Conway Village, Mount Washington Valley chambers merging. Page 13
WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2011
VOL. 23 NO. 77
CONWAY, N.H.
MT. WASHINGTON VALLEY’S DAILY NEWSPAPER
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Church deacon indicted on charge of sexually abusing 12-year-old girl
Arrest of Joel Clement follows convictions of three church elders for failing to report abuse BY ERIK EISELE THE CONWAY DAILY SUN
Joel Clement
OSSIPEE — A North Conway man was indicted in Carroll County Superior Court last week for allegedly fondling a child while he served as a deacon at a local church. Joel Clement, 53, is out on $10,000 personal recognizance bail after he was indicted in superior court on May 5 on a charge of felonious sexual assault. His next court date is June 15. Clement is accused of touching a 12-year-old girl’s breasts while he was a deacon at Valley Christian Church in Center Conway. Felonious sexual assault
is a class B felony. If Clement is found guilty he could face between 10 and 30 years in prison, which is an extended sentence due to the age of the victim. Clement declined a request for an interview. An indictment in this case has been anticipated for more than a year, ever since elders and a pastor from Valley Christian Church were arrested in February 2010 for failure to report child sexual abuse. Police didn’t release the name of the person they suspected of the abuse, but the charges against the church leaders made it clear they believed a crime had been committed. see CHURCH page 10
Last laps Swimmers enjoy some remaining moments in the Cranmore Fitness Center’s pool Tuesday. The pool is slated to be closed at the end of May. The pool is in need of more than $150,000 in repairs, and Ben Wilcox, Cranmore general manager, said Cranmore officials couldn’t “justify” the cost. See Business, page 13. (JAMIE GEMMITI PHOTO)
Lawmakers plan closed-door meeting on old nursing home BY DAYMOND STEER THE CONWAY DAILY SUN
OSSIPEE — Lawmakers might be plotting to kill Carroll County's branch of Uni-
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The Conway Daily Sun
versity of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension when the have secret discussion on plans for the old nursing home building, a county commissioner charged on Wednesday. One lawmaker with ties the UNH Coop-
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erative Extension denies the accusation. Last Wednesday, county commission chair David Sorensen (R-Eaton) announced the see LAWMAKERS page 8
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