It was supposed to be a great year for Jason Dority. He was the captain of Hampden Academy’s ice hockey team, a three-year starter on the baseball team, and a lock for the Brewer Falcons American Legion squad. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var… Read More
Two major events highlight this weekend’s harness racing at two Maine fairs. The $4,000 Walter Hight Memorial Pace on Saturday is in its 20th year at Skowhegan Fair and has become a summer racing classic in addition to setting several Skowhegan track records. At Union… Read More
ALBANY, N.Y. – Albany Diamond Dogs first baseman Rafael Mercado drove in five runs with a grand slam in the fourth inning and a RBI double to lead the Diamond Dogs past the Bangor Blue Ox 7-4 in Northeast League action Thursday. Third baseman Paul… Read More
The University of Maine will accept the four years of probation, scholarship reductions in ice hockey and men’s basketball, and a one-season ban on ice hockey TV appearances imposed on the university recently by the NCAA Committee on Infractions. However, the university announced Thursday it… Read More
The Maine State Golf Association has announced that the “B & C” players championship scheduled for Springbrook Golf Course on Sunday, Aug. 25, has been cancelled. Low entry numbers caused the cancellation. Players who have sent entries for the event will receive refunds within 10… Read More
BROOKLYN, Mich. – Newburgh, Maine, native Ricky Craven upstaged the regulars on the NASCAR Busch Grand National Series by winning the pole Thursday for the Detroit Gasket 200 at Michigan International Speedway. Craven, a regular on the NASCAR Winston Cup Series who runs only a… Read More
In the last 40 years, only two men have held the position of head baseball coach at the University of Maine – the late Jack Butterfield and Dr. John Winkin. There is now a third name to add to that distinguished list. googletag.cmd.push(function () {… Read More
ST. STEPHEN, New Brunswick — The director of the St. Croix Estuary Project brought his concerns about untreated sewage being dumped into the river before representatives of the Joint International Commission on Wednesday. With heavy rains causing problems for St. Stephen’s sewer and storm lines,… Read More
PORTLAND — A Freeport lobsterman who was paralyzed in an all-terrain vehicle accident last month is drawing on the experiences of injured hockey player Travis Roy as he looks toward the challenges that lie ahead. Randall Bennett is “ready to get going with therapy,” Roy… Read More
DEXTER — Patrons of the Abbott Memorial Library now have access to the Internet and other services as a result of the library’s computer upgrade project. Library trustees last year received a $7,900 grant through Title II of the Library Services and Construction Act. Added… Read More
WATERVILLE — Workers who make life-and-death decisions at the Waterville Area Humane Society say they can’t remember a more heartbreaking month: 115 cats have been euthanized at the shelter in the past two weeks. “When every pen is filled, every cage, and you’ve got people… Read More
When Acadia National Park supporters and residents of towns abutting scenic Schoodic acreage learned in April that the forested land might be harvested, they reacted quickly, collaboratively and successfully. That momentum must be sustained. The groups that banded together four months ago did so out… Read More
WESTON — A committee looking into ways to improve ambulance service for 12 neighboring towns in Aroostook, Penobscot and Washington counties decided Wednesday that before any decisions can be made, residents in those towns must be better educated about what they have and what is available. Read More
SKOWHEGAN — An early drug harvest took place Wednesday in a remote part of Somerset County when deputies arrested a Cornville couple and confiscated a crop of marijuana. John Liddell, 35, and Michelle Liddell, 34, of Route 150 were charged with trafficking in marijuana. Ms. Read More
SAN DIEGO — Olympia Snowe may not have succeeded in changing the Republican Party platform, but as the Maine senator watches the GOP convention this week, she knows she can claim at least one victory. “The right message at least is coming out of this… Read More
What do you think of when the subject of biodiversity loss or damage to the ecosystem arises? If you are like most people, encroachment by humans springs to mind. It is true that humans have cut, burned, plowed and otherwise destroyed large chunks of the environment over the… Read More
AUGUSTA — A Bangor man who served six years in prison for sexually abusing three boys in Augusta in 1988 was back in jail after being charged with sexually abusing a minor. Philip LaBrecque, 38, was arrested this week at his apartment for having unsupervised… Read More
Acorn Products Co. Inc. makes slipper socks worn by U.S. astronauts, but it’s the earthbound sales of the Lewiston company that made it consider expansion. Hampden was the beneficiary. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner… Read More
The initiative to make Bangor an attractive location for truck and train shipments got a late start but is arriving on time and the proposal is fully loaded. Meeting at City Hall Tuesday night, proponents of developing an intermodal center in this area released a… Read More
A story in Thursday’s MaineDay concerning the proposed Oakfield community center contained inaccuracies. Voters did not decide to buy a Katahdin Trust Co. building, but in fact rejected a proposal to buy a lot next to the bank for the community center. The project also is not in… Read More
BANGOR — Bangor’s playgrounds took to the streets Thursday afternoon, as school-age children from the city’s summer park programs celebrated the end of summer with the annual “Parade of Parks.” Nine floats with nine themes, each created by area children to represent a city park,… Read More
Bangor District Court: Operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of intoxicating liquor, Frederick Sibley, 30, Winterport, $400, jail two days, license suspended 90 days; Kenneth Legasse, 24, Glenburn, $1,000, jail 90 days, license suspended 90 days; Tricia Smith, 24, Bangor, $400, license suspended… Read More
BANGOR — The Federal Building was evacuated Thursday afternoon so a bomb squad could examine a “suspicious” package. The federal workers, however, soon returned to their offices at the Harlow Street building after it was determined that the questionable box contained a cassette player. googletag.cmd.push(function… Read More
Two postal employees who work in separate parts of the state pleaded guilty Thursday to misappropriation of postal funds during a hearing at U.S. District Court in Bangor. Pamela Stormann, 45, of Milford and Richard Wing, 44, of Rangeley pleaded guilty to separate misdemeanors, each… Read More
BANGOR — The owner of DeCoster Egg Farms met Thursday with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to discuss improvements to workers’ living and working conditions at the farm. Neither party was able to discuss all the issues and another meeting was scheduled for Monday. Read More
Caribou District Court: Operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of intoxicating liquor, Wally Babbidge, 38, Stockholm, $800, jail 12 days, defendant to pay $120 to Aroostook County treasurer, license suspended 18 months; Chad E. Bossie, 20, Stockholm, $400, jail 48 hours, license suspended… Read More
Want to buy a house in Brewer? Seven-year Hermon High School Athletic Director Jon Perry needs to sell his house so he can cut down his commute to Waterville, where he will take over for departed AD Chris Downing. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot… Read More
LONDON — Women who take estrogen long after menopause appear to be at least one-third less likely than others to develop Alzheimer’s disease, one of the most dread afflictions of old age, according to a study published Friday. “This is one more piece of evidence… Read More
APPLETON — Charles Woodman, retired teacher, rhododendron grower and pond builder, got the final word on the fate of his trout pond Thursday: Justice Nancy Mills has ruled he must remove the pond before the end of the year and foot the bill for dismantling it. Read More
Maxwell Aley of Thomaston wrote a letter printed on Aug. 6 clarifying certain points of the Ban Clearcutting referendum that should have raised red flags with all readers. Moreover, the entire proposal simply offends common sense. The fact that the regulations would only apply to… Read More
A Wednesday NEWS editorial referred to Steve Bost as a member of the Reform Party. Bost, formerly New England coordinator for the former United We Stand America and an organizer for the Reform Party ballot initiative, is not affiliated with that organization and is an independent candidate for… Read More
Since deciding to run for the Maine legislative seat for Belfast, Northport, and Isleboro, I’ve been getting a lot of mail. Most of it comes untouched by human hands, lovingly addressed by a machine, hoping that I’ll either buy campaign paraphernalia or sign on to support somebody’s interest. Read More
I write this letter presuming that the state of Maine intends to be seriously considered as a vacation destination for years to come. If so, it might reconsider its spending priorities. (On the weekend of Aug. 3-4), my wife and I, both originally from the… Read More
Long-distance phone service carrier AT&T is investing several million dollars to install high-capacity fiber-optic cables between Bangor and Portland, the company announced Thursday. The lines, expected to be installed by October and in use by the end of the year, will bridge a gap the… Read More
ROCKLAND — The ghost of Deanna Wadsworth continues to walk the corridors of area schools, police departments and courts. Officials are “scared to death” of a repeat of the 4-year-old child’s beating death, according to Assistant District Attorney Eric Walker. State officials say Wadsworth was… Read More
HAMPDEN — Thieves took about $2,000 in cash and more than $3,000 in jewelry from three homes here Wednesday morning and police believe the burglaries may be connected to other recent break-ins in the area. Patrolman Tim Cotton of the Hampden Police Department said one… Read More
ROCKLAND — Working jointly with the Massachusetts Drug Task Force, city police on Wednesday arrested Scott Beal, 25, of Rockland and charged him with trafficking in heroin. Patrolman Daniel Brown said the arrest and subsequent search of Beal’s Fulton Street apartment yielded 14 bags of… Read More
SKOWHEGAN — A judge has set Oct. 7 as the trial date for a mental patient accused of stabbing and bludgeoning to death two nuns at a Waterville convent. Mark Bechard, who pleaded innocent by reason of insanity, will be tried in Somerset County Superior… Read More
WASHINGTON — After months of negotiations with the Loring Development Authority of Maine, the U.S. Air Force has taken a significant step toward extending its funding for maintenance and upkeep of the infrastructure of the former Loring Air Force Base. Rodney Coleman, assistant secretary of… Read More
BEVERLY, Mass. — There was no spooky music, but the Birarellis knew there was something strange happening with their fishing net. Richard Birarelli and his son, Michael, were fishing Thursday for cod, haddock and flounder, about 20 miles off the northern Massachusetts coast, when their… Read More
WASHINGTON — Edith Thomson found out the hard way that a 401(k) plan isn’t necessarily a safe nest egg for retirement. The 41-year employee of San Francisco’s Emporium department store had a 401(k) account worth $84,000 by 1989 — much of it invested in the… Read More
The family of Christopher G. Christakos would publicly like to thank Maine Maritime Academy for its recent and outstanding support in providing a memorial service for him. He was a member of the class of ’43-2 and a lifelong sailor, captain of the seas. The academy and staff… Read More
PITTSFIELD — A woman who skipped her court appearance on charges of operating a drug scam that targeted elderly victims was arrested in Pittsfield Wednesday night. Kristy Hutchinson, 33, was arrested by Pittsfield police Officer Chris Tremblay. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes… Read More
LEWISTON — The Finance Authority of Maine says it stands to lose most of the $500,000 in loan guarantees it put up for a Lewiston shoe manufacturer that closed its doors last week because of lack of business. Creditors of Custom Stitchers said the Lisbon… Read More
AUGUSTA — A political watchdog group on Thursday questioned campaign contributions made to the state senator overseeing a legislative review of recent problems at Augusta Mental Health Institute. But Sen. Joan Pendexter, R-Scarborough, said she’s not for sale and wasn’t in position to help the… Read More
HOULTON — The owner of one of two establishments cited Wednesday for allegedly violating the town’s nudity ordinance said Thursday the activity that supposedly took place at his club was not a violation. Duane Cole, who operates Nashville North on Bangor Street, said that the… Read More
DEXTER — Dexter’s oldest female resident will serve as parade marshal for Saturday’s Dexterfest parade. Ruth Dudley, who celebrated her 100th birthday Aug. 7, will ride in a vintage automobile driven and owned by Vern Bodwell of Dexter. The parade will start at 10:30 a.m. Read More
PITTSFIELD — The owner and operators of Sebasticook Community Home, a 14-bed residential care unit in Pittsfield, were slapped with 17 pages of health and safety deficiencies in late July after Department of Human Services inspectors conducted a three-day annual survey. The survey listed complaints… Read More
WASHINGTON — Thousands of American adolescents are at risk of catching chickenpox, measles and other diseases because of a vaccination gap among 10- to 12-year-olds, federal health officials said Thursday in urging parents to ensure their children get back-to-school shots. Through Aug. 9 of this… Read More
SOUTHWEST HARBOR — While Acadia National Park has no plans to ban automobile traffic from its seasonally busy roadways — as in a plan under way at Grand Canyon National Park — it does hope traffic can be eased if a proposed bus system wins funding this fall. Read More
VAN BUREN — More than 2,000 marijuana plants were seized from several locations off Grivois Road on the north side of town Wednesday, after they were discovered during an aerial surveillance flight by state drug enforcement agents. No arrests have been made in connection with… Read More
BANGOR — A construction worker helping to build the new Bangor-Brewer bridge was injured Thursday morning when he fell from a ladder into a cofferdam in the Penobscot River. The cofferdam is a watertight enclosure built into the river and pumped dry so a bridge foundation can be… Read More
Fort Knox in Prospect will be a beehive of activity this weekend as Mainers lend support to help restore their most visited historic site. And while the majority of activities sponsored by the Grand Lodge Freemasons of Maine take place Friday evening and all day Saturday, a special… Read More
LEWISTON — A Lewiston teen-ager died of injuries suffered a day earlier when he was struck by a car on Webster Street. Mark Blanchette, 18, died Wednesday at Central Maine Medical Center. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes =… Read More