🌱 New England Gold + Romance Scam Artist Tricks + $144K Reward

Hello, Bedford! Paula Constance here with a fresh Bedford Daily.

First, today's weather:

An afternoon rain or snow shower. High: 37. Low: 33.

Cloudy skies early followed by a mixture of light rain and snow in the afternoon. High 37. Winds light and variable. Chance of precipitation 90 percent. Snow accumulations less than one inch.

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Here are the top stories today in Bedford:

1. Meet the New England athletes who will compete for Olympic gold for Team USA at the Winter Olympics: Alpine skier Ryan Cochran-Siegle is a Vermont native. He was born in Burlington and his mother, Barbara Ann Cochran, won gold in the slalom in the 1972 Olympics. Sean Doherty from Conway, New Hampshire is competing in the Baithalon. This is 26-year-old's third appearance in the Olympics and Clare Egan, a multi-sport athlete at Cape Elizabeth High, Wellesley College, and the University of New Hampshire is also competing in the Biathalon for the USA Team. This is her second appearance at the Olympics. You can read more about this story. and other New England athletes here: (Boston.com)
2. Valentines Day is a perfect time to remember the people you love, but the BBB warms it is also the time of year that "romance scams" are active on dating websites. One way to protect yourself is to be on the lookout for fake profile pictures of "good-looking men and women" that are used to entice people to respond. Angie Barnett, president and CEO of BBB of Greater Maryland, said one way to detect fake images online is to use Google's free "image lookup" feature at images.google.com. If you see the photo is being used in other places online or on other profiles, it may be a scam. Romance scammers also try to "build trust" and quickly move off the dating site. They try to play on your sympathies with a hard-luck story to get personal information or money. Be on the alert and do your research if you meet someone new online. You can read more about this story here: (WMUR)
3. The search continues for Harmony Montgomery, then 5, who was placed in the custody of her father, Adam, by a Massachusetts court in 2019 and has not been seen since late that year. A New Hampshire child advocate group asked the public and elected officials to "be patient" as detectives continue their investigation. A reward of $144,000 is being offered for information that leads to finding Harmony. Anyone with any leads or information is urged to call the dedicated tip line at 603-203-6060. You can read more about this story here: (WMUR)
4. If you need a rapid COVID-19 test, they are now in stock at New Hampshire state liquor stores. NHPR is continuing to cover the developing story around coronavirus in our state. As the status of the pandemic continues to change, we have new questions about COVID-19 and what the future will bring. NHPR would like to know what questions you have about coronavirus that impacts New Hampshire? You can read more about this story here: (NHPR)

From our sponsor:

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Today in Bedford:

• Intersession Meeting #1 - Bedford High School. (11 a.m.)
• Cozy Knit Blanket Workshop. (6:30 p.m.)
• School Board Meeting - Bedford School District. (7 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• Animal Rescue League of NH: "Yesterday, we met Suzanne and Christine. These lovely kind-hearted women are not having a great week, having just lost a beloved colleague." (Facebook)
• Bedford (NH) Public Library: "The weather outside is frightful - but the library's delightful! The Bedford Public Library is open." (Facebook)

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Thanks for following along and staying informed. I'll be back in your inbox tomorrow morning with a new update!

— 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.