BANGOR – Representatives from Eastern Maine Medical Center and its parent company, Eastern Maine Healthcare, issued a status report Monday on progress to date on the hospital’s 1994 strategic plan. Hospital officials also announced measures aimed at improved patient care planned for the coming year. Read More
BANGOR – A recent period of economic prosperity and political stability in Northern Ireland is bringing back people under 35 years old who left years ago to find job opportunities elsewhere, according to a Northern Ireland marketing representative visiting here. What a small northwest region… Read More
An item published in the “From the Police Files” column on Nov. 27 incorrectly reported one of the civil charges against Laurel Meyers. It should have reported that she was charged with illegal transportation of drugs by a minor. Read More
ELLSWORTH – Maine’s wild blueberries could find their way into new Asian markets if new promotional efforts by the industry are successful. The Wild Blueberry Association of North America, a promotional organization funded jointly by growers and processors in Maine and Canada, expects to target… Read More
BANGOR – The rising cost of health insurance has a number of small businesses questioning whether they should provide this benefit to employees anymore. But not providing health insurance could cause them to lose employees, according to participants at a roundtable discussion on the biggest… Read More
BANGOR – The potential buyer is still a mystery but a U.S. Bankruptcy Court judge Monday cleared the way for the sale of the Sea Dog Brewing Co. Judge Louis Kornreich approved a motion to expedite the sale and set a hearing on the proposed deal for Wednesday,… Read More
PORTLAND – The Fox Network has signed a long-term affiliate agreement with Corporate Media Consultants Group, the company that is buying WMPX. WMPX, which is currently a PAX network station, will begin broadcasting Fox programs sometime in the first quarter of next year. googletag.cmd.push(function ()… Read More
Looking at all sides of the coyote-snaring issue, I can only conclude that the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife has lost its way with regard to stewardship of Maine’s wildlife. For too long, DIF&W has worked hand-in-hand with the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine and… Read More
If history were half as good a teacher as it is reputed to be, Quebec politicians would have figured out by now that the fervor with which they support separatism is in inverse proportion to their province’s prospects for economic growth. If Quebec citizens would review the ignored… Read More
By appointing former secretary of state and national security advisor Henry Kissinger to lead the independent Sept. 11 investigation, the Bush administration, once reluctant to have an independent panel at all, guaranteed the commission’s work will be scrutinized. The Democrats’ choice of former Senate majority leader George Mitchell… Read More
As I read Glenn Adams’ story about the lawsuit being filed by Republicans on behalf of Les Fossel in the District 16 Senate race, all I could think of was that tried and true expression, “What goes around, comes around.” No, I am not referring to the Florida… Read More
Joni Averill’s column of Nov. 22 caught my eye. In all the coverage of the substance abuse epidemic in Maine, I have heard no mention of including the adolescents themselves. This simple teen recovery program apparently works, according to the article, because teenagers are “in charge” of their… Read More
I would like to correct a statement in the Nov. 19 commentary “Fundamentalist Footnotes” by Dr. Whitney Azoy. He wrote, “While some Christian sects call any biblical text ‘the Word of God,’ clearly the phrase is meant figuratively. In fact, as Christians overwhelmingly agree, most words in the… Read More
A Dec. 2 commentary by Anne Walker contained an inadvertent editing error, the final sentence should have read, “The world does want organic crops.”… Read More
Will the inaction of the Democratic leadership and the continued liberalization of our society once again, result in another American tragedy? Despite numerous provocations against the United States during the past decade, the Clinton administration chose to turn a blind eye and failed to take… Read More
These words of Thanksgiving last week from Bagram Air Force Base outside Kabul: “We’ve seen how poor, how little the Afghans have,” said Capt. Stan Gajda, 33, of Williston, Vt. “They’re grateful for what they have, and we see how little they have. It makes you all the… Read More
Maine’s business climate took a hit last month. No, it wasn’t that gang of tax-and-spend Democrats soon to be entrenched in Augusta. The Bush administration, often described as business friendly, has released a new set of clean air regulations. These policies exempt many industrial polluters – including especially… Read More
PRESQUE ISLE – A Blaine pilot who set an unofficial world record for takeoffs and landings could lose his license for allegedly violating flight rules. The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating what it says are “numerous” complaints made to it last week that Walter Mosher… Read More
AUGUSTA – Rebecca Wentworth is one of the few Jews in Monson, and she’s related to all the rest. The 14-year-old said Monday that attending Gov. Angus King’s Hanukkah party is an opportunity each year to meet other Jewish youths who feel as isolated as… Read More
AUGUSTA – A career bureaucrat who rose through the ranks to take the reins of one the state’s largest agencies has been tapped to become chief of staff for Gov.-elect John E. Baldacci. Jane Lincoln of Hallowell has been serving as acting commissioner of the… Read More
Donations to the Santa’s Helper Fund have started to arrive and we are so grateful. With your contribution to the Santa’s Helper Fund, The Salvation Army will provide food, clothing and toys for families who are barely getting by. Today’s donations to the Santa’s Helper… Read More
AUGUSTA – Unlike other recent ballot recounts, there were no surprises or heated disputes Monday during the recount in the district attorney’s race for Hancock and Washington counties. Steven Juskewitch of Dedham, a write-in candidate, picked up a few votes as ballots from Hancock County… Read More
The poor guys – and you know who you are – used to have to suffer the dizzying ordeal of last-minute Christmas shopping all alone. Generations of these men would allow the signs of the approaching gift-giving season to pass unnoticed until they were forced… Read More
EAST MILLINOCKET – Selectmen might have to wait until early next year before deciding their next step in a 3-year-old tax dispute with Great Northern Paper Inc. Meanwhile, selectmen answered questions about the ongoing dispute during a recent meeting, including how much the town has… Read More
CORINNA – A Corinna man who fought to save the home he built with his own hands from being destroyed by fire remained in critical condition at Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor on Monday night with first- and second-degree burns. Roger Grant suffered burns… Read More
FRANKFORT – Firefighters from three area departments couldn’t save a barn that caught fire Monday morning. Frankfort Fire Chief Irving Stone said that by the time his department arrived on the scene, there was little they could do. The fire was reported at about 10:30… Read More
QUEBEC – Across Maine’s northern border, Premier Bernard Landry announced that a new sovereigntist group would receive tax-deductible donations to counter the “falsehood” of Canadian unity. “We’ll promote a national cause that is clearer because Canadian unity is a falsehood to start with,” Landry told… Read More
SOUTHWEST HARBOR – The U.S. Coast Guard has located a stranded sailor 370 miles east of Cape Cod a full week after he left the cape in a 34-foot sailboat. James Chadwick, 52, of Warren, R.I., declined to be hoisted out of his boat Sunday,… Read More
BAR HARBOR – The town’s elementary school budget will increase 7.7 percent, or nearly $275,000, next year under a spending package endorsed unanimously Monday by the Conners Emerson School Committee. The increase is driven by higher staff salaries and health care costs, according to Principal… Read More
MOUNT DESERT – The long-running debate over a sewer user-fee system showed no signs of abating Monday as more than 100 residents jammed into the Somesville Fire House to remind selectmen that the town is still divided over the issue. Selectmen didn’t back away, however,… Read More
ELLSWORTH – Two teen-agers arrested last week after a crime spree in three Hancock County towns now face new charges. Investigators from the state Fire Marshal’s Office on Monday night arrested Michael Tibbetts, 18, of Lamoine and Bryant Lennon, 18, of Ellsworth on arson charges. Read More
WESTBROOK – A new exit on the Maine Turnpike opens Tuesday, promising to ease traffic on Exit 8 in Portland and create another link with Gorham and other fast-growing towns west of the turnpike. Turnpike officials say the new Exit 7B, to be known as… Read More
BANGOR – A Dexter man who was behind the wheel in a car crash that killed a passenger in his vehicle was indicted Monday for manslaughter and other charges by a Penobscot County grand jury. Mark Belair II, 19, also was indicted on charges of… Read More
DAVENPORT, Iowa – Researchers say they will focus efforts to get brain tissue for autism studies from subjects in Maine, Iowa and two other states. The brain tissue program, founded in 1998, seeks donors among autistic people and their families in a quest to find… Read More
BANGOR – Seven people were forced out of their homes when fire gutted a downtown apartment Monday night. The apartment was in the same building as The Main Tavern, located near the intersection of Main and Union streets. Four of the seven people had to… Read More
HERMON – A recent visitor to the Hermon town office might have noticed change is afoot. Once-congested space in the front has been freed up while the consolidation of computer programs and equipment now allows three assistant clerks to handle public questions and concerns in… Read More
Orono police are “confident” that charges will be filed in the near future after someone broke into the Penobscot Valley Country Club after stealing a truck on Route 2 Saturday night. Police believe that an alarm scared away the intruder after a window to the… Read More
BANGOR – Students here continue to perform better than average on national and state tests, the assistant superintendent told the school committee Monday. This year, pupils in the third grade scored better on the math section of the national Metropolitan Achievement Test than did 85… Read More
PORTLAND – The suspect in the stabbing death of a sporting goods store clerk appeared to misunderstand the gravity of the murder charge against him when he made his initial appearance Monday in District Court. John Mandarelli Jr., 29, of Portland faces a murder charge… Read More
MILLINOCKET – A lack of orders has resulted in Great Northern Paper Inc. temporarily shutting down one of two paper machines at its Millinocket mill for about two weeks. The production curtailment will affect at least 40 employees at the Millinocket mill. Great Northern employs… Read More
BRADFORD – A 37-year-old woman who fell asleep at the wheel while driving along Route 221 Monday suffered only minor injuries after her car went off the road and rolled over. Sandra King of Bradford was up and walking around after the accident but complained… Read More
HERMON – In an extremely light turnout Monday, residents of Hermon elected Karen Economy to fill a seat on the school committee vacated by a resignation earlier this year. Economy defeated Adam Leach by more than 2-to-1 with Economy winning 40 votes to Leach’s 17. Read More
BANGOR – The Warren Center for Communication and Learning has received a $2,250 grant from the Maine Charity Foundation Fund, administered by the Maine Community Foundation. The grant, written to support the Warren Center’s Regional Hearing Aid Bank Program, will provide hearing aids to five individuals who are… Read More
EDDINGTON – The Eddington Historical Society will hold a meeting at 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 8, at the Eddington Community Church on Route 9. Read More
SAINT JOHN, New Brunswick – The University of New Brunswick has begun a five-year study of mercury levels in people living along the Bay of Fundy. Researchers are taking hair samples and compiling a detailed list of what people are eating. googletag.cmd.push(function () { //… Read More
TOWNSHIP 28 – A Township 28 couple was left homeless Monday after an early morning fire destroyed their home on Lower Lead Mountain. Robert and Joyce Strout escaped without injury, but their year-round camp is a total loss, according to Aurora firefighter Dana Jordan. googletag.cmd.push(function… Read More
PRESQUE ISLE – After almost 14 years as manager of Northern Maine Regional Airport, Greg Willard will step down Friday to become assistant federal security director for the U.S. Transportation Security Administration in Bangor. In his new post, Willard will oversee passenger and baggage security… Read More
Eastern Agency on Aging community service consultant Leslie Lizotte will offer outreach assistance to senior citizens at the following locations in December: Dexter, 11:15 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 5, at St Ann’s Parish. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes =… Read More
THORNDIKE – How to find the right architectural firm for the district’s new high school project from nine applicants occupied an SAD 3 facilities committee Monday night. The committee hopes to narrow the list of interested firms to three to five when it meets again… Read More
ROCKLAND – For such a short meeting Monday, city councilors penciled in a long list of goals for 2003. The meeting, which lasted less than an hour, was spent gathering each member’s objectives for next year. Toward the end of the session, the council urged… Read More
CONCORD, N.H. – A Franklin lawmaker says he wants to toughen the state’s child endangerment law. State Rep. Robert Ouellette says he was prompted by the case of Amanda Bortner, a Rochester woman convicted last week of failing to protect her toddler from abuse that… Read More
MONTE CARLO, Monaco – An American male nurse was convicted Monday in the arson deaths of billionaire banker Edmond Safra and a nurse, and sentenced to 10 years in prison. Ted Maher was convicted of arson leading to death. The 1999 fire in this wealthy… Read More
When February rolls around, some very special people volunteer to help others prepare their federal and state income tax returns. For the past 14 years, Richard Peer of Hampden has been one of those special volunteers. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes =… Read More
Eleven Maine environmental groups have received a total of $16,000 from an organization designed to help “the little guys.” The Montpelier, Vt.-based New England Grassroots Environment Fund was founded in 1996 to support community-based environmental activism with small monetary grants. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define… Read More
BLUE HILL – Well-known educator, author and local historian Esther Wood died over the weekend. She was 97. A Blue Hill native, Wood was known for her love of her hometown, which she chronicled in a regular newspaper column and in several books, and her… Read More
PORTLAND – Fishermen, scientists and government regulators will meet Tuesday to discuss bycatch, the animals that are caught inadvertently and have to be thrown overboard dead. “They’re being harvested but they’re not being eaten,” said Paul Anderson, director of the Maine Sea Grant program at… Read More
A sea of change is creeping up on our community like a high run tide that leaves the dark line of driftwood and kelp farther up the shoreline than ever before. It’s something you don’t notice at first, the tide so full you find yourself… Read More
The University of Maine Museum of Art will open its doors in Bangor on Friday night with a bang – and a whisper. The inaugural exhibition will feature big, bold photographs of New York City’s ground zero by Joel Meyerowitz and smaller, more introspective works… Read More
Dear Jim: It might sound silly, but with potential terrorism, snipers, etc., I am concerned about losing the electric power. I cannot afford a back-up generator. What type of battery systems are available? – Peg N. Dear Peg: Your concerns are not silly at all. Read More
It’s amazing how much things can change in the course of a year. Last season, the University of Maine football team went into postseason play with more questions than answers. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var… Read More
For many, Thanksgiving evokes thoughts of well-planned, time-honored traditions. In many households, tradition holds that everyone must eat as much as possible, then retire to the living room for a bit of football-watching and a (seemingly) well-deserved nap. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var… Read More
COLLEGE Missy Stults 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
Player who was cut still has lots to offer This is a story about a 14-year-old young man who has Autoimmune Disease. For some unknown reason this young man’s immune system has turned on itself and has been attacking his body. The result today… Read More
BRUNSWICK – Lora Trenkle opened the second overtime with a layup and added a 3-pointer to help the Bowdoin College Polar Bears edge the Southern Maine Huskies 78-76 in women’s basketball action Monday night. USM came back twice to send the game into the extra… Read More