The Burlington Free Press from Burlington, Vermont • 12

www.burlin tonfrerpress.eoni Tlu'lUiilinnton n-e Press Saturday, July 26, 2008 JVt-. In Brief Quebec woman cited with pot possession DERBY A woman from St. Amable, Quebec, who was crossing into Vermont from Canada on Monday was caught with more than three grams of marijuana, Vermont State Police said. Jocelyn Morrissette, 21, was cited into Vermont District Court in Orleans to face a marijuana possession charge. A total of 3.5 grams of marijuana was found by U.S.

Customs and Border Protection inspectors during inspection, police said. Brattleboro man accused of sex assault BRATTLEBORO A 28-year-old Brattleboro man was arrested on suspicion of sexual assault on a child younger than 16, Brattleboro ppliee said Friday. Louis R. Gilbeau is being held at the Brattleboro police station on $50,000 bail pending an arraignment Monday. No other details were available.

From staff, wire reports Bookkeeper charged with embezzlement Deborah Whitney, 42, of Eden was arrested and arraigned Friday on multiple federal wire fraud, money laundering and tax fraud charges, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office. An indictment charges Whitney, doing business as DD Bookkeeping, embezzled large amounts of money from customers. The news release said she forged signatures on hundreds of business checks. The indictment alleges Whitney owes more than $600,000 to Arthur's Department Store in Morrisville and that she embezzled more than $150,000 from Stanley Wescom Construction of Eden.

She also is charged, according to the news release, with defrauding three individuals by soliciting more than $86,000 from them under false pretenses. Whitney appeared before Magistrate judge Jerome J. Niedermeier and was released pending trial. i An area In Epsom, N.H., seen hit the nearby area. Thursday after a severe storm passed through.

Officials confirmed Friday that tornados ornado confirmed in N.H. CATALYTIC: Man jailed for car part thefts Twister touches down in 9 towns; infant survives in rubble tv "vf t'' '-'V A'cit' Hampshire Slale Police via AP The destruction of a home is seen in Deefield, N.H., on Thursday after a confirmed tornado hit. Continued from Page IB Sheriff Robert Norris said this week. "I can assure you there's more than 10 catalytic converters missing in Franklin County." Stolen catalytic converters can sell for about $200 each, according to security company Pro-Vigil's Web site. Grenon sold the devices he stole to salvage yards in Swanton and Hinesburg for between $30 and $140, police said.

The thefts translate to quick money for drug users and others. "It's unfortunately the economy spiraling the way it is, coupled with substance abuse," Norris said. Drugs played a role in Gre-non's case, the sheriff added. Grenon allegedly cut catalytic converters from cars parked at the West Swanton and St. Albans Bay fishing access sites, and Park and Rides in Milton and Georgia, police said.

Park and Rides are prime targets for thieves because there is little traffic between morning and 5 p.m., when commuters return to their cars. Car dealerships also have been targeted in Franklin County. A dozen catalytic converters were recently stolen from a local dealership on Vermont 207, Norris said. Cases of copper theft are also increasing as the price of scrap metal soars. Norris said the department has investigated copper thefts from vacant summer camps, storage facilities and demonstration housing units.

"We are making an effort to drive by locations as often as possible, and we encourage people to call us when they see suspicious activity," Norris said. Law enforcement, he added, would also like to see scrap dealers take on more responsibility such as keeping logs and asking for identification before making a sale. "We want to put the onus more on the scrap KUB0TA COHSTB0CTI0N Deter catalytic converter thieves DEFENSIVE PARKING: If you have a fleet of vehicles, block the high-clearance vehicles with low-clearance vehicles. SECURITY LIGHTING: Though thieves are getting bold enough to strike busy areas in broad daylight, the more organized thieves won't be so brazen. VIDEO SURVEILLANCE: For some businesses, it will make sense to install video cameras and employ surveillance specialists to monitor for theft.

COMMUNITY AWARENESS: If you hear about catalytic converter theft or are the victim of theft, get the word out to others. MONITOR LOCAL NEWS: The less organized opportunity thieves fall into quickly recognizable patterns. Watch or read the news to see where thefts are occurring. FENCING AROUND VEHICLES: Fencing will deter the opportunist and slow down the more organized thieves. WELDED BOLTS: If your catalytic converters are "bolt on," you can have the bolts welded shut.

PROTECTIVE SLEEVES: Protective coverings for catalytic converters, such as the device known as the "catclamp," can deter thieves. ID NUMBER ETCHING: Etching a converter with a serial number will help police track down a stolen converter. Source: Pro-Vigil dealer so he knows the things he's purchasing could be stolen," Norris said. Contact Jill Fahy at 660-1898 or KX080-3 EQUIPMENT JRJ7J AV'iv Hampshire Stale I'ulice via Al' Survival stories from N.H. storms BARNSTEAD, N.H.

One resident was nearly sucked out of his garage by a passing tornado. Another just missed being speared as a tree limb pierced her mobile home. These are just two of hundreds of close calls as a tornado and fierce thunderstorms whipped across the state Thursday. In Barnstead, Mike Troy was working in his garage when the rain shot in and wind began to howl. He tried to pull the door closed.

With trees toppling around him, Troy tried to get into his house, to two of his sons, ages 12 and 14, who were inside with a buddy. "I couldn't open my door it was the air pressure in the house. I got it 2 or 3 inches open and I was yelling to the boys to get to the middle of the house and they were already there." In the Merrimeeting Mobile Home Park in Alton, huge pine trees are down all over the place, including on the home of Craig and Marta Shilbes. Craig Shilbes said they looked out the window and saw huge trees bent over. Marta was sitting on a couch, and Shilbes grabbed her to get to the bedroom, so they could get under a bed.

Seconds after he pulled her off the couch, a tree fell on the mobile home and a limb came through the ceiling, right where his wife had been sitting. 'We were hiding underneath the bed by then, my wife and he said. "It was dark all of a sudden. And then it went black." -TheAP UfajMU Agency teams were in the area. And peighbors were helping In Barnstead, a group of people showed up around noon and began giving firefighters and work crews bottled water.

"People are great," said Deputy Fire Chief Shawn Mulcahy. "Look at that." At one home, a garage was sliced in half by a fallen tree. State Fire Marshal Bill Degnan pointed at the garage and said he was concerned residents throughout the stricken area would get hurt trying to recover items from such unstable buildings. One Barnstead resident was injured Friday morning while clearing debris. Mulcahy said the man was knocked out by a falling tree limb.

Epsom Fire Chief Stewart Yeaton said he also was concerned that with so many people using portable generators, there could be carbon monoxide poisonings. Not to mention inexperienced people running chain saws. "I've seen them out there wearing sneakers," he said. "It's still a dangerous situation." By David Tirrell-Wysocki The Associated Press EPSOM, N.H. The deadly winds, swirling black clouds and torrential rains of Thursday gave way to chain saws and portable power generators Friday as determined residents and work crews fought their way through a 20-mile swath of fallen trees and damaged homes.

Under brilliant blue skies that belied the terror of less than 24 hours earlier, chain saw crews continued clearing roads, making paths to fallen power lines and helping residents remove huge trees from atop homes. Based on the damage, the National Weather Service confirmed that a tornado with winds in the 111-135 mph range hit nine towns, moving from Deerfield, where it killed a woman in her home, to Epsom, Barnstead and Alton. It then ripped through New Durham, Wolfeboro, Ossipee, Effingham and Freedom. The governor's office said officials still were examining damage in Pitts-field to see if the twister also hit there. The tornado obliterated a home in Northfield Lake in Deerfield, trapping Brenda Stevens, 57, and her 3-month-old grandson between the collapsed first and second stories.

She was dead at the scene, but officials said the infant was protected by being in a void. Deerfield Fire Chief Mark Tibbetts said Brenda Stevens' husband, Harley, had headed downstairs a little before noon Thursday because he was worried by the heavy rain and black clouds rolling in. "No more than he got downstairs and it started throwing him from side to side and rotating him around the house," Tibbetts said. Stevens then "was blown out the side of the building and found in the side yard," state Fire Marshal William Degnan said. He said the boy's crying led firefighters to him in the rubble.

He was admitted to Concord Hospital, but a spokesman said no information would be released at the family's request. The tornado and severe thunderstorms left an intermittent path of destruction stretching about 20 miles northeast from Epsom to New Durham. Officials estimate that at least a half-dozen homes were destroyed and hundreds were damaged. The storm snapped off thick trees, toppling them onto homes and roads and taking down hundreds of utility poles and telephone and electricity wires. Friday, Gov.

John Lynch led a group of state and federal officials, including members of the congressional delegation, to survey the damage. Their first stop was Epsom, across North-wood Lake from the Ste-venses' house, which was surrounded by yellow caution tape. Wood the same color as the house bobbled in the water in front of one home. The debris included baseball cards, chairs and a small stuffed animal. Picking their way over fallen wires, around fallen trees and chain saw crews, the group met with residents who were trying to pick up the pieces.

Rita Lambert said she was surprised to see Lynch. "I didn't think we rated that much," she said. Lynch said seeing people and hearing their stories was valuable to both sides. "It's important for me to get out there and to reassure them that I know about their situation and that working with the congressional delegation, we'll do everything we can to try to help them," he said. Chris Pope, the state emergency management director, gave residents his cell phone number.

In Barnstead, he stopped on Winwood Road, where countless fallen trees had buried homes. "Where's the house?" Lynch asked Todd Shaw, who pointed through a mishmash of trees to his brother's home. "Oh my God," said Lynch. "How are you going to get in there?" "We'll cut our way in," said Shaw. Roads were lined with utility trucks, trucks hauling replacement telephone poles and tree service trucks.

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