FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2012
VOL. 20 NO. 194
BERLIN, N.H.
Text sent in error raises hostage alarm BY MELISSA GRIMA THE BERLIN DAILY SUN
BERLIN — The Berlin-Gorham ERT (Emergency Response Team) — the local version of a SWAT unit — responded to an early morning call for help on Thursday, that turned out to be the result of careless texting. Police were called to the 662 Sixth Avenue home of Randy Duguay at 6:53 a.m., yesterday, after a third party who was hospitalized at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon received a text message from Duguay raising the alarm. According to police, the text message said that men with guns and knives were in the home, call the police.
After receiving the call from the hospitalized man, police verified the text message with hospital staff and then called in the ERT to deal with what they believed was a possible hostage situation. More than three hours later, two individuals in the home — Duguay and a female guest — exited with arms raised and were taken to the police station for questioning. Buteau said the scene was treated as a possible hostage situation from the beginning and police made many attempts to contact those inside by phone. At 9:45 a.m. the ERT employed the use of a public address system, as the team personnel waited in the see HOSTAGE page 9
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One of two people in a home on Sixth Avenue, surrenders to police with their hands up, after the Berlin-Gorham ERT responded to a possible hostage situation on Thursday morning. The incident turned out to be caused by an inadvertent text message sent by the home owner, Randy Duguay, and both subjects were questioned and released. (MELISSA GRIMA PHOTO)
Arsenault breaks BHS scoring UNH produces video on Payette’s record, Mounties win 67-35 selection as Truman Scholar BY JEAN LEBLANC
BY BARBARA TETREAULT
THE BERLIN DAILY SUN
BERLIN--Senior Curtis Arsenault dropped in 20 points and became the all-time Berlin High School boys’ basketball scoring leader, lifting the Mountaineers to a 67-35 victory over White Mountain Regional High School in Berlin Tuesday. It was senior night in the BHS gym and the packed house was treated to senior ceremonies in between the girls and boys games. Boys coach Don Picard spoke about his senior players and their accomplishments during their four years. Sam Aldrich and Zach Bacon were two of the four seniors that have been key role players during their careers. Senior Jake Drouin recently eclipsed the 100 three-point field goal mark and is currently at 116. Coming into the game, Arsenault was eleven points away from becoming the all-time leading scorer. The BHS record was held by former BHS sniper see ARSENAULT page 18
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THE BERLIN DAILY SUN
BERLIN – The University of N.H. has produced a seven minute video on the selection of Berlin native Brooks Payette as a Truman Scholar. Payette became the first University of New Hampshire student ever selected for the prestigious scholarship when he won it last spring. The 2000 graduate of Berlin High
School is a political science major at UNH. The Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation gives out the federal scholarships annually to 60 college juniors who show exceptional leadership potential and are committed to careers in the public sector. The scholarship provides up to $30,000 for future graduate studies. Payette said he plans to seek a master’s degree in see VIDEO page 9
Berlin man charged in Milan home invasion BY MELISSA GRIMA THE BERLIN DAILY SUN
Former Berlin high school basketball sniper, Reggie Marquis, was on hand at the BHS gym Tuesday evening and watched 2012 senior Curtis Arsenault break his 40+ year old scoring record of 1,433 points. Marquis has been very supportive of Mountaineer basketball throughout the years and attends many home games regularly. Marquis was all smiles as he congratulated the new record holder by giving him the game ball at the end of the evening. (JEAN LEBLANC PHOTO)
BERLIN — A man who claimed to be the victim of a Dec. 31 armed robbery is now accused of attempting to burglarize an occupied home in Milan, on Wednesday morning. David Mulinski, 39, of Burgess Street, Berlin, is being held on $5,000 cash bail on charges of attempt (to commit burglary), criminal trespass, and default or breach of bail. Mulinski is accused of entering the Favreau Road home of Eric and Diane Dupuis while the couple were
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sleeping during the morning hours on Feb. 15. According to an application for an arrest warrant filed by Lt. Dan Buteau of the Berlin Police with the First Circuit Court, Diane Dupuis called the police at 6:17 a.m. reporting that she and her husband had David Mulinski woken up to somesee INVASION page 8
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