Stranded Mass. hikers found on Mt. Monadnock

JAFFREY - Conservation officers helped two ill-prepared hikers down Mt. Monadnock Sunday night after they were overcome by darkness, according to a press release issued by state Fish and Game.

Officers hiked to the Red Spot Trail to locate two hikers, Allison Smith, 17, and Joseph Winer, 22, both of Marlborough, Mass. They started their hike at 2:30 p.m. but were overcome by darkness when they started back down the mountain about 6 p.m.

Fish and Game said neither had a flashlight or headlamp and eventually became stranded due to darkness.

Conservation officers located the pair at 9:45 p.m. and helped them down.

Fish and Game is urging anyone who wants to take advantage of New Hampshire’s recreational opportunities to do so responsibly, learn to be self-reliant and carry the essential equipment. For more information, go to HIKESAFE.COM

25 beagles seized at Salem home

SALEM, N.H. — A loose dog complaint led to the surrender of 25 beagles yesterday afternoon from a home on Haverhill Road, Deputy police Chief Shawn Patten said.
Animal Control Officer Corie Bliss responded to America's Stonehenge at 105 Haverhill Road for a complaint of a loose dog, Patten said. She found the dog and immediately saw that it was in "terrible" shape, Patten said, then went to the house at 104 Haverhill Road and saw some things that concerned her.
Bliss took the dog to the town kennel, which is located on the same property as Salem Animal Rescue League, then returned to 104 Haverhill Road with a patrol officer.
There, Bliss and the officer found 24 more beagles — most in rough shape, Patten said.
The dogs were housed in cages similar to what rabbits would live in, he said, with as many as five or six dogs in a single cage.....<<MORE>>

NH Snowmobile Trail Report 3-16-2012

*NOTE*  This will be the last Snowmobile Trail update for the winter season, due to the unseasonably warm winter, spring has decided to arrive early as well.  I will be starting trail and hiking reports shortly.  Have a great day outdoors!
- Dave

March 16, 2012 Update Last Report for the season Unseasonably warm temps have put the breaks on the snowmobile riding season for most of the state. You can still find some riding in the northern region. Expect spring conditions with water bars. Check clubs web sites for more detailed information. Thanks to everyone for your continued support to this recreation. It’s your paid registrations that keep the trails open. See you next winter! Pittsburg- No new snow to report. Trailer north and you will find some good riding. Grooming may commence in the north, if the temps allow. Lower elevations are in poor shape. Last Vintage race this weekend Saturday March 17th For more details go towww.pittsburgridgerunners.org. Colebrook- Closed Stratford- No grooming Spring Conditions Groveton/Nash Stream- No grooming Spring Conditions. 5 South Closed Diamond Pond/Coleman State Park- No grooming Spring Conditions. Go towww.swiftdiamondriders.com Errol- No grooming Spring Conditions. Cambridge- Closed Milan- Closed. Dalton- Closed Berlin- Closed Berlin/Success- Closed Gorham- Closed Jefferson- Closed Franconia Notch- Closed Campton/Thornton- Closed Bear Notch- No grooming Spring Conditions Pisgah State Park- Closed. Pillsbury State Park- Closed Rail Lines: Northern: Gates closed Ashuelot: Gates closed Fort Hill:  Gates closed Sugar River: Gates closed Concord to Lincoln:  Gates closed Additional Resources and Information Please be safe and ride with caution. Respect our landowners. Watch speeds and stay to the right. For more information contact brenda.drouin@dred.state.nh.us.  2012 NH Snowmobile Corridor Map   (For a printed map contact NHSA or the Bureau of Trails) Snowmobile Trail Conditions Reports Snowmobile Club Information Snowmobile User Information Snow Depth Map NH Weather Radar

Explore | Experience | What's Happening | Get Involved | Who We Are | Partner & Community Relations News | Calendar | Contact Us | Reservations | E-updates © 2010 NH Department of Resources and Economic Development 172 Pembroke Road P.O. Box 1856 Concord, NH 03302-1856 | T: (603) 271-3556 F: (603) 271-3553

Back Bay Restaurant's Loss Is Zoo's Gain

Lions To Feast On Capitol Grille Steaks

MENDON, Mass. -- On a busy weekend night, a table at Boston's Capitol Grille might be reserved for a party of fat cats. On Thursday, the restaurant hand-delivered steak dinners to them, at the zoo.

Lions at the Southwick Zoo in Mendon are the benefactors of the Back Bay power outage as the Capitol Grille Restaurant is donating 2,500 pounds of grade A steaks to the zoo.

A transformer fire caused a Boston power outage on Tuesday night. The restaurant has since had it's power restored and is fully operational. according to Capital Grille spokesman Hunter Robinson.

"It's great to be able to put this meat to good use knowing that we can't use it in the restaurant, so it's good to turn a negative to a positive," Hunter said.

"It costs thousands of dollars for us to feed the cats," zoo owner Betsy Brewer told the Milford Daily News.

The zoo's lions, tigers and leopards eat about 15 pounds of meat at each feeding. Brewer said zookeepers feed them every three days or so.

Missing Dresden, Maine boy found alive

(Dresden, Maine) - Maine game wardens teamed up with volunteers to do a grid search of woods near the area where 12-year-old Michah Thomas was last seen.

Search and rescue teams brought in dogs to try and pick up Micah's scent on the ground while airplanes and helicopters searched from above and boats looked along the shores of the eastern river.

Then, during an afternoon media briefing, Maine game wardens stopped in the middle of a press conference. A moment later, an ambulance raced away from the fire station and game wardens announced Thomas had been found alive and was being treated by EMS.

Game wardens say a civilian searcher found Micah along the river, his voice hoarse from yelling all night long, barely being heard.

A marine patrol boat brought him to the shore to the waiting ambulance. Micah told game wardens he got lost in the woods and spent the night along the shore of the river.

For Micah's family, it was the outcome they had hoped for after 22 hours of worry and fear.

Micah was taken to a nearby hospital for evaluation, but game wardens say he's lucky - Micah spent a very cold and wet night all alone in the dark and survived - and now he gets to go home with his family.