Baby burned
Matthew Butler, 26, was arrested in February for allegedly burning his baby’s foot in chicken soup. Butler later allegedly stabbed himself in the chest in a suicide attempt, and was hospitalized prior to his arrest.

According to police, Butler was watching his three children while their mother was at work at the time of the incident. The mother later told the state’s Division for Children, Youth, and Families that Butler was also drinking before she left for work, and could not handle the children’s behavior.

15-year-old collapses and dies
A Pembroke Academy freshman died suddenly on May 9 when he collapsed at his home. His stepfather attempted CPR on Matthew Couture, 15, of Pembroke, but to no avail.

According to the medical examiner’s report, Couture had a heart condition in which an artery was abnormally shaped, cutting off some of the blood supply to his heart and causing damage over time.

Friends and family praised Couture as being funny, very bright and extremely kind.

PA gets an EDie
The New Hampshire Excellence in Education Award Program Organization named Pembroke Academy a Secondary School of Excellence, referred to as “the EDies.”

The award was based on curriculum, instruction, learning processes, student achievement and improvement, community and parent involvement, leadership and school culture.

The school got $1,000, which Headmaster Michael Reardon said would go into the general account for something education- related.

Bridge is replaced
The historic doubledeck bridge connecting Allenstown and Pembroke on Route 3 was replaced this year. The lower deck of the bridget was just recently opened to traffic.

The old one, which the state had “red listed” due to its disrepair, was closed immediately after the Minnesota bridge collapse on Aug. 1 when state inspectors shut it down.

The Allenstown/Pembroke bridge was of the same deck and truss design as the Minnesota bridge. There are just a few others in New Hampshire with similar structures that were also inspected after the collapse.