3 vehicles damaged in vandalism spree

Two trucks and a car were reported damaged yesterday morning after an apparent vandalism spree with a BB gun. Other sprees happened in the town on Nov. 10, 20, and 21. Police said the cars reported yesterday probably were damaged during the previous sprees and were only discovered yesterday. The targets have been mostly vehicles, although one business was hit. Police are searching for the vandals, and the Board of Selectmen is offering a reward of $250 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible.

Bennington, VT.

Workers at the state office building in Bennington had eight times more cases of a rare pulmonary disease than others in town, and 9 1/2 times more than the entire state, a Health Department research study concluded. "This finding further supports the idea that if there is a source or cause of the health effects reported among building occupants, that source would most likely be within the building -- and not in the community in general," the report said. Six people who currently or formerly worked in the building have been diagnosed with sarcoidosis, a relatively rare disease that inflames some body tissues. The disease is not contagious. The report gave the Vermont State Employees Association union more evidence that the Bennington offices are housed in a "sick building," said union representative Gretchen Naylor. (AP)

LYNN

State Police arrested Jorge Ortizlara , 20, of Jamaica Plain, early yesterday morning after he struck 10 vehicles that were parked at the Atlantic Toyota car dealership in Lynn. Ortizlara was driving southbound on the Lynnway when he lost control of his car and crashed into the vehicles, according to State Police. He was charged with operating under the influence of alcohol, reckless driving, speeding, and marked lane violations. John Biggio, general manager of Atlantic Toyota, estimated damages at $130,000 to $150,000.

Freedom, MAINE

A proposed $10 million, small-scale wind power project will move forward after being approved by the Freedom Planning Board. Competitive Energy Services LLC, based in Portland, wants to build three wind turbines on Beaver Ridge to generate enough electricity to power 2,000 Maine households. The 250-foot-tall towers would have blades 140 feet across, meaning they would reach nearly 400 feet in the air. "We've been working toward this for over eight months," said Andy Price, project manager for Competitive Energy Services. The vote clears the way for Competitive Energy Services to begin raising money for the project. It probably will be more than a year before the turbines are ready for installation. (AP)

Windham, N.H.

Police say they have an arrest warrant for a Salem, N.H., man who allegedly left the scene of an early morning accident that injured WMUR-TV meteorologist Josh Judge. Police say Judge, 37, of Hampstead was heading into work shortly before 3 a.m. Friday when he was sideswiped on Route 111. Judge was taken to Parkland Medical Center. He was later airlifted to Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston with serious injuries. A spokeswoman at the hospital said Judge was in good condition yesterday afternoon. Police have identified the driver of the other car as Matthew Blake, 21, of Salem. Police say Blake has admitted to driving the car involved in the collision, as well as to leaving the scene. (AP)

Concord, N.H.

A mysterious white powder that made a Pelham worker sick last week has tested negative for anthrax, New Hampshire health officials said. Health department spokesman Greg Moore said the state lab found no evidence of any bacterial or viral agents, which also rules out smallpox. The lab is still testing for other toxins or poisons but those results are not expected until this week , Moore said. The worker from Williams Scotsman Inc. walked into a 20-by-40-foot steel shipping container on Thursday and became disoriented after being exposed to the unknown substance. Fire Chief Michael Walker said preliminary tests showed it was some sort of biological agent. The worker was checked out at the hospital after complaining of trouble breathing, pressure on his chest, and numbness in his hands. The container in question had come from China, and it was not immediately clear what it had carried. (AP)