AUGUSTA – The auditing firm hired to examine accounting discrepancies in Maine’s administration of Medicaid funds has identified $38.8 million the state must replace. The 26-page PricewaterhouseCoopers report released Wednesday at a State House news conference faults inadequate accounting and budgeting processes within the state… Read More
    The fight over a proposed Indian casino in southern Maine has shattered campaign spending records, according to reports filed Wednesday with state election officials. As of Oct. 23, the major political action committees on each side of the issue had combined to raise and spend… Read More
    BANGOR – Just as the Nevada-based firm that wants to develop Maine’s first racetrack casino in Bangor appeared to be heading alone down the homestretch toward its goal, at least one other developer has arrived on the scene to mount a challenge. Late Wednesday afternoon,… Read More
    A story in the State section Tuesday about a Washington County airport project contained incorrect information. The Machias Valley Airport’s 2,900-foot runway can accommodate twin-engine aircraft in addition to single-engine aircraft. Read More
    BANGOR -School district superintendents and teacher unions, at times adversaries, were united Wednesday as they pushed for passage of Question 1A, a proposition they said would help taxpayers and schools. Sitting at a table together, but this time not negotiating for teacher contracts, representatives of… Read More
    A lot of Maine homeowners might be surprised to learn the market value of their real estate. During the three-month period ending Sept. 30, the median sales price of houses in the state was $162,000, which represented a 13.3 percent gain over last year’s price… Read More
    AUGUSTA – A three-tiered price support system to help farmers weather the dips in milk prices was one of 17 recommendations discussed Wednesday by more than 60 dairy farmers and industry leaders gathered in Augusta. The plan could funnel farm-saving subsidies to Maine’s remaining 398 dairy farms. Read More
    I recently made a visit to the Boston area and had a conversation with a gentleman about property tax. The bottom line was that he was paying a little more than I was. It hit me that I would have had to pay even more, had it not… Read More
    For the past three years, the state has been pursuing the construction of a large boat launch on 1,200 acres of state land on Branch Lake in Ellsworth. Two of those attempts were thwarted largely by an uprising of residents and the tenacity of our city government. But… Read More
    Because of a typing error, a line was dropped from Wednesday’s commentary by Margaret Cruikshank concerning prescription drug costs. The section in question should have read, “A geriatrician I met recently at a national AARP convention told me that much of his work consists of getting people off… Read More
    In addition to statewide questions on the ballot Tuesday, Bangor voters will be asked two others: whether to extend the number of consecutive terms from two to three that a city councilor may serve and whether to impose similar limits on the Bangor school board. The notable oddity… Read More
    Even environmentalists expect the Senate’s scheduled vote on climate change today to fail. Perhaps Sens. John McCain and Joseph Lieberman will get 40 senators to support their Climate Stewardship Act, which sets caps on the electrical power, industrial and transportation sectors for carbon dioxide and five other industrial… Read More
    I heard several media reports Wednesday touting the dramatic drop in Maine youth smoking rates, and attributing the drop to anti-smoking media campaigns. It seems obvious to me, but apparently not to Maine’s media or government, that the extreme tax increases on cigarettes, and the… Read More
    Anyone out there have any doubts concerning the new casino that we voters will have a say in come Election Day? I recently purchased a new vehicle and was appalled at the taxes I am forced by this state to pay. Not only did I… Read More
    A point on the proposed casino that both the pro and con groups have not addressed is: Is there a net inflow or an outgo of money from the state as a consequence of running a casino? Money comes into the state from out-of-state bettors. Read More
    I became a resident of Bangor three years ago to become a member of one of the finest school systems in the state. Many Bangor residents are not aware that on Election Day, voters will be asked if they want to create term limits for school committee members. Read More
    On Oct. 15 the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) published the following study results: American Indian children whose families moved out of poverty because a casino opened on their reservation experienced a “significant decrease” in behavioral problems. The study concluded that the casino created an “income… Read More
    Arch-British imperialist Kipling, in his sole Spanish empire poem (“The Song of Diego Valdez”), made reference to a “God of Fair Beginnings.” We invoked that deity last Thursday when, crack of dawn, our Land Cruiser shook off Kabul’s traffic and headed north for the Hindu Kush mountains. Read More
    They held a casino “job opportunity” fair in my hometown of Sanford recently. Reportedly, more than 400 people trooped through an old brick mill building, sat down with jobs counselors and went home with glossy brochures. It was said to be quite a success. Unless… Read More
    Whenever Halloween nears, I always feel the urge to rush to the store and stock up on the carload of candy I’ll need to keep the hordes of trick-or-treaters happy. Old habits die hard, I suppose, and the lingering belief that Halloween remains a strictly… Read More
    Maine has a long tradition of viewing a woodlot as a living, growing insurance policy. For retirement, for college tuition, or for hard times, money is growing out back in pines, spruce and maples. But every year, as many as 300 Mainers have their security… Read More
    OWLS HEAD – FBI agents were interviewing employees at Knox County Regional Airport on Wednesday as management was beefing up security after discovery of a “retractable utility knife” on an airplane that had taken off the previous day. “The FBI is here and is doing… Read More
    BREWER – A candidate for the Brewer City Council claims she has been harassed over the telephone and by mail and has been accosted as she drove her car. The alleged instigators tell Ailine H. Simon, 74, to withdraw from the race, Simon said in an interview and… Read More
    ORONO – The Forest Avenue Extension Project is complete, but still under consideration is how the benefited property owners will pay for the new sewer lines. In March the Orono Town Council approved an ordinance that established the pay breakdown as a 50-50 split between… Read More
    OLD TOWN – Two and a half weeks ago the Old Town City Council discussed purchasing a new bulldozer, but decided the cost was too high. That night the council put repairing the town’s current bulldozer for $11,000 on the next agenda. At Thursday’s council… Read More
    BANGOR – Three $1,200 scholarships are available to Maine women through the BPW-Maine Futurama Foundation Scholarship Program. The Rachel E. Lemieux Youth Scholarship is awarded to a female high school senior or recent graduate who will attend college beginning in the fall of 2004. googletag.cmd.push(function… Read More
    ORONO – The University of Maine and the town of Orono are attempting to form a permanent town-university committee. Orono’s community development committee reviewed a proposed plan for the new committee Tuesday and the group’s general consensus was to back the plan. googletag.cmd.push(function () {… Read More
    CARIBOU – The following divorces were granted on grounds of irreconcilable differences by Judge Ronald A. Daigle in September in First District Court at Caribou: Mikel Cameron of South Windham and Mandie Cameron of Limestone, married May 14, 2001, at Caribou. One child will live… Read More
    HOULTON – Houlton High School took a unique approach to its first health fair since 1996, offering students on Wednesday presentations on everything from yoga to drug-sniffing canines. Audrey York, SAD 29 school nurse, said organizers decided to pull the health fair together because it… Read More
    HODGDON – SAD 70 board members discussed a change in the middle school athletic program and heard an update on a mold issue at the high school during a recent school board meeting. Board Chairman Paul Harrison said Wednesday that Hodgdon Middle School’s four basketball… Read More
    MADAWASKA – Selectmen on Tuesday night tabled their discussion on employment contracts for municipal department heads when an executive session was challenged. Selectman Paul Gendreau thought the discussion should be held in executive session since the discussion was to deal with labor issues and personnel. Read More
    CARIBOU – The Aroostook County Branch of the American Red Cross will hold its sixth annual Real Heroes Breakfast 7:30-9 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 13, at the American Legion Post on Sweden Street. Those honored and their awards are: the medical staff of Cary Medical Center,… Read More
    PRESQUE ISLE – The United Way of Aroostook is accepting donations for its annual Santa’s Sleigh Project, including new toys, games or other gifts for needy children. Last year, the project distributed gifts to nearly 800 children in 19 communities throughout Aroostook County. For information… Read More
    BANGOR – Almost 2,000 homes and businesses lost power on Bangor’s west side and in part of Hampden Wednesday afternoon. A Bangor Hydro-Electric Co. representative said a tree fell across power lines at about 5:10 p.m. on Webster Avenue in Bangor. googletag.cmd.push(function () { //… Read More
    Bangor police arrested a woman at Bangor International Airport Wednesday afternoon. Officer Michael Kenny reported that at about 1:20 p.m., Don Griffith, supervisor for the Transportation Security Administration at BIA, radioed to request a law enforcement officer at Gate 2. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define… Read More
    PORTLAND – A federal jury ruled Wednesday in favor of a South Portland police officer in a lawsuit brought by a woman who claimed unnecessary force was used during her arrest last year. Robyn Toler of North Waterboro testified that officer James Fahey threw her… Read More
    ORONO – Preventing alcohol abuse at the University of Maine and in the surrounding community of Orono is the goal of a new cooperative program initiated by the pair. UM’s office of Substance Abuse Prevention Services and the Orono Police Department are using $6,000 in… Read More
    BAILEYVILLE – A transition house might help battle a rapidly growing drug abuse problem Down East, but some neighbors in this community are not interested in having it in their back yard. At a pre-application meeting of the planning board Tuesday night, transition house spokesman… Read More
    CARIBOU – A Caribou man who was being sought by police Tuesday afternoon on a prior complaint of drunken driving was killed that evening in a head-on collision with another vehicle on Route 161 north of the city. Ronald Ouellette, 44, was ejected from his… Read More
    AUBURN – A prosecution witness linked a Down East woman Wednesday to the .22-caliber rifle used to kill her boyfriend, but acknowledged that the fingerprints proved only that murder defendant Katrina Bridges had touched the gun. “That doesn’t mean she shot it,” defense attorney Jeffrey… Read More
    ELLSWORTH – The local high school has been listed by the state as scoring low in reading standards, but that’s because the school’s special education students have been included in the reading test results, according to local school officials. Ellsworth High School is one of… Read More
    CHESTER – The town’s selectmen are rethinking their fire coverage after being asked to increase their payment for an annual fire protection contract with Lincoln by more than triple the current payment. In a letter to the board last week, Lincoln Town Manager Glenn Aho… Read More
    DOVER-FOXCROFT – A Guilford man was sentenced to three years in jail with all but five months suspended for operating an all-terrain vehicle while intoxicated. Police said an inebriated Kenneth McKusick, 26, was traveling July 9 on an ATV with his young son as a… Read More
    ST. GEORGE – A South Thomaston man was involved in an early morning crash on Route 131 when he was distracted by a dog on the side of the road and his vehicle hit a utility pole, authorities said. David L. Dean, 45, was injured,… Read More
    ELLSWORTH – The annual Halloween parade down Main Street, sponsored by the James Russell Wiggins Down East Family YMCA, will be held Friday, Oct. 31. Lineup will begin at 5:15 p.m. at Larry’s Pastry, and the parade will proceed at 5:30 p.m. to the City… Read More
    SURRY – The public is invited to the next meeting of the Surry Community Improvement Association at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 3, at the Surry School gymnasium. Eunice Phillips will explain the Therapy Dog and Disaster Stress Relief Dog Program, using certified therapy dog Kipper… Read More
    BLUE HILL – The Blue Hill Peninsula Parkinson’s disease support group will hold its monthly meeting 2-4 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 19, at Parker Ridge Retirement Community’s Assisted Living Unit dining room. Marnie Reed Crowell, a meditation instructor, will address the benefits of Zen art and… Read More
    HOWLAND – The Maine Department of Transportation is seeking public input about a plan to change the routing of state Route 116 in Howland, Mattamiscontis Township and Chester. The part of state Route 116 that runs between Howland and the Lincoln Connector in Chester is… Read More
    Would you like a delicious breakfast, prepared by someone else, before you head into the woods Opening Day, or before you walk, run, scrapbook or shop ’til you drop? Whatever your preference, thanks to considerate, hard-working volunteers whose only desire is to help others, you… Read More
    PORTLAND – The conviction of an Exeter man for failure to make an accident report within 48 hours was overturned unanimously Wednesday by the Maine Supreme Judicial Court. Benjamin Malo, 20, of Exeter, was convicted last year in 3rd District Court in Newport of operating… Read More
    SCARBOROUGH – Conservative columnist William F. Buckley Jr. decried Gov. John Baldacci’s universal health plan during a visit to Maine. Buckley, 73, said Wednesday that the complicated structure of Dirigo Health hides the fact that it is a government subsidy for health care, a bad… Read More
    Federal funds could be coming to Maine to help researchers study blooms of harmful algae, commonly known as red tide, that have plagued the state’s coast this summer. The Senate on Tuesday night approved a bill sponsored by Sen. Olympia Snowe that would provide funding… Read More
    WASHINGTON – The Senate recently passed an amendment to increase funding for the Help America Vote Act by $1 billion. This increase would fully fund HAVA for 2004, which help states upgrade voting equipment and meet new national election standards. The resulting increase in funding… Read More
    The National Association of State Veterans Homes has elected Philip Jean, administrator of the Scarborough Maine Veterans Home, as president for 2003-04. Since 1999, Jean has overseen the 150-bed Scarborough facility, which provides rehabilitation, long-term, residential and end-of-life care to veterans and their families. googletag.cmd.push(function… Read More
    PORTLAND – A group of Transportation Security Administration representatives will tour Portland’s jetport and cruise ship facilities today. Last July, Portland Transportation Director Jeffrey Monroe requested funding to make Portland the first port in the nation to screen cruise ship passengers just like airline passengers. Read More
    AUGUSTA – It’s been a month and a half since Maine’s anti-spam law took effect, but many commercial e-mail senders still aren’t complying with regulations to shield consumers from the Internet junk mail. A law that was passed by the Legislature last spring and took… Read More
    AUGUSTA – After months of delay, legislative leaders have given the green light to a privately funded study of Maine’s obesity problem. The study, funded by $7,280 raised by the Maine Cardiovascular Health Council, will examine why Mainers – especially children – are growing fatter… Read More
    AUGUSTA – Lawyers representing mental patients have filed legal objections to a new no-smoking policy on the Augusta psychiatric hospital’s grounds. Peter Darvin, who represents nearly 4,000 past and present AMHI patients as part of long-standing class-action suit dealing with other issues, added his objection… Read More
    WASHINGTON – Maine’s number of reported crimes dropped in 2002, contrary to the national trend, according to an FBI report released Monday. Nationwide, an estimated 11.9 million crimes were reported to police in 2002, an increase of less than one-tenth of 1 percent over 2001. Read More
    PORTLAND – The nine dead whales and about 50 dead harbor seals that have washed up on Maine’s coast in the past two months are bringing more attention to the state’s fishing boats. The fishing fleet searches the Gulf of Maine for herring, the small… Read More
    ORONO – R.E.A.C.H. will host a Falling Leaf 5K Run starting at 10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 1, at the University of Maine’s cross country trail. Registration will begin at 9 a.m. in Memorial Gym. The fee is $10 to participate. All proceeds will go to… Read More
    TROY – The Troy Central School will hold a spaghetti supper 4:30-7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 15, on Route 9. Admission is $5 for adults, $4 for children and senior citizens and free for ages 3 and under. All proceeds to benefit the Troy School PTA. Read More
    EAST MILLINOCKET – The Child Development Services of Penobscot County will offer a free development screening 9:30 a.m.-noon Friday, Nov. 14, at the Opal Myrick Elementary School auditorium. This service is available for all Penobscot County area children ages 3 and 4, as well as… Read More
    BANGOR – Manna Ministries will begin its sixth annual turkey drive Monday, Nov. 10, at 180 Center St. Donations of frozen turkeys, cash donations or gift certificates will be used to provide turkeys to food pantries, soup kitchens and individuals throughout central Maine during Thanksgiving. Read More
    BANGOR – Hand-painted and decorated children’s rockers will be on display at the Maine Discovery Museum until Nov. 15, when they will be auctioned off. Select chairs from the collections are on display in several Bangor area businesses. The museum has maps detailing the locations… Read More
    BANGOR – NALS of Northeast Maine will hold its November 2003 meeting at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 4, at the Sea Dog, located at 26 Front St. Roger Huber of Farrell, Rosenblatt and Russell will provide the program at 7 p.m. and will speak about… Read More
    ORONO – Cynthia Stuen and Amy Horowitz of the International Lighthouse for the Blind in New York City will end a series of presentations and workshops on vision loss and aging today at the University of Maine. The event is part of UMaine’s BAC-Toyota Visiting Geriatric Scholar program. Read More
    ORONO – Josh Bubier of Monmouth, a junior in forestry at the University of Maine, has won the National Collegiate Game of Logging championship. Bubier’s teammate, John Fogarty of Old Town, finished third in the competition, held Oct. 18 at Pennsylvania State University’s Mont Alto campus. Read More
    WASHINGTON – Wild-blueberry growers in Maine are now approved for federal funding assistance under the Trade Adjustment Assistance for Farmers program, U.S. Sens. Olympia J. Snowe and Susan Collins announced Wednesday. The TAA certification has been extended to all wild-blueberry growers in Maine, as requested… Read More
    HARRISONBURG, Va. – A federal judge on Wednesday postponed the capital murder trial of David Darrell Rice for nine months at the request of prosecutors who want to retest physical evidence that suggests another man was at the crime scene. Prosecutors asked for the delay… Read More
    AUGUSTA – The labor union for Maine prison guards and the state Bureau of Employee Relations have jointly requested mediation to help with stalled negotiations that sparked 17 days of picketing during the past month. “We’re still at the table,” Ed Willey, state coordinator for… Read More
    “Northern Observations,” paintings by Ed Nadeau and Nina Jerome, through Dec. 1, Department of Art Gallery, second floor, Carnegie Hall, University of Maine, Orono. Looking at Ed Nadeau’s early paintings is like watching reruns of “Northern Exposure,” only stranger. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot… Read More
    Clayton Wallace of Ellsworth likes to keep busy, but owning a golf course has turned out to be too much even for him. “I’m a workaholic,” said Wallace, but averaging more than 100 hours a week at Island Green Golf Center in Holden was too… Read More
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    ORONO – Area children are invited to trick-or-treat with the University of Maine basketball teams Friday at the Bangor Mall. The men’s team will be on hand from 5 to 6 p.m., followed by the women’s team from 6 to 7 p.m. The Black Bears… Read More
    ORONO – Tickets are still available for Thursday night’s Hockey East game between the University of Maine and Merrimack College at Alfond Arena. People can obtain them at the ticket office at the arena during normal business hours (8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.) or during… Read More
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    ORONO – Daniel Florez scored on a penalty kick at the end of regulation play, at the 90-minute mark, to tie the game, as the University of Maine men’s soccer team earned a 3-3 America East tie against Hartford on Wednesday. Neither the Hawks nor… Read More
    Maine vs. Merrimack Time, site: Thursday, 7 p.m.; Alfond Arena, Orono 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
    BANGOR – A Bangor resident will be the first New Englander this far north to receive a service dog from Canine Assistants, a nonprofit organization located in Atlanta. Harold Spaulding, 77, who sold materials for “building trades mostly” for 60 years, has dealt with Parkinson’s… Read More
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    BANGOR – A local craft guild, designing women, will hold a fine arts and crafts show and sale 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 1, at the Holiday Inn, 500 Main St. The show will feature the work of nationally known artisans and include jewelry, handwovens,… Read More
    BREWER – Age does have its benefits. Well Forms, Twin Spin DJ Service and Frank’s Bakery have joined together to present A Gift for the Holidays, a dessert and dance series for senior citizens, planned for 1-3 p.m. Thursdays, Nov. 6, 13 and 20, and Dec. 4, 11… Read More
    BANGOR – Penobscot Theatre Company and The Warren Center for Communication and Learning will sponsor “The Miracle Worker,” William Gibson’s account of the early life of Helen Keller and her remarkable teacher, Annie Sullivan. “The Miracle Worker” will run Nov. 5-23 at the Bangor Opera… Read More
    BANGOR – Officials at the Maine Discovery Museum and Penobscot Theatre Company invite the public to attend a month of activities related to the upcoming performances of “The Miracle Worker,” the true story of Helen Keller and her teacher Annie Sullivan. Activities at the Maine… Read More