Farmington’s Jeff Taylor was the Busch North Rookie of the Year two years ago. Last year, he became the new owner of Distance Racing Products in Unity, buying it from Stan Meserve, and tried to balance his new ownership position with his Busch North series… Read More
High school AT HOWLAND, Wednesday Stearns boys 3, Penobscot Valley 2 googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var i = 0; i < slot_sizes.length; i++) { if (isMobileDevice()) { if (slot_sizes[i][0] googletag.cmd.push(function… Read More
BREWER – For the final four innings of Brewer’s 8-6 baseball win over Hampden Academy on Thursday, Ryan Snell was a kid again. He kicked and fired. He hit his spots. He struck people out. Just like he did the last time he was a… Read More
The Penobscot Fly Fishers will conduct their annual Fly Fishing Day on Saturday at the Penobscot County Conservation Association clubhouse on North Main Street in Brewer. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. State Biologist Joan Trial will conduct a session on entymology, and there will also… Read More
Every so often in harness horse racing, a longshot will defy the odds and pull an upset win. It doesn’t happen too often, but it does happen. So what do you suppose the odds are of taking a race mare – which incidentially is the… Read More
The University of Maine men’s club team and Husson College will square off at 1 p.m. Sunday in the first lacrosse game ever to be played at Morse Field on the University of Maine campus in Orono. Admission is free. Maine coach Ed Spencer, the… Read More
EAST MACHIAS – Ryan Maker belted a two-run home run and added a single Thursday to lead Washington Academy to a 12-5 high school baseball victory over Woodland. Brent Colbath contributed with two singles and two RBIs for the Raiders. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define… Read More
ORONO – A cool April night in Maine is a far cry from the heat and humidity of Miami. But passions still run deep. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var i… Read More
BREWER – With eight experienced seniors starting, the Brewer High softball team has reason to be excited every time it steps on the field. The Witches had even more incentive for a win Thursday against Hampden Academy at Coffin Field. The Broncos beat Brewer twice… Read More
Divers like Messalonskee of Oakland’s Marc Gastaldo now own a historic piece of championship hardware. Gastaldo won the state’s first-ever Class A diving championship since the Maine Principals’ Association voted last spring to separate diving from swimming at the state swim championships. It may turn… Read More
BUCKSPORT – Emily Woodward singled in the sixth inning Thursday and eventually rode home on Lauren Allard’s sacrifice fly as Bucksport pulled out a 2-1 high school softball victory over Old Town. Kelly White pitched a five-hitter and Woodward singled twice for Bucksport. googletag.cmd.push(function ()… Read More
AUGUSTA — The chief sponsor of a bill designed to cap prescription drug prices in Maine met with Gov. Angus King for an hour Thursday to press her case and argue against a gubernatorial veto. Senate Majority Leader Chellie Pingree, D-North Haven, said afterward the… Read More
BANGOR — The United States Department of Agriculture has approved an $87,800 Community Facility Grant for the Passamaquoddy Tribe at Pleasant Point, according to U.S. Rep. John Baldacci. The funding, which is being made available through the USDA’s Rural Development Agency, will be used to… Read More
PORTLAND — Nonprofit groups need to diversify their pool of contributors as companies spread out into more states and become less focused on giving locally, according to a top executive at UnumProvident. Elaine D. Rosen, the disability insurer’s executive vice president, said not-for-profit organizations need… Read More
This weekend, a group of very special women celebrate 50 years of commitment to education and service that benefits not only themselves, but their communities as well. More than 1,600 energetic women of all ages throughout the state belong to the Maine Homemakers Extension Council… Read More
MERRILL — A local man who allegedly assaulted another man and then hid in his house surrendered Thursday to police nearly six hours later after they fired tear gas into his home on Route 212. John Corneil, 36, allegedly assaulted Bruce Warman of Linneus outside… Read More
CAMDEN — When Kaiulani Lee was a girl in the late ’50s and early ’60s, summering in the Phippsburg area near Bath, she remembers the childish joy with which she and her siblings would greet the planes as they sprayed pesticides on the nearby marshes, aiming to kill… Read More
KITTERY — Concerns about commercial sprawl are reaching into a Maine community that has had a big economic lift from the boom in “factory outlet” stores. As Kittery officials debate 500,000 square feet of new mall space that would more than double the size of… Read More
The Penobscot Theatre Company and its Maine Shakespeare Festival will receive a $10,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to support the 2001 school touring production of “Macbeth.” The tour is part of the theater’s educational outreach program,”The Play’s the Thing.” The award… Read More
PRESQUE ISLE — Motorists traveling Route 1 between Presque Isle and Houlton soon will have more to look at than just rolling potato fields. Several educational institutions in Aroostook County are cooperating on constructing a 40-mile-long scale model of the solar system. googletag.cmd.push(function () {… Read More
PITTSFIELD — William Shakespeare didn’t write plays to be read. That’s why few people remember “Macbeth” or “Hamlet” from high school, or understand why they studied Shakespeare in the first place. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = [];… Read More
VEAZIE — The Oriental Dang Restaurant, located at 1413 State St. in Veazie, reopened April 14, after being closed for six months. Khan Dang, the owner, closed the restaurant in September when his wife passed away. The restaurant serves all varieties of oriental foods to eat in or… Read More
TROY, N.Y. — A college sophomore has died from injuries in a crash involving a police car and the car in which she was riding. Jessie Kay Fortier, 19, of Old Orchard Beach, Maine, died Wednesday night from head and internal injuries in Sunday’s accident… Read More
PITTSBURGH — A South Paris, Maine, man who was critically wounded after he intervened during a convenience store robbery was one of 20 people honored Thursday for heroism. Robert Vaughn, 39, was honored by the Carnegie Hero Fund Commission, started by Andrew Carnegie. Read More
WASHINGTON — Trips to the doctor are long and expensive for veterans in rural areas, a situation that prevents some of them from seeking care, a study said Thursday. The study conducted by the Veterans Affairs Department, and requested by Sen. Olympia Snowe, also said… Read More
BRUNSWICK — A convenience store clerk and her alleged accomplice face misdemeanor charges after police concluded that last week’s report of an armed robbery by a gunman with a gold tooth was a hoax. Katherine Taylor, 24, of Brunswick, a clerk at the Big Apple… Read More
AUGUSTA — As the Legislature moved toward adjournment Thursday, a pair of minimum wage bills — both aimed at phasing in increases to $6.25 an hour — awaited final disposition. Lawmakers on Wednesday sent to Gov. Angus King a bill to let Maine’s voters decide… Read More
WATERVILLE — The attorney for a Clinton man accused of abducting his wife at gunpoint from the hospital where she works said Thursday his client’s “excessively high” bail most likely will keep him in jail until his case is resolved. David A. Johnston, a 60-year-old… Read More
AUGUSTA — The Maine Public Utilities Commission is keeping its options open on a petition from Bangor Hydro-Electric Co. asking the panel to affirm the utility’s right to use eminent domain to acquire land from Champion International Corp. for a new transmission line. The commissioners… Read More
The Bangor Police Department deserves credit for responding to citizen complaints against speeding. Its increased enforcement is likely to make the city and safer and more livable place this summer. The department began last December adding speed patrols and increasing the number of warnings and… Read More
Earlier this month, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Maine, together with Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, joined representatives of a wide variety of Maine organizations in a week-long hearing on Anthem’s proposed purchase of Maine Blue Cross. The hearing, conducted by Superintendent Iuppa… Read More
CAMDEN — Despite having to charge expenses related to its acquisition of KSB Bancorp, Camden National Corp. recorded growth in earnings for the first quarter of the year, according to president and CEO Robert W. Daigle. Net income at Camden National (Amex: CAC) has increased… Read More
If the reader can imagine, for a moment, being deaf or having little hearing, being able to hear only sounds that come out garbled or muffled. As for music, one cannot distinguish a music format from another since they all sound the same. And to endure many hours… Read More
A story in some editions Wednesday contained inaccurate information about Rockport’s municipal budget. The town has had $10 million to $12 million in additional taxable property in each of the past three years. And the Police Department is buying a new cruiser and buying out the balance owed… Read More
Newt Gingrinch is not the kind of guy most artists have nostalgia about. As Republican speaker of the House in the 1990s, he was fierce with dreaded budgetary cuts — especially when it came to the arts and social welfare. But out of his threats came hope —… Read More
PORTLAND — Peoples Heritage Financial Group Inc. (Nasdaq:PHBK) has announced a quarterly dividend of 12.5 cents per share, up 9 percent from the dividend paid in the same quarter a year ago. The dividend will be paid May 15 to shareholders of record May 5. Read More
ORONO — Even with the no-show from Method Man and Redman, Wednesday night’s concert at the University of Maine left the 4,700 in attendance feeling the power of hip-hop. The festivities kicked off with relatively unknown rapper Choclair pushing out his raw and rhythmic lyrics… Read More
The Maine Senate voted for a $345 million majority budget Monday by a vote of 16-9. While the first number got all the attention, the second pair should raise some eyebrows. A total of 25 votes were cast. The Senate consists of 35 members. Do… Read More
PORTLAND — With the bill on Gov. Angus King’s desk, several national and state groups embarked Thursday on a last-minute attempt to get him to veto an attempt to create the nation’s first Fair Drug Pricing Board. Five organizations called a news conference to blast… Read More
BANGOR — Critical of an inconsistent, up-and-down funding method that doesn’t allow for planning promotional campaigns, a member of a tourism marketing task force has come up with an alternative. His formula would tie the tourism budget to the amount of money spent by tourists annually. Read More
AUGUSTA — Five years ago, Tim Douglas killed seven people on a Georgia highway. His tractor-trailer slammed into a covered pickup truck, which burst into flames. He was arrested and later served 19 months behind bars. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes =… Read More
AUGUSTA — Rick Bennett still isn’t done with his 1994 congressional race against incumbent John Baldacci. In that surprisingly close 2nd District congressional race, Democrat Baldacci won by only 11,861 votes over his Republican challenger from Norway. Bennett, now the state Senate minority leader, still… Read More
BIDDEFORD — It may be weeks before the state Medical Examiner’s Office confirms whether a body found in the rubble of a chicken farm fire is that of a man suspected of shooting a stranger downtown. Police believe the remains are those of William Ouellette,… Read More
MACHIAS — Law enforcement is only one-third of the solution to Washington County’s problem with abuse of prescription drugs, Sheriff Joseph Tibbetts said Thursday. “We definitely need rehabilitation and treatment facilities,” Tibbetts told reporters during a news conference in the department’s patrol room. “These people… Read More
FORT KENT — Daniel Marquis became a Maine State Police trooper when he was 39 years old, and six years ago this June, one of his goals was to become Maine’s Trooper of the Year. The trooper, who’s been patrolling in northern Maine since his… Read More
BANGOR — Members of the Robinson Ballet Company will exhibit well-practiced pirouettes, arabesques and more Friday and Saturday when the 35-member troupe presents its annual spring dance concert at the Bangor Opera House. Artistic co-director Kelly Holyoke says several surprises are in store for audiences… Read More
ELLSWORTH — A former Down East businessman kept his wife and three children in a local motel for three weeks, beating the woman daily, until she fled earlier this week to her mother’s home in East Machias, police said Thursday. Mohammad Reza Attaei, 40, of… Read More
MILFORD — Residents here again may register their cars at the town office after state auditors, in an unusual move last week, suspended the town function. Officials at the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife and the Bureau of Motor Vehicles continued to wade through… Read More
BANGOR — One year ago this month, a group of area young people began what would become a series of weekly meetings and fund-raisers aimed at providing a space for skateboarders and in-line skaters. During a recent gathering in the Lecture Hall at the Bangor… Read More
Bangor to start spring cleanup> Weekend schedule set for drop-offs of yard a bulky waste, appliances
BANGOR — The city will hold its annual spring cleanup for residents at various times over the next month. In most cases, residents must take items to public works at 530 Maine Ave., on any of the next four weekends — 7 a.m. to 4… Read More
BUCKSPORT — The town has taken another step toward a new middle school with the hiring of an architect for the project. The School Building Committee recently hired two firms, J. Gordon Architecture and WBRC Architects, to work on the project. The two were chosen… Read More
VINALHAVEN — A fire probably caused by an electrical extension cord extensively damaged a kitchen Thursday in a Calderwood’s Neck home, according to the fire chief. A fire broke out about 2:30 p.m. at the home of Carl Gross, Fire Chief Marc Candage said Thursday. Read More
CALAIS — Upgrading the two Calais bridges or building a third one remain options for the state Transportation Department. State and federal officials were in the city Wednesday night to present preliminary information on a study that evaluated the feasibility of a new border crossing… Read More
CALAIS — The King of Scare and his wife have residents here applauding. The Stephen and Tabitha King Foundation donated $57,000 to the city to help with renovations to the gymnasium at the Calais Middle School. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes =… Read More
BANGOR — Several area businesses donated cellular telephones Thursday to a national campaign to assist victims of domestic violence. The phones were collected at Unicel retail store on Telecom Drive. Businesses donating phones in the Bangor area included Care Development, Bangor Hydro-Electric, Great Northern Paper and Irving Oil. Read More
LEVANT — Town officials on May 1 will begin accepting applications for home-repair grants totaling $300,000. Ron Harriman of the Bangor-based economic development firm Harriman Associates estimated the Community Development Block Grant awarded to the town would be enough to repair 25 homes. googletag.cmd.push(function ()… Read More
BANGOR — The new office of the Bangor Convention and Visitors Bureau is scheduled to open at 10 a.m. today at 115 Main St. The BCVB is a nonprofit organization designed to stimulate the economic vitality of the Greater Bangor region. All are welcome. Read More
BANGOR — Bangor-area senior citizens are invited to celebrate Older Americans Month at a free health fair from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Thursday, May 18, at the Bangor Civic Center. Among the 16 workshops, seniors can learn about everything from Medicare options to eating… Read More
MILLINOCKET — A proposal calling for $235,777 in budget cuts will be considered by the school board when it meets May 23. Superintendent Brent Colbry this week presented the proposal to board members. He said a 6 percent statewide increase in state subsidy will translate… Read More
WINTER HARBOR — Nearly 50 Winter Harbor voters have acted to do what the town’s three selectmen thus far have been unable to do. A petition filed at the town office Wednesday — containing 49 signatures — asks selectmen to place the proposed Schoodic Area… Read More
ROCKLAND — A Thomaston man is seeking damages for alleged sexual harassment by a former employer, who he claims relentlessly subjected him to unwelcome sexual advances. Philip Georges of Thomaston filed a lawsuit earlier this week in Knox County Superior Court against Nira Beram, doing… Read More
WALDOBORO — The 21-year-old municipal building has served the town well, but is ready for some renovations and an addition, Town Manager Lee Smith said Thursday. A reconfiguration of the town office space and an addition to the rear of the building, measuring about 55… Read More
LINCOLNVILLE — A public baked bean supper, Lincolnville Band concert and variety show will be held Saturday at the Tranquility Grange, Route 52. The supper will begin at 5 p.m., followed by the band and variety show. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes… Read More
CASTINE — Maine Maritime Academy President Leonard Tyler says the college training vessel State of Maine will be host of a Russian tall ship during a summer port call to Rockland. MMA, in cooperation with the Rockland-Thomaston Area Chamber of Commerce, will host the Russian… Read More
ROCKLAND — A tractor-trailer truck making a wide turn onto Main Street caused $4,000 in damage to a car, police said Thursday. The accident occurred about 4 p.m. Wednesday when Ernest Smith, 45, of Levant was turning right onto Main Street from Park Drive. The… Read More
An Associated Press article in the April 22-23 Bangor Daily News on medical savings accounts reported that Kay Heine, a single mother of two, pays $144 a month for health insurance using medical savings accounts instead of the $270 she was paying. You would think anyone interested in… Read More
I would like to reply to the letter by Jamie Main (BDN, April 20) concerning ownership of land in the town of Crystal by The Nature Conservancy. The largest expense of most small towns is the education of its children. I wonder if Main and Rep. Henry Joy… Read More
I congratulate our congressional delegation for working together to save civilian jobs at Cutler. Many of us on the Schoodic Peninsula hope they now will focus their efforts on finding a new federal employer for the superb facilities the Navy will will leave behind in Winter Harbor and… Read More
We were unpleasantly surprised that the Bangor Daily News would carry a national column so filled with inaccuracies and demagoguery as that of Molly Ivins of April 21. Ivins claims the long-overdue immigration reform laws, passed in 1996, were “cruel.” If there is any cruelty… Read More
I am disappointed you chose to focus on the “taking of Elian” rather than the long-overdue reunion with his father. Your bias regarding this matter is most evident in the two side-by-side photos (April 24) — a large photo featuring a distraught Marisleysis Gonzalez, and a much smaller… Read More
In her commentary of April 15-16, Maria Holt incorrectly interpreted the forestry referendum by stating it allowed landowners to bank the timber growth over 10-year periods. There is no such provision in the wording of the proposed statute. The wording of the referendum clearly states,… Read More
SHIRLEY — A local businessman has cleared some hurdles in his effort to operate a septic-waste and land-spreading facility on property he owns on Route 15. The project, however, still faces scrutiny. “Once we iron out the issues, I’m ready to proceed with it, ”… Read More
BANGOR — Fourteen students from area high schools got a lesson Thursday in the issues facing judges when they decide often complex legal issues. Along the way, the students began to understand why these legal experts must remain independent of influence from other layers of government and segments… Read More
VEAZIE — The Orono chapter of AFS will hold its 20th annual AFS Follies at 7 p.m. today in the all-purpose room of the Veazie Elementary School. Thom Ingraham will serve as the master of ceremonies for the program, which features dance, comedy routines, instrumentals… Read More
Authorities recovered a pickup truck stolen from a Veazie power plant, but continued Thursday to search for the escaped state prison inmate suspected of taking the truck. Stephen Gross, 31, who had been convicted of assault, was less than two weeks away from being released… Read More
Bucksport High School Third quarter honor roll Seniors, highest honors: Stephanie Chaisson, Tina Chen, Jessica Davis, Amanda Hamilton, Maggie Kropp, Moira Reilly, Mandy St. Pierre, Sarah Thompson; high honors: Joseph Bouchard, Rachel Coffin, Nicole Downes, Craig Dugas, Danielle Hopkins, Enrico Penaranda, Christopher Silva, Mindy St. Read More
An internal investigation of a suicide at the Supermax prison in Warren has concluded that no changes are needed in the way the prison system handles suicidal inmates. The investigation completed last week is sealed because of confidentiality laws, Assistant Attorney General Diane Sleek said. Read More
ROCKLAND — After being the subject of months of debate in City Hall and around town, a proposal to build a Wal-Mart Supercenter off U.S. Route 1 appears to be dead. City Manager Tom Hall said Thursday the escalating costs of the $15 million project… Read More
Newport District Court David J. Laliberte, 45, Presque Isle, speeding 1-15 mph more than posted speed limit, $70. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var i = 0; i < slot_sizes.length; i++)… Read More
PALMYRA — Land use and taxes were among the topics discussed at the Wednesday night meeting of the Palmyra selectmen. A local businessman’s attempt to open a motorcycle repair shop on Route 2 is slated for a hearing before the town’s board of appeals on… Read More
FAIRFIELD — Construction to improve sections of Route 137 in Oakland and Smithfield and Route 139 in Fairfield and Norridgewock has begun with an estimated completion date of late July. The Oakland-Smithfield project begins at the intersection of Route 137 and the Gage Road in… Read More
FREEDOM — Raymond Geary, 54, of Freedom died at the scene of a one-car crash Thursday, the Waldo County Sheriff’s Department reported. The car apparently crashed off the road near the Freedom-Knox town line. Deputy Ben Seekins arrived at the scene about 12:40 p.m. googletag.cmd.push(function… Read More
PITTSFIELD — As all the figures, both revenues and expenditures, are being put together for the SAD 53 2000-2001 school budget, it appears there will be a zero increase in the amount raised through taxation. Superintendent Terrence McCannell said Thursday that before a district budget… Read More
Kudos to the Bangor Daily News and staff writer Dale McGarrigle for the best coverage in the state of the new exhibit “Aomori and Maine: Bridges Through Time” at the Maine State Museum (BDN, April 25). I hope it encourages everyone to visit Augusta and learn about our… Read More
SKOWHEGAN — There will be a special meeting and executive session of the Somerset County commissioners at 3:30 p.m. Friday at the Skowhegan County courthouse. Read More
Presque Isle District Court Holly M. Hall, 26, Mapleton, violating condition of release, jail 48 hours. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var i = 0; i < slot_sizes.length; i++) { if… Read More
PITTSFIELD — Pittsfield police arrested two young men on Wednesday night, one for outstanding warrants and the other for operating a vehicle while under the influence of drugs. Ryan Mann, 19, of Benton and a 17-year-old juvenile from Winslow were taken into custody about 9… Read More
Presque Isle District Court David P. Franz, 17, Fort Fairfield, attaching false motor vehicle plates, $100. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var i = 0; i < slot_sizes.length; i++) { if… Read More
MADAWASKA — It’s April, and planting for the potato growing season is around the corner. Edgar Morin, a potato grower in the Madawaska-St. David area, knows he has worked for nothing the past year. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var… Read More
Machias District Court Randy Norton, 44, Milbridge, violation of Marine Resources Regulations, $100. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var i = 0; i < slot_sizes.length; i++) { if (isMobileDevice()) { if… Read More
Machias Memorial High School Third quarter honor roll Seniors, high honors: Brandy Armstrong, Heather Correll, Nettie-Kate Jordan, Jordan N. Wood; honors: Troy Alley, Sarah Carter, Abby Crockett, Benjamin Moyer, Patricia Newell, Katie Preston, Jason Pritchard, Renee St. Pierre. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var… Read More
BANGOR — The Corporation for National Service, AmeriCorps volunteers and local volunteers will hold reading circles for children from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, May 20, at the Bangor Public Library. For information, call Rebecca Goldenthal at 941-2840. Read More
CARIBOU — The Air Force will be ready in June to turn over about 2,500 acres of property that has been certified environmentally clean, to the Loring Development Authority of Maine, cleanup officials said Thursday. During a meeting of a public advisory board, appointed to… Read More