CARIBOU

Canadian wildfires blamed for smoke in New England

The National Weather Service says smoke from wildfires in Canada is moving into Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont.

The weather service said northwest winds were bringing smoke from distant fires in Quebec and Ontario into northern New England on Saturday.

Officials said the most noticeable effect would be the smell of smoke across parts of the region, especially in the mountains, but that the smoky smell might be noticed along the Maine coast and southern New Hampshire as well.

COLEBROOK, N.H.

New ATV club raising money for interconnecting trails

A new ATV club in northern New Hampshire is working to raise money to build an interconnecting trail system in the Great North Woods.

The Metallak ATV Club told the Caledonian Record the goal is to offer riders a greater experience and to boost the local economy. The club hopes to build most of the segments this summer.

Harry Brown, trail administrator for the club, said it will offer people a way to go from Gorham to Pittsburg to Colebrook. In a year, he hopes to have a trail to Stratford and back to Berlin.

OSSIPEE, N.H.

N.H. driver facing charges after leading police on chase

A 27-year-old New Hampshire man faces multiple charges after allegedly leading police on a chase in Ossipee.

New Hampshire State Police said Matthew McConnell of Middleton was charged Friday with driving while intoxicated, reckless driving, driving after revocation, disobeying a police officer, having an open container and possession of a controlled drug.

Police said the pursuit began at about 5:30 p.m. when state police Sgt. James Fogarty had to pull over to avoid being struck by McConnell’s vehicle on Route 16 in Ossipee.

Officials said McConnell refused to stop and struck a motor home while eluding Fogarty before finally pulling over because of two flat tires.

HAMPTON, N.H.

N.H. man accused of dealing in counterfeit merchandise

A New Hampshire man is charged with two counts of dealing in counterfeit goods after police say they seized knockoff handbags from his store in Hampton Beach.

Hampton police said they executed a search warrant Thursday at the Deja vu Boutique and seized handbags with labels such as Louis Vuitton, Chanel and Coach.

Police returned the next day and charged store owner Terry Shore of Hampton. He will make a court appearance on the misdemeanor charge in late June.

Police said brand-name handbags normally sell for hundreds to several thousand dollars each, but that the store was selling them for prices ranging from $45 to $90.

DERRY, N.H.

Woman charged with arson at condominium complex

Newly unsealed court documents say a 56-year-old woman allegedly set three fires at her New Hampshire condominium complex in hopes that other residents in the building would be blamed.

Cheryl Wheaton of Salem, Mass., was indicted last month on three counts of arson in connection with fires at a condominium building in Derry where she lived last year.

An affidavit said Wheaton told police she wanted certain people to leave the building after a shooting there in April 2011.

Assistant Rockingham County Attorney Patricia Conway told WMUR-TV that Wheaton allegedly set fires last July, August and October in hopes that other residents would be blamed and be kicked out of the building. The fires caused only minor damage.

— From news service reports