Judge Refuses to Stop Ringing of Church Bell
A small-town church in rural Hatfield has rung up a first-round victory in its battle of the bell.
A judge has refused to silence the bell at the Hatfield Congregational Church, ruling that a couple next door who claim the ringing has left them with sleepless nights will have to prove their case at trial, a spokeswoman said Tuesday.
Hampshire Superior Court Judge John Murphy Jr. refused to grant a preliminary injunction that would have prevented the bell from tolling between 9 p.m. and 7 a.m. each day, a court spokeswoman said.
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