ROCKLAND – Meredith Dondis is 83, but he still likes to drive to Boston every once in a while. Because a police officer found him driving the wrong way on a one-way street two years ago, Dondis is fighting what he calls an uphill battle… Read More
WASHINGTON – How old is too old to drive? States are taking a harder look as the number of elderly drivers increases. Accidents like the one in Santa Monica, Calif., where an 86-year-old driver killed nine people and injured dozens more Wednesday when he drove… Read More
CHICAGO – He was trusted, a true believer. He stood quietly in the background at rallies while his leader preached his gospel of “racial holy war.” He also was an FBI informant. Court documents reviewed recently by The Associated Press provide a glimpse into how… Read More
BANGOR – Sometimes teachers feel like sending their rambunctious students to the moon, and this winter they can do just that. The Challenger Learning Center of Maine, created to honor the space shuttle and its crew that met with disaster in 1986, has met its… Read More
The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife will be in violation of the federal Endangered Species Act if the state’s coyote snaring program doesn’t get formal approval from federal wildlife biologists, according to an opinion issued by Maine Attorney General Steven Rowe. The state… Read More
An article on Page B2 in some Thursday editions listed an incorrect date for the special town meeting in Milford. The correct date for the meeting is 7 p.m. Tuesday, July 29. — googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes… Read More
Three of the nation’s largest airlines Thursday reported net profits in the second quarter largely because they were reimbursed for airport security fees by the federal government. But executives warned that, while costs are coming down, passenger revenue and ticket prices remain weak, and more losses are likely. Read More
BAILEYVILLE – Employees at the Domtar Industries Inc. pulp and paper mill were back on the job Thursday after an unexpected summer break. In June, company officials had announced that most of the hourly and salaried employees would be laid off temporarily. googletag.cmd.push(function () {… Read More
PORTLAND – New England fishing regulators weighing four proposals that will drastically cut fishing efforts declined to name a preference Thursday, instead sending all the plans out for public review without comment. The New England Fishery Management Council is working under a federal court order… Read More
ATLANTA – Paper products company Georgia-Pacific Corp. reported earnings Thursday that far exceeded expectations, with strong results from packaging and building materials sales. Georgia-Pacific bounced back from a loss in the same period last year, posting profits of $62 million in the second quarter, or… Read More
My hat goes off to every Holden resident who attended the July 8 Holden town meeting regarding the east-west highway. Much to the surprise of many, more than 200 people packed the gym on a hot, humid summer night to reinforce the message that Holden, the town of… Read More
The challenge of reforming Maine’s creaky tax system is made apparent by the trouble the Baldacci administration and lawmakers are having as they try to find an alternative to the ballot initiative from the Maine Municipal Association. The governor, like the MMA, has the basics right. But he… Read More
With the House and Senate meeting this week to sort out differences over the $400 billion expansion of Medicare, Maine’s congressional delegation should be clear about what it expects from the legislation and what is unacceptable. Clearly, the Senate has assembled a package that better protects seniors in… Read More
Well, hurrah for Arvilla Verceles and those who have launched a recall initiative to try to stop the outrageous expenditure Bangor intends to “invest” in sprucing up the ballfield at Husson College. Many people have homes near Husson, and even now, it is not unusual… Read More
On a recent trip to Maine, I witnessed a gracious act between one lady and a planeload of soldiers returning from Kuwait. The lady was Diana Collins of Orrington. The soldiers were on a layover on their trip back to their base in California. The… Read More
I was sickened and appalled by the religion page on July 12-13. The entire section was devoted to three articles: a lesbian Baptist minister in Tennessee, a “polyamorist” Unitarian from Boston, and a Catholic priest in California struggling with celibacy. Is there nothing happening in… Read More
As I read the Bangor Daily News coverage of the coming casinos and offtrack betting, I couldn’t help but think of how we are preparing our youth for the future. The BDN ran a series about how Mainers are moving out of the area and state. Education is… Read More
This year marks the 50th anniversary of President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s historic “Atoms for Peace” address to the United Nations, and it may well signal a long overdue comeback for nuclear energy in the United States. Speaking to the U.N. General Assembly in December 1953,… Read More
BAR HARBOR – Town Councilor Jeff Dobbs denied Thursday that he has a conflict of interest in voting on issues regarding developer Thomas Walsh, even though Walsh is one of Dobbs’ business clients and the two men are good friends. Dobbs, a veteran councilor, said… Read More
BUCKSPORT – While expressing skepticism about the weight limit imposed last week on the Waldo-Hancock Bridge, representatives from regional companies with transportation concerns told state officials Thursday to do whatever they could to have the limit raised. Approximately 50 people attended a meeting Thursday morning… Read More
BANGOR – The assault and disorderly conduct trial of a well-known abortion protester was continued Thursday afternoon in 3rd District Court before Terence Hughes could take the stand in his own defense. Hughes, 65, of Orono, was arrested outside St. John’s Catholic Church on York… Read More
ROCKLAND – In short order Thursday, SAD 5 directors slashed the amount of restitution that 13 former Rockland District High School seniors will have to pay for vandalizing their school in the wee hours of the morning on graduation day. In less than 15 minutes,… Read More
ROCKPORT – A head-on collision on Route 90 in March that took the life of a Friendship man is not what it seemed at the time. On Thursday, Police Chief Mark Kelley released conclusions drawn by Maine State Police Trooper Mark Coleman, a crash reconstructionist. Read More
PORTLAND – An 18-year-old Brewer woman has been charged with felony theft for allegedly stealing expensive rings from the fingers of elderly patients at a Portland nursing home. Portland police said Amanda Geiger stole two rings – one valued at $17,000, the other at $1,500. Read More
BAR HARBOR – The town’s attorney concluded Thursday that developer Thomas Walsh needs a wharf permit for the new float system at his Harbor Side hotel and marina on West Street. The town now must schedule a public hearing before approving the permit, in order… Read More
FORT KENT – Northern Maine Medical Center, which serves the upper St. John Valley and neighboring communities, will receive a $99,000 rural development loan from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The funds will be applied to an elevator project under way at Forest Hill Manor… Read More
FORT FAIRFIELD – The Fort Fairfield Class of 1954 voted at its reunion in 1999 to celebrate its 50th reunion in 2004 by establishing a scholarship fund at Fort Fairfield Middle-High School. The class has been fundraising every year and is closing in on its… Read More
Land use planning can be a great tool for protecting the natural environment, but people have to be concerned about more than tax incentives and property valuations, biologists say. Seasonal forest pools, deer wintering yards and rare bird nesting areas are crucial to the long-term… Read More
BAR HARBOR – Mount Desert Island Hospital ended its 2003 fiscal year with an operating gain of $404,000 thanks to higher reimbursements and more business, President Art Blank said on Wednesday. MDI Hospital has not ended the year in the black since 1998, posting total… Read More
CARIBOU – Kevin Martin, a Caribou native, will be ordained into the priesthood at the Holy Rosary Catholic Church at 11 a.m. Saturday. He is the second Aroostook County man and the third in Maine ordained this summer. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland usually… Read More
PRESQUE ISLE – About 40 people turned out Wednesday night for a public hearing on a SAD 1 proposal to close one of two middle schools by 2005. Only a handful of people spoke, none in opposition to the plan. District officials have proposed closing… Read More
A car, an SUV and a tractor-trailer met in a chain reaction collision Thursday evening in Newburgh. At about 6 p.m. a red Subaru passenger car and a gray Toyota 4-Runner stopped at the intersection of Route 69 and Route 202. The SUV was northbound,… Read More
Rockland District Court Cases June 20-July 11, 2003 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
Dover-Foxcroft District Court Cases July 1-17, 2003 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
PITTSFIELD – Dr. Kevin Flanigan has fired off an angry letter to town officials, stating he is curbing his after-hours medical care and availability to area patients because the town has not repaired and maintained the end of Chandler Avenue where his office was built. Read More
ELLSWORTH – Julian Orr, 87, of Bangor, former Bangor and Portland city manager, remained hospitalized Thursday after his car struck a pole Wednesday on Route 1A in Ellsworth. Orr, the driver of the car, was in stable condition Thursday at Maine Coast Memorial Hospital in… Read More
NEWPORT – Considered one of the most remarkable environmental projects in the state, the relocation of the Sebasticook River in downtown Newport and the companion renovation of its banks into a boardwalk and park “will forever change Newport,” Town Manager James Ricker said this week. Read More
Midcoast communities and the state Department of Transportation don’t quite see eye to eye when it comes to Route 1. If residents want traffic to move safely and efficiently, they also are passionate about how the highway looks and “feels,” as evidenced by the protesters… Read More
SOUTHWEST HARBOR – Selectmen on Wednesday set the property tax rate for the new tax year at $15.60 per $1,000 in valuation, an increase over last year’s rate of $14.60, Town Manager Kenneth Minier said Thursday. A homeowner with a home valued at $100,000 will… Read More
BANGOR – After decades of aircraft de-icer flowing into and polluting the mile-long Birch Stream, changes will be made at the city’s airport complex by this fall to divert the fluid into the city’s wastewater treatment facility at no cost to taxpayers. Officials from the… Read More
BANGOR – The City Council’s government operations committee on Wednesday got its first look at a draft ordinance which, if adopted, would regulate mobile vending vehicles, namely ice cream trucks. The draft rules were prompted by a resident’s complaints about the music that an ice… Read More
PITTSFIELD – Working jointly, the Somerset and Piscataquis sheriff’s departments recovered stolen goods in Greenville on Thursday, part of the booty taken by a burglary ring smashed last week. Police have recovered more than $40,000 worth of goods so far. Five people have been charged… Read More
SWANVILLE – It may be too early in the season for growers to harvest their marijuana, but it’s just right for the police. “We like to harvest before they get a chance to harvest,” Waldo County Sheriff’s Detective Greg Stearns said Thursday. “This is cop… Read More
HERMON – Municipal recycling is returning to Hermon. Town officials approved this week a measure to require recycling of paper and cardboard, with an eye toward recycling more in the future. “I think it’s great that Hermon is coming back on board,” said George MacDonald,… Read More
THORNDIKE – Rappers and movie stars can hide under hooded sweat shirts, but not students at Mount View High School. The SAD 3 board voted this week to amend a policy listed in the student and parent handbook to clarify the definition of headwear. googletag.cmd.push(function… Read More
HERMON – The Hermon Fun Day Festival is back from a three-year absence and scheduled to begin with a parade through town at 9 a.m. Saturday, July 19, that will end at Hermon Elementary School. The event will feature a performance by Maine native and… Read More
DOVER-FOXCROFT – Because of unanticipated problems with a section of roof on the Dover-Foxcroft Police Station, town officials have postponed the open house scheduled for Aug. 2 until later this fall. Police Chief Dennis Dyer said Thursday that while renovating this week it was learned… Read More
ABBOT – Thirty-three of the 35 residents who attended a special town meeting Wednesday voted to expend up to $100,000 in town funds to renovate the former elementary school for a new post office. A loading dock will be constructed at the end of the… Read More
GUILFORD – An open house for the 25th anniversary of the Little Miracles Nursery School will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 3, at Guilford United Methodist Church. Twenty-five years ago, Sheila Thompson and Linda Grenfell saw the need for quality… Read More
For those who are unaware of some of the more unique opportunities available to locals and visitors, “Here’s the basics of what’s happening at the Finn Hall in Monson,” wrote Ned Garner. For 68 years, he informs us, dances and the Finnish Farmers Club have… Read More
AUGUSTA – The state’s new $33 million psychiatric hospital can open this fall as the Riverview Psychiatric Center, Attorney General Steven Rowe says. Rowe said Tuesday that legislators may want to resolve ambiguities that were left in the state’s law books when they named the… Read More
BANGOR – A federal magistrate sided with the state Thursday in a challenge by automakers to a recently enacted Maine law intended to promote the recycling of mercury switches from junked automobiles. U.S. Magistrate Judge Margaret Kravchuk recommended that the U.S. District Court reject a… Read More
AUGUSTA – A judge Wednesday ordered that a young woman charged with setting her family’s house on fire undergo a psychiatric evaluation and not have contact with her family. Alyssa Jensen, 18, is charged with arson, accused of dousing her family’s home with gasoline and… Read More
PORTLAND – Officials at the Portland International Jetport are considering building hangars, offices and a new fire station on undeveloped land south of the main runway. The new construction would cater to the general aviation sector, which includes corporate jets, charter companies and private owners. Read More
LEWISTON – A Lewiston man arrested in California with a 14-year-old girl he met on the Internet had corresponded on his computer with more than a dozen young girls across the country, police said. The Maine Computer Crimes Task Force searched the home of Daniel… Read More
ALFRED – Three York County Jail officers accused of beating an inmate will keep their jobs, but they could still face disciplinary action. Sheriff Philip G. Cote said the jail administrator had recommended that the three be fired. County commissioners could not come to an… Read More
WASHINGTON – A national ocean observation system is one step closer to reality after a Senate committee unanimously approved a bill Thursday by voice vote. The Commerce Committee passed a measure that would launch an ocean observation system aimed at providing comprehensive, real-time data on… Read More
BRUNSWICK – An unidentified male body was discovered early Thursday by a woman walking her dog in a wooded area, police said. State police said paperwork was found with the man that provided a partial identification. The paperwork belongs to a local man who has… Read More
ALBANY, N.Y. – Legislation authorizing up to six casinos to be built in western New York and the Catskill Mountains, and video slot machines at horse racing tracks, was upheld Thursday by a state judge. So far, only one of the six casinos has been… Read More
BANGOR – He wouldn’t speculate on his chances of defending his NASCAR Winston Cup points title. After all, Tony Stewart is 549 points behind leader Matt Kenseth at the halfway stage of the season. He is eighth in the point standings. googletag.cmd.push(function () { //… Read More
Major League Baseball could not have asked for more. The 74th All-Star Game was so good it quickly relegated to the past the farce of the 7-7 tie last year. MLB officials can say their decision to award the winning league home-field advantage in the… Read More
Entry-level stock car racing is popular in Maine. Hermon’s Speedway 95 has its Wacky Wednesday series; Beech Ridge Motor Speedway in Scarborough has Thursday Thunder and Oxford Plains Speedway has its Big Apple Food Stores Summer Racing Series on Wednesday nights. googletag.cmd.push(function () { //… Read More
WATERVILLE – Colby College junior running back Aaron Stepka was named a National Weekly Football Gazette Preseason All-American on Thursday. He was one of two running backs named to first team offense. Besides leading all of Division II and the conference in rushing yards per… Read More
ORONO – Former University of Maine men’s basketball coach Skip Chapelle and women’s basketball player Rachel Bouchard are two of the inductees into the 2003 New England Basketball Hall of Fame. Bouchard is second on the all-time scoring list, with 2,405 career points and is… Read More
BANGOR – The Bangor Lumberjacks begin a seven-game home stand during which they will offer many promotions. Friday night will be Little League Card Me Night where Little Leaguers will participate in activities to win prizes. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes =… Read More
LOCAL At Westbrook 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
LOUDON, N.H. – There are two times a year when Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Tony Stewart get pushed aside as NASCAR’s most popular drivers. It happens when the Winston Cup Series travels to New Hampshire, and native New Englander Ricky Craven becomes the… Read More
PORTLAND – Kelly Shoppach’s two-out double drove in the winning run as the Portland Sea Dogs rebounded from a 4-0 deficit to defeat the Norwich Navigators 6-4 on Thursday in Eastern League play at Hadlock Field. The Navigators got all their scoring in the first… Read More
PHOENIX – The Phoenix Coyotes signed former University of Maine stars and twin brothers Peter and Chris Ferraro to one-year contracts Thursday. The free-agent forwards played for the Portland Pirates last season. Peter, a right wing, led the Pirates in points and assists. Center Chris… Read More
BANGOR – Peter Schultz’s RBI single in the bottom of the seventh inning drove home Ray Bessette with the winning run Thursday afternoon as Holbrook edged Old Town 10-9 in the District 3 ages 9-10 Little League baseball all-star championship game. Ryan Adams had two… Read More
DOVER-FOXCROFT – James Gray hit a solo homer in the bottom of the seventh to give the Penquis Navigators an 8-7 Zone 1 American Legion victory over Waldo County. Adam Russell tripled in two runs for Penquis. Josh Withee had two singles and an RBI… Read More
In theaters THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN, directed by Stephen Norrington, written by James Dale Robinson, 110 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… Read More
The year is 1946 and Harry Brock is in Washington, D.C., to buy himself a senator. He also intends to expand his junk business and collect all the metal strewn across Europe in the just-ended war. On his arm is Billie Dawn, a blond bombshell… Read More
Sister Jean the Ragtime Queen and Laundry Fat will roll out the ragtime with the Medicine Man and take him on the road next week to re-create the va-va-va-voom of vaudeville. In mid-August, the Western wind will whip through the Pine Tree State, raining a… Read More
WASHINGTON – In the first study to show a direct genetic link between emotional stress and depression, researchers found that people with a certain type of brain chemistry gene were more vulnerable to deep depression after traumatic events such as the death of a family member. Read More