to address their concerns and ensure they could continue to be long-term residents of Devenscrest Village by paying substantially reduced rental rates. They have not responded at all,” management said in a statement. “We have also asked the Tenant Association’s representatives to work together with us to connect residents with available resources and services. They have not done so in any way.”
Jochnick said she would love for management to inform them of these available resources and services. She said what previously was available has dried up and other programs are no longer accepting applications.
Brady Sullivan also said they invested millions of dollars in Devenscrest Village, with renovated apartments having new upgraded electrical systems, all new kitchens and bathrooms, new appliances, new heat and added central air conditional and other major upgrades.
The company maintains the tenant association’s view represents a small minority and that nearly 75% of the original residents of Devenscrest Village “chose to renew their leases at substantially below fair market rates, upgrade to a renovated apartment at a discounted rate or successfully relocate with our financial assistance. It is incredibly unfortunate that the Tenant Association, which does not speak for the majority of residents at Devenscrest Village, seeks to tarnish such a vibrant community of hard-working individuals and families.”
The company said, “Rather than trying to bully us into selling Devenscrest Village, it would be far more productive for the Tenant Association and their representatives to help residents secure financial assistance to remain long-term residents of Devenscrest Village at the reduced rental rates that are still being offered to them.”
“That’s kind of ironic,” said Jochnick of Brady Sullivan’s comment that the tenants were trying to bully it into selling the apartment complex to them.
Jochnick said tenants found a developer who was willing to pay Brady Sullivan $4 million more than it paid for the apartment complex in 2021.
“We view this as a win-win situation,” she said. “Brady Sullivan makes a big profit and the tenants will save their homes. We think we can make the rents affordable. Brady Sullivan can walk off with a really good profit and be a good guy.”
She also said the only person from Brady Sullivan who reached out to tenants was the attorney hired for the eviction process. The tenant association, in issuing a statement, said half of the 110 residents have left the complex after Brady Sullivan’s purchase because they worried about the threat of eviction or were driven off by the doubling of rents in renovated apartments. The vast majority of those remaining are up to date on their rents.
What Brady Sullivan means when talking about tenants not reaching out to them, the tenant group said, is that “individual tenants have not been willing to talk about quietly leaving their homes, so that Devenscrest can be turned into a high income community at rents that few existing residents can afford – in order to make enormous profits.”
Tenants formed the Devenscrest Tenant Association because they have nowhere to go because they can’t afford the high rents.“The Devenscrest tenants want what we all want and what we all deserve to have – safe and truly affordable housing,” Maddy August, using a bullhorn, told those gathered on the corner of Elm Street.
August, a GSOP member, said the issue of renovation evictions is not just a Massachusetts issue and, like Margeson, pointed out that Brady Sullivan has done the same thing in Manchester.
What the Devenscrest residents did, however, was organize, she said.
“And organizing is powerful and yes maybe even frightening to some,” she said, pointing at Brady Sullivan Tower. “Do you wonder why (pointing again at the tower) Brady Sullivan won’t even talk to the Devenscrest tenants? Could it be fear? Do you think that Brady Sullivan knows that if people realized the power they have through organization, the world that Brady Sullivan knows could change? Because change is possible when we work together. Let’s change the world so that everybody can have safe and truly affordable housing.”
Quaint is probably the best way to describe New Hampshire. This northeastern state is small in area and population but full of winsome woods and picturesque towns. Those towns, though quaint on the outside, are vibrant on the inside since they contain such splendid businesses as a giant independent bookstore, a 112-foot-long candy counter, a decades-old family-owned restaurant, and a brewpub in an 18th-century gristmill. See where to find the most thriving local businesses and other commercial attractions in the Granite State.
Exeter
Having gone from about 12,000 residents in 1990 to more than 16,000 in 2020, Exeter is a boom town and its businesses reflect that status. The Front Row Pizzeria has been serving scrumptious Italian food to Exeterites for 20-plus years; The Chocolatier has been handcrafting chocolates since 1978; Whirlygigs Toy Shop has been peddling puzzles, games, crafts, and plush toys in a family-owned establishment since 1986; and the Water Street Bookstore has been dealing paperbacks and hardcovers since 1991 and is considered the largest independent bookstore in New Hampshire’s seacoast region.
Beyond such seacoast staples, Exeter has a bevy of newer attractions like Alchemy & Herbs, OBA Noodle Bar, Sawbelly Brewing, Top Drawer, and Vino e Vivo. A tourist can mix old with new in this bustling community that began way back in 1638.
Littleton
A little town with a lot of color, Littleton claims roughly 6,000 residents and dozens of amazing businesses—some of which have been operating for over 100 years. Chutters opened in the late 1800s as a grocery store and became, according to a USA Today poll from 2023, the third-best candy shop in America. Even more impressive, Chutters boasts the world’s longest candy counter, which stretches 112 feet and supports around 600 jars of esoteric sweets. Another legendary Littleton locale is Schilling Beer Co., a brewpub that, although founded in 2013, operates in a gristmill from circa 1797.
After eating bottle caps at Chutters and popping bottle caps at Schilling, you can tour other downtown haunts like the Little Village Toy & Book Shop and The Coffee Pot Restaurant before venturing into the White Mountains with its campgrounds, lodges, and ski resorts. Littleton is colorful inside and out.
Hanover
Hanover is perhaps best known for Dartmouth College, an Ivy League university established in 1769. Although Dartmouth is an attraction in its own right (the Webster Cottage, Geisel School of Medicine, and Hanover Inn have been on-campus sentinels since the 1700s), its surrounding businesses are the best spots to stop for R&R. Serving thousands of students, residents, and tourists are Lou’s Restaurant & Bakery, which is a Main Street mainstay that opened in 1947; Molly’s Restaurant & Bar, another Main Street hang with a magnificent menu; and Murphy’s, yet another Main Street eatery that, having opened in 1992, is considered the “longest standing original family-owned business in Hanover.”
In addition to those Dartmouth and Dartmouth-adjacent digs, Hanover harbors many more relaxing retreats, including Jesse’s Steaks, Nugget Theaters, Base Camp Cafe, Dunk’s Sports Grill, Red Kite Candy, Nathan’s Garden, and Still North Books & Bar. Hanover is a great place for a hangover.
Amherst
A sizeable town of nearly 12,000, Amherst is also a sprawling oasis filled with several nature preserves. Chief among them are the Hodgman State Forest, Peabody Mill Environmental Center and Joe English Conservation Land, and Ponemah Bog Wildlife Sanctuary, the last of which spans 75ish acres of water, sphagnum moss, and oak-pine woods. Some of the town’s commercial attractions even have nature-inspired names, such as the Black Forest Cafe & Bakery and the Robin’s Egg eclectic décor and antique store.
Other lively businesses to patronize in Amherst include Smokehaus Barbecue, The Bistro at LaBelle Winery, Moulton’s Kitchen & Market, Earth and Tree Dollhouse and Miniature Shop, Monarquia Authentic Mexican Restaurant, ThaiLicious Asian Fusion, Bentley’s Roast Beef, The Flying Butcher, and Naji’s Pizza.
Conway
Located way out in northeastern New Hampshire, Conway has almost 10,000 residents and straddles roughly 800,000 acres of the White Mountain National Forest. After hiking, biking, horseback riding, train riding, rock climbing, off-roading, fishing, kayaking, boating, and even moose viewing in the forest, adventurers can unwind in Conway proper at various establishments. Tuckerman Brewing Company, which sits on Hobbs Street, sells food and beer and brews about 8,000 barrels of the latter each year. Tours are offered on Fridays at 5 PM and Saturdays at 12 PM. Just a short drive away is Sweet Maple Café, which sweetens mornings with pancakes and waffles.
Moreover, tourists can visit more touristy North Conway for forays into Zeb’s General Store, Delaney’s Hole In the Wall, the Lobster Trap Restaurant, and the Muddy Moose Restaurant & Pub. Lastly, Center Conway can bring you back to basics for the Sherman Farm Market, a scenic showcase of local produce, meat, milk, and many other products.
Hancock
If Amherst is an oasis, Hancock is pure paradise. This town sits around 20 miles northwest of Amherst and has one-seventh the population. Instead of people, Hancock has an abundance of plants and animals that inhabit Norway Pond, Thumb Mountain, Nubanusit Lake, Skatutakee Mountain, the Welch Family Farm and Forest, and the Harris Center for Conservation Education. The few people who enter Hancock are treated with coffee at Fiddleheads Cafe, beer at Hornburg Brewing Company, produce at Hancock Market, and rest at The Hancock Inn (which closed for renovations and is expected to reopen in 2024).
New Hampshire is a quaint and picturesque state that is energetic and under-the-radar. Inside its tiny towns are lively businesses that have been operating for decades—and in some cases centuries. Check out Exeter, Littleton, Hanover, Amherst, Conway, and Hancock for their vibrant and historic steakhouses, pizzerias, bars, grocers, bakeries, bookstores, inns, cafes, breweries, antique stores, gift shops, candy shops, and toy stores.
Nebraska Gov. Pillen taking ‘potshots’ at state senators while seeking tax relief support
NEVADA VIEWS: Strengthening democracy
Mass. tenants of Brady Sullivan and NH tenant advocates protest outside developer's Manchester HQ | Manchester Ink Link
Albuquerque family seeks closure after deadly hit-and-run
North Carolina vs. Tennessee schedule, time, TV channel, live stream for 2024 College World Series baseball game | Sporting News
See it: Tesla crashes into Columbus convention center at 70 mph
Colorado Rockies game no. 116 thread: Zac Gallen vs José Ureña
Fox News Politics: Georgia the whole day through
Death of missing Oregon girl found in stream ruled homicide
At least 2 dead as tornadoes hit Alabama, damage homes across Southeast
Judge rules Missouri abortion ban did not aim to impose lawmakers' religious views on others
Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 842
Joe Biden, Barack Obama And Jimmy Kimmel Warn Of Another Donald Trump Term; Star-Filled L.A. Fundraiser Expected To Raise At Least $30 Million — Update
Biden strikes gold in California, one week after Trump's massive haul in the blue bastion
Switzerland's massive security effort at the Ukraine peace conference
-
News1 week agoIsrael used a U.S.-made bomb in a deadly U.N. school strike in Gaza
-
World1 week agoFrance to provide Ukraine with its Mirage combat aircraft
-
World1 week agoWorld leaders, veterans mark D-Day’s 80th anniversary in France
-
World1 week agoRussia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 833
-
News1 week agoNonprofit CFO Accused of 'Simply Astonishing' Fraud
-
Movie Reviews1 week agoInsane Like Me? – Review | Vampire Horror Movie | Heaven of Horror
-
Politics1 week agoGeorge Clooney called White House to complain about Biden’s criticism of ICC and defend wife’s work: report
-
Politics1 week agoNewson, Dem leaders try to negotiate Prop 47 reform off California ballots, as GOP wants to let voters decide