The New Hampshire Fish and Game said it is considering charging two hikers for their rescue in the White Mountains Saturday. One of them said he is OK with that.
“My answer was whatever you guys have to do,” said Bart Zienkiewicz, 34, of Naugatuck, Connecticut. “If I see a fine or a bill or whatever you need to call it, I’m happy to be able to pay that bill versus not paying it, of course, if things had gotten really bad and they couldn’t find us.”
Zienkiewicz had never before hiked in the winter when he and a friend, Louis Scotti, embarked on a nine-mile hike along the Franconia Ridge early Saturday morning. They reached the summit but couldn’t find their way down because blizzard-like conditions had obscured the trail.
Zienkiewicz said he and Scotti, 33, of Cranston, Rhode Island, realized they were unprepared when they strayed into the woods and couldn’t find their way. They hadn’t packed dry clothes or socks and had only water and protein bars.
“It was kind of a slow realization that, you know, don’t just think that everything’s going to work out,” Zienkiewicz said from his home Sunday. “There is a chance that we may have to not only stay a few hours, maybe overnight, maybe not get out of here.”
Two Fish and Game conservation officers reached the pair around 4:30 p.m. and escorted them to the trail head. Neither had Fish and Game’s $25 Hike Safe card, which would absolve them of rescue costs. It also comes with recommendations for safe hiking.
Scotti could not be reached for comment Sunday. Zienkiewicz said he was so grateful to Fish and Game that he’ll make a donation if he doesn’t get a bill.
“I have my life to thank for doing this,” he said.
Fish and Game is urging people to prepare for any weather conditions, which can change quickly in the White Mountains.
Walpole Police and New Hampshire State Police are investigating a shooting incident at Jiffy Mart in Walpole, N.H. on Route 12. Police report no danger to the community. One person was transported for injuries to Cheshire Medical Center in Keene, N.H.
No other information is available at this time.
CONCORD, NH — The Powerball jackpot for Wednesday night is expected to be the sixth largest in history, according to the New Hampshire Lottery.
The jackpot is expected to be $1.25 billion. The one-time cash payout should be around $572 million before taxes. No one has won the jackpot since Sept. 6, when winners who purchased tickets in Missouri and Texas split a $1.78 billion jackpot.
The odds of winning the jackpot are 292.2 million to 1. The odds of winning the $1 million prize — matching five numbers without the Powerball are 1 in 11.7 million.
Charlie McIntyre, the executive director of the New Hampshire Lottery, said last week, $2.4 million worth of tickets were sold in the state.
“We’ve gone a number of drawings without a winner, giving this Powerball jackpot plenty of time to rise to the sixth largest of all time,” said “There’s still time to make your holiday season brighter with a chance at this $1.25 billion prize — all you need is $2 to play.”
Revenue from the sales, he said, helps the commission “continue our daily mission to deliver the maximum amount of revenue to public schools in New Hampshire.”
Since 1964, more than $3 billion has been contributed to schools in the Granite State.
Deer have evolved to survive the stark winter months, with adaptations like a warm winter coat and stores of body fat they can use for extra energy. The animals also reduce their activity and food intake to conserve energy and migrate to a forested shelter called a deer yard, which can provide some protection from the elements.
“Although people may feel badly for deer and want to help, the Fish and Game Department would like to remind the public to never feed deer as it may actually harm them,” said Becky Fuda, the deer project leader at New Hampshire Fish and Game.
In 2015, 12 deer were found dead around a feeding site in South Hampton, after they were given food they could not digest, according to Fish and Game.
Microorganisms in the deer’s stomach help them to digest food. The natural diet of deer gradually changes with the seasons, and the microorganisms also change over the course of a few weeks to help them digest different foods.
But a sudden shift from a high-fiber woody diet to a high-carbohydrate diet offered by humans can disrupt the deer’s stomach chemistry, making deer less able to digest food, and releasing toxins.
And Fuda said feeding can have other negative consequences for deer, like increased risk of getting hit by a car and increased risk of disease transmission.
“Fish and Game strongly discourages the practice,” she said.
There are about 100,000 white-tailed deer in New Hampshire, according to an estimate from Fish and Game.
This story appeared in Globe NH | Morning Report, a free newsletter focused on New Hampshire, including great coverage from the Boston Globe and links to interesting articles elsewhere. To receive it via email Monday through Friday, sign up here.
Amanda Gokee can be reached at amanda.gokee@globe.com. Follow her @amanda_gokee.
Addy Brown motivated to step up in Audi Crooks’ absence vs. UNI
LIVE UPDATES: Mudslide, road closures across Western Washington
How much snow did Iowa get? See Iowa’s latest snowfall totals
Elementary-aged student killed in school bus crash in southern Maine
Chiefs’ offensive line woes deepen as Wanya Morris exits with knee injury against Texans
Frigid temperatures to start the week in Maryland
The Game Awards are losing their luster
Nature: Snow in South Dakota
