CONCORD, N.H.

High court reverses ruling on sex offender’s account

The New Hampshire Supreme Court ruled Friday that a sex offender who failed to report the creation of a MySpace account can be prosecuted.

The court unanimously reversed a trial judge’s order dismissing the felony indictment against 40-year-old Thomas White of Manchester. The trial court ruled that because White created the MySpace account using his real name and an email address already on file, he had satisfied the state’s sex offender reporting requirements.

But the Supreme Court ruled that creation of the social media account falls squarely within the statute’s requirement that convicted sex offenders must report any online identifiers and user profile information.

“White was convicted in 1994 of aggravated felonious sex assault on a child and related felonies. He was convicted in 2005 of indecent exposure and lewdness.

NEWPORT, R.I.

Class ring found, returned to its owner decades later

A college class ring lost decades ago has been found and returned to its owner in Rhode Island.

WLNE-TV reported that a man found the Bristol Community College class ring deep in the sand on Second Beach in Newport. It reads CHF on the inside, which was how its finder was able to find the owner four years later.

The 1982 graduate Charles H. Fallows has Alzheimer’s, so his wife, grandchildren and two daughters accepted the ring Thursday.

The man’s daughter, Cheryl Cantara, called it “a nice little miracle for us.”

Fallows’ family says he was 40 and working two jobs when he got his associates degree at BCC, so the class ring meant a lot to him.

POWNAL, Vt.

Some 400 beetles released to feed on harmful insects

Nearly 400 small black beetles have been released onto four Vermont hemlock trees near the Massachusetts state line to feed off an insect that’s been destroying the trees.

The trees in Pownal are infested by the woolly adelgid. The plan is for the beetles to reproduce, spread and control the adelgid population. The beetle, a native of the Pacific northwest, eats nothing but adelgids.

The Bennington Banner reported that the trees are on property owned by Williamstown, Mass.

PROVIDENCE, R.I..

Donations for zoo animals stolen from collection box

Somebody is stealing from the animals at the Roger Williams Park Zoo.

WPRO-AM reported that someone broke into a donation collection box in the elephant and giraffe pavilion sometime between Nov. 28 and Tuesday. Zoo officials say the box typically brings in between $100 and $200 a week.

The station reported that the money is used to buy toys and other enriching material for the zoo’s animals. A spokeswoman said the zoo is saddened by the incident.

The zoo has rebuilt the collection box in an effort to prevent future thefts.

GLOUCESTER, Mass.

Man charged after dog dies from heroin, is sliced open

Police have charged a Massachusetts man with animal cruelty after his pit bull apparently died from a heroin overdose and was found sliced open.

John “Jack” Dugan was arrested Wednesday after his pit bull, Xena, was found completely disemboweled. Her entrails were found in a duffle bag in a Dumpster.

The Gloucester Times and WFXT-TV reported that the dog apparently swallowed unpackaged heroin Dugan said he had left on a counter in his home, as well as a sealed bag of heroin. Police said they believe Dugan cut the pit bull open to retrieve the sealed bag.

Police say Dugan told them the dog ate the heroin, but claimed he had to gut her because she became bloated and he needed to fit her into the bag. He’s being held on $20,000 bail.