FARMINGTON – The debate over a proposed Indian casino landed in this small college town with a sense of urgency Tuesday, with both sides aiming to sway the few remaining undecided voters and perhaps pick up the even rarer convert during the final week of the campaign. Read More
Two former Bangor residents have felt the brush of the deadly wildfires that have swept across Southern California and Mexico. Kelly Bartlett Reilly, 27, had planned to take a midterm exam Saturday at California State University in San Bernardino, where she is a senior. Instead,… Read More
MARIAVILLE – Joy Weiss was 17 when her doctor told her it was time to start thinking about a colostomy. Her Crohn’s disease, a vicious inflammation of her intestinal tract, wasn’t responding to any treatment. Diets, medications and the surgical removal of the most ravaged… Read More
The forest is finally recovering from the spruce budworm epidemic and the resultant salvage clear-cutting that has shaped much of the Maine woods for the past few decades. The annual Forest Inventory Report released by the Maine Forest Service earlier this month indicates that these… Read More
BOSTON – A US Airways Express plane that took off from Knox County Airport in Owls Head on Tuesday afternoon was discovered to be carrying a cutting object found when the plane landed at Boston’s Logan Airport. “Our flight crew found a box cutter on… Read More
The identity of a person in a photo caption on Page B3 in the State section Monday was incorrect. The individual pictured was Jim Wentworth. Read More
WASHINGTON – The number of people killed or injured using all-terrain vehicles is rising, the government said Tuesday. The Consumer Product Safety Commission reported that 113,900 people were injured severely enough in 2002 to be taken to a hospital emergency room, up from 110,100 in 2001. In addition,… Read More
BANGOR – Merrill Merchants Bancshares Inc., the parent company of Merrill Merchants Bank, has reported net income of $3.2 million, or earnings per share of 95 cents for the nine months ended Sept. 30, compared to $2.9 million or earnings per share of 86 cents for the same… Read More
COLUMBIA FALLS – The harvest of cranberries Down East winds up this week, and by growers’ and specialists’ accounts, the season looks moderately promising. “I’d say it’s been good, but not exceptional,” said Pete Grant, president of the Maine Cranberry Growers Association. googletag.cmd.push(function () {… Read More
CAMDEN – Robert W. Daigle, president and chief executive officer of Camden National Corp., announced earnings of $1.70 per share for the first nine months of 2003, compared to $1.53 reported for the first nine months of 2002, an increase of 11.11 percent. Net income… Read More
PATTEN – Katahdin Bankshares Corp., parent company of Katahdin Trust Co., announced third quarter earnings of $915,000. In making the announcement, Katahdin Trust President and CEO Jon J. Prescott stated that the bank’s third quarter earnings represented a 26.6 percent increase over the same period last year. Read More
AUGUSTA – Kay Rand, a State House lobbyist and former chief of staff to Gov. Angus S. King, was unanimously approved Tuesday as a trustee to the Loring Development Authority in Limestone by the Legislature’s Business and Economic Development Committee. The board, which oversees policy… Read More
Do you favor a $19,000,000 bond issue to make repairs, upgrades and other facility improvements and enhance access for students with disabilities and upgrade classroom equipment at various campuses of the University of Maine System; the Maine Maritime Academy; and the Maine Community College System, which was formerly… Read More
Do you favor a $63,450,000 bond issue for improvements to highways and bridges, airports, state-owned ferry vessels and ferry and port facilities and port and harbor structures; development of rail corridors and improvements to railroad structures and intermodal facilities; investment in the statewide public transportation fleet and public… Read More
The anti-casino campaign hit a new level of deceptive tactics with its recent TV ad depicting unattended children gambling on slot machines. Such a scenario is so far from reality it doesn’t begin to pass the proverbial straight-face test. I’ve been to several casinos in different states, most… Read More
Thank you for your in-depth reporting on the ballot issues. Racino advocates seem to be promising a lot of pie in the sky. They say Question 2 will save harness racing, lower prescription drug costs, and maybe bring Elvis back from the dead. But slot machines are the… Read More
This week the Senate will consider a bill that won’t make the United States less dependent on oil and other fossil fuels, won’t protect us from price gouging (it repeals the main law preventing market manipulations), and won’t protect human health while it sacrifices the Arctic National Wildlife… Read More
This election Bangor will lose three city councilors to term limits. Because of this we need to elect councilors with experience, good judgment and knowledge of city issues to replace them. John Cashwell is such a person. Cashwell, who is a Vietnam veteran, has a… Read More
If either Question 1A or Question 1B passes and becomes law there is no guarantee that the quality of education will improve. Maine citizens are both local property taxpayers and Maine state income and sales taxpayers. Schools need to consolidate (before the Maine state sales… Read More
In order for Mainers to not pay $100 million in taxes at 5 percent they would have to spend $2 billion on mail order and Internet purchases. I think not. Two billion dollars divided by the population of the entire state is about $1,534.46 per person. No wonder… Read More
Usually I have some doubts, questions and some real support for certain candidates. This time I would like all citizens of Brewer to know that the city council we have had in the past couple years has done wonders for this city. There have been no bickering, false… Read More
Oh, the games being played in this casinos debate. Never meaning what they say, never saying what they mean. This is because the issue comes down to what no one is talking about. It comes down to race. Yes, race. Yet not a peep of it. Not a… Read More
In recent months many journalists and doctors have examined the high cost of prescription drugs, and the special burden on elders has finally prompted Congress to pass bills adding prescription drug coverage to Medicare. Virtually no attention has been paid, however, to a partial but obvious solution to… Read More
Even this late in the run-up to the Nov. 4 referendum on school funding, some issues related to the three proposals before the voters need further clarification. Proponents of Question 1A, which would require the state to immediately assume 55 percent of public primary and secondary-school expenditures, point… Read More
Take note: The casino will cater to children. Approving the one-sentence referendum to establish big-time gambling will force automatic passage of the Maine Tribal Gaming Act (LD 1370), a 20-page masterpiece of self-dealing lawyerly mumbo-jumbo that probably 99 percent of residents haven’t read. The act… Read More
AUGUSTA – A consultant for the Maine Municipal Association’s property tax relief plan charged Tuesday that the Legislature has failed to meet its financial obligations for local education funding for nearly 30 years, adding taxpayers will only see an improvement by voting for Question 1A. Read More
MILLINOCKET – A 60-year-old woman avoided injury Friday night when a perpetrator robbed her at knifepoint in her home and stole 144 OxyContin pills and cash. Around 6:30 p.m., the woman answered a knock at her door and found the thief wearing a black Halloween… Read More
AUGUSTA – About a fifth of Maine’s schools failed to win satisfactory status under the federal No Child Left Behind Act but many schools slipped through the cracks because they were too small to be detected. Already, the Maine Department of Education is planning to… Read More
Only one Maine power plant appears on a new list of America’s 548 “dirtiest” power plants released Tuesday by the U.S. Public Interest Research Group. In fact, Maine ranks no higher than 44th for the amount of air pollution released by its power plants –… Read More
It’s finally over. One of the worst droughts in Maine memory officially became history when this month’s heavy rains drove out the last remnants of dry conditions that have plagued the state for almost three years, state climatologist Greg Zielinski said Tuesday. googletag.cmd.push(function () {… Read More
AUGUSTA – Smoking rates among Maine high school and middle school students have dropped sharply since 1997, when the state launched an anti-smoking campaign, Gov. John Baldacci said Tuesday. “Maine has cut smoking rates in half, and we have done it in just six years,”… Read More
BANGOR – Now that the site for the city’s new police headquarters has been nailed down, local officials have turned their attention to design considerations. In a 4-3 vote, city councilors chose 240 Main St. as the site for the new station during their Sept. Read More
BAILEYVILLE – The superintendent has outlined the advantages of having a police resource officer in Woodland High School, but officials Monday wanted to know who would pick up the tab once the grant money runs out. Officer Shawn Newell was hired for the job after… Read More
FORT KENT – Local residents will vote Nov. 10 at a special town meeting on whether to give municipal officials approval to seek loans and grants to buy the former Kent Inc. real estate. Town councilors agreed Monday night to seek loans and grants to… Read More
FORT KENT – A Maine Public Service Co. worker struck by a car last week remained in critical condition late Tuesday afternoon at a Bangor hospital. Philip M. Bushey, 54, a 14-year veteran of MPS crews, was critically injured Oct. 21 while he was flagging… Read More
FRANKFORT – A 7-year-old girl escaped serious injury Monday after her head and neck were caught in a school bus door and she was dragged along a road. Katie McFarlin of Frankfort was getting off the bus near her home on the Monroe Road about… Read More
ELLSWORTH – A sign issue originally submitted in February for review by city officials was put on hold again Tuesday, delaying any possible resolution in the matter for at least another month. Tuesday’s meeting of the Ellsworth appeals board was canceled hours before the meeting… Read More
CARIBOU – An analysis of land conservation needs in northern Maine, as observed by local residents, is expected to contribute to a bond issue next year, according to a Land for Maine’s Future official. The LMF board last week held a public hearing at the… Read More
HOULTON – Three candidates are vying for two Town Council seats in the Nov. 4 municipal elections. The polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday at the Gentle Memorial Building on Main Street in Houlton. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot… Read More
ELLSWORTH – By combining the local community college and the state university extension into one entity, administration of the systems will be streamlined and taxpayers will save money, state education officials said Tuesday. Officials with the University of Maine System and the Maine Community College… Read More
A boot plucked from the ocean two weeks ago has been linked to the fishing vessel Candy B II, which is presumed to have sunk Oct. 10 with four Maine fishermen on board. “The owner identified [the boot] as part of the vessel debris,” Lt. Read More
BEDDINGTON – Drivers using Route 9, known as the Airline Road, should expect delays and one-way traffic today due to roadwork, according to the Maine Department of Transportation. Equipment used for traffic data collection will be reset to avoid damage from snowplows this winter. googletag.cmd.push(function… Read More
Milo police are looking for a man who allegedly tried to abduct a girl Tuesday afternoon. Officer Nick Clukey said that around 4:30 p.m. a man driving a white Jeep Wrangler or a similar vehicle tried to abduct the girl, who ran away to a… Read More
BREWER – The focus was on education Tuesday night as five of eight candidates for the Brewer City Council and the Brewer school committee answered questions at a meet the candidates forum. The event was sponsored by the Brewer Education Association and was held at Brewer High School. Read More
CAMDEN – Voters will be asked enact a new version of the harbor ordinance, change another ordinance and transfer $15,000 when they go to the polls Tuesday. An article on the ballot seeks approval of a change to the zoning ordinance that would allow boats… Read More
DOVER-FOXCROFT – A Milo man was sentenced to 48 hours in jail Monday for choking a 12-week-old kitten, which later died. Judge Kevin Stitham found Daniel Lord, 41, guilty of cruelty to animals Monday during a trial in 13th District Court. Lord had entered a… Read More
MILO – Four Penquis-area residents face drug charges stemming from an investigation conducted last week. Police have charged Krista Thurlow, 24, of Milo with possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia; Frederick Cole, 22, of Medford with possession of marijuana; Jeannie Chapman, 24, of Brownville with… Read More
BANGOR – City councilors have authorized their city solicitor to ask a court to determine if state law allows Penobscot County to fund its regional dispatch center through the county tax. The city’s position is that state law does not give the county that authority,… Read More
VERONA – Maine Department of Transportation engineers could know this week whether heavy trucks will be able to resume using the Waldo-Hancock Bridge to cross the Penobscot River. Crews from the Cianbro Corp. of Pittsfield have completed the cable-tightening process on the Waldo-Hancock Bridge and… Read More
MILLINOCKET – One month after Katahdin Paper officials had hoped to meet with local unions to share plans for restarting the Millinocket facility, the company hasn’t come to any concrete decisions about future operations at the mill. Previously owned by Great Northern Paper, the paper… Read More
LINCOLN – Nearly two years after a pair of January fires destroyed 25 percent of the downtown business district and caused $1 million in damage, Fire Chief Bill Lee has put together an early fire detection proposal that might ensure a similar loss doesn’t happen in the future. Read More
BANGOR – For decades Lewis Vafiades and Albert Winchell Jr. challenged themselves, their colleagues and the legal system that they helped mold. On Tuesday these two gentlemen of the courts were remembered with two granite seats dedicated in their honor beside the steps of the… Read More
SOUTH THOMASTON – A Rockland woman was injured Tuesday morning in a one-vehicle accident on Route 131. Michelle Aiken, 43, was taken to Penobscot Bay Medical Center in Rockport after the 5:27 a.m. accident, according to Chief Deputy Todd Butler. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define… Read More
BELFAST – Members of Senior College at the University of Maine Hutchinson Center recently voted to lower membership age from 55 to 50. This means that anyone 50 and older, and his or her spouse, may join the college. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot… Read More
BELFAST – Waldo County General Hospital is offering several free services to the public this November. A free blood-glucose test and blood pressure reading will be held from noon to 5 p.m. Monday, Nov. 3, in the hospital’s education center on Northport Avenue. The service… Read More
BAR HARBOR – Bradley Witham, a senior at Mount Desert Island High School, has been selected among 20 New England high school students as a semifinalist in the Siemens Westinghouse Competition in Math, Science and Technology. Witham is the only student from Maine. His entry… Read More
LEWISTON – During the opening banquet for the 130th annual convention of the Maine State Grange, the state membership and community service committees awarded cash prizes to the top Granges in the following categories: For the largest net gain in members for the year: Huntoon… Read More
WINDHAM – A man who sued the Portland Police Department for brutality and won a $600,000 settlement was found dead in his home. The body of Vincent Dorazio, 43, was discovered Monday evening by a family member and the death was being considered as a… Read More
My dear friend Susan Carlisle is so excited about Sitting Pretty, a fund-raiser for the Maine Discovery Museum, that she can hardly contain herself. She keeps using the word “cool” to describe it, a word she doesn’t use often. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot… Read More
AUBURN – Witnesses for the state told jurors during Tuesday’s testimony in Androscoggin County Superior Court that a Washington County woman accused of murder admitted to them she had shot her boyfriend. Two women, both of whom spent time in jail with murder suspect Katrina… Read More
BANGOR – Bangor’s business community turned out in force Tuesday morning to get the lowdown on Gov. John. Baldacci’s Dirigo health reform initiative. What they heard was a distillation of many of the arguments used against Dirigo during the recent legislative session. Presenters included representatives… Read More
ACADIA NATIONAL PARK – The park will close the Hulls Cove Visitor Center for the season at 4:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 31. Park information still will be available daily from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Winter Information Station, or by calling 288-3338. In… Read More
Tru Davies is having a bad day. A recent college graduate, Tru finds out that her hospital internship, which she saw as her ticket to med school, has been eliminated. Instead, she takes the only thing she can find in a related field – working… Read More
A kind of musical United Nations will gather in Trenton on Saturday. That’s when the third annual Accordion Rally: The Republic of Squeeze will take place at the Trenton Grange Hall. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = [];… Read More
You know what cranberries are supposed to look like: small, round, red balls that pack a tart and tangy punch. But have you ever seen cranberries the size of olives? Nan Bradshaw has. In fact, she and her husband, Dean, see them every day at their cranberry farm… Read More
Throw in the towel There’s a spider in the kitchen, but don’t worry, it’s not going anywhere. It’s part of Crate & Barrel’s trio of Halloween-themed dish towels, which makes a festive addition to any kitchen. They cost $7.95, and if you hurry, they… Read More
Maine has a growing number of farmers markets. 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. Saturdays, year round, Sunnyside Florists & Greenhouses, 117 Buck St. 947-8464. googletag.cmd.push(function () { //… Read More
Home-field advantage is a reward for a regular-season well played, but it’s no guarantee of future success. A look back at the 2002 Pine Tree Conference Class A quarterfinals provides ample evidence of that, given that three of the four visiting teams won those first-round… Read More
New York Islanders goalie and former University of Maine star Garth Snow has never met a quip he didn’t like even if he turns out to be the butt of the joke. “The guys say I have the body of a 50-year-old and the mentality… Read More
The Lee Academy and Greenville schoolgirl soccer teams will battle for the Eastern Maine Class D soccer title Friday in Lee after semifinal victories Tuesday. The EM final is tentatively set for 1:30 p.m. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var… Read More
BLUE HILL – The Penobscot Valley High School girls soccer team wasn’t exactly riding a wave of momentum into post-season play. The eighth-seeded Howlers had lost their last four games, and qualified for the Eastern C playoffs with a less-than-spectacular 5-8-1 record. googletag.cmd.push(function () {… Read More
LEWISTON – There weren’t too many makings of an upset before Tuesday’s Eastern Maine Class A girls soccer semifinal at Don Field. Lewiston was ranked No. 1 for the playoffs. The Blue Devils hadn’t lost a game all season and had won 14 straight since… Read More
Pontiac, the manufacturer that won two of the past three Winston Cup championships, announced Tuesday it won’t return in 2004 – leaving Chevrolet as the only General Motors brand on the NASCAR circuit. Five full-time teams currently use Pontiacs, with Maine driver Ricky Craven providing… Read More
COLLEGE At U.S. Naval Academy 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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The Houlton and Caribou girls soccer teams each advanced to an Eastern Maine final Tuesday after winning their respective semifinal. The regional finals are set for Saturday at the home field of the higher seed. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]];… Read More
BANGOR – The Bowdoin College Polar Bears defeated Husson 9-1 in field hockey action Tuesday, snapping the Braves’ seven-game winning streak. Christi Gagnon, Faye Hargate and Margaret Gormley scored unassisted for the Polar Bears of Brunswick. Taryn King added a goal and assisted on goals… Read More
University of Maine right wing Greg Moore and goalie Jimmy Howard, who are both sophomores, have been selected to play for Team USA in the World Junior Championships in Finland from Dec. 26-Jan. 5. Sixteen of the 22 players have been chosen and Moore and… Read More
PORTLAND – The Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife has established a youth turkey day after a meeting in Ashland. The Youth Turkey Day was approved by the department’s Advisory Council on Friday and will begin May 1, 2004. The regular turkey hunt begins two… Read More
What a whirlwind year it’s been for Sazi Guthrie … And it still has two months left to run. The 23-year-old Belfast native began the year selling cars, collecting bills over the phone, and chasing a dream. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes… Read More
PORTLAND – Casino supporters are quick to say a proposed casino in Maine won’t be like those in Las Vegas. They’re right, at least in regard to its size. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner… Read More
SANFORD – A proposed $650 million casino would bring more than 2,000 new students to schools in Sanford and surrounding communities, according to the Southern Maine Regional Planning Commission. The commission met with regional school officials Monday. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes… Read More