New Hampshire
NH House bill seeks to repeal change to Strafford County Commission election
DOVER — An effort to overturn a bill passed last year to change the way citizens vote for Strafford County commissioners received a public hearing before a New Hampshire House committee last week.
House Bill 1210 would repeal House Bill 75, which passed by one vote, 186-185, in the House and the Senate 14-10, along party lines. The election for the county’s three commissioners has long been countywide, meaning the top three vote getters were elected. The new bill breaks the towns and cities of Strafford County into three districts, with each voting for a commissioner. It’s set to take effect for the 2024 election in November.
The change means County Commission Chairman George Maglaras of Dover, who has served on the commission since 1983, would have to run against Commissioner Deanna Rollo in a Democratic primary, if both seek reelection this year. Democrats have long controlled the commission, which holds elections every two years, with a Republican last serving in 2011-12.
One of the proponents of House Bill 75, state Sen. Jim Gray, R-Rochester, in 2023 argued districts should be created to give smaller towns in Strafford County more representation. He also pointed out nine of 10 county commissioner elections in the state have districts. Strafford County is the only one that does not.
“That is taking away the people’s right to vote for all three commissioners,” Maglaras countered. “With that vote the new law lets people in the county only vote for one and divides the two major cities in half, disenfranchising tens of thousands of voters.”
Constitutional argument for and against districts in Strafford Counlty
Democrats who opposed the bill to change the election called it gerrymandering. Another argument Democrats made was redistricting of voting maps happens nationally every 10 years, following the once-a-decade Census. Gray helped lead that process in New Hampshire with Republicans in majority control. Numerous election districts were changed in the state, but no changes were made to the Strafford County commissioner election at that time.
Maglaras and other Democrats said state lawmakers need to wait for the next 10-year cycle and argued making changes would be unconstitutional. They said it would set a precedent the party in majority control could make changes at any time.
Gray defended the constitutionality of House Bill 75. In 2023, when House Bill 75 was being debated, he said an attorney told him “districting is different than redistricting,” meaning this change isn’t part of the redistricting because there are no districts for Strafford County commissioners. Gray said another attorney advised him since no action was taken on Strafford County commissioners during the redistricting process, “we still have our once-in-10-years opportunity.”
In addition to the constitutionality of the bill, Maglaras pointed out that one of the House votes that passed the bill was cast by former representative Troy Merner, ousted from the legislature after it was shown he was still voting even though he no longer lived in Lancaster, the town he represented.
“He was charged with fraud and casting votes illegally,” said Maglaras. “That will certainly be one of the pleadings in support of the new bill.”
House Bill 1210 was heard by the House’s Municipal and County Government committee, which is scheduled to vote on it by March 21. The bill will then go to the full House with the committee’s recommendation. It is sponsored by Democratic state Reps. Tim Horrigan, Cam Kenney, and Allan Howland, all of Durham, as well as Chuck Grassie of Rochester and Heath Howard of Strafford.
Maglaras said HB 1210 is the last attempt to repeal what he says is an unfair law. It if fails, he reiterated his stand the county will take its argument to court.
“The courts prefer you make all efforts to work through the legislature so that’s what we are doing,” he said. “But we firmly believe this is wrong and we will take it as far as we have to.”
New Hampshire
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.
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.
New Hampshire
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.
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.
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.
New Hampshire
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.
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.
-
Ohio4 minutes agoCome Hang Out With Your Fellow Autopians In Detroit And Ohio Next Week – The Autopian
-
Oklahoma10 minutes agoOKFB pleased with newly proposed settlement in long-running State of Oklahoma poultry case | Oklahoma Farm Bureau
-
Oregon16 minutes agoOregon joins multistate lawsuit seeking to block Warner Bros.-Paramount merger
-
Pennsylvania22 minutes agoGovernor Josh Shapiro signs overdue Pennsylvania state budget with bipartisan support
-
Rhode Island28 minutes agoRhode Island Foundation is offering three composers $30,000 grants — applications due Aug. 10 – What’s Up Newp
-
South-Carolina34 minutes agoLIVE: South Carolina governor to announce new appointment after Sen. Graham’s sudden death
-
South Dakota40 minutes agoSouth Dakota ends 2026 fiscal year with $69 million surplus
-
Tennessee46 minutes agoEverything Tennessee Basketball Assistant Coach Gregg Polinsky Said During Summer Practice | Rocky Top Insider