RUMFORD – Heavy rains Wednesday and subsequent flooding through Friday shut down more than roads.
Crime and incident complaints dropped, but police didn’t lack for work.
“We had between 700 and 800 phone calls in 24 hours and it broke the phone system,” said Sgt. Stacy Carter. “Ninety-nine percent of the calls were from people asking if a certain road was closed or how they could get through Canton and Rumford.”
Thursday’s flooding forced the closure of just about every road leading into or out of Rumford, Canton and Bethel.
It also prevented police from transporting a prisoner to the county jail in Paris Thursday evening.
“There was a point where we could not even get to South Paris or Bethel,” Carter said.
The prisoner was Bryan Worthley, 30, of Rumford, who was arrested on a charge of operating after suspension, and a warrant alleging failure to pay a fine on a previous charge of operating under suspension.
When police realized they couldn’t transport Worthley on the warrant he was released on $1,000 unsecured bail.
Rumford
Incidents
• Dec. 17: A 2002 GMC sports utility vehicle driven by Sheila Bellegarde, 40, of Dixfield, slid off an icy Isthmus Road striking trees and a snow bank. Bellegarde was not injured but her SUV sustained $1,200 damage and had to be towed by a wrecker.
• Dec. 16, 4 p.m.: A 2003 GMC van driven by Diane Paaso, 55, of Bethel, backed into a parked 1988 Saab on Lincoln Avenue. The Saab, which sustained $1,200 damage, is owned by Phillip Mills, 50, of Rumford. Paaso was not injured.
• Dec. 16, 11:35 a.m.: The owner of a van parked behind the American Legion post reported that all four tires had been slashed. Police believe the incident occurred last week when other tires on vehicles in the same area were cut.
Arrests
• Deborah Knox, 46, of Mexico, on a charge of violation of a protection from abuse order, and a summons for assault, on Dec. 20. She was released on $400 bail.
• John P. Bernard, 38, of Rumford, on a charge of violation of conditions of release, on Dec. 17. He was transported to Oxford County jail in Paris.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.