Despite failed attempts in the past, Bangor Hydro-Electric Co. is again seeking to build a high-voltage electricity transmission line between Maine and New Brunswick, a spokeswoman said this week. The company has filed for its first federal permit to construct a 345-kilovolt line connecting Orrington… Read More
    For the first time in more than 20 years, coyote snaring has been suspended in Maine. On Monday, Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Commissioner Roland “Dan” Martin sent out a letter informing members of the legislative fisheries and wildlife committee that the snaring program… Read More
    While some 8,200 Mainers work in call centers or related operations around the state, some of their bosses insist blocking telemarketers from calling individuals on a national do-not-call list – which begins today – means less than meets the ear. That’s because Maine’s call centers… Read More
    OLD TOWN – It used to bug former James River Timber Corp. Vice President Brenton S. Halsey Jr. that people didn’t understand the business of forestry, according to his widow. So he decided to help create the James River Outdoor Classroom and Demonstration Forest in… Read More
    BANGOR – Hillcrest Golf Course in Millinocket will not be sold at auction Friday as originally scheduled. On Tuesday, a federal bankruptcy judge postponed the sale of the nine-hole golf course until after there is a determination as to who owns the rights to the… Read More
    PORTLAND – UnumProvident’s board of directors has named Thomas R. Watjen as the insurance company’s president and chief executive officer. Company co-chairman Lawrence Pugh said Watjen’s character and his performance since taking over as interim president and chief executive officer six months ago made him… Read More
    PORTLAND – The proportion of Mainers without health insurance is higher than other New England states’ but lower than the national average, according to a Census Bureau report released Tuesday. The data show that 10.8 percent of the state’s population was without health insurance between… Read More
    BANGOR – Nyer Medical Group Inc. on Tuesday announced earnings of 13 cents per share with revenue increasing 10.7 percent for the fiscal year ended June 30. Net income for the company was $499,137 for the year as compared $242,814 or 6 cents a share… Read More
    CAMDEN – Camden National Corp. on Tuesday declared a dividend of 19 cents per share payable on Oct. 31 for shareholders of record on Oct. 15, according to Robert W. Daigle, president and chief executive officer. Camden National Corp., listed on the American Stock Exchange… Read More
    SOUTH PORTLAND – State-wide housing prices have increased by 14 percent in the past year, and the number of home sales has gone up 4 percent, according to real estate statistics. The Maine Real Estate Information System Inc., a subsidiary of the Maine Association of… Read More
    Following are petitions for bankruptcy filed at the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Bangor: Jason Gogan, supervisor, one dependent, Shawmut: assets, $29,610; debts, $57,464. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var i =… Read More
    Can 50 million Americans be denied a more peaceful supper hour after placing their names on a federal do-not-call registry? Don’t bet on it, even if the U.S. District Court in Colorado says the registry, set to begin today, violates the First Amendment. The court… Read More
    Suddenly, Washington finds itself tangled in a brand new puzzle: Who leaked the fact that the wife of an embarrassing whistleblower was a CIA agent? At its worst, the leak could ruin her career or even endanger her life. It could also mean felony charges against the leaker. Read More
    Norman Mrozicki of Surry asks why we are in Iraq (BDN letters, Sept. 19). Since he asked, here’s my opinion: The Persian Gulf harbors a great religion and great wealth. There are three major states. Allof them, in one way or another, are threats to America. Read More
    U.S. forces cannot leave Iraq today nor should they stay beyond a minimum time. That is, when a greater security has been established and the Iraqi people have created the foundations of self-government. The U.S. forces should then return home. But this process requires the… Read More
    Your suggestion in the editorial of Sept. 29 that “parking for faculty and staff should be free and in gated lots set aside for their use” is not going to be welcomed by the student community, particularly when they are asked to pay a hefty parking fee in… Read More
    I am writing regarding the article on Warren Cook, “Cook admits misrepresentation on resume” (BDN, Sept. 27-28). I have known Cook for most of my life and have never known him to be anything but a truthful, kind and loyal man. Unlike Cook, the person… Read More
    For nearly 20 years, in various corporations, I have been Warren Cook’s friend and associate. From firsthand experience, I know Warren to be dedicated, honest, skilled, generous, properly motivated and highly ethical. It has been possible to judge a person without ever seeing his resume. Read More
    I voted for Al Gore mainly because the mudslingers could not find a skeleton in his closet by which to degrade him. I could not vote for the Republican candidate because I was afraid of him, but I didn’t know why. The reason for the… Read More
    It was very disappointing to read the Bangor Daily News’ coverage of the presentation of Bangor’s incorporation papers in “Bangor council welcomes lessons in city’s history” (BDN, Sept. 24). I watched the meeting on the news and was so pleased with it, as not many… Read More
    The university should have assigned parking spaces for “all” dormitory residents. If the room numbers were painted on the spaces then that would prevent violators from taking over. Residents should have the safety and convenience of their own space, they certainly pay for it. Adding… Read More
    Donald Rumsfeld’s op-ed column in Saturday’s Bangor Daily News, “Looking beyond nation-building,” was remarkable for its studied air of self-deception. Rumsfeld celebrated the “success” of nation building in Afghanistan, predicted a similar success in Iraq, and dramatically wrote of “future international efforts to help struggling nations recover from… Read More
    The MSAD 1 school board and the Presque Isle City Council urge you to support ballot Question 1-A, the citizen-initiated School Finance and Tax Reform Act of 2003. This tax reform effort is spearheaded by the Maine Municipal Association and will appear on the Nov. 4 ballot. It’s… Read More
    ROCKLAND – A two-day search by sea and air along the Maine coast from Lubec to Rockland ended sadly Tuesday with the discovery of the body of 80-year-old Nathan McClure and his 24-foot recreational lobster boat, Highlander. McClure’s body and parts of his boat were… Read More
    BANGOR – A Bangor police dog has been suspended from service, its future at the department uncertain after a second incident this year in which it attacked another dog. Bangor Police Chief Don Winslow said dog handlers and specialized trainers would assess the 3-year-old German… Read More
    CAMDEN – Two police officers went for a swim in the Megunticook River while chasing a fugitive Monday night, and still wound up getting their man. Sgt. Mike Geary and Officer Brook Hartshorn got soaked chasing Wendell Leroy Forsythe, 55, of Camden into the river… Read More
    BELFAST – Waldo County General Hospital will hold an eight-week exercise program, “Strong Women Workout,” beginning Oct. 6. The program is designed for women of all ages – especially those over 35 – with and without special needs. The session will be 30 minutes of… Read More
    SURRY – The Surry Community Improvement Association will hold a public meeting to discuss the property tax referendum. Osmond Bonsey, a Surry retiree, will present the Maine Municipal Association position, Question 1A, while a representative of Gov. John Baldacci’s office has been invited to present… Read More
    ELLSWORTH – Here And Now, a community forum on issues of public concern, will present a lecture titled “Health Effects of Depleted Uranium,” by speaker Kim Hawkins. The presentation is sponsored by the Adult Education Committee of the Unitarian-Universalist Church and is open to the… Read More
    WARREN – A Rockland man was rushed to a Lewiston hospital after a freak one-vehicle accident on Highland Road. James H. Shaffer, 43, was driving Monday along Highland Road in his 1994 GMC sport utility vehicle when he spotted a car owned by one of… Read More
    DEER ISLE – Three area school systems will share a $148,526 federal grant designed to help improve fitness levels of the people in their schools and their communities. The Deer Isle-Stonington, Ellsworth and Bucksport systems will split the grant three ways to purchase new curriculum… Read More
    BELFAST – Creating a slot for a person to administer inmate programs at the Waldo County Jail might be worthwhile, but it will be a hard sell under the current budgetary climate, the county commissioners’ chairman said Tuesday. Jail Administrator Ray Porter floated the idea… Read More
    SULLIVAN – The governing body of the local high school may not always have had a proper quorum at some of its past meetings, even if it thought it had, according to the local school superintendent. As a result, the Flanders Bay Consolidated School District… Read More
    MACHIAS – The town is gearing up to celebrate the fall season with the second annual Machias Bay Area Fall Festival in conjunction with homecoming at the University of Maine at Machias. The celebration is planned Oct. 17-19. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var… Read More
    PRESQUE ISLE – City councilors voted Monday night to close three roads for the next 10 years from November through April. In a 6-1 vote, councilors ordered the winter closure of Mountain Road, Perkins Road and Parks-Butterfield Road. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var… Read More
    ABBOT – It took Rick Crocker more than 20 years to return to his childhood town and open a business, but he says it was worth the wait. Crocker has opened Abbot Village Barber Shop on Route 15 in the same building where Flobert Morse… Read More
    PRESQUE ISLE – At least 1,500 quality jobs and $50 million in new capital investments are the goals of a new initiative to stimulate economic growth and stem out-migration in Aroostook County. Officials with the Northern Maine Development Commission and Maine Public Service Co. announced… Read More
    BRIDGEWATER – The state Fire Marshal’s Office has closed the investigation of a fire at a Bridgewater apartment house, stating it was unable to determine an exact ignition source. Tim Lowell, a senior investigator with the state Fire Marshal’s Office, stated Tuesday that his office… Read More
    BLUE HILL – The Blue Hill Memorial Hospital has received a bequest of almost $84,000 that will be used to support the Castine Community Health Center. The bequest, totaling $83,942.08, comes from the Charles A. Kane Trust, which was created under the will of Charles… Read More
    ELLSWORTH – A Stonington man who ran for Hancock County commissioner last fall has been fined by the state for not filing a post-election report until seven months after it was due, according to a state official. Earlier this month, the Maine Commission on Governmental… Read More
    ELLSWORTH – Bar Harbor Banking and Trust Co. has donated $12,000 to help the Frenchman Bay Conservancy purchase 13 acres on the shores of Indian Point for a public park. Indian Point stretches for more than 2,200 feet of undeveloped shoreline from the Bayside Road… Read More
    NEWPORT – The SAD 48 board of directors’ Budget and Finance Committee will offer a presentation by Loujean Reheuser, one of several activists who have challenged the SAD 48 budget and budget process this year, at a meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 2, at the SAD 48… Read More
    NEWPORT – A meeting for students and parents interested in learning more about the international problem-solving program Destination Imagination will be held at Sebasticook Middle School, Williams Road, Newport, 6-7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 2. For more information, contact Annette Houston at Corinna School, 278-4263 or… Read More
    NEWPORT – The Newport Board of Selectmen will meet at 6:30 tonight at the town office. The agenda includes updates on Durham Bridge construction, appointment of a fund-raising coordinator of the Newport Cultural Center, a preview of the 2004 budget and a discussion of the 2003 paving program. Read More
    PITTSFIELD – Kristopher “Jake” Hughes of North Anson has been hired as the new water-sewer superintendent and began his duties this week. Hughes has worked in wastewater treatment since the early 1990s, said Pittsfield Town Manager Kathryn Ruth, and most recently was working with the Augusta Sanitary District. Read More
    PITTSFIELD – The Pittsfield Recycling Committee will be meeting in the municipal building at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 1, to discuss the Trash to Treasures Day, Make a Difference Day plans and Maine Recycles Week. Other subjects on the agenda include applying for a national gardening grant and… Read More
    GREENVILLE – For the second time this summer, burglars entered Harris Drug Store on Pritham Avenue and stole narcotic drugs and money, according to police. Few details were available Tuesday about the latest break-in that occurred over the weekend. Greenville Police Chief Duane Alexander confirmed… Read More
    PITTSFIELD – Town Manager Kathryn Ruth has confirmed that a bird sent to the state laboratory last week has tested positive for West Nile virus. A bird tested last month in Newport also had the disease. “All caution should be taken when outside,” Ruth said. Read More
    MILO – A local woman is seeking support from her community to open a shelter-sanctuary for abandoned animals. Valerie Robertson, Milo and Brownville’s animal control officer, has been distributing surveys to residents to gauge interest for the Penquis Animal Welfare Sanctuary, or P.A.W.S. googletag.cmd.push(function ()… Read More
    MILLINOCKET – A local coalition is using a federal grant to develop a strategic plan for involving the Katahdin region communities in substance abuse prevention. The Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America chose the Katahdin Area Partnership in January as one of 30 emerging coalitions… Read More
    SKOWHEGAN – Sheriff Barry DeLong will know within a week whether Tuesday’s tour of the Somerset County Jail by Maine Department of Corrections Commissioner Martin Magnusson will end up saving the state and the taxpayers money. Magnusson was in Skowhegan to see whether Somerset County… Read More
    LINCOLN – Town officials recently adopted new transfer station policies in the hope of preventing nonresidents from using the town’s Park Avenue facility. In a September meeting, the solid waste-recycling committee voted unanimously to print the resident’s license plate number on the actual sticker, according… Read More
    MOUNT DESERT – The town manager has appointed James Willis Jr. of Lamoine as the community’s next police chief and Michael Chammings of Southwest Harbor as the new director of finance and administration. The selectmen are expected to approve the selections when they meet next… Read More
    MACHIAS – A Washington County grand jury indicted two former licensed insurance agents Tuesday who earlier this year allegedly stole more than $10,000 in premium payments from their employer in Calais. The grand jury also indicted a New Brunswick man who authorities said escaped from… Read More
    THORNDIKE – An investigation by the Waldo County Drug Task Force has led to the arrest of a local man accused of dealing cocaine and marijuana. Randolph West, 39, of Files Hill Road was arrested at 7:15 a.m. Sunday after a search of his home. Read More
    BELFAST – Logger Michael Hamblet was fined $50 and ordered to make restitution of $17,000 after admitting to accidentally cutting trees from property he did not own. Hamblet, 38, of Burnham, answered to the civil offense of unlawful cutting of trees when he appeared in… Read More
    BANGOR – A federal judge ruled Tuesday that Sally Schofield’s insurance company must pay for her defense in a civil suit filed by the mother of the foster child who died while in Schofield’s care. Schofield, 42, a former state adoption caseworker, was sentenced a… Read More
    DOVER-FOXCROFT – The poor economy has caused the demise of another local business and the loss of 12 jobs. Gary Niles, who operated Northern Lights, a 12-lane bowling alley and movie theater, closed the business earlier this month. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var… Read More
    BANGOR – A Bangor man with two previous convictions for unlawful sexual contact with minors was sentenced in federal court Tuesday to almost five years in prison for possession of child pornography. Jeffrey Alan Shields, 42, was sentenced to 57 months in prison and three… Read More
    Last year, Kate Dickerson helped found the Greater Bangor Area Chapter of Mothers and More. She is the group’s current co-leader. Mothers and More membership chairwoman Laura Whittmann wrote recently to inform readers that this nonprofit organization “serves as a support group and a networking… Read More
    PORTLAND – The state has filed a civil lawsuit against a 49-year-old Portland woman accusing her of assaulting and threatening immigrant Muslim women because of their religion or national origin. The Attorney General’s Office said Tuesday that Fatuma Boru is accused of repeatedly stating she… Read More
    WASHINGTON – The League of Conservation Voters presented U.S. Sen. Olympia J. Snowe with its 2003 Environmental Leadership Award Monday night. The award was given to Snowe for working to improve air quality standards and higher fuel economy standards, opposing drilling in ANWR, improving public health and bringing… Read More
    PORTLAND – Jurors deliberated for about three hours Tuesday before finding an insurance agent guilty of murdering a hairdresser in order to collect a $100,000 policy that he wrote. Santanu “Sam” Basu, 34, of Standish faces 25 years to life in prison for killing Azita… Read More
    LEWISTON – Maine schools could begin serving irradiated ground beef to students next year. If there’s enough demand, the U.S. Department of Agriculture will begin offering irradiated beef to school systems that buy food through the National School Lunch Program. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define… Read More
    SOUTH PORTLAND – South Portland businesses say a proposed city-owned pier and docking area at the foot of the Casco Bay Bridge would bring in more business, but local marinas are concerned it would take business away. Designs for the pier at the Thomas Knight… Read More
    PORTLAND – At least five dead minke whales have been found floating off the Maine coast in the past 16 days. The strange occurrence is being investigated by state and federal officials. Some of the whales had marks or wounds that appeared to be caused… Read More
    DOVER-FOXCROFT – Succulent scents and bluegrass music filled the air over the Piscataquis Valley Fairgrounds on Saturday during the second annual Maine State Championship Barbecue Contest. Participation was good at Saturday’s event, but heavy rains caused the cancellation of some of Sunday’s festivities, according to… Read More
    An action drama featuring crackling dialogue and a strong female lead, set in Miami. Elmore Leonard must be involved somehow. 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
    Maine dish The state’s restaurants are thinking globally but cooking locally as part of Maine Menus Month. The event, sponsored by the Maine Department of Agriculture, celebrates restaurants that feature local produce, meat, seafood and other products on their menus. In October, diners are encouraged… Read More
    Maine has a growing number of farmers markets. A few are open year-round while many stay open later in the season each year. For more details, visit the Maine Department of Agriculture’s Web site www.getrealmaine.com or call 287-7561. Bangor: European Farmers Market, 9:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Read More
    At Orono High School, rebuilding the cross country program has meant blazing a trail – literally. The result is a new 3.1-mile course that recently hosted the school’s first home meet in many years. Orono junior Lexi Wakeling set the initial course record of 18… Read More
    On April 22, 1984, a slick-fielding freshman shortstop from Winterport by way of Hampden Academy and the Bangor American Legion team had a Stephen King-like inning for the University of Maine. Playing on a brutally frigid day with snow squalls galore, Michael Todd Bordick made… Read More
    HIGH SCHOOL Jonathan Smith 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
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    HIGH SCHOOL Official standings for boys and girls soccer, field hockey and volleyball as reported by the Maine Principals’ Association. 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
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    BANGOR – Dan Malmer scored an unassisted goal with 20 minutes left to lift the Bangor Rams by Hampden Academy 2-1 for their fourth straight victory in schoolboy soccer action Tuesday. Malmer’s goal came on a 25-yard shot low to the right corner of the… Read More
    GORHAM – Devin Edwards scored a first-half goal to lead University of Southern Maine Huskies to a 1-0 women’s soccer victory over the Framingham State (Mass.) Rams Tuesday. Dianna Thibaudeau set up the goal when she took control of the ball at midfield and sent… Read More
    NEWPORT – Trevor Graves scored two goals while Brandon Hale and Greg Whitaker contributed a goal and an assist apiece as Presque Isle improved to 7-1-2 with a 5-0 win over host Nokomis in schoolboy soccer action Tuesday. Benji Lynch scored the other goal while… Read More
    BREWER – Josh McFarlin scored a goal and notched two assists to lead the Searsport Viking to a 3-1 schoolboy soccer victory over the Deer Isle-Stonington Mariners Tuesday. Ryan Shute and Mike Libby each scored for the 7-1-1 Vikings. Drew Mercer provided an assist and… Read More