Animal cruelty – The trial of Joseph Driscoll, a Brookline man charged with animal cruelty, has been continued until April 12.

Driscoll, 59, of 6 Mosher Dr., pled not guilty Jan. 23 in the 9th Circuit Court of Milford.

He was charged with a class A misdemeanour after an incident in the parking lot of the State Line Convenience Store on Route 13 on Nov. 24.

A witness told police he twisted the dog’s chain collar, causing the animal to yelp when the dog would not get into his vehicle. Another witness said Driscoll punched the dog, named Slater, in the ribs two or three times, and when he confronted Driscoll he told the witness to “mind your own (expletive) business.”

The 1-year old dog, described as a husky mix, was taken to the Animal Rescue League.

Police arrested Driscoll in December and they said the dog was chained outside in 20-degree temperatures during a snowstorm, wearing a prong collar.

At a court hearing Jan. 23, Milford District Court Judge Martha Crocker told the defendant not to have any animals until the case was resolved.

The trial is scheduled for 2 p.m.

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Dump stickers

AMHERST – The town has new stickers for the Amherst Transfer Station available at the public works building, 22 Dodge Road, or at the transfer station’s scale house. Selectmen conducted a public hearing about a new solid waste sticker ordinance Feb. 12 and were expected to approved it at a later meeting.

The stickers hadn’t changed in 12 years, and the point of new ones is to limit transfer station users to Amherst residents only.

DPW Director Bruce Berry had told selectmen he suspects many out-of-towners are using the facility, and it costs more than $600,000 a year to accept, manage and dispose of the town’s solid waste.

Stickers are to be placed on the passenger side of the lower interior windshield.

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Gun law

CONCORD – Last summer, Milford selectmen passed a rule banning target shooting on a portion of town-owned land, and last month the board’s chairman went to Concord to protest a proposed state law that would impose penalties on communities like Milford that create their own firearms regulations. Now, the New Hampshire House has voted to send House Bill 1749 to interim study. The House Committee on Municipal and County Government, which voted 18-2 for continued study of HB 1749, is expected to deal with various amendments on the size of the penalties and how they would be imposed.

Selectmen’s Chairman Mark Fougere called the bill offensive and said it singles out Milford, when there are several towns that regulate firearms use on their property.

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DMV to move

MILFORD – Milford’s Department of Motor Vehicles office soon will move out of its quarters on Meadowbrook Drive and into a rented facility on Elm Street.

The scheduled closing is 4:30 p.m. March 8, and the office will open at its new 589 Elm St. location at 8 am. March 14.

Lincoln Daley, Milford’s community development director, said Jeff Odhner, the Amherst business owner who bought what had been Milford’s old police station, “has been working with us to meet that tight deadline.” The DMV office is expected to stay there until a new Milford courthouse is built on the Meadowbrook Drive site.

Odhner’s plan is for his business, Odhner Holographics, to move into the eastern portion of the Elm Street facility. The DMV office will be in the western portion.

The courthouse has been in various rented spaces for many years and is currently next to Sal’s Pizza on Elm Street.

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Candidate forum

MILFORD – The two candidates for Milford School Board, incumbent Ron Carvell, the board chairman, and Susan Kater, a member of the school budget committee, will debate at a candidates’ forum on March 5 in the selectmen’s meeting room of town hall. Moderator will be George Hoyt, a college student and member of the town recycling committee.

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LaBelle Winery wants to expand

AMHERST – LaBelle Winery received a lot line adjustment from the Amherst Planning Board last week, part of the approval process to set up a parcel of property for LaBelle to expand behind the winery. Plans to build an “artisan village” across Route 101 hit a snag last year when a neighbor challenged it in court, saying the proposed inn, tavern and distillery violates the area’s rural character.

Amy LaBelle and her husband, Cesar Arboleda, now plan to expand into 4 acres behind the winery, and some of that property is owned by Camp Young Judaea.

If the new plan is approved, Ken Clinton, of Meridian Land Services, told the board in January the court challenge will be dropped. The Amherst Zoning Board already approved a variance.

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Seminar set

AMHERST – The Souhegan Valley Chamber of Commerce invites local residents to its next Business Education Seminar, which will take place at the Chamber’s offices at 69 Route 101A on from 8:30-10 a.m. Wednesday.

The seminar, “Startup Essentials for Businesses For Success – What Every Small Business Owner Needs to Know,” will feature a business advisor, lawyer and insurance agent answering essential business questions.

The event will featuring the following professional guest speakers:

• Amy Rodman, business advisor with the Southern NH Small Business Development Center

•Elizabeth Brown, attorney, Sowerby Law Office, PLLC

•Nicki Renaud, commercial risk control specialist, HPM Insurance

•Claudia Trethewey, commercial marketing coordinator, HPM Insurance

The seminar will have four sections, which are:

•Section One: What the SBDC can do for you and your business

•Section Two: Legal considerations for Small Business

•Section Three: Insurance Information for Small businesses

•Section 4: Q & A with the experts!

There is no charge for the seminar, but registration is required at www.souhegan.net/events, or call 673-4360.

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Student of the Month

Nicole Jutras, daughter of Carl and Lisa Jutras of Milford, has been selected as Milford High School’s Student of the Month for February. Nicole’s teachers nominated her as an ideal candidate for recognition because she is a polite, respectful, dedicated and hard-working student. One of her teachers wrote, ‘Nicole is just a great all-around person and student. She is a role model to young people and kind to everyone.’ Nicole is an active and energetic volunteer at the Boys and Girls Club and is a member of Interact. Nicole also is a motivated student who values educational opportunities and is a valued member of the National Honor Society. Nicole was selected from more than 850 students for this distinction. MHS thanks Nicole for her contributions to the school programs at Milford and wishes her the best for future success.

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Correction

The headline and first sentence of the article on Feb. 15, Page 8, should have read “Selectmen, Sewer Department agree.”