🌱Scam: Fake COVID-19 Website + Landfill Issues + Beach Welcome

Happy Sunday, Bedford! Here's what's going on in Bedford today.

First, today's weather:

Sunny, along with a few afternoon clouds. High: 25 Low: 15.

Snow advisory: Cloudy with snow starting after midnight. Low around 15. Winds from the East at 5 to 10 mph, increasing to 20 to 30 mph. Chance of snow 100%. 5 to 8 inches of snow expected.

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Here are the top stories today in Bedford:

1. Scammers are pretending to be a State agency requesting information about COVID-19 vaccinations. Thieves are using a fake website with official seals, according to the Attorney General’s Office. In a news release on Thursday, the New Hampshire AG's office alerted the public that the thieves text messages to cell phones that link to a fraudulent website called “New Hampshire State Covid-19 Vaccine Status Validation.” When people enter their personal information on the website, like social security numbers, dates of birth, and images uploaded of their driver’s licenses, the thieves steal their information. Senior assistant attorney general Brandon Garod said his office was contacted about the fake website and text messages by the Department of Safety on Wednesday. Garod said scammers were likely operating outside the U.S., making it difficult to track and shut down. “That doesn’t mean we won’t try,” he said. If someone is asking for money or for your personal information, Garod said, assume it’s a scam. You can find out more here (with a subscription): (The Union Leader)
2. A lawsuit over alleged pollution at a Bethlehem, New Hampshire landfill was resolved this week with a $50,000 settlement. Landfill owners also agreed to remove sediments from a drainage channel, but the problems highlighted in the lawsuit are "bigger than just the Bethlehem landfill," said Tom Irwin, director of the Conservation Law Foundation. New Hampshire has been constantly expanding landfill capacity, and the landfill approach "threatens the health of our communities and natural resources like the Ammonoosuc River," Irwin said. A bill in the current New Hampshire legislative session, HB 1420, would prohibit the state from issuing new landfill permits until New Hampshire updates its solid waste plan, which dates to 2003. You can read more here: (NHPR)
3. If you head to Hampton Beach and pass by the I-95 rest area, you may discover a new welcome center. The state liquor commission wants to sell about 88 acres of land in Hampton to build liquor stores and other welcome center features, such as a gas station, stores, and restaurants, but Hampton planners oppose the idea of hotels and casinos in the redevelopment plans. The redevelopment plan is modeled after the Hooksett welcome centers along Interstate 93, which opened in 2014. You can read the story and find out more about plans for the "Interstate 95 Corridor Overlay District" here: (Yahoo Finance)

From my notebook:

• Tony Schinella, Patch Staff: "Tough night for the Mountain View Middle School Lions of Goffstown on Tuesday as Concord wrestlers bested the middle-schoolers, 13-5. The Lions also wrestled the Merrimack Tomahawks. Keep on fighting, team!" (Patch)

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Now you're in the know this Sunday. I'll catch up with you again early tomorrow morning.

— Paula Constance

About me: I am a freelance writer, author, and media producer. I am committed to media projects that empower, engage, and help make the world a better place.