PORTLAND – In a divided ruling, the state supreme court declined Tuesday to address the issue of whether churches can be sued for negligent supervision of sexually abusive clergy. The 4-2 decision leaves unchanged an earlier ruling that said the supervision of priests is a… Read More
    OLD TOWN – The Penobscot Times, a 114-year-old weekly newspaper serving the Old Town area, has been sold for an undisclosed amount. David Wollstadt, owner and publisher since 1974, recently sold the publication to Kirkland Newspapers Inc., a North-Carolina-based company with holdings in Maine. Bill… Read More
    PORTLAND – Insurance companies must pay to fix cars damaged in an accident but they don’t have to compensate for the reduced resale value of an accident-damaged car, the state supreme court ruled Tuesday. The court ruled in a case brought against Acadia Insurance Co. Read More
    Following are petitions for bankruptcy filed at the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Bangor: Robert McMahan, retired used car sales, and Marilyn McMahan, education technician-receptionist, no dependents, South Thomaston: assets, $96,108; debts, $106,554. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes =… Read More
    The sale of Bangor Raceway is a great idea (BDN, July 9). I do not go to the track here because the facilities are so poor. Why go to Bangor Raceway when I can play better tracks in the comfort of my own home via satellite coverage and… Read More
    The legal system is not just to be fallible, but to be particularly fallible when it comes to the poor, who rely on the court system for competent counsel, and sometimes fallible with tragic results when death is the imposed penalty. Federal District Judge Jed Rakoff of New… Read More
    On July 10, 1962, a Boeing Thor Delta rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral. On its tip was a 34-inch diameter, 171-pound sphere. The next day, July 11, the sphere with the Space Age name Telstar 1 flickered to life and the age of global satellite communications was… Read More
    Although your July 9 editorial, “Putting Maine on the Map,” is appreciated, it misses the point. Southern Maine has been complaining about population spread and it doesn’t have the appeal to creative folks that our unspoiled Washington County does. I believe that per capita, we have more creative… Read More
    Thank you to Tom Weber for sharing the story of Barbara Ford [the president of Adoptive and Foster Families of Maine] regarding the image of foster care and the need for the state to move on (BDN, June 27). Her words echo the sentiment of hundreds of Maine’s… Read More
    The outstanding teamwork and leadership of the Corinna firemen with the assistance of firefighters from Newport, Dexter, St. Albans, Pittsfield, Hartland and Garland not only saved the beautiful Corinna Union Academy museum, but its contents of valuable and irreplaceable treasures. While these brave men battled the heavy black… Read More
    I take issue with your front-page headline “Man, wife found dead in Parkman” (BDN, July 6-7). Why is it that a man can stand along, but after 76 years of life, a woman is still defined by her marital status? “Couple found dead in Parkman”… Read More
    I write in response to Nathan Gehlert’s opinion published June 26. Gehlert, who worked for Sean Faircloth’s Democratic primary congressional campaign, suggested that Maine Democrats need a run-off. He backed up his argument with the logic of Faircloth’s candidacy and an enumeration of how the Democratic nominee for… Read More
    Beginning late in April 2001 and continuing to the present, the drought has been in the news in one form or another almost every week. Stories began last spring as warm, dry conditions led to brush fires around the state. This was followed by coverage of falling water… Read More
    I recently finished reading another report on the state of Maine’s economy. This was one of many that I have received, and I was not surprised that it said pretty much the same thing as the others. Maine is in trouble. It seems that all surveys and reports… Read More
    BANGOR – Three-term state Rep. Christina Baker, D-Bangor, bowed out of her re-election bid Monday, citing her husband’s recent health problems and her resulting absence from much of the last legislative session. Baker’s pullout was part of a record number of withdrawals this year, according… Read More
    ELLSWORTH – A Superior Court justice has ruled against a local bank company in separate lawsuits that the bank filed against two of its former executives. Justice Ellen Gorman, sitting in Hancock County Superior Court, dismissed a lawsuit that Bar Harbor Bankshares filed against Bonnie… Read More
    PITTSFIELD – Pittsfield Sgt. Timothy Roussin on Tuesday morning charged two juveniles, one age 14 and another age 15, with unauthorized use of a motor vehicle after they reportedly took a car from a residence on Route 2 and drove it to Manson Park. The… Read More
    John Bapst High School Fourth quarter honor roll 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]… Read More
    BANGOR – St. Joseph Healthcare recently received a $10,000 grant from the Bangor Region Partners for Health. These funds will support a one-year start-up program to promote holistic wellness for citizens of all ages at various locations within the Bangor region through St. Joseph Healthcare’s Interfaith Program. Read More
    SOUTHWEST HARBOR – The U.S. Coast Guard on Tuesday donated a floating dock worth $14,000 to the Harbor House Sailing Center in the latest gift to the nonprofit recreational agency. Group Southwest Harbor, the Coast Guard station that covers much of the Maine coast, outgrew… Read More
    STONINGTON – After years of planning and months of wrestling with insurance issues, the Island Community Center officially has taken over one of the town’s former elementary school buildings and is ready to expand its programs to fit its surroundings. An anonymous donor last week… Read More
    PITTSFIELD – Pittsfield administrators sent a letter out Tuesday that they are hoping will halt all junk mail coming to the town office. “It really works and it will make quite a difference,” Town Manager Kathryn Ruth said. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var… Read More
    WATERVILLE – The Yankee Brass Band will begin its annual summer concert tour with a performance in Colby’s Lorimer Chapel on the Waterville campus at 8 p.m. Tuesday, July 23. The event is free to the public and donations are accepted. googletag.cmd.push(function () { //… Read More
    PITTSFIELD – SAD 53 directors set a timeline Monday night for replacing their superintendent. Michael Gallagher, principal of kindergarten through grade four, has been acting superintendent since the resignation in April of Terrence McCannell. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var… Read More
    HOULTON – After 21/2 years of feuding, the town and Polaris Cable Services will begin negotiations for a second cable franchise, after the Town Council voted 5-1 on Monday to proceed. Polaris Cable has made repeated requests for a second, competing franchise in Houlton after… Read More
    NEW LIMERICK – The state Fire Marshal’s Office on Tuesday was investigating a fire that destroyed a boat at Nickerson Lake. A 1975 15-foot-long Renkin fiberglass boat, with a 65-horsepower Mercury outboard motor, belonging to Tim Guy was destroyed by the fire at about midnight. Read More
    MACHIAS – The Washington County Consortium for School Improvement will offer three workshops this summer, including two summer laptop camps for teachers, special educators and students. The laptop camps will take place in Machias from July 15-19 and at the Beatrice Rafferty School at Pleasant… Read More
    Calais District Court Cases May 17-30, 2002 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… Read More
    EASTPORT – The Eastport Fire Department will receive a $45,209 federal grant to support training programs, equipment purchases and other expenses. The grant, announced this week, will be from the U.S. Fire Administration. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes… Read More
    MACHIAS – Two years after a fire destroyed a four-story landmark that housed the town’s only tavern, a businessman said he plans to start construction next week on a 3,000-square-foot bar and restaurant on Main Street. Businessman Jamie Pouliot said he received a building permit… Read More
    BANGOR – County, city, and state officials continued work Tuesday on a master plan aimed at easing the space crunch plaguing the state court system and several county operations, chief among them the crowded jailhouse. During a meeting of the Penobscot County commissioners, representatives from… Read More
    BLUE HILL – An all-county reception for U.S. Rep. John Baldacci will be held at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 1, at the Blue Hill Farm Country Inn. The reception will cap a day of campaigning in Hancock County. Former U.S. Sen. George J. Mitchell will… Read More
    ELLSWORTH – The Ellsworth Concert Band will give free concerts at 8 p.m. Wednesdays, July 10-Aug. 10, on the steps of City Hall. Residents and visiting musicians are invited to play with the band. Rehearsal begins at 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays at City Hall. googletag.cmd.push(function ()… Read More
    SALISBURY COVE – This year’s Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory gala event, “Pearls by the Sea” is set for Friday, July 26. The evening will begin at 6 p.m. with a silent auction featuring jewelry donated by local jewelers. Dinner and dancing to the Red… Read More
    BLUE HILL – The Marine Environmental Research Institute recently received two grants to support its Seal Stranding Program and Island Explorer Field Trips. The Norcross Wildlife Foundation has awarded the Blue Hill-based nonprofit a grant of $10,000 toward the purchase of a dedicated support vehicle… Read More
    BELFAST – Waldo County commissioners Tuesday approved a $134,099 contract for computer networking that will link all departments of county government. Acting on the recommendation of their technology committee and adviser James Arseneau, the commissioners accepted the proposal of the South Portland firm Valcom during… Read More
    The parties trying to demolish the West Winterport Dam are seeking a preliminary injunction against the two communities standing in the way of their goals. In a suit filed in Penobscot County Superior Court on Monday, Facilitators Improving Salmonid Habitat, or FISH, and dam owner… Read More
    ROCKLAND – A Rockport man and a Boothbay Harbor woman who were arrested last month while protesting the state’s widening of Route 1 in Warren pleaded not guilty in 6th District Court on Tuesday to one count each of criminal trespassing, according to court records. Read More
    BELFAST – Two drivers received medical treatment after a two-car collision early Tuesday. Amy L. Feener, 17, of Morrill and Travis T. Nguyen, 19, of Rockport were treated at the Waldo County General Hospital after the 7:21 a.m. accident at the intersection of Routes 1… Read More
    GREENVILLE – An effort by local officials to correct safety problems and to spruce up the appearance of Greenville Junction is under way. Selectmen authorized Town Manager John Simko to submit an application to acquire a $311,000 Department of Transportation Enhancement grant for improvements in… Read More
    GREENVILLE – Lakefront property owners and those contemplating the construction of a camp near water are encouraged to attended a lake quality seminar from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Thursday, July 25, at Nickerson Elementary School. The seminar is co-sponsored by the Piscataquis County Soil… Read More
    DOVER-FOXCROFT – Deb Neuman of the Target Technology Center in Orono will present a workshop called “Pricing Your Product” from 6 to 9 p.m. July 30, at Penquis CAP in Bangor and via videoconferencing at Penquis CAP’s Dover-Foxcroft office. The workshop is free and registration… Read More
    DOVER-FOXCROFT – A public farewell reception for Dr. Robert Bach is planned for 4 to 5 p.m. July 31, in the Borestone-Sebec rooms at Mayo Regional Hospital’s Resource Center on Dwelley Avenue, located at the back end of the hospital. Refreshments will be served. googletag.cmd.push(function… Read More
    BAILEYVILLE – The drought stranglehold that last year caused Georgia-Pacific Corp. officials to walk a tightrope between favorable water levels and satisfying the company’s needs for power is not such a problem for the mill’s current owners. This is the first year that Domtar Industries… Read More
    University of Hartford 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]… Read More
    KITTERY – A New Hampshire woman has been arrested on charges of trying to drown her two children in the Piscataqua River last September and is awaiting extradition to Maine, authorities said Tuesday. Traci Brigham, 38, was arrested without incident Monday night at her home… Read More
    BIDDEFORD – A man accused of stabbing his estranged wife in the back before stabbing himself over the weekend had briefly had a protection from abuse order placed on him, court records show. Tara Ruck, 24, sought the order against her husband, Donald Ruck, 40,… Read More
    Some of the nicer, old-fashioned events we enjoy during summertime in Maine are public suppers that are sponsored by various organizations and churches, making dining out seem like dining at home without all the work. I was very pleased that Lucille Cardin took the time… Read More
    Springfield College Springfield, Mass. 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]… Read More
    PORTLAND – When Shalom House opened 30 years ago, it was noteworthy as Maine’s first halfway house for mentally ill adults. The ship captain’s home offered its residents 15 beds, counseling and help easing back into the community after hospitalization. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define… Read More
    BOSTON – A large population migration out of the Northeast slowed the region’s population growth during the past decade despite a record influx of foreign-born immigrants, according to a new study. The nine northeastern states, which include the six New England states, New York, New… Read More
    With its recent release of “Lilo & Stitch,” the original home of movie animation, Disney, has made its presence felt on the summer movie scene. The most accomplished animated feature of the season thus far, “Lilo & Stitch” successfully examines the age-old question of “nature… Read More
    BRUNSWICK – Empowerment, support and positive identity are three of the Search Institute’s 40 developmental assets that young people need to grow up healthy, caring and responsible. These are some of the positive themes that Susan Savell, a Maine musician, ordained minister and administrator, has… Read More
    Berry good Looking for a tall order of shortcake? Look no further than the Mount Desert Island Historical Society’s 26th annual strawberry festival from 2 to 4 p.m. Thursday. Of course, the highlight of the fund-raising event is the strawberry shortcake, which consists of a… Read More
    FALMOUTH – Shawn Warren, a 16-year-old who plays out of the Woodlands Club in Falmouth, fired a 4-under-par 68 to take a one-shot lead after the first round of the 83rd Maine Amateur Golf Championship at Falmouth Country Club on Tuesday. Kennebunk’s Tom Bean lurks… Read More
    There were two unfortunate occurrences at the Pepsi 400 at the Daytona International Speedway on Saturday night. First, Dale Earnhardt Jr. reneged on his pledge to his DEI teammate Michael Waltrip to help him win the race. He had told him that in the drivers… Read More
    BANGOR – A letter of intent to purchase Bangor Historic Track Inc., was finalized Tuesday afternoon in Portland with the signature of Hoolai Paoa, the representative of Hawaiian businessman Shawn Scott. Paoa is the chief executive officer of Capital One LLC, a Las Vegas real… Read More
    PRESQUE ISLE – Since its inception in 1999, Maine Winter Sports Center officials envisioned the day when the site would be used for top-level biathlon competition. That dream has become reality: The International Biathlon Union voted this week to award the 2006 World Junior Championships… Read More
    KINGSTON, R.I. – Former Lawrence High School and University of Maine star Cindy Blodgett and former Morse of Bath star Joe Harrington will be in some elite company on Oct. 4 when she joins the inaugural class of the New England Basketball Hall of Fame. Read More
    HOLE-IN-ONE Steve O’Malley 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]… Read More
    2002 Maine State Hershey Meet At Brewer 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… Read More
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    OLD TOWN – Tyler Honey belted a three-run homer and Dana Leland collected two doubles and two singles as Old Town posted a 10-5 win over Hampden in a District 3 Little League All-Star game for 11- and 12-year-olds on Tuesday. Evan Paradis, Chase Huckestin… Read More
    ELLSWORTH – Kevin Gray’s RBI triple to right-center snapped a 2-2 tie in the bottom of the sixth and he scored an insurance run on an ensuing throwing error Tuesday as Waldo-Knox posted a 4-2 Zone 1 American Legion baseball win over Trenton. Pasco Grove… Read More