AUGUSTA – The extraordinary security the Coast Guard has been providing at the nation’s ports has stretched resources and reduced enforcement of fisheries laws down to “close to zero,” according to the commandant of the Coast Guard, Adm. James Loy. Those reductions in traditional Coast Guard missions have… Read More
    A story in Tuesday’s Maine Day on increased gun purchases in the state included out-of-date information about the procedure used in the purchase of firearms. Under federal law, purchase of a long gun, such as a hunting rifle, is restricted to those over age 18. Purchase of a… Read More
    AUGUSTA – David B. Offer, who has been in the newspaper business for more than 30 years, has been appointed executive editor of the Morning Sentinel of Waterville and the Kennebec Journal of Augusta. Most recently, Offer was executive editor of Stars and Stripes, where… Read More
    PORTLAND – A federal judge has ruled that A.J. “Jack” DeCoster should abide by a $6 million settlement agreement reached last year with Mexican laborers who worked at his Turner egg farm in the 1990s. The ruling by U.S. District Judge D. Brock Hornby addresses… Read More
    WASHINGTON – The Justice Department filed suit Tuesday to block the proposed acquisition of Newport News Shipbuilding Inc. by General Dynamics Corp., saying the merger would result in a monopoly for building nuclear submarines, a weapon vital to national security. The department said the proposed… Read More
    If Maine tourism officials are interested in remaking Penobscot and Piscataquis counties into something of a Maine Highlands, as a recent marketing initiative from the Penquis Tourism Coalition proposes to do, its first stop should be to check in with the Ardersier & Petty Environmental Society, dedicated to… Read More
    Opening Department of Human Services child protection hearings to the public would lessen the shame felt by the children who are the subjects of those secret proceedings. Either that, or opening the hearings would add to their trauma. Such 180-degree disagreement is nothing new when… Read More
    The rule of the Taliban should serve as an example, to all Americans, of what can happen when you fail to separate church and state. Harlan McLaughlin googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false;… Read More
    David Finkel of The Washington Post (BDN, Oct. 18) took many words telling how a man described “freedom” by shaving his face. How fine. How easy. How manly. Now let’s have Finkel describe “freedom” for an Afghan woman. Nice if it was that easy. Men… Read More
    “The enemy is listening! He wants to know what you know. Keep it to yourself.” “Loose lips, sink ships.” 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;… Read More
    I am gratified to learn that the Bangor Forestry Department has the resources to cut back pesky trees when they dare to shade the city sidewalks and encroach into the right of way. It is unfortunate that other city departments apparently do not have the… Read More
    This is a time of uncertainty and fear. As we continue to try to deal with the grief and mourning from the attacks of Sept. 11, we face new fears to our security with continued threats of terrorism and the recent cases of anthrax. We… Read More
    Since school has started this fall, I have made a couple of trips with my daughter to the Bangor Public Library to do research. The citizens of Bangor and surrounding communities have a treasured gift and valuable resource of information in this proud institution. Much… Read More
    The Oct. 17 letter from teacher Martin O’Connell was puzzling. First, he admonished parents of misbehaving children that it is “critically important” for them to “take the hard road” in correcting them. Then he described as “genuine patriots” those citizens who are taking issue with the path this… Read More
    Fifth in a series We all remember Humpty Dumpty who “sat on the wall” and “had a great fall.” Then the poignant denouement: “All the King’s horses and all the King’s men/Couldn’t put Humpty Dumpty together again.” May my Afghan friends forgive this comparison of… Read More
    AUGUSTA – Despite allegations that he is anti-Bangor Hydro, Irving Faunce was unanimously endorsed for another term on the Board of Environmental Protection by the Legislature’s Natural Resources Committee on Tuesday. Concerns about Faunce’s nomination surfaced earlier this month when he announced at a BEP… Read More
    NEW YORK – A man accused of murdering his mother in her Orono apartment almost two years ago is expected to go on trial today in a Manhattan courtroom on charges related to his apprehension five months after he allegedly stabbed her to death. Mark… Read More
    ELIOT – A construction accident may be to blame for a severed fiber-optic pipeline that caused thousands of Maine and New Hampshire residents to lose telephone and Internet access Monday, said Fred Kocher, spokesperson for North East Optical Networks Communications Inc. Kocher said Tuesday that… Read More
    HOLDEN – Members of the public advisory committee charged with helping choose a route for a proposed connector road linking Route 9 and Interstate 395 resumed work Tuesday night with a recap of progress to date and a look at some new information to consider. Read More
    BREWER – Though it caused some tense moments after it was discovered last week, the unidentified white powder that prompted the evacuation of the administrative building at Stillwater Academy on the Acme Road did not contain anthrax. According to Detective Sgt. Perry Antone of the… Read More
    ELLSWORTH – A Franklin man was arrested Monday after he reportedly came close to striking a police cruiser head-on. Damon Pickard, 22, was charged with operating a motor vehicle under the influence of intoxicants. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var… Read More
    BAR HARBOR – A “Faircloth for Congress” meeting is scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 27, at the Havana Restaurant, 318 Main St. Sean Faircloth, 2nd District candidate, will meet supporters. Refreshments will be served. Call 848-9958 for more information. Read More
    BLUE HILL – A Bucksport boy faces a charge of terrorizing after he allegedly threatened to blow up the Blue Hill Memorial Hospital on Monday. The boy, 15, left a threatening note in the bathroom of Tenney Hill Family Practice on Water Street, police said. Read More
    CHERRYFIELD – A change of location will mark this year’s Haunted Hayride, sponsored by the Cherryfield Fire Department and auxiliary. This year’s ride will take place two miles from the Maine Grocer, on Route 193, past Ridge Road and before Butler Lane on the right. Read More
    MILBRIDGE – The Washington Hancock Community Agency board of directors will meet from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 30. Laurie Gildart, project manager of WHCA’s Keeping Children Safe Downeast, a Safe Start initiative, will give a presentation about the program and its impact on… Read More
    STEUBEN – Claire Kennedy will be installed as postmaster of Steuben in a ceremony next month. Kennedy has been relief postmaster at Steuben the past 13 years. She has also worked in the Cherryfield, Harrington and Milbridge post offices. The oath will be administered at… Read More
    MACHIAS – A community business and resource fair will take place at the Machias Career Center from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 8. The fair is designed to provide students, teachers and parents an opportunity to explore employment opportunities and area resources at… Read More
    SURRY – The Surry Community Improvement Association announces the formation of the transportation committee. The committee’s purpose is to provide rides for residents of Surry who need to get to doctor’s appointments, buy groceries, pick up prescriptions, etc. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var… Read More
    CHERRYFIELD – Hannah Layton of Cherryfield was among 28 students at Lee University, Cleveland, Tenn., named Centennial Scholars at the college for 2001-02, the college announced. Layton, daughter of Jim and Valerie Layton, is a freshman at the school. She is majoring in biology and… Read More
    AUGUSTA – Two staff members of Peaceful Choices, Washington County’s domestic violence project, were honored during the annual Blaine House Tea on Oct. 19. Julie-Ann Moody and Katherine Richardson were recognized for their efforts to end domestic violence in their communities. googletag.cmd.push(function () { //… Read More
    SURRY – The Surry Community Improvement Association will present Dan Shaw and his Seeing Eye pony, Cuddles, at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 5, at the Surry Elementary School. The public is invited at no cost. The Girl Scouts will sell baked goods to raise funds… Read More
    ELLSWORTH – University College will host a computer workshop for senior citizens. The session will cover understanding the Windows environment; Internet research for seniors; Microsoft Word and e-mail. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner =… Read More
    ELLSWORTH – The Union River Greens will hold a forum featuring Jonathan Carter of North New Portland, former Green Party candidate for congress and governor, at 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 1, at Ellsworth City Hall. Carter is considering a campaign for governor in the 2002… Read More
    PITTSFIELD – Police are investigating a graffiti spree throughout the downtown section of Pittsfield overnight Tuesday. Slogans, drawings and words were placed on the post office, the town office front door, an empty storefront on Main Street and the Edwards’ Systems Technology facility on Hunnewell… Read More
    DOVER-FOXCROFT – Pete and Gale Robinson will be hosts to the Central Maine Chapter of Small Woodland Owners Association of Maine on a tour of their forest at 1 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 28, at the intersection of Route 15 and the Norton Hill Road. The… Read More
    GREENVILLE – The United Way of Eastern Maine’s Piscataquis County Keeping Kids on Track committee is seeking applications for programs or projects that meet the needs of adolescents 10-14 years old. Any organization or group of citizens that has a program or an idea of… Read More
    DETROIT – Detroit selectmen refused to reveal the results Tuesday of a joint survey of the Detroit-Palmyra town line by a Dixmont man. Two members of the Board of Selectmen, Joseph Cianchette and Joseph Schissler, met Tuesday morning with John Olson, who revealed the results… Read More
    PALMYRA – An Ohio man delivering a utility truck to Presque Isle received multiple injuries Monday afternoon when he apparently fell asleep while driving on Interstate 95 in Palmyra. Edward Frenz, 40, suffered broken ribs, multiple bruises and abrasions in the 3:10 p.m. crash. He… Read More
    PITTSFIELD – Rumors that the Pittsfield and Dexter Reny’s Department Stores are consolidating to locate in Newport are just that, company officials said Tuesday. Robert Reny Jr. said, “We’re not looking to move anywhere. We do a lot of business at both locations and they… Read More
    PITTSFIELD – Pittsfield police are concerned that a large number of Pittsfield residents still do not know the town switched from local emergency dispatching services to the Somerset Communications’ Center on Oct. 15. When residents call the published telephone number for Pittsfield police – 487-3101… Read More
    DETROIT – The Detroit Planning Board will not meet in November and January, but will meet in December and February. All meetings take place in the planning board room of the Detroit Town Hall and start at 7 p.m. The regular meeting date is the first Tuesday of… Read More
    HOULTON – Fire Chief Milton Cone was left Monday night with no clear consensus from the Town Council on how to proceed with development of a new mutual aid policy for the town’s Fire Department. Cone plans to meet with area fire chiefs a second… Read More
    PRESQUE ISLE – Driver inattention is being blamed for a three-car accident Tuesday on South Main Street that sent two women to the hospital. Amy McGlinn, 71, of Presque Isle was stopped in the northbound lane at about 10:45 a.m., preparing to make a left… Read More
    HOULTON – It will be at least another three weeks before the town gets a new superintendent of public works, after the Town Council on Monday tabled the appointment of Leigh Stilwell to that post for a second time. Town Manager Peggy Daigle presented the… Read More
    Houlton District Court Melvin B. Dunaway Jr., 54, Ruther Glen, Va., operating without duty record, $250. 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
    BANGOR – More than 1,000 American students are being directly affected by the recent anthrax exposures and terrorist attacks in Washington, D.C., even though few of them reside anywhere near the nation’s capital. Two of those students are Mary Molnar and Monica Willey, both juniors… Read More
    BANGOR – Bangor Parks and Recreation will sponsor its free preschool open gym starting Monday, Oct. 29. Preschool open gym is a chance for preschoolers to enjoy a large open space with a limited variety of toys and equipment available. This is not a drop-off… Read More
    BREWER – Motorists who plan to travel on North Main Street today through Friday might want to find an alternate route. According to Public Works Superintendent Frank Higgins, the section of North Main Street that runs from State Street to Wilson Street will be reduced… Read More
    ORONO – The town of Orono has a parking ban from Nov. 1 to April 15. Motor vehicles must be parked in off-street locations between midnight and 8 a.m. During a major snowstorm, the Public Works Department has to plow the streets in the daytime. Vehicles in residential… Read More
    BANGOR – A respiratory support group meeting will be held from 1 to 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 3, at the Brandow Conference Room of the Eastern Maine Medical Center. Robin Young from the YWCA will speak about osteoporosis, as well as the risk factors, screening,… Read More
    ORONO – The University of Maine Department of Public Safety and the Campus Walking Companions have begun distributing whistles free of charge to female members of the campus community. A woman may use the whistle to draw attention if she feels threatened, becomes incapacitated by illness or injury… Read More
    OLD TOWN – The Old Town Public Works Department will be picking up leaves and pine needles during the month of November. People wanting the department to take their leaves and pine needles to the city’s compost pile must place this material at the curb in biodegradable Kraft… Read More
    LINCOLN – Penquis Community Action Program is hosting an IRS workshop on “Taxes and the Small Business Owner” from 6 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 14, at Mattanawcook Academy, Room 121. This workshop is for individuals who are in business or who are contemplating going… Read More
    BREWER – The Brewer Parks and Recreation Department has announced its senior fitness classes are now in session. Classes meet from 9 to 10 a.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday at the Brewer Auditorium. This program is open to all older adults who are interested in… Read More
    BREWER – The Brewer Parks & Recreation Department is accepting registrations for its Middle School Recreation Program. The program is located at Brewer Middle School from 2 to 5:30 p.m. and is open to students in grades 6 and 7 who attend Brewer Middle School. The program features… Read More
    ORONO – The Nov. 6 election will be held for Ward 1, Precinct 1 at the American Legion Hall on Park Street; Ward 1, Precinct 2 at the Dorothy Twitchell Allen Village at the University of Maine; and at the Municipal Building Council Chambers for Ward 2. Voting… Read More
    BELFAST – Owners of property on Sanborn Pond learned that while environmental workers are doing their best to remove the oil spilled there last month, they won’t get it all. “We’re still working on it, we haven’t given up, and we’re going to get all… Read More
    PROSPECT – Authorities were searching for two armed robbers who took cash and lottery tickets from the Prospect General Store Tuesday evening. A dispatcher at the Waldo County Sheriff’s Department said the robbery was reported at 7:20 p.m. He said two males armed with some… Read More
    A 15-year-old Waldoboro boy died during the weekend after suffering injuries last week in a Warren car accident that injured two other teens. A spokeswoman for the Eastern Maine Medical Center confirmed Tuesday that Jacob Daigle died at the Bangor hospital. googletag.cmd.push(function () { //… Read More
    13th District Court, Dover-Foxcroft 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… Read More
    DOVER-FOXCROFT – In seven months, the Penquis Training and Education Center is expected to move into its permanent headquarters at the former Mayo Street Elementary School. Selectmen on Monday were given a progress report on the center and discussed a proposal by a business group… Read More
    CALAIS – Five City Council candidates fielded questions about the city’s economy and a host of other issues when they gathered for a public forum sponsored by local news media. The candidates are seeking two seats on the council. The election takes place Nov. 6. Read More
    ST. AGATHA – A Madawaska man suffered minor injuries Monday night when he drove his ATV into a ditch. Joey Tardif, 34, of St. David Village was taken to Northern Maine Medical Center at Fort Kent after the 6:30 p.m. incident. He was treated and… Read More
    CALAIS – The American Cancer Society’s Reach to Recovery program offers women from the Calais area an opportunity for discussion by matching volunteer visitors who have experienced breast cancer with women dealing with the disease. The idea behind the program is that talking about the… Read More
    CALAIS – Washington County Technical College is expecting a big turnout for a public forum called “Understanding the World Around Us.” It will be at 3 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 25, at the college. The focus of the gathering will be to provide an understanding of… Read More
    EASTPORT – The portrait of lost New York City firefighter Angel Juarbe by local artist Jim Lavindoskey that was featured at the memorial service last month will be on display for his memorial service in New York on Saturday. Juarbe was the winner of the… Read More
    The Maine Children’s Home for Little Wanderers of Waterville recently launched a capital campaign, “Tomorrow’s Promise,” to repay two loans from the U.S. Department of Agriculture totaling $1.5 million. Those loans have enabled the facility to purchase and renovate the former Criminal Justice Academy on… Read More
    DIXVILLE NOTCH, N.H. – While the wolf has been restored to Western and Midwestern states, whether the predator can be brought back to the Northern Forest remains a question. The increase in Western and Midwestern numbers prompted the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to propose… Read More
    WASHINGTON – An invasion of giant Australian jellyfish clogs shrimp nets in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Swarms of Chinese mitten crabs with a taste for salmon choke water pumps in San Francisco Bay. These are just a couple of the ones scientists know about. Read More
    LEWISTON – Three men in a pickup truck threw a flaming M-80 firecracker at a Bates College custodian, causing a temporary loss of hearing, police said Tuesday. Randy Bolduc was outside 146 Wood St. when the 1980s red-and-white pickup truck drove by about 7:30 Monday… Read More
    GORHAM – Police continued to investigate a Friday accident on Route 114 that left a Bridgton woman dead and sent two others to the hospital. Joanne Braica, 60, was killed when the 1995 Ford minivan her husband was driving south was hit head-on by a… Read More
    SUSSEX, New Brunswick – Families of four Newton, Mass., middle school pupils killed in an April bus accident in New Brunswick are expecting to find out Wednesday whether the bus driver or the tour bus operator will face criminal charges. Sgt. Dave Brown of the… Read More
    BERLIN, N.H. – Thirty-four laid-off workers from Pulp and Paper of America mills have been called back to work to fire up two idle boilers at one plant. The recalled workers are maintenance and those with experience on the boilers at the Burgess pulp mill… Read More
    U.S. Rep. Tom Allen said postal workers in Washington and New York should be vaccinated against anthrax after two postal workers died, apparently after they were exposed to anthrax spores. The congressman, a member of the Democratic Caucus Homeland Security Task Force, also said health… Read More
    PORTLAND – A South Portland woman faces a criminal charge for an anthrax hoax that led to the evacuation of her workplace last week, the district attorney announced Tuesday Penelope Snow, 35, faces a terrorizing charge for the Oct. 17 incident, Cumberland County District Attorney… Read More
    Sandre Moore’s most treasured childhood memories are of being read to and watching her parents happily bustle about in the kitchen. As a parent, she wants to ensure that her own children gain the sense of family and security she did through these traditions. And in writing “The… Read More
    ELLSWORTH – A singularly sensational production of “A Chorus Line” will be staged later this month by actors, singers and dancers from Bangor and the greater Ellsworth area. Broadway’s longest-running musical, famous for its high-kicking finale, “One [Singular Sensation],” “A Chorus Line” will be presented… Read More
    As a lazy stream of wood smoke spirals upward from a brick chimney, a gentle storm of fallen leaves dances across the brown fields, winds its way through groomed pastures, passes over the last pumpkins on the vine and lands on garden beds that have been blanketed in… Read More
    Baltimore Orioles shortstop and Winterport native Mike Bordick predicted that the New York Yankees will win their fourth consecutive World Series and fifth in the last six years by beating the Arizona Diamondbacks in six games. “The Yankees have so much postseason experience. They have… Read More
    Pending school committee approval, Steve Van Dolman will become the third man to call himself Brewer High School’s varsity hockey coach in the last four years. The 31-year-old Van Dolman, who served as head JV coach and varsity assistant to Paul Henderson last season, has… Read More
    ORONO – Andy Goupee – or just plain “Goupee” to most of his friends – didn’t plan on being a college distance runner. He thought about it a lot. He dreamed about it a little. But plan it? No way. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define… Read More
    ORONO – There can be a fine line between winning and losing. Nobody knows that better than University of Maine football coach Jack Cosgrove, whose teams have tiptoed that line during his eight-plus seasons with the Black Bears. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var… Read More
    Paul Willey of Bangor will be vying for his second straight Virtual Golf Association Tour championship and the $50,000 first prize next month at the World Golf Hall of Fame in St. Augustine, Fla. Willey, 38, bested more than 22,000 personal computer golfers to reach… Read More