Police are searching for 56-year-old Lawrence J. Eldridge who failed to return to The Concord State Prison Tuesday. ~ Photo courtesy of New Hampshire State Police.

CONCORD, NH – Police are searching for an inmate who failed to return after being allowed to leave temporarily.

According to New Hampshire State Police they are trying to find Lawrence J. Eldridge who did not return Tuesday after being allowed to leave the Concord State prison to visit a family member.

Eldridge a.k.a. Tinker has ties to the Ossipee area and was serving time after being convicted of kidnapping, escape, and criminal threatening.

He is described as a 56 -year-old white male who is 5 foot 9, 215 pounds with brown hair and blue eyes.

Authorities said he was last seen in Alton.

Police advise anyone who may spot Eldridge to use caution and to not approach him. Any one who may have seen Eldridge or know where he may be located is asked to contact State Police immediately at 603-271-3636. 

SARGENT’S PURCHASE, NH – Parts of Tuckerman Ravine Trail will be closed till the fall. Forest Service officials said that beginning Monday (July 2nd), crews will be working to replace two bridges on the popular trail on Mt. Washington.

The bridges set to be replaced are located up the trail from the Pinkham Notch Visitor Center near the Cascade Falls and just after the intersection of the Sherburne Ski Trail and the Tuckerman Ravine trail.

For a larger version of the detour map Click Here.

There will be detours using the Sherburne Ski Trail. For more information go to outdoors.org.

SARGENT’S PURCHASE, NH A hiker was rescued on Mount Washington Monday. At around 2pm Fish and Game Conservation Officers were called to assist 28-year-old Stephanie Beauchamp of Montreal, Quebec who had an unknown head injury.

Officials said that Brauchamp was hiking with a companion on Tuckerman Ravine Trail near the Lion Head Trail junction when she struck her head on a boulder and suffered an unknown injury. Her hiking companion was able to call 911 and covered Beauchamp with a space blanket to keep her warm in the low 40 degree temperatures.

A rescue response was initiated and members of the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) and the Mt. Washington Summit State Park were contacted for assistance in locating the injured hiker.

Several calls were made to the reporting party’s cell phone number to verify location and the status of the victim, but the service was unsuccessful.

At approximately 2:45 p.m. two members from the State Park located the hiker approximately ¼ mile from the summit. Upon the arrival of the State Park employees, Beauchamp had recovered enough to be able to walk up to the summit building.  From there she was transported down the Auto Road back to her vehicle. 

The injury was not considered life threatening, but she and her companion were urged to seek a medical evaluation.

CONWAY, NH – The Conway Dispatch center is going to get a much needed upgrade. Conway Police Chief Ed Wagner told the Conway Daily Sun that they had been awarded a $375,000 grant from the New Hampshire Homeland Security for the upgrades.

Earlier this month Chief Wagner reportedly told Conway Selectmen that getting the grant was a long shot and they were not expecting to get it.

Emergency services had been facing problems with the dispatch center due to outdated equipment, the location of radio towers as well as the vegetation over growth around them, and a lack of funding.

Officials are hoping the money from the grant will be distributed in the fall, and then they can begin replacing the dispatch consoles as the associated equipment at the stations.

Conway Fire Chief Steve Solomon told the Sun that they have also applied for the Northern Borders Commission grant for the towers, and the town should hear back in the fall, with the work to be done next winter.

The cost of the entire upgrade could total from $600,000-$1.3 million. The cost of the project has not gone out to bid yet.

Chief Wagner said that the grant would not have happened if it weren’t for the multitude of hours put into applying for it by Chief Solomon and Police Lt. George Walker.

 

BERLIN, NH – New Hampshire Attorney General Gordon J. MacDonald, New Hampshire State Police Colonel Christopher Wagner, and Berlin Police Chief Peter Morency announced that there is an active homicide investigation involving the death one person, which is ongoing in Berlin, New Hampshire.

Additional information will be released as soon as possible.

Fryeburg Police are looking for information about a hit and run that happened on Wednesday. ~ Photo courtesy of Fryeburg Police

FRYEBURG, ME – Fryeburg Police are asking for the public’s help after a hit and run on Wednesday (6/20).

Authorities said that a 43-year-old Fryeburg man was walking on River Street towards East Conway Road when he was struck by an oncoming vehicle traveling south east towards Main Street in Fryeburg.

Fryeburg Police are looking for information about a hit and run that happened on Wednesday. ~ Photo courtesy of Fryeburg Police

Fryeburg Police Chief Joshua Potvin said the victim sustained non-life-threatening head, legs, and shoulder injuries. The chief added “We are asking anyone who may have witnessed this crash or has any information to please bring it to our attention”.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Fryeburg Police at 207-935-3323.