Maine’s new ban on snowmobile “water skipping” on open water skimmed through the legislative process with little notice. But it’s been a lingering issue in Maine and other snow-belt states where snowmobile aficionados have found a dangerous variation to the winter sport. Montana enacted emergency… Read More
    GUILFORD – Guilford of Maine is one of four Maine companies pioneering a new environmental excellence program for the Department of Environmental Protection known as “Step-Up.” Joining Guilford in launching “Step-Up” are Alan Auto of Portland, Bath Iron Works of Bath and Brunswick, and Fairchild… Read More
    AUGUSTA – Maine’s unemployment rate rose by 0.3 percent in June to 4 percent, the same rate as the state posted during the same month a year earlier, the state Labor Department said. Last month’s figure also was well below the national rate of 5.9… Read More
    PORTLAND – Like many other Americans getting close to retirement age, some Mainers who have watched the stock market’s tailspin are reconsidering their plans to stop working. “I was looking into early retirement, which I’m not looking for any more,” said Patten Williams of Augusta,… Read More
    For those of you who, like Dorothy, think you are still in Kansas and that you can trust telemarketing companies, take heed of the following: A federal court has ordered a temporary halt to an Arizona-based telemarketing operation that the Federal Trade Commission believes has… Read More
    I don’t know which party Floyd L. Harding of Presque Isle belonged to when he was majority leader of the Maine Senate. It is impossible to tell because both parties here seem to love taxes. I remain confused about the difference between Democrats and Republicans. Read More
    If there were a contest for post-Sept. 11 bad ideas, Operation TIPS would be the undisputed champ. The only good thing that can be said about the Justice Department’s plan to enlist a million or more Americans – truckers, letter carriers, parcel delivers, meter readers, cable installers and… Read More
    For a politician with strong pro-business credentials, New Brunswick Premier Bernard Lord is taking an awful pounding from his country’s business interests. He’s even been called – an indication of the Canadian fondness for punning – provincial. The issue is natural gas, of which enormous… Read More
    I am now back in Salisbury, Md., and have recovered from my fall on the Appalachian Trial south of Long Pond Stream on June 27 (BDN, June 29-30). I want to express my appreciation to the Maine Warden Service and the 112th Air National Guard… Read More
    It has been nearly 22 long years since my granddaughter was murdered in the small town of East Millinocket. Parts of us (her family) died with her, but our love for her can never die. Aug. 8 will be the 22nd anniversary of her brutal… Read More
    A hidden cost that discussion on the neck snaring of coyotes in Maine does not mention is the cost in lives to what Maine’s Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife glibly refers to as “non-target” animals. The final tally of non-targets reported killed by snarers in the 2001-2002… Read More
    The Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics has released its annual report titled “America’s Children: Key National Indicators of Well-Being.” This is the annual report of data from federal agencies that tracks the well-being of the nation’s children. Data are presented for the nation as a… Read More
    School choice is increasing competition around the country and showing that competition in education improves student performance and stretches the tax dollar. Interestingly, Maine is leading the nation in benefiting from education competition. The U.S. Supreme Court recently approved the Cleveland school choice program, which… Read More
    Outrage over the revelations about corruption in corporate America is an equal opportunity emotion, apparently – so many public figures appear to have succumbed to it. But purely reactive measures, though perhaps better than nothing, leave too many people in the lurch. By the time a reluctant system… Read More
    The news that the legislators will come back for a special session early in the fall is a call to action for those few of us who believe that the laptop issue requires serious public discussion. I am incited to say “few” because I have read very little… Read More
    BANGOR – With only four eligible voters, Saturday’s caucus of the city’s Democratic Committee marked perhaps the smallest contested primary vote in history. When all was said and done, however, the committee tapped a well-known entity, former congressional candidate Sean Faircloth, to run for the… Read More
    GREENVILLE – Two teen-agers from Bangor and Glenburn were rescued without injury Saturday afternoon after they became stuck midway up a steep cliff on Mount Kineo on the west side of Moosehead Lake. Members of the Outward Bound adventure club helped rescue the women, who… Read More
    DEXTER – Times may be tough economically, but that hasn’t deterred a group of people from helping a Dexter boy become an Eagle Scout. The Dexter region has shown an abundance of community spirit by donating supplies and offering free labor to help Kyle Wilson,… Read More
    ST. AGATHA – Twenty-nine years ago Ned Berce, a graduate of the University of Maine, worked as a banker in the Dexter area when his potato-growing father, Woody Berce, died of a heart attack. He returned home to Aroostook County and started farming with his… Read More
    THE FORKS – A Mount Vernon man drowned Saturday after he and a friend were thrown from a rubber raft into the Kennebec River. William Morgan, 51, was pronounced dead by emergency medical personnel at the accident scene, according to Sgt. Dan Menard of the… Read More
    CORINNA – A New Hampshire man fell asleep at the wheel and struck three parked cars early Sunday, causing more than $20,000 in damage, officials said Sunday night. Matthew Yenny, 21, of Hudson, N.H., had been traveling south on Route 7 about 1 a.m. after… Read More
    TREMONT – A local woman was in critical condition Sunday at a Bangor hospital after injury in a traffic accident last week. Winter Colby, 24, was riding in a friend’s pickup truck Thursday night in Bass Harbor when the rollover occurred, state police said. googletag.cmd.push(function… Read More
    ORONO – Curious passers-by early Sunday may have saved the Church of Universal Fellowship from extensive water damage after hearing a suspicious sound and reporting it, officials said. The unidentified passers-by heard a loud whirring sound coming from the church just after 1 a.m. googletag.cmd.push(function… Read More
    A Brewer man faces charges of aggravated cultivation of marijuana after police seized 10 marijuana plants from the woods behind his home next to the Washington Street School, police said Sunday. Police obtained a warrant to search 22-year-old Matt Spencer’s apartment and nearby property Friday… Read More
    BANGOR – A Searsport woman died Saturday at a Bangor hospital as a result of an automobile accident last week during which she lost control of a sport utility vehicle that rolled at least three times on the North Searsport Road in Frankfort. April Stevens,… Read More
    PITTSFIELD – A federal appeals court in Boston issued a decision Friday in an appeal brought by the parents of Zach Logiodice of Pittsfield who was suspended for 17 days in January 2000 for cursing a teacher at Maine Central Institute State guidelines restrict such… Read More
    BINGHAM – The days of employees and patients squeezing by one another in the cramped quarters of the Bingham Area Health Center will soon be over. Groundbreaking for a new half-million-dollar facility, to be constructed at the old railroad yard about a half-mile south of… Read More
    ST. ANDREWS, New Brunswick – The foursome that has been kayaking the ocean as part of the Gulf of Maine Expedition is scheduled to arrive in this seaside community Tuesday. The Gulf of Maine Expedition is a 1,600-mile sea-kayaking journey to raise awareness about the… Read More
    PRINCETON – The St. Croix Regional Family Health Care Center will receive a $110,000 grant to improve mental health and substance abuse services for low-income residents. The grant, part of President Bush’s multiyear plan to add 1,200 new and expanded health center sites over five… Read More
    COLUMBIA – Coastal Furniture Gallery will hold an open house to honor local artist Pat Sharp from 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday, July 25, at the Four Corners Shopping Center. Sharp has spent 35 years painting commissioned work from Montreal to Miami. googletag.cmd.push(function () {… Read More
    MACHIAS – A discussion of eastern North American history will be held 7 p.m. Monday, July 29, at the University of Maine at Machias in Room 6 of Torrey Hall. Dane Hartgrove of the National Archives in Washington, D.C., will lead the discussion and show… Read More
    JONESPORT – Officers were elected at the annual Jonesport High School and Jonesport-Beals High School Alumni Association banquet and business meeting earlier this month. Leigh Woodward was elected president; Majel Beal, vice president; and Frances Carver, secretary and treasurer. Julie Ferris, Raelea Merchant, Bobbi-Jo Smith,… Read More
    ADDISON – The Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 11553 received three awards, including a plaque commemorating the most volunteer man-hours of community service, during the recent 82nd state convention. Members donated more than 6,500 man-hours in community projects, including 4,000 in building a Faith Methodist… Read More
    OWLS HEAD – A restored 19th century firetruck will be presented to representatives of the New York City Fire Department at 1 p.m. Saturday, July 27, at the Owls Head Transportation Museum. The truck, restored by Andy Swift of Firefly Restorations in Hope and Ken… Read More
    ROCKLAND – The Maritime Challenge Foundation will begin its second season of sailing programs for people with physical disabilities or cancer Friday. The programs Discover the Sea and Sail for Hope will run through September. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]];… Read More
    BANGOR – The state court system in Maine has a revamped Web site that is user-friendly, according to an official who helped create it. The site was retooled about five weeks ago to improve access and increase information about courts in Maine, according to Ted… Read More
    ALFRED – A New Hampshire woman involved in a crash that killed her sister and another passenger has been sentenced to jail for manslaughter and drunken driving. Adrienne Emery, 20, of Dover, N.H., changed her plea to guilty in York County Superior Court. She also… Read More
    CANTON – Ah, the sights of summer camp. Towering green pines surround a clear, cool lake. A girl relaxes by dipping her feet from the dock … and listening to a portable CD player? It may not be how you remember summer camp. But for… Read More
    WASHINGTON – About 200 workers laid off earlier this month by Great Northern Paper in Millinocket will be eligible for federal retraining assistance, members of Maine’s congressional delegation announced. U.S. Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins and U.S. Rep. John Baldacci contacted the U.S. Department… Read More
    LAGRANGE – An all-terrain vehicle accident Friday night on the Decker Road in LaGrange resulted in serious injury to the driver. Warden Paul Farrington of the Maine Warden Service said Scott Lower, 23, of Worcester, Mass., was riding an ATV about 8 p.m. and was… Read More
    BOOTHBAY HARBOR – A 46-foot commercial fishing boat hit a ledge and sank early Sunday in 100 feet of water, but the two people aboard were rescued, the Coast Guard said. The Aaron and Sarah was returning to its home port in Boothbay when it… Read More
    WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has approved nearly $4 million in grants for economic and community development projects in Bangor, Lewiston and Auburn. Bangor will get $1,292,000 in Community Development Block Grant money for housing rehabilitation and to expand employment… Read More
    OWLS HEAD – Knox County will receive a $1.12 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to improve runways at Knox County Regional Airport. The project is funded under the Federal Aviation Administration’s airport improvement program, and Knox County airport officials will use the… Read More
    CAMDEN – The Mid-Coast Regional Planning Commission will offer a presentation dealing with subdivision rules, zoning regulations, “smart” growth projects and other planning basics at the Camden Opera House. The session is set for 7 p.m. Tuesday, July 23. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot… Read More
    CAMDEN – Three people were injured Saturday in a three-car collision on Elm Street. Kathy Wood, 51, of Union, who had an infant passenger in her vehicle, had stopped her vehicle at 1:40 p.m. to make a left-hand turn from Elm Street onto Autumn Avenue… Read More
    SEARSPORT – A discussion on the wreck of the World War II German sailing vessel the Seeadler will be presented at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 24, at the Penobscot Marine Museum on Route 1. K.C. Heyniger, waterfront coordinator at the Atlantic Challenge Foundation, will present… Read More
    ROCKLAND – A campaign kickoff party for Democrat Stefan Pakulski will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday, July 25, at Second Read Books and Coffee, 328 Main St. Pakulski, a Rockland resident, is running for the state Senate District 12. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define… Read More
    ROCKLAND – Knox Greens will hold their next meeting, dealing with water conservation and the Route 1 widening, at 6 p.m. Thursday, July 25, at the Rockland Recreational Center. For information, call Tim Sullivan at 236-0732 or visit maine.greens.org/knox. Read More
    READFIELD – Loon counters were out in force this weekend in Maine, as more than 700 volunteers took to the state’s lakes and ponds listening for loon calls and looking for signs of one of the oldest bird species in North America. The 19th annual… Read More
    BANGOR – Three public forums will be held at City Hall on Thursday, July 25, and on July 30, regarding the delivery of mental health services to people in northern Maine. Specifically, the forums are designed to elicit public feedback to four position papers developed… Read More
    What exciting news Janice Charette, auxiliary president of the Sherman Veterans of Foreign Wars, had to tell me late last week when I called to check in with her on the continuing events of Veterans Week 2002, which is being celebrated through Friday at Katahdin Elementary School on… Read More
    ROCKLAND – Drawing a record crowd, the North Atlantic Blues Festival rocked into the early evening Sunday with legendary guitarist Bo Diddley playing beyond the usual closing time. He was still on at 6 p.m. because a half-dozen other bands had all performed a little… Read More
    BREWER – All summer long, whenever Brewer’s American Legion baseball team is mentioned, it’s almost always done with the word “offense” in the same breath. That’s understandable, given Brewer’s gaudy scoring average of 11 runs per game, but the Falcons would like people to know… Read More
    LOUDON, N.H. – Tom Carey Jr. was hoping for better. But an accident on lap 166 ended the afternoon for the Craftsman Truck Series driver in the New England 200 Saturday. He was running in the top 15 at the time. googletag.cmd.push(function () { //… Read More
    LOUDON, N.H. – Winston Cup points leader Sterling Marlin probably won’t be receiving a Christmas card from Newburgh’s Ricky Craven this year. Craven, who has struggled in his Winston Cup races at the New Hampshire International Speedway, appeared to be headed for a respectable finish… Read More
    Brewer’s American Legion baseball team will hold its first Brewer Falcons Home Run Derby at Bucksport High School’s field Monday at 4 p.m. The team fundraiser offers prizes including a $100 gift certificate for participants paying $10 for 10 outs. The highest home run totals will earn prizes. Read More
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – A team of Maine high school basketball stars fared well over the weekend, winning all four of its games at the 17-and-under U.S. Junior Nationals. The Maine Northstars won their four games by an average of 15 points and can automatically qualify… Read More
    FORT KENT – Former University of Maine at Fort Kent shooting guard Morris Young has signed a contract to play professional basketball with the Derbyshire Torlane Arrows in the United Kingdom. Young, a Michigan native who came to Fort Kent from Detroit, averaged 15 points,… Read More
    GREATER BANGOR OPEN Pro-Am starting times 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
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    Brewer concluded the regular season in American Legion Zone 1 Sunday with the best record, 21-1, which also earned it the top seed in the South Division. Also earning playoff spots for the baseball tourney from the South were Trenton and Waldo-Knox, both with 14-8 records. Read More
    BANGOR – Lacey Littlefield tossed a two-hitter, striking out 13 and walking two, as Hampden posted a 6-1 win over South Portland American in the Little League Softball state tournament for 11- and 12-year-olds on Sunday. Hampden also received a fine pitching effort from Michelle Wells in a… Read More
    Check out the public genealogy conference to be held Saturday, Aug. 10, at Williams Junior High School in Oakland, sponsored by Silence Howard Hayden Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution. Registration begins at 8 a.m., with vendors on site from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Read More
    In theaters K-19: THE WIDOWMAKER. Directed by Kathryn Bigelow, written by Christopher Kyle, 138 minutes, rated PG-13. 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