W. Brian Hiatt, former Concord city manager, will lead Salisbury’s planning department on an interim, part-time basis until a new planning director is named. Hiatt’s appointment comes on the heels of former Planning Director Janet Gapen’s retirement and Development Manager Preston Mitchell’s recent resignation. Hiatt’s first day was Monday, Nov. 19.

This Thanksgiving, as you whip up your holiday meal, chances are you will end up with leftover cooking oils and fat. It is important to learn the proper way to dispose of those oils. Pouring them down the drain can be hazardous to the environment and possibly, your pocket. F.O.G. sticks to the inside of sewer pipes when cooled, causing constricted flow and blocked pipes. It’s essential to ensure your home plumbing and sewer lines don’t get clogged.

Immediate hazards surrounding recent train derailment have been cleared.