Murder conviction
A Salem, New Hampshire man shot and killed another man outside a Manchester bar during the early morning hours of Jan. 28.
In December, a jury found John Delee, 23, guilty on multiple counts of second-degree murder, and reckless conduct, for fatally shooting Timothy Pouliot, 24, of Manchester.
An altercation inside The Goat Bar and Grill, 50 Old Granite St., got Delee and Pouliot’s friends kicked out of the bar. The dispute spilled out onto the street and escalated when Delee pulled out his gun.
Once Pouliot exited the bar and walked up the street to where Delee was screaming, Pouliot punched him. Delee immediately raised his gun and began shooting at Pouliot, surveillance video showed.
Delee fired nine shots. Eight of them struck Pouliot, with a few hitting his back as he fell to the ground.
His attorneys argued he acted in self-defense. State prosecutors said Delee’s actions were out of retaliation and his anger evolved throughout a night filled with jealousy, rage and someone looking to start a fight.
After a four-day trial, the jury deliberated for less than an hour to return a guilty verdict before a judge.
Salem changes its government
The town overwhelmingly supported a new charter during town election in March, changing the form of government from a five-member Board of Selectmen to a nine-member Town Council.
Voters in March 2022 agreed to elect a charter commission, tasked with considering which type of government best fits Salem’s needs. They decided a town council would serve Salem best.
Councilors act similar to selectmen. They oversee the town manager, the budget and serve on various subcommittees.
The five incumbent selectmen, Robert Bryant, James Keller, Cathy Ann Stacey, Keith Stramaglia and Joe Sweeney, automatically became town councilors.
Residents elected four additional members to the council to varying term lengths of one, two or three years.
The special election on May 9 elected D.J. Bettencourt, Paul Pelletier, Lisa Withrow and Bonnie Wright to the Town Council.
Bryant serves as chair while Sweeney sits as vice chair.
Tuscan Village expands
Tuscan Village continued to add to its expansive property along Route 28 as more restaurants, retail stores and a hotel opened in the past year.
Tuscan Brands announced the newest additions as the 170-acre site continues to become a “live, work, stay and play” destination.
Burger chain Shack Shake and sub shop Bennett’s were among the new casual dining options that opened their doors.
The Shack Shake location is the chain’s first in New Hampshire.
The Artisan Hotel opened in October as the first Marriott Tribute Portfolio hotel in the state.
The 164-room hotel features its own restaurants, a rooftop bar and luxury pool. It also includes a 12,000-square-feet banquet and event space and full fitness space.
Other developments in Tuscan Brands’ master plan remain in the works and gained approval from the Planning Board during the year.
Tuscan plans to add 300 apartments to the property as well as a Whole Foods grocery store. Restaurants The Capital Grille, The Friendly Toast and casual spot Sweetgreen are slated to come in the future.
Salem native in Hockey Hall of Fame
A pioneer, Olympian and coach are some of the many accolades for Salem native Katie King Crowley’s hockey career.
Now, she is the newest member of the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame after being inducted during a ceremony in Boston on Dec. 6.
She’s a three-time Olympic medalist who, along with the 1998 U.S. Olympic women’s ice hockey team, struck gold and became pioneers of the sport. It was a pinnacle moment for women’s hockey that sparked interest among young girls to lace up ice skates.
After her playing career with the U.S. National team and earlier collegiate play, King Crowley continued to bolster the sport as a coach at Boston College.
The 48-year-old played with the boys, something she felt developed her game.
Salem High School didn’t have a girls’ or boys’ team when she attended. While in high school, she played three other varsity sports — field hockey, basketball and softball.
With the Winter Olympics around the corner, she expects another boost for women’s hockey. As the sport has grown, there are also more outlets available for females to continue to play professionally.
Salem eyes new police station
Town officials continue to develop a plan to garner support for a $38 million police station, which could be on next year’s ballot.
The town wants to build a modern police station to replace the aging one at 9 Veterans Memorial Parkway.
Selectmen approved spending COVID-19 funds on a conceptual design in April. A rendering of the station’s front has been completed as part of the design plan.
The new police station is projected to be a two-story, 40,537 square-foot building with ample space to meet the needs of a growing staff. The square footage includes a training area in the back and six bays for storage and a kennel.
The main goal in replacing the building and its many additions and trailers is to increase space for the department’s staff to efficiently do their jobs.
The department has outgrown its station originally built in the 1960s.
Other features include increased evidence storage space and a community room for training. There will also be dedicated areas to interview victims, witnesses and suspects and an appropriate locker room for male and female officers among other amenities like a multipurpose tactical training area.