AUGUSTA – Visitors to the renovated State Office Building will find a “friendlier, more efficient building,” according to Charles Jacobs, deputy commissioner of administration and financial services. Workers are putting the finishing touches on the $24 million project, which stripped the 1950s structure to its… Read More
BANGOR – A Federal Communications Commission auction netted bids totaling more than $29 million from four wireless communication companies that sought the 10 licenses available in Maine. The Maine licenses were available in five markets called Basic Trading areas by the FCC. Nationwide, 422 licenses… Read More
The Bangor Daily News strives to be accurate and fair. To report an error, call 990-8030 or 1-800-432-7964. It was reported incorrectly in stories Friday and Saturday that only one person remained hospitalized after last Thursday’s chain-reaction car pileup on Interstate 95 in Hampden. A… Read More
BAR HARBOR – When the cruise ship season opens this summer, passengers from an estimated 30 arrivals will pour into town, leaving $9.7 million behind. But the people who have to manage the harbor and maintain the piers, floats and restrooms want a little left… Read More
AUGUSTA – Gov. Angus King will address about 200 representatives of Maine’s manufactured housing industry Thursday, Feb. 1, at the Augusta Civic Center. His appearance at the annual industry luncheon precedes by one day the opening of the 13th annual Maine Manufactured Home Show at the Augusta Civic… Read More
WASHINGTON – Economic conditions in Maine are softening, new federal statistics show. A drop in farm income is primarily to blame, although the state also had a drop in manufacturing income. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = [];… Read More
WASHINGTON – Air service for Maine remains in the cross hairs of both Maine senators. Sen. Olympia Snowe is calling for a probe of the safety and passenger satisfaction elements of the aviation industry and Sen. Susan Collins is pressing the Federal Aviation Administration to… Read More
WASHINGTON – Congressman John Baldacci received an unusual honor Tuesday when the U.S. Term Limits Foundation introduced a TV ad thanking him for honoring his commitment to term limits and keeping his pledge not to serve more than four terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. Read More
I am dumbfounded that Kenyon Shubert (BDN, Jan. 23) is so upset about the article featuring Martha Stewart in the Style section of the Bangor Daily News. What difference does it make where this successful, inspiring, lovely lady lives? She is honoring the state of… Read More
Maine’s Board of Environmental Protection is expected tomorrow to decide whether FPLE, owner of the Wyman Station power plant in Yarmouth, can make re-quired reductions in the amount of nitrogen oxides the plant emits through a combination of on-site cuts and a trade for reductions elsewhere. It sounds… Read More
Maine can be proud of its two senators. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins have carried forward their state’s tradition of strong independent-mindedness. They have brought credit to Maine in the spirit of Margaret Chase Smith, Edmund S. Muskie and George J. Mitchell. Sens. Snowe and… Read More
I purchased a secondhand vehicle from a reputable dealer. Of course, he sold me the extended warranty. I had a serious problem with the vehicle and went back to the dealer. Come to find out, all the dealer has to do is to make sure… Read More
The Board of Pesticide Control has been considering this winter whether it will spray pesticides against mosquitoes if any birds infected with West Nile virus are found in Maine. I am opposed to this, and to the massive use of aerial pesticides which were sprayed over cities and… Read More
Thank you very much for printing on the front page a factual and fair account of President Bush’s first major policy action since becoming president: reinstating the full abortion restrictions on U.S. overseas aid that President Reagan had instituted in 1984. To judge by the sound bites reporting… Read More
For 30 years I’ve worked in U.S. and international family planning programs, and was very disappointed with your misleading headline (BDN, Jan. 23) that the United States restricts abortion funds. U.S. funds are never used for abortions. This policy is aimed at terminating U.S. family planning funds to… Read More
I found Tom Schroth’s letter “Electoral reality” (BDN, Jan. 24) to be amusing. Apparently the Demo-crats have short memories. I seem to recall that were it not for the Reform Party candidate Ross Perot, Bill Clinton would probably have never defeated George Bush. Clinton was… Read More
Referring to the letter by Judy Berk of the Natural Resource Council of Maine on Jan. 8, “Facts about forests,” it goes to show you what happens when non-foresters try to do forestry. NRCM continues to misquote from a Maine Forest Service report – manipulating… Read More
Hollywood is taking us back to the Cuban missile crisis – and the “Thirteen Days” that the United States and Soviet Union stood on the brink of nuclear war. In some ways, the movie is dated, but not because the threat of nuclear annihilation ended with the Cold… Read More
Most of us in the United States are so accustomed to modern conveniences that we fully expect the lights to turn on each and every time we flip the switch. In fact, it isn’t even something we contemplate until there’s a problem. I’m sure that… Read More
AUGUSTA – The House Ethics Committee went into an unprecedented huddle Tuesday in an attempt to determine how it would reach a recommendation on allegations of verbal abuse by independent state Rep. John Michael of Auburn. Michael has admitted that he may have used offensive… Read More
BANGOR – While the new White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives was being set up in Washington, people attending Bangor Theological Seminary’s annual convocation Tuesday pondered the notion of charity. United States District Court Judge George Z. Singal of Bangor, an Orthodox Jew,… Read More
BANGOR – Two Maine murderers have attracted the attention of the producers of two cable TV shows. The cases of Albert Cochran, 62, and James Hicks, 48, are scheduled to be profiled on TV shows on the Discovery Channel and the A&E Network, respectively. googletag.cmd.push(function… Read More
AUGUSTA – Bomb threats in SAD 50 have turned that school system “upside down,” according to Superintendent John M. Dirnbauer, who testified before the Legislature’s Criminal Justice committee on Tuesday. The superintendent supported the tougher penalties for bomb threats, which are proposed in LD 93 and LD 94. Read More
Most reasonable people would agree with the old saying that if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. So why, then, doesn’t that same kind of practical, cautious, down-to-earth thinking seem to apply to those fraudulent get-rich-quick schemes that periodically sweep through… Read More
AUGUSTA – Troubles at home are pushing an increasing number of youths into the streets, according to an annual status report released at the State House on Tuesday. The number of children under 18 living in homeless or emergency shelters has grown by 48 percent,… Read More
ELLSWORTH – “April in Paris” is the theme of the eighth annual Celebrity Chefs Gala on April 7 at the Ellsworth Holiday Inn Convention Center. The event will benefit the breast clinic at Maine Coast Memorial Hospital in Ellsworth and will feature offerings from more… Read More
ELLSWORTH – After 32 years as a private attorney and partner in a Bucksport law firm, David Key was ready to retire and even do a little substitute teaching. But plans changed last year when Key began working as a liaison with law enforcement for… Read More
ELLSWORTH – The Cabin Fever Paperback Book Sale, sponsored by the Friends of the Ellsworth Public Library, will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 10, at the library. A Special Friends of the Library preview will be held from 4 to… Read More
WINTER HARBOR – A major leak in the town’s water system on Sargent Street has been fixed, according to a water district official. Now it’s just a matter of putting the pipes back together. “It was a wild goose chase looking, but we isolated it… Read More
EASTPORT – U.S. Sen. Olympia Snowe said she again is requesting that the Navy dispatch a ship to Eastport during the city’s Fourth of July celebration this summer. Snowe wrote to Adm. Vernon E. Clark, chief of naval operations, to request the naval presence. googletag.cmd.push(function… Read More
BLUE HILL – Blue Hill Memorial Hospital says it needs donors for today’s blood drive. The Red Cross drive will be from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the hospital cafeteria. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = [];… Read More
SKOWHEGAN – Pittsfield resident William Lewis failed to submit the correct paperwork to Somerset County Superior Court last year, and the result Monday was dismissal of his case. Lewis, 73, served eight years of a 20-year sentence for shooting his wife in July 1987 –… Read More
SKOWHEGAN – A 19-year-old Skowhegan man was sentenced Monday to 12 years in jail, with all but two years suspended, for a November incident in which he stole two vehicles in Skowhegan, led police on a high-speed chase and ended up crashing into a private home. Read More
FAIRFIELD – The 33 organized municipalities in Somerset County will soon be receiving a letter from Fairfield Town Manager Paul Blanchette seeking donations toward a legal fund. The fund, being requested by a group of town managers, will be used to seek legal clarification regarding… Read More
PITTSFIELD – Spreading your own septic tank waste on your own land is perfectly legal. But the practice is not without restrictions and violations can result in fines, as a Canaan businessman recently learned. Michael Albertson of Albertson’s Septic Service was fined $250 last week… Read More
CORINNA – With a steady crunch, crunch, crackle, swish, seventh-graders at Corinna Junior High School slogged through the snow-covered fields behind their school Tuesday, trying out “something different” in gym class: snowshoeing. The school district recently purchased 30 pairs of aluminum and nylon snowshoes, decidedly… Read More
HOULTON – Taxes will not go up as much as expected as a result of action taken Monday night by the Town Council to cut an additional $85,000 from the 2001 budget. The $7 million budget will result in an increase of $1.25 in the… Read More
Presque Isle District Court Bruce A. Burbee, 24, Presque Isle, violating condition of release, $150. 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())… Read More
HOULTON – There were lights and there was action, but no TV cameras at Monday night’s budget hearing. Residents who tuned in to watch the proceedings on the local-access cable channel found snowy screens instead. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]];… Read More
PATTEN – People Helping People, a support group for those coping with serious health concerns, will meet at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 12, at the Mt. Heights Health Care Facility, in the downstairs meeting room. The facility is on the Island Falls Road. This meeting… Read More
MADAWASKA – The office of the public health nurse has been relocated from the Madawaska Outpatient Center to the Acadia Family Health Center at the Acadia School on Main Street. The office now is located at the basement level and can be entered by using the lower level… Read More
FORT KENT – The Fort Kent Recreation and Parks Department will host a Valentine’s Day crafts workshop for children in kindergarten through sixth-grade, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 7, at the municipal building on West Maine Street. Participants will have an opportunity to… Read More
FORT KENT – Diabetes Support Group meetings at Northern Maine Medical Center have been scheduled for the month of February. In Fort Kent, the Juvenile Diabetes Support Group will meet at 3 p.m. Monday, Feb. 5, in the hospital’s in-service room. The Adult Diabetes Support… Read More
CARIBOU – A drug dealer from the St. John Valley was ordered to serve 18 months in jail for violating his probation by selling scheduled drugs. Michael Pelletier, 45, of St. David also received a five-year suspended sentence Monday for selling marijuana, according to documents… Read More
BROOKLIN – In the seaside town that nurtured beloved Maine author E.B. White, books are big news. The year-round population barely exceeds 700, yet the historic Friends Memorial Public Library circulates as many as 18,000 books per year, according to town librarian Gretchen Volenik. googletag.cmd.push(function… Read More
BANGOR – Though the gold-lettered sign in front of Norumbega Hall already reads “University of Maine Museum of Art,” the building’s first floor still is vacant and unfinished. But that’s all about to change. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var… Read More
BANGOR – The City Council’s Special Committee on Opiate Addiction took its last look Tuesday at preparations for the arrival of a methadone clinic planned for the city. The committee, which will re-form as an advisory group for the program, looked at progress on six… Read More
ROCKPORT – The search for a new town manager is expected to last another month. Peter Hall, chairman of the board of selectmen, said Tuesday that a series of second interviews with some candidates is being scheduled. Because of February school vacations, not all candidates… Read More
Bangor District Court Shawn B. Bowman, 28, Corinth, possessing marijuana, $200. 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
A 34-year-old Bangor man faces drunken driving and terrorizing charges after his arrest Monday night when he was seen running a red light. The truck that Officer Roger Hershey subsequently stopped on Brimmer Street was the same one that was reported to police as having… Read More
VEAZIE – Firefighters from four towns converged in Veazie early Tuesday morning after a fire broke out at a gas-powered electric-generating plant on the shores of the Penobscot River. The 3 a.m. fire started when a steam line overheated and came in contact with a… Read More
BELFAST – Another public opinion survey indicates that a majority of respondents favor large retail stores, but only after city planners and the public review the implications of their presence in a community. The survey was conducted for City Councilor Tammy Lacher Scully by volunteers… Read More
THOMASTON – Townspeople voted overwhelmingly Tuesday to join the Knox Regional Communications Center for emergency dispatch services. After 45 minutes of debate, a 51-21 secret ballot vote disbanded the longtime town dispatch operation. The reason for the shift appeared to be an effort to save… Read More
WALDOBORO – A car stop Tuesday morning resulted in the driver’s arrest on a Waldo County warrant and a summons on new charges, including possession of a loaded firearm in a motor vehicle. Kegan O. Collins, 21, of Waldoboro was driving a 1986 Toyota sedan… Read More
BELFAST – Local merchants are advised to be on the lookout for counterfeit currency as bogus bills have been turning up in the city recently. Police Chief Allen Weaver said counterfeit $100s and $50s were passed at three local businesses in recent days. Weaver said… Read More
ROCKLAND – A former Coast Guard seaman and his wife pleaded guilty to drug trafficking charges in Knox County Superior Court. Kevin Lothrop, 22, and Stacey Lothrop, 21, of Rockland were arrested in July 1999 after an investigation by state drug enforcement agents. The couple… Read More
ROCKPORT – The Best of the Banff Mountain Film Festival will be screened at Camden Hills Regional High School on Feb. 15. The festival is an international competition featuring the world’s best films and videos on mountain subjects. It is held in November in Banff,… Read More
DOVER-FOXCROFT – Four programs at SeDoMoCha Middle School will benefit from money received from a trust fund administered by Fleet Bank and distributed by the United Way of Eastern Maine. School officials learned that $5,000 will come their way Monday for a variety of programs… Read More
CORINNA – All indications say the Corinna Water District soon may have $500,000 in federal funds to develop a new supplemental water source. The final approval, however, has not been granted, according to John Marchewka of John Marchewka Associates, interim manager for the district. googletag.cmd.push(function… Read More
DOVER-FOXCROFT – The juvenile who confessed to shooting a bobtail cat in Monson earlier this winter told authorities he did so because it was a stray. Other than to say that a male juvenile was involved in the case, police and Piscataquis County District Attorney… Read More
GUILFORD – SAD 4 directors are hoping the public will present them some solutions to a problem. At issue is the declining enrollment in the member towns of Guilford, Sangerville, Abbot, Parkman, Wellington and Cambridge. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]];… Read More
MACHIAS – About half of Washington County’s drivers are wearing their seat belts, according to informal surveys by the sheriff’s department. And those who aren’t buckling up should know the sheriff’s department is conducting seat belt patrols and checkpoints through June, according to Chief Deputy… Read More
MACHIAS – The search for a new superintendent for Union 102 is continuing, and the union board is going to readvertise the position this weekend, according to the chairman of the search committee. Edward White said Tuesday that such a small number of viable candidates… Read More
AUGUSTA – The spiritual leader of Maine’s 250,000 Roman Catholics told dozens of state legislators Tuesday he doesn’t envy them for the work that lies ahead this session. And rather than offering specific remedies for social problems confronting lawmakers, Bishop Joseph Gerry borrowed from Scripture… Read More
ARROWSIC – New concerns raised by a state commission could undermine efforts to relocate an osprey nesting site that has delayed plans to paint a bridge linking Arrowsic and Georgetown with the mainland. The state wanted to paint the Max L. Wilder Memorial Bridge on… Read More
Two years ago, Down East Hospice, which provides free, nonmedical services to terminally ill people and their families throughout Washington County from its offices in Calais and Machias, hosted its first “Be Our Valentine Dinner and Auction.” That event, held at Washington County Vocational Technical… Read More
WINDHAM – A Cumberland County Corrections officer has been arrested on charges he assaulted and threatened a co-worker. Kevin Anderson is charged with criminal threatening with a dangerous weapon and domestic violence assault. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes… Read More
KENNEBUNK – One person is dead after a fiery crash on the Maine Turnpike on Tuesday. A motorist crossed the median into the southbound lane of the highway and hit two vehicles, including a tractor-trailer, according to Maine Public Safety Department spokesman Stephen McCausland. googletag.cmd.push(function… Read More
BRUNSWICK – Police have charged a Brunswick man with gross sexual assault and kidnapping after accusations that he lured two boys into his apartment and assaulted one. Daniel A. Valenzuela, 32, was arrested Sunday. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var… Read More
LEWISTON – The Maine branch of the Ehlers-Danlos National Foundation will meet at 2 p.m. Sunday, March 4, in Room 127, Pettengill Hall, Bates College. There will be an opportunity for information and support. Individuals with EDS have a defect in their connective tissue, which… Read More
BANGOR – Hannah Layton, a senior at Bangor Christian Schools, is the state winner of the annual Veterans of Foreign Wars “Voice of Democracy” essay contest. Layton, representing District 4, Post 1761, was one of 11 district winners from throughout the state. Layton and her… Read More
University of Hartford, West Hartford, Conn. 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 () { // Define Slot var… Read More
SACO – A technique that was used to bolster scallop stocks in Stonington is being used in hopes of restoring scallop beds that were long ago depleted by commercial draggers in Saco Bay. Seven fishermen and lobstermen volunteered in August to help the Northwest Atlantic… Read More
READFIELD – Todd Hopkins takes the long route to school when he can. While he can make the trip in 10 minutes by car, the junior at Maranacook Community School prefers the 30-minute snowmobile journey with its views of deer, foxes and sunrises. googletag.cmd.push(function ()… Read More
WASHINGTON – Sen. Susan Collins on Tuesday introduced legislation to help teachers when they pursue professional development or pay for classroom supplies with their own money. The Teacher Support Act of 2001 has two major provisions. First, it would allow teachers and teacher aides to… Read More
WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Olympia J. Snowe Tuesday urged U.S. Trade Representative-designate Robert Zoellick to give softwood lumber negotiations high priority when he is confirmed by the Senate. Snowe made her comments, and urged strong enforcement of U.S. trade laws, during a hearing on Zoellick’s nomination Tuesday in… Read More
PUDDINGS A TO Z, by Marie Simmons, Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston and New York, 1999, 96 pages, $17. The proof’s in the pudding, especially when the pudding is prepared by Marie Simmons, author of many cookbooks, columnist for Bon Appetit, and winner of the James… Read More
Red alert! Do the winter blues have you seeing red? Brighten up with Alize’s Operation Redhead II. Alize, makers of cognac beverages infused with fruit juices, will bring 250 lackluster-locked-ladies into the red. Using dyes by Manic Panic, the force behind Gwen Stefani’s neon mane… Read More
BANGOR – It didn’t count on the judges’ scoring sheets, but for Ashley Daigle and Madawaska’s varsity cheering squad, Saturday afternoon’s encore performance was invaluable. For Daigle and her Owls teammates, performing together at the Eastern Maine Class C regional cheering championship in the Bangor… Read More
The State University of New York’s campuses at Albany and Stony Brook have scheduled press conferences today to officially announce that their athletics programs will join the America East Conference beginning next season. Stony Brook is in its second season as a member of NCAA… Read More
The Super Bowl is over, or so I’ve heard. Good. Ray Charles did a great rendition of “America” and then it was on to “Faulty Towers” on PBS. There is only one way to speak out against the criminals of the NFL and the inane… Read More
ORRINGTON – The Orrington Rod and Gun Club will hold its annual ice-fishing derby Saturday and Sunday at Brewer Lake and Fields Pond. Tickets, $2 per angler, and live bait are available at derby headquarters, T.J.’s Market on the Brewer Lake Road. Fish entered in the derby must… Read More
HERMON – Tom Caron of Bangor bowled his second career perfect game at Heritage Bowling Center on Monday. Caron, a member of the Hanscom Well Drilling team, tossed his 300 in the Latecomers League. Read More
HIGH SCHOOL CORRECTION 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 () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]];… Read More
SCARBOROUGH – The death of millionaire racetrack owner Joseph Ricci leaves a cloud of uncertainty over the state’s harness-racing industry. Ricci, the owner of the Scarborough Downs, died Monday after a battle with cancer. He was 54. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes… Read More
HICKORY, N.C. – Last weekend’s fourth annual Ricky Craven Snowmobile Ride for Charity raised a record amount of money for five selected charities. The event, which features an 87-mile snowmobile ride around Moosehead Lake in Greenville, Maine, a drawing for prizes and an autograph session,… Read More
FORT KENT – Ashlie Churchill poured in 20 points to lead the Fort Fairfield Tigers to a 52-46 schoolgirl basketball win over the Hodgdon Hawks Tuesday night. Dani Searles added 10 for Fort Fairfield. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var… Read More