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Friday, November 24, 2000

Manchester


Man sentenced in driveway attack
MANCHESTER - A Nigerian has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for attacking a woman who was delivering newspapers.

Ikponmwosa Ojo, 27, pleaded guilty in September in Hillsborough County Superior Court to criminal restraint. He was sentenced Wednesday. When he is released from prison, Ojo will be turned over to immigration authorities and could be deported.

Earlene Blanchard, 30, said she was knocked down in the slush last February and dragged down a driveway by a man, who then tried to strangle her. But she said she bit his thumb and kicked him until he ran off.

Windham

Neighbor establishes a tradition

WINDHAM - A woman has come up with an unusual Thanksgiving Day neighborhood tradition: a group exercise before the stuffing begins.

The sixth annual Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot started at 9 a.m. and lasted about an hour as families ran, jogged, walked, inline skated, biked or pushed baby carriages around the neighborhood.

It is the idea of Louise Peltz.

Participants are asked to donate a few dollars to benefit Shepherdıs Pantry at Windham Presbyterian Church. Last year, the event raised more than $1,000.

The event ended at Peltzıs home, where cider and snacks were served.

Portsmouth

Tanker rollover stalls traffic

PORTSMOUTH - A propane tanker rolled over three times Wednesday, causing a major traffic problem on the busiest travel day of the year.

The police closed the ramp from the Portsmouth Traffic Circle to Interstate 95 northbound and one lane of the highway. The driver was hospitalized.

Ban sought on straight tickets

A Libertarian state legislator wants New Hampshire to outlaw straight-ticket balloting.

Steve Vaillancourt, who used to be a Democrat, said getting rid of straight-ticket voting is the best thing the state can do to straighten out elections.

New Hampshire voters are permitted to mark a single box on a ballot designating a vote for all candidates of a party. Critics say it causes confusion.

A similar bill was approved in the state Senate two years ago but failed in the House.

Manchester

Drivers who pass buses targeted

MANCHESTER - The police are cracking down on drivers who pass school buses that are picking up or dropping off children.

The police said they will follow buses or watch school bus stops to make sure drivers stop when the buses do.

Sgt. Fred Roach said that in addition to trying to catch violators in the act, the police have given bus drivers forms to fill out to report drivers who donıt stop for their blinking lights.

Portsmouth

Judge defers on bias allegation

PORTSMOUTH - A judge has refused to drop assault charges against a black Portsmouth woman who claims her arrest was racially motivated.

The judge, however, did give a lawyer for Marie Ellison, 66, three weeks to request a copy of an FBI report on the March incident. Another hearing will be held on Dec. 12.

Ellison is accused of assaulting two police officers who had gone to her home to arrest her son, Marvin, who was wanted for assaulting his niece.

The police said Marie Ellison kicked one of the officers in the groin and scratched the other on the face. Ellison claims the officers threw her to the ground and tossed a bucket of water in her face.

Raymond

Schools, police forming a bond

RAYMOND - Rockingham County Attorney Jim Reams says the relationship between Raymond schools and the police has improved.

Last year a series of bomb threats, the death of a pupil in a car crash and the firing of top administrators led the principal of Raymond High School to resign.

Principal James Underwood said bomb threats that closed the high school and middle school for days, faculty vacancies and academic shortcomings prompted his decision to leave.

The principal also said at the time he was troubled that Reams and the local police publicly accused him of failing to report incidents of real or threatened violence by pupils. He said he had done everything in his power to comply with the law.

Reams, in a letter to the school board this week, said cooperation between the schools and the police has improved dramatically.

³I feel that we are well on our way to developing the kind of relationship between the schools and police that the Legislature envisioned when the Safe Schools Act was passed,² he wrote.

Portsmouth

Evidence offered in border dispute

PORTSMOUTH - A former state transportation employee says she has information to help New Hampshire in its court battle with Maine over ownership of the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard.

Harriet Cady of Deerfield, in a letter Wednesday to Assistant Attorney General Leslie Ludtke, said she worked for the New Hampshire Department of Transportation as an appraiser.

She said New Hampshire was told it had to pay all costs during the construction of the bridge over the Piscataqua River into Maine. She said that shows Maine always has accepted that New Hampshire owns the embankments on Maineıs side of the river.

At issue is ownership of the shipyard, on an island in the middle of the river that separates the two states.

New Hampshire contends the historic boundary rests along the low-water mark on the Maine shore.

The shipyardıs location is of great importance to its workers who live in New Hampshire, where there is no income tax. Maine has been charging those workers the Maine income tax.

State: Inspect heating systems

Public health officials are warning New Hampshire residents to have heating systems checked to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning.

A risk assessment supervisor, Dennis Pinski, said if heaters or furnaces arenıt working properly, dangerous levels of carbon monoxide can build up in homes. He said carbon monoxide exposure is responsible for more poisoning deaths in the United States than any other chemical.

The gas is colorless and odorless.

Health officials suggest having heating systems and chimneys inspected and urge residents to install carbon monoxide detectors. The signs of carbon monoxide poisoning include shortness of breath, dizziness, headaches, nausea and fainting.

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