Year in review: The Daily Sun's top stories of 2023

LACONIA — In 2023, the Lakes Region saw presidential candidates begin their tour through the state ahead of the upcoming primary and municipal elections with few contested races. They mourned the loss of two young people in Gilford and celebrated 100 years of Motorcycle Week.

Turning the page toward the new year, The Daily Sun looked back at the most popular stories of 2023.

1. The April Fools' edition: 100-day-long Motorcycle Week; Bridge across the broads

By far the most liked, commented and shared stories of the year were the satire stories Daily Sun reporters cooked up for April Fools' day. Despite the playful pseudonyms in bylines, whimsical fonts in headlines and preposterous illustrations, many readers were duped by the briefs designed to poke fun at local events. Charlie St. Clair — executive director of Motorcycle Week — got dozens of calls from around the world, he said, of concerned or elated people who heard that the 100th anniversary of the event would now be 100 days long. Mayor Andrew Hosmer fielded complaints from upset people who believed that the city’s long deteriorating parking garage would be upgraded to be 30 floors. A story about a proposed bridge across Lake Winnipesaukee was the topic of much debate on social media. 

The edition, the news team hoped, reminded the community to find fun in our rich local culture, to pay attention to the context, byline and detail of every article from any publication in any medium and to remember that even local reporters have a sense of humor.

2. Chanel West Coast stops in at the Weirs

Chanel West Coast, a hip-hop artist perhaps best known as the wisecracking, cackling co-host of Rob Dyrdek’s "Fantasy Factory" and “Ridiculousness,” brought her sound to Weirs Beach’s The Big House. Ahead of that performance, the former MTV mainstay spoke with The Daily Sun’s Benjamin Welch about her lifelong passion for music and efforts to balance enjoying family life with pursuing her showbiz aspirations.

3. Supreme Court sides with city in Rollercoaster Road junkyard dispute

A local resident had to pay the city fines and its legal expenses after the state’s highest court ruled he was illegally using his property — two lots on either side of Rollercoaster Road — as a junkyard. The city’s effort to enforce its zoning ordinance against junkyards, and specifically Robert Kjellander's property, goes back to 2004. In considering an appeal by Kjellander, the state Supreme Court upheld a previous lower court ruling that having “miscellaneous scrap stored throughout” was sufficient to constitute a junkyard. The court also found Kjellander was subject to a $275-per-day penalty, should he fail to comply with an order to remove the scrap within 30 days, and that he owed the city $12,503 in legal fees and costs.

4. Officials share identity of body recovered at Mosquito Bridge

New Hampshire Fish and Game divers recovered a body under Lake Winnisquam’s Mosquito Bridge in June, later identified as Anthony Costa. A missing person report prompted the coordinated search, also involving the Belmont Fire Department, Tilton police and New Hampshire Marine Patrol, that found the body in the waters of Lake Winnisquam. The bridge is located near the town lines for Belmont, Sanbornton and Tilton. Costa, 45, was a Tilton resident. 

5. Breaking news alerts: Deadly pedestrian collision closes Route 106; Fatal crash on Gilford Avenue

The Daily Sun often uses online breaking news alerts to inform readers about important news events as they unfold. While the most popular alerts this year let people know about road closures after serious automobile accidents, we’ve also used them to break major stories such as the resignations at Gunstock Mountain Resort last summer, and the abrupt resignation of the city planning director this year.

6. Paugus Bay Pub and Whiskey Tavern make their debuts

Two new lakeside watering holes opened this year that sparked readers’ attention. On Union Avenue, Whiskey Tavern built a bar and restaurant inside a building previously used as a luxury automotive dealership and boat storage facility. On Weirs Boulevard, the Paugus Bay Pub sought to breathe new life into the former Christmas Island steakhouse.

Kevin Hayhurst, the owner of the Paugus Bay Pub, is set to embark on a new development adventure next year: the Laconia City Council has smiled on his proposal to transform the top floor of the downtown parking into a sports facility.

7. Gilford teen who died in ski accident remembered as fearless, determined

In January, 15-year-old Sydnie Quimby of Gilford died after sustaining a head injury while skiing at Gunstock Mountain Resort.

Quimby loved skiing and horseback riding, and was an avid member of the New England Six Shooters, a club dedicated to mounted trick shooting using revolvers and blanks. She was a student at Gilford High School, and was remembered in her obituary as passionate, talented, devoted, genuine and strong.

8. Gilmanton woman arrested for impersonating sheriff online

Last year, a letter was submitted through an online form to New Beginnings Without Violence and Abuse, a domestic violence shelter, pretending to be from Belknap County Sheriff Bill Wright. The letter stated the sheriff would be severing ties between his office and New Beginnings because “it is clear that I never had your agency’s support in my reelection campaign. Over the years I have found that your agency is ineffective and not needed in the county.” 

After the organization reached out, Wright said he had penned no such letter, emphasized his support for New Beginnings and its mission and denounced the impersonation as a political ploy.

In January, Laconia police arrested Megan Murphy of Gilmanton and charged her with criminal defamation.

9. Motorcycle Week's Makris memorial run breaks attendance record in 17th year

More than 400 riders, raising half a million dollars for charity, participated in the 17th annual Peter Makris Memorial Run at Laconia Motorcycle Week this year. The bikers embarked on a group ride beginning at the Naswa Resort, now owned by Peter Makris’ daughter, Cynthia. His 98-year-old widow Hope Makris was also in attendance.

The turnout for the ride was both fueled by and helped celebrate the 100th anniversary of Laconia Motorcycle Week.

10. Dartmouth archaeology team uncovers 8,000-year-old history at the Weirs

An archaeology team from Dartmouth College found thousands of artifacts and fragments at Weirs Beach, ranging from nails and glass of the 19th century to arrowheads dating back as far as 8,000 years. In May, a team of doctoral and post-doctoral researchers were joined by volunteers from the State Conservation and Rescue Archaeology in a dig at the beach.

Those were our most popular stories of 2023 based on online page clicks. We are lucky and proud to have committed print readers in addition to those who read and share our content online.

Here’s a look at some of the other major stories we reported in 2023:

The Granite Beat

The Daily Sun’s podcast interviewing New Hampshire reporters about their careers and biggest recent stories made its debut in 2022, but hit its stride this year with guests from the burgeoning New Hampshire bureau of the Boston Globe to the makers of NHPR’s blockbuster podcasts “Bear Brook” and “The 13th Step,” NH Bulletin’s Annemarie Timmins, the New York Times’ Felice Belman, and more. Episodes can be found wherever you listen to podcasts as well as laconiadailysun.com, and abbreviated transcriptions also appeared in print versions of The Daily Sun.

City planner resigns

City Planner Dean Trefethen abruptly resigned at the end of April, as the Laconia Police Department launched a criminal investigation involving at least one other law enforcement agency — the Sanford Police Department in Sanford, Maine, where Trefethen is a resident. Months later, that investigation is ongoing, though Police Chief Matt Canfield has said he expects criminal charges will be filed. The city hired Kathy Menici as Trefethen’s interim, and then permanent, replacement. 

New Years shooting

Gilford police shot and killed 17-year-old Mischa Fay on New Year’s Day 2023. Sgt. Douglas Wall and Officer Nathan Ayotte of GPD, identified as the officers involved in the encounter, were at the Fay home on Varney Point responding to a call that he was allegedly armed with a knife. Wall and Ayotte returned to duty in February following an internal department investigation. The Attorney General’s Office inquiry into the shooting is ongoing. 

Fay was a lover of Star Wars and hockey — both playing and spectating — and an avid boater and music listener.

Police chief investigated

Wolfeboro Police Chief Dean Rondeau retired amid an investigation into employee complaints that he created a hostile workplace through use of misogynistic and homophobic language, discussed his sex life in front of subordinates and frequently posted offensive content to social media. Rondeau’s retirement from the department came during an external investigation in April. The town released a copy of the report from that investigation to The Daily Sun in September.

Tracking turnover

Tracking high administrative turnover in the Laconia School District, departing and former employees told The Daily Sun that, after they participated in an internal investigation into his leadership, Superintendent Steve Tucker had either fired them or forced them to seek work elsewhere. The turnover between the 2021-22 and 2022-23 school years included every principal and assistant principal, and the district remains in legal disputes with former administrators. 

City councilor farewell

Longtime City Councilor Bob Hamel died in June. He served Ward 5 on the council since 2005. He had taken a leave of absence from the council in October 2022 to begin treatments for cancer. Hamel’s fellow councilors remembered him as sharp, dedicated to service and resolute.

The council-appointed replacement, state Rep. Steven Bogert, was formally elected to the council in November.

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Did a story stick with you this year but not make the list? Have an idea for a story in 2024? Let us know at news@laconiadailysun.com. We’ll see you next year.