Westmore

WESTMORE — Authorities say they are unsure what caused a structure fire at a farm in Westmore on Friday.

The fire broke out at a dairy farm on LaCross Road at around 12:45 p.m.

Heavy smoke and fire could be seen coming out of a large garage and feed barn located behind the main barn for the cattle.

Firefighters managed to prevent the fire from spreading to nearby buildings.

One cow was lost to the fire.

According to the report, the owner/occupant of the property is listed as Roger and Judy LaCross.

Police say one of the owners said they had been utilizing a piece of heavy machinery 15 minutes before the fire and had parked it inside the structure before closing the garage and going back to the house.

Authorities say nobody was injured and the fire is not considered to be suspicious at this time.

The building is considered to be a total loss with an estimated value of approximately $100,000.

WESTMORE — Police are looking for a suspect seen leaving the scene of a burglary in Westmore on Saturday.

At around 3:00 p.m., troopers were dispatched to a possible burglary in progress on Westside Lane.

Police say the caller, who was out for a walk, encountered a suspicious man walking near the back of an abandoned house.

He initially fled into the woods.

The caller waited by his vehicle which was parked on the road, and the same man allegedly came back from the woods denying he was the person who had been seen by the house.

The concerned citizen confronted the man with her vehicle parked in the roadway and told him she was calling the police.

Police say he accelerated away at an unsafe speed, briefly leaving the roadway and nearly striking the caller.

According to the report, the residence was cleared and found to be ransacked and a back window was ajar.

The suspect was described as a white male, approximately 5’11 and thin in build, with dirty blond hair and a thin mustache, wearing dirty work pants tucked into boots, a dirty blue hoodie.

The vehicle was described as an old, likely 70s, 4-door Buick, gold in color, bearing Vermont registration EWA123.

The vehicle was believed to have had an assortment of items in the back seat.

Police are asking anyone who may have witnessed this incident, or who can identify the vehicle or suspect, to call (802) 334-8881.

WESTMORE — A boat was reported stolen in Westmore.

Police were notified last week that the boat had been taken from a residence on Vermont Route 5A, near North Beach of Lake Willoughby.

It was reported that the residence was unoccupied between September 24 and 27.

The property owner returned and discovered his Trophy 18-foot fiberglass boat with green exterior and white interior was missing.

The trailer, a 2004 Karavan was stolen as well.

The registration on the boat at the time of the theft was 7046P.

The trailer registration was AGN810.

Anyone with information regarding the stolen property, or who may have witnessed a boat being trailered from the area during that time frame, is being asked to contact State Police in Derby at (802) 334-8881.

WESTMORE — A 33-year-old man from Concord was arrested for his third DUI after leaving Lake Willoughby on Sunday.

At around 12:30 p.m. police received a complaint of an intoxicated man in Westmore.

A trooper responded to the north beach parking lot when a second caller reported the man appeared to be nodding off and depressing his accelerator.

The trooper alleges he saw the man exiting the parking lot onto Route 16 in a red Ford Focus.

The driver was identified as Bruce Broome, 33, of Concord.

Police say indicators of impairment were observed, and Broome was screened for impairment.

He was placed under arrest for suspicion of DUI.

According to the report, numerous open containers were found during a search of the vehicle.

Broome was transported to Derby, where a check of criminal records revealed two prior DUI convictions in the state of Vermont.

A third DUI offense is a felony punishable by no less than 96 hours and no more than 5 years imprisonment, or a fine of $2,500, or both.

A lifetime suspension of his license may also be imposed.

The West­more As­so­ci­a­tion recently released their summer calendar. The summer events for 2018 will be as fol­lows:

Wednes­day, July 4, at 3 p.m. they will host the an­nual boat pa­rade.

Sat­ur­day, July 7, in as­so­ci­a­tion with the Ladies Aid So­ci­ety and the town of West­more, there will be a town-wide yard sale. For more in­for­ma­tion con­tact el­liema­j46@gmail.com

Wednes­day, July 11, at 6:30 p.m., there will be a pre­sen­ta­tion on the CCC Camp in Willoughby State For­est called “Wednes­days at West­more — His­tory in the Woods.”

Thurs­day, July 26, the West­more As­so­ci­a­tion will hold its an­nual meet­ing and potluck.

Wednes­day, Au­gust 1, at 6:30 p.m., the Wednse­days at West­more se­ries will host Mod­ern Times The­atre.

Sat­ur­day and Sun­day, Au­gust 4 and 5, the as­so­ci­a­tion will host the Fourth An­nual Plein Air at Willoughby. Artists reg­is­ter and re­turn art­work on Au­gust 4. A re­cep­tion for the pub­lic and award of prizes will take place on Au­gust 5. For more in­for­ma­tion con­tact clerk@west­more­as­so­ci­a­tion.org; and

Wednes­day, Au­gust 15, Wednes­days at West­more will host a dance in the town park 6 p.m.

Other events may be added dur­ing the sum­mer sea­son.

Be sure to check the web­site, west­more­as­so­ci­a­tion.org or the West­more As­so­ci­a­tion Face­book page for more in­for­ma­tion.

*Photo by Tina Deck Yarrington

WESTMORE — The Nature Conservancy has announced that a parcel of forested landscape has been protected in Westmore.

The 100.8-acre parcel is located in the Worcester Range to Northeast Kingdom wildlife linkage area.

The Nature Conservancy will turn over this land donation to the Vermont Department of Fish & Wildlife as an expansion of their Bald Hill Wildlife Management Area, keeping it open for recreational purposes such as hiking, hunting, and fishing.

Modern development, in the form of new roads and scattered construction, is fragmenting forests and preventing wildlife from moving freely among habitat blocks for food, mates, and to adjust to climatic changes.

This piece of land in Westmore is identified as a key “stepping stone” for terrestrial movement to maintain healthy wildlife populations.

“Forested landscapes are critical to Vermont’s wildlife populations, our water and air quality, economy, and our ability to adapt to climate change,” said Jon Binhammer, The Nature Conservancy’s director of land protection. “These recent projects embody these goals and help protect all the things that we love about Vermont while keeping the land open for sustainable forestry and or public access.”

WESTMORE — A 70-year-old cyclist was struck by a car on Saturday during a bike race in Westmore. The driver of the vehicle fled the scene, and now Kingdom Games, who organized the race, is offering a $1,000 reward to whoever can help identify the driver in this hit-and-run case.

The incident happen on Saturday, September 27, during the Fall Foliage Tour de Kingdom. The victim, Edward McMenamy, is a Florida resident who was in town for the event.

McMenamy was riding his bicycle southbound along Vermont Route 16 in Westmore when his handlebars were struck by the passenger side mirror of a passing vehicle, forcing him to be flung from his bike and onto the side of the roadway.

He sustained injuries to his left hip, leg, and foot. The vehicle that struck him continued traveling south and did not stop to render assistance. The vehicle was described by witnesses in the area as being a small grey or silver sedan with unknown registration.

The passenger side mirror of the sedan came off of the vehicle upon colliding with McMenamy and was recovered by Vermont State Police.

In a statement issued by Phil White, Director of Kingdom Games, the organization is offering a cash reward to anyone who can help identify the driver.

“Kingdom Games is offering $1,000 to the person who first provides information leading to the arrest and prosecution of the motorist who hit one of our cyclists and then fled the scene,” White wrote.

White went on to say that motorists have been extremely respectful of bicyclists on the roads this year.

“I would like to note my observation during recent years of our Tour de Kingdom rides is that motorists have generally been extremely respectful of bicyclists out on the road, passing them wide, whenever possible. This accident does not appear to be part of any intentional harassment of the cyclist. Instead, it involved the motorist trying to “thread the needle” between the bike and oncoming traffic.”

Anyone with information about the possible identity of the vehicle or the owner is asked to contact Sgt A. Jensen at VSP Derby 334-8881.

For more information on the cash reward in this case, contact:
 
Phil White, Director
Kingdom Games
802-249-9100