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Oozing success: N.H. Mud Bowl endures – The Boston Globe

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Oozing success: N.H. Mud Bowl endures – The Boston Globe


Drew McDonald, 27, who was born and raised in Conway N.H., said the Mud Bowl has been a staple in his life. His father and uncles played, and then his brother brought him onto a team when he was 19. Now, McDonald is one of the captains of the Mud Hogs and plays every year.

This past weekend, North Conway hosted the 51st Mud Bowl in the Hog Coliseum as teams, knee-deep in the muck, compete in a touch football tournament to raise money for local organizations. The event started as an attempt to help businesses after Labor Day weekend by extending summer festivities into September, and it has snowballed into a cherished local event.

Cheerleaders for the Muddas Football Club rinsed off after their halftime performance during the 2025 Mud Bowl at Hog Coliseum in North Conway,.Erin Clark/Globe Staff
Members of the North Conway Hogs perform a Miller Lite–themed dance for judges during the Tournament of Mud Parade at the 51st annual Mud Bowl in North Conway. The parade is a staple of the weekend, featuring costumes, floats and performances by the mud football teams.Erin Clark/Globe Staff

”You see 12 teams there and you might be battling in the mud during the game, little stuff might happen, getting a little chippy,“ McDonald said. ”But after the game, everyone’s family.”

He was able to play alongside his dad and brother a few years ago, which is one of his favorite memories from any Mud Bowl, he said.

Richard DeAngelis, 85, played in the first Mud Bowl and is one of the founding members. He returns every year as one of the grand marshals and put on a skit to raise money for the North Conway Community Center, Vaughan Learning Center, and Carroll County Retired Senior Volunteer Program, and other charities in the White Mountains region.

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“The first time we collected [money] it was like $35. I was almost embarrassed to bringing it over to the youth center,” DeAngelis said. “And to think as of last year, [in] 50 years we raised over $1 million. Its pretty heartwarming.”

This year, the Mud Crocs won the championship after three days of battling other teams in the deep mud. For Chris Olds, captain of the team, what makes the Mud Bowl special is its longevity.

“All these things have come and gone and yet Mud Bowl is the one, in my personal opinion, because of that tie to giving back to the community that has always stayed there and is still present,” Olds said.

Members of the original Mount Washington Valley Hogs and Hoggettes, wearing masks and parade sashes, parade on Main Street during the Tournament of Mud Parade in North Conway. The 42nd annual parade, part of Mud Bowl weekend, honored the legendary team that helped launch the event in the 1970s.Erin Clark/Globe Staff
Players from the North Shore Mud Sharks, in yellow, take on the Carrabassett Valley Rats during a Saturday matchup at the 2025 Mud Bowl in North Conway, N.H.Erin Clark/Globe Staff
Justin Kwedor, of the North Country Mud Crocs, (left), Haendley Lamour of the Carrabassett Valley Rats and Bobby Graustein of the Mud Things.Erin Clark/Globe Staff
Ashley Gordon, left, and Brooke Kujawski, members of the Hogettes cheer squad, cool off in a tub during the 2025 Mud Bowl at Hog Coliseum in North Conway.Erin Clark/Globe Staff
A New Hampshire Mudcats defender, left, closes in on a Jim Wilson of the Mud Heroes during the 51st annual Mud Bowl.Erin Clark/Globe Staff
Jack Mueller of the North Conway Hogs rests in the mud after a play during the 51st annual Mud Bowl. The hometown team is a perennial crowd favorite at the charity football tournament.Erin Clark/Globe Staff
Mud Heroes player Ben Matthews, right, embraces an opponent after a game during the 51st annual Mud Bowl in North Conway. Matthews was inducted into the Mud Bowl Hall of Fame this year.Erin Clark/Globe Staff
Craig Adam of the New Hampshire Mudcats rinses off in a water tub after a game at the 2025 Mud Bowl.Erin Clark/Globe Staff
The North Country Mud Crocs celebrate with their trophy after winning the 2025 Mud Bowl championship in North Conway.Erin Clark/Globe Staff
New Hampshire Mudcats teammates, from left, Craig Adam, Mike Kamysz and Shane Boss rinse off after a game at the 2025 Mud Bowl.Erin Clark/Globe Staff

Katarina Schmeiszer can be reached at katarina.schmeiszer@globe.com. Follow her on X at @katschmeiszer.





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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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