The following is a look back at the top 10 stories that affected the lives of our readers and the communities in which they live.

Assistant medical examiner indicted

Assistant Medical Examiner Gene Nigro of Raymond was indicted on 22 counts in November, several stemming from an incident in which he allegedly injected a 21-year-old man with a debilitating narcotic drug and tried to sexually assault him. Unrelated charges allege Nigro continued work as a medical examiner after he was suspended from duty.

Nigro, 46, with a last known address of 31 Prescott Road, was suspended from his position as a medical examiner in June on suspicion of illegal behavior. He faces charges of attempted aggravated felonious sexual assault in connection with a June 2 incident allegedly involving the 21-year-old Raymond man.

Nigro was arrested July 8 on charges that he injected a Raymond man in the stomach with a syringe filled with Demerol, a narcotic painkiller. When Nigro was arrested, authorities found blood samples in his home refrigerator and prescription drugs throughout the home believed taken during medical examiner cases.

On Nov. 3, a Rockingham County grand jury indicted him on 16 counts of possession of a controlled drug, four counts of transportation of a controlled drug with intent to dispense and two counts of fraudulent handling of recordable writing.

The charges of fraudulent handling of recordable writing refer to two certificates Nigro signed July 11 after examining two bodies prepared for cremation at Brewitt Funeral Home in Epping. He had already been suspended at the time of the examinations.

Katherine Wieder, a forensic investigator and assistant deputy medical examiner, was suspended Oct. 4, three months after Nigro. Officials at the attorney general’s office would not comment on whether Wieder’s suspension is connected to Nigro’s.

School Board clashes

Throughout the year, inner turmoil within the Raymond School Board resulted in accusations, resignations and litigation.

In March, board member Stephen Sloan was accused of divulging nonpublic information about Superintendent James Turbeville’s expiring contract, action to which Sloan eventually admitted.

In an attempt to remove Sloan from the board, Town Moderator Kathy Hoelzel filed a lawsuit against him. The lawsuit failed in court after a judge ruled there was not enough evidence that suggested Sloan’s disclosure was malicious and it was not enough to dismiss Sloan. The board is currently debating whether to pay Sloan’s attorney fees.

Raymond Middle School Building Committee Chairman Robert Carlberg stands between two doors in the "200 wing" of the Iber Gove Holmes Middle School. THe hallway's width is well below state standards and the narrow passage creates student traffic problems. Photo by Sarah Zenewicz

In April, board member Ann Holt requested police be present during nonpublic sessions because she believed she was verbally assaulted by board member Andy Harmon, who denied being verbally abusive. Some current and former board members said they had been witness to Harmon’s verbal assaults before, while other members said it was not true and was an attempted "derailment."

In May, Ann Caron resigned from the board, citing a never-ending "witch hunt" as her reasoning. The resignation came shortly after Holt requested Caron step down as chairwoman, saying Caron was ineffective and suggesting that former Chairman Jim Levesque take over.

Before Caron resigned, she stepped down as chairwoman and voted with Harmon to make Sloan the chairman. Sloan eventually resigned after pressure from the public to re-vote. Levesque was then voted in a chairman and board member Sally Paradis took Caron’s spot.

Two weeks later, police had to be called to a meeting after a verbal disagreement among board members resulted in a dispute outside the high school. An ignored request for "point of order" during a statement by Sloan on Caron’s resignation prompted Holt and Levesque to leave the meeting abruptly.

In November, Levesque ended a meeting after he said he did not want to go past 10 o’clock, which is allowed under board policy. There were dozens in attendance for a discussion on Sloan’s legal fees and board members urged him to stay. Holt said she believed Levesque chose to leave because he had divulged nonpublic information before. Levesque then said Holt was mad at him because he had told her she divulged nonpublic information. Holt accused Levesque of trying to manipulate the board by repeatedly unleashing attacks on board members.

Garbage removal plans

A pay-as-you throw garbage program and curbside recycling failed at the polls in March only to be introduced once again in the Board of Selectmen’s proposed 2005 budget.

In March a warrant article asking for $100,000 to start a recycling program failed 742-737 and the pay-as-you-throw program was rejected with a vote of 1,017-462.

The Board of Selectmen placed both on the ballot. The vote for the recycling program was so close that town officials asked for a recount, but it remained defeated. In 2003 a citizen’s petition warrant article for curbside recycling failed by 172 votes.

In November while finalizing a proposed $8.2 million budget for 2005 to present to the Budget Committee, selectmen decided to include pay-as-you throw and the recycling program in the budget. Through this method the town would charge residents for trash pickup through a sticker or bag program.

Although town residents overwhelmingly voted against a pay-per-bag or pay-per-sticker program in previous years, the selectmen believe it’s the best way to create a reasonable budget.

The budget also includes Bestway taking over the transfer station. The town and Bestway already installed a scale at the transfer station and will soon be charging residents to throw their trash by the pound.

The proposal is being reviewed by the Budget Committee.

Voters reject budgets

Voters failed to approve the town and Raymond School District budget in March, leaving town and school officials with a default budget.

Voters shot down the town’s proposed operating budget of $7,266,774 and had to live with a default budget of $7,067,432, about $150,000 less than town officials anticipated because of an accounting error.

When the default budget was compiled, salary figures related to grant money were added in twice, according to Finance Director Michelle Clark. This error left the town with less money to work with than voters saw on the ballot.

Selectmen said the financial error left the town with fewer services throughout the year. Town Manager Rick Bates said if the 2005 proposed budget is not approved by voters, residents will start to see repercussions such as layoffs.

3 arrests follow robberies

Three people were arrested during the summer for their involvement in a series of armed robberies targeting individuals in southern New Hampshire, including Raymond, Exeter, Kingston, Plaistow, Hooksett, Candia and Fremont.

Robbers were stealing items such as money and jewelry from residents’ homes. In one Raymond robbery, the suspects allegedly stole marijuana. When the suspects were arrested, police confiscated bomb-making equipment and a black book titled "Niggas to hit."

Amy Johnson, 20, formerly of Exeter, was charged with one count of accomplice to first-degree assault and one count of accomplice to armed robbery. She allegedly was an accomplice to an armed robbery in Exeter.

Matthew Hansen, 18, of Raymond, was arrested and charged with accomplice to armed robbery and witness tampering in connection with a Raymond robbery.

A 15-year-old male was also arrested in connection with the robberies.

Their arrests came as a result of an investigation following the arrest of a 23-year-old Fremont man who was charged with two counts of being an armed career criminal after he was found to be on Franklin Street in Exeter with a handgun on April 8.

The charges against Hansen allege he helped another man rob a man in the parking lot of Legends Sports Bar in Raymond.

Johnson allegedly convinced a man to go with her to Manchester to a party where five men were waiting there for him to beat him up, police said.

Middle school renovations nixed

In February, a petitioned warrant article to renovate Iber Holmes Gove Middle School was basically removed at the deliberative session when the funding was changed from $10.5 million to zero. The article’s author made the motion because the article neglected to address bonding. Many residents were outraged when the School Board decided not to include an article for the school because of improper wording and inaccurate figures. The article failed.

The town Building Committee and School Board have high hopes for a warrant article in March 2005 that will ask voters to raise and appropriate $13.8 million for a new middle school. The district will receive 55 percent state building aid (up from 30 percent in March 2004), leaving the taxpayers with approximately $6.2 million to pay for over the course of a bond.

Onway Lake Road improvements delayed

Although Onway Lake Road was in need of repair, selectmen voted to hold off reconstruction of the road for another year. A group of concerned citizens fought against the road reconstruction to save trees that would have been cut.

It would have cost $25,000 for reconstructing the road and to incorporate traffic-calming measures, such as speed bumps.

A New Hampshire forester’s report stated there were three trees along the 1,500-foot stretch of road that would be worth preserving, two red oaks and an ash tree. The forester recommended all other trees that were marked for removal be removed, as they would not survive the complete road reconstruction that has been planned.

Resident Joyce Wood was a vocal opponent of the road reconstruction plan that would have taken the trees. Concerned residents attended a site walk along the section of road under review. Residents were concerned the removal of trees would take away from the road’s rural character and the paving would invite speeders.

Currently, there are potholes in the cracking pavement and grooves in the sand on either side as a result of the rain runoff. The road is 20 feet wide, which is too narrow for many larger vehicles like trucks, according to Public Works Director Dennis McCarthy.

For the March 2005 ballot, selectmen are recommending $15,000 of $145,000 budgeted for road reconstructed be used to install traffic calming measures on Onway Lake Road.

Land swap debated

Selectmen attempted to work out a land swap with Hard Rock Industries on Old Manchester Road so the town could acquire the former tannery property to eventually build a new town hall or police station. A wastewater treatment plant was also considered for the site.

Selectmen have the authority to enter agreements for land swaps without citizens’ approval but a citizens’ petition was filed in August. Now the proposal will go to voters in the form of a warrant article in March 2005.

The town wants to acquire the former Regis Tannery, which burned in the 1970s, and the land contains contaminants from chemicals used at the plant, including buried hides in the ground. Municipalities are the only entities allowed to apply for federal funding for cleanup.

The tannery land near Exit 4 on Old Manchester Road and Wright Avenue totals approximately 14 acres. The proposal asks to swap 42 acres of town-owned land for 14 acres of contaminated land.

The contaminated land is currently vacant.

Teachers contract passes

In April, voters narrowly approved the Raymond School District teachers union contract, activating the union’s first collective bargaining agreement since 2000. Raymond teachers had been working without a contract since their two-year contract ran out in the summer of 2002.

Kindergarten opens

In August, the Raymond School District opened its doors for the new kindergarten approved in March 2003. Construction of the 9,000-square-foot kindergarten wing began in November 2003 and finished in April.

The Raymond School Board had to scramble to find money in the operating budget for the kindergarten, after voters opted for the default budget.