Top 5 Sept. Stories: Stoneham Man Pleads Not Guilty to Charges in Melrose Hit-and-Run Case

According to page views, here are the top 5 September stories in Stoneham:

1. Stoneham Man Pleads Not Guilty to Charges in Melrose Hit-and-Run Case: A Stoneham man accused of running over a motorcyclist at a Melrose intersection Sunday morning pleaded not guilty to charges in a Malden court on Tuesday, according to officials.

Eugene Ledonne, 76, of Stoneham, pleaded not guilty to charges of leaving the scene of accident after causing personal injury and assault and battery dangerous weapon (motor vehicle) in Malden District Court, according to Stephanie Guyotte of Middlesex District Attorney Gerry Leone's Office. Judge Matthew Nestor released Ledonne on $300 bail with conditions of no driving and no contact with the victim, Guyotte added. 

2. Stoneham High School Doesn't Crack Top 50 Boston Magazine Schools: Boston Magazine recently compiled its list of 222 Boston-area public and charter high schools and also narrowed down the top 50 schools in the area based on a variety of statistics, andStoneham High School found itself in the middle of the pack in a variety of categories.

The school didn't find its way onto the Top 50 list in the magazine. Weston High School took top honors followed by Lexington High, Dover-Sherborn Regional High, Concord-Carlisle High and Wellesley Senior High.

Schools in the Stoneham region that made the list include Andover High School (No. 27), Reading Memorial High School (No. 38) and Burlington High School at No. 43.

3. Stoneham Man Diagnosed With West Nile Virus; Town Bans Night Activities: A Stoneham man was recently diagnosed as having West Nile Virus, according to a press statement by the Stoneham Board of Health.

The 63-year-old man was discovered to have West Nile Virus on Sept. 20, according to the statement.

The human case of West Nile Virus is the first discovered in Stoneham.

"The (Massachusetts Department of Public Health) risk assessment level has been raised from 'Moderate' to 'High' in the towns of Stoneham and Winchester in efforts to raise awareness regarding this arbovirus in the closing weeks of the warm season."

4. Event Spotlight: 29th Annual Stoneham Town Day is Saturday: Event organizers are gearing up for the 29th annual Stoneham Town Day on Saturday.

Town Day is expected to run from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 15 at the Town Common. If inclement weather rolls in on Saturday, the event will be postponed to Sunday, Sept. 16 and will run at the same hours previously mentioned.

Stoneham Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Jennifer Welter, who is organizing her first Town Day, is looking forward to the event which she hopes will draw "several thousand people."

"As many people know, Rosemary Dujsik and I are both new to the Chamber of Commerce this year," Welter told Stoneham Patch. "With Town Day such a tremendous community event, our focus is on repeating that success. We're trying our hardest to accommodate all our participating members, community groups and entertainers."

5. Two Arrested for Attempted Break-In in North Reading: After receiving a tip from a resident, North Reading police arrested a Danvers man and a Stoneham woman on Marblehead Street for an attempted break-in Thursday. 

According to police, around 2:30 p.m. Thursday, a resident reported that he saw a suspicious man and woman walking behind a neighbor's home. Police responded and saw the man and woman matching the description given by the resident. Both subjects attempted to run, police said, before complying with the officers.

After an investigation, police were able to determine that the man and woman had attempted to break into a home on Marblehead Street and were interrupted when officers arrived, police said.