https://www.sentinelandenterprise.com/2026/07/10/fbi-arrests-townsend-man-accused-of-armed-bank-robberies-in-two-states/

A Townsend man accused of brandishing a firearm at bank employees in New Hampshire and New Jersey during a pair of June holdups was recently arrested after federal agents tracked him to Upstate New York.

Joseph Sawyer, 52, was taken into custody by FBI Albany’s SWAT team after investigators from FBI Boston and the Nashua, New Hampshire Police Department developed information that he had fled the region.

Sawyer robbed St. Mary’s Bank on Northwest Boulevard in Nashua on June 12 and struck again on June 27 at a Chase Bank on Myrtle Avenue in Boonton, N.J., according to the FBI’s Boston Division.

The Nashua Police said at the time of the armed robbery in their city that the armed suspect was wearing a black suit, blue tie, sunglasses, a gray facemask, black gloves and a gray or teal Milwaukee baseball cap.

He fled in a silver minivan‑style vehicle. No injuries were reported as a result of the incident.

In the New Jersey case, investigators told WABC‑TV in New York that the suspect walked into the Boonton Chase branch armed with a pistol, demanded money and left with about $12,000.

During that second robbery, he was dressed in a black suit and tie, wearing gloves, a ski mask and sunglasses, and fled in a gray or silver Honda Odyssey.

According to a federal complaint filed in the District of New Hampshire, Sawyer allegedly brandished what appeared to be a black semiautomatic handgun during both robberies, ordering customers and employees to get on the ground and surrender their cellphones before fleeing with cash.

Sawyer’s arrest followed a multistate investigation involving FBI field offices in Boston, Albany and New Jersey, along with the Nashua Police Department, the New Jersey and New York State Police, the Warren County, New York Sheriff’s Office, and U.S. Attorney’s Offices in New Jersey, New York and Massachusetts.

I'm surprised this beautiful historical commemoration wasn't better attended, to be honest....

https://www.sentinelandenterprise.com/2026/06/11/townsend-continues-250th-anniversary-celebrations/

Members of the town’s American Flag Committee recently placed over two dozen flags on the walls of the library in honor of the country’s semi quincentennial.

“As we celebrate our country’s 250th anniversary we wanted to share replicas of the 27 flags that the USA has raised since 1777,” said committee member and town resident Karen Clement of the display that will be up at the Townsend Public Library through the morning of Monday, June 15.

People will also get to see all the flags when they are featured in the Townsend Historical Society’s 250th Anniversary Parade on Saturday, June 20. The parade begins at 11 a.m. on Scales Lane and ends on Townsend Common, where Old Home Day festivities will be taking place including games, local food, and displays such as antique cars.

The parade date is special as exactly 250 ago on June 20, 1776, Townsend voted to support the country’s independence.

“Townsend has always been a community that honors its past while looking toward the future, and now we have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to celebrate both,” event information found by visiting www.townsend250.org shares. “This will be more than just a parade. It will be a hometown celebration of who we are, where we’ve come from, and the people who make this community strong.”

The Townsend Minuteman Company did a reenactment drill on April 19 as part of the town marking the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence following the Revolutionary War.

“We were able to dodge most of the raindrops and fire our muskets before a small but enthusiastic crowd,” said longtime town resident John Barrett, who is the captain of the company and led the muster. “The company practiced the drills that the militia in the 18th century trained to perfect [and] after some marching drills, the men practiced firing their firelocks as flintlock muskets were generally called back then.”

After the firing practice Barrett raised the Grand Union Flag, which was adopted by Gen. George Washington during the Siege of Boston in 1775 as the first flag of the United Colonies, and then the Townsend Minuteman Company fired three volleys in salute.

The company is part of the 6th Middlesex Regiment, which is composed of the minuteman companies of several towns in Middlesex County including Ashby, Carlisle, Chelmsford, Dunstable, Groton, Townsend, and Westford. Barrett said they invite any person interested in history who wants to join the company to visit www.townsendmm.org or contact him via phone at 978-821-3323 or by email at [email protected].

https://outage-map.unitil.com/

Announcing our first ever Car Show!

Got a classic or cool car? Bring it down by 3:30 to enter the show.

Judging and prizes for the cars. Hamburgers and hot dogs on the grill provided by The Friends of the Townsend Seniors.

https://www.facebook.com/share/17oV2fwrbC/?mibextid=wwXIfr