Those who want to operate slot machines at the state’s harness racing tracks would have to pony up millions of dollars more each year and share more of that money with others in the struggling industry, based on a Baldacci administration bill designed to crack down on the… Read More
AUGUSTA – The largest land deal in Maine’s history, the 329,000-acre West Branch Project, is complete. The agreement between the Forest Society of Maine, a Bangor-based land trust, and Wagner Forest Management, which controls the land for a group of investors called Merriweather LLC, closed… Read More
With the outbreak of influenza widespread in all but seven U.S. states, hospital emergency personnel throughout Maine are under pressure to care for an expanding number of patients. Hospital emergency rooms across the state are seeing an influx of people suffering from flulike symptoms, creating… Read More
Staff members at the University of Maine’s Maynard F. Jordan Planetarium are among the many astronomy enthusiasts around the world anxiously awaiting new photos from Mars. “We’re keeping in close touch with the events of the rover and downloading the new images more than once… Read More
PORTLAND – By the time the law caught up with Steven Morehouse, the 66-year-old New Hampshire man had spent 23 years making a living by stealing other people’s identities. Federal officials say he bilked more than $346,000 out of people from North Carolina to Maine. Read More
Re: “Pope asks for defense of marriage” (BDN, Dec. 29). How very privileged the world is to be given the best of 13th-century thinking in sociology, psychiatry and theology on the “defense of marriage”; especially from someone who has never been married. All are equally privileged to know… Read More
The number of required provisions in health insurance has increased 40-fold since 1970 among states, which are beginning to become much more scrupulous about adding to the lists of mandated coverage. While Maine has only a small number of the 1,400 total required benefits, it has followed this… Read More
Among all the congratulatory speeches yesterday about the completion of part of the West Branch land preservation project, there wasn’t much talk about the change in mindsets necessary to complete the deal to protect land stretching from the West Branch of the Penobscot River to the Canadian border. Read More
Gerald Robertson, representing AARP, wrote to give highlights of the recently passed Medicare drug benefit. His letter of Dec. 30 ended, “Now we need to address the problem of ever-increasing drug costs.” One highlight he neglected to mention prevents our government from bargaining with drug… Read More
I was appalled with CBS’s lack of moral integrity in airing the Michael Jackson special, in light of the child molestation charges against him. Obviously he is not guilty until proven so in a court of law, but to allow someone with his reputation to be promoted and… Read More
It occurs to me that there is something immoral about sending young people to Iraq to fight and die, while at the same time denying them the adult experience of having a beer stateside. Spc. Michael G. Mihalakis, 18, died the day after Christmas in Iraq. (“Guard Reserve… Read More
Scott Wingate (Dec. 31 letter to the editor) asked a very good question that many of us in Bucksport are wondering about and becoming increasingly frustrated with. When I can buy gas in “downtown” Castine for 5 cents a gallon cheaper than Bucksport, then something is wrong. Clearly,… Read More
For those of us paying attention, events of 2003 provided many lessons that, if applied in 2004 in our own lives, would make us wiser in the new year: . from Bob Hope, who died last year at age 100, we learned the power of… Read More
After just barely avoiding disastrous collapse, the big Loya Jirga tent in Kabul has been duly taken down and folded away. Afghanistan’s got a new constitution. U.N. and U.S. officials are all smiles. Me – I’m breathing deeply, hoping for the best, and agreeing with weary delegates that… Read More
Public: $19.7 million federal Forest Legacy grants 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
Old-fashioned barbershops have been vanishing across America for so long now that the opening of a new one is something of a cultural curiosity these days. Ervin Morrison, who hung out his red, white and blue barber pole on Main Street in Bangor almost three… Read More
BANGOR – Two former executives of a Winslow biological laboratory pleaded not guilty Monday in federal court to charges that they were involved in a scheme to smuggle a chicken virus into the country from Saudi Arabia so they could produce a vaccine. A third… Read More
AUGUSTA – Retail sales increased in all but two regions of Maine in the third quarter, led by strong gains in Bangor, Portland and Aroostook County, according to new state sales figures. Tourism spending was disappointing, meanwhile, and the only area of Maine that saw… Read More
PORTAGE LAKE – Loggers and truckers working for J.D. Irving’s Maine Woodlands operations stayed off the job Monday. For the second time in three years, they parked $20 million worth of equipment because they want to negotiate a contract. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot… Read More
AUGUSTA – Health care finance is a complicated business, but William Haggett, chair of Gov. John Baldacci’s recently appointed Hospital Study Commission, says it’s time for Maine hospitals to cut to the chase. Are Maine hospitals spending 20 percent higher than the national average or… Read More
The grass carp is the lawn mower of the aquatic world. This Asian fish can eat as much as three times its weight in submerged plants every day, and it’s not exactly a delicate fish – large grass carp can weigh hundreds of pounds. Now,… Read More
BANGOR – City councilors agreed Monday that a proposed shoreland zoning amendment that would pave the way for a second residential component in the city’s waterfront redevelopment district warrants additional review. Some concerns councilors raised about the amendment were the potential impacts on the city’s… Read More
TOWNSHIP 5 RANGE 9 – A Houlton man was killed Monday when an oncoming logging truck spilled a load of logs into his path. Maine State Police identified the victim as Tony Jay, 29. Jay was driving a minivan on Route 11 north of Brownville… Read More
The Penobscot County Sheriff’s Department is investigating a burglary that occurred in Dixmont on Monday afternoon. Deputy Sean McCue said that somebody apparently kicked in the door of a Troy Center Road house between noon and 4:30 p.m. and then ransacked it. googletag.cmd.push(function () {… Read More
BANGOR – Now that Lew Hussey, 22, of Milo is home from Iraq, his family can finally have Christmas. “We’ve got our tree still up with all our lights on it and gifts still underneath,” said Debbie Hussey, Lew’s mother, Monday evening at Bangor International… Read More
BAR HARBOR – The Maine Public Utilities Commission has approved a 14-percent rate increase for the town’s water system, effective Jan. 1. Rates for most residential and commercial customers are estimated to increase by an average of 13 percent, finance director Stan Harmon said in… Read More
GOULDSBORO – A man who allegedly twice has failed to appear in court tried to disappear again when officers showed up at his home Sunday evening, according to police. This time, however, a Maine State Police dog met him at the back door and latched onto his leg… Read More
BELFAST – The Waldo County YMCA will host a community buffet supper and auction 5:30-9 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 7. Items donated by members, local patrons, businesses and the community will be auctioned 7-9 p.m. New and high-quality auction items are being sought. googletag.cmd.push(function () {… Read More
AUGUSTA – Sharon Foss, office manager for the Washington County Soil and Water Conservation District, has been named vice chairperson for the Maine Agriculture in the Classroom’s board for 2004. She will be present at the organization’s 2004 Summer Teachers Institute, which will be held… Read More
ROCKLAND – Police arrested Benjamin Sheehan, 32, of Rockland early Sunday for allegedly forcing his way into a James Street home. Deputy Chief Wallace Tower said Monday that police were summoned to the home at 2:20 a.m. after Sheehan had tried to get into the… Read More
NORTHEAST HARBOR – The Neighborhood House will host a free housing meeting and potluck supper 6-8:30 p.m. tonight on Main Street. The meeting will include an update on a housing study and a community housing action plan drafted by Mount Desert Community Trust. googletag.cmd.push(function ()… Read More
HARRINGTON – Washington County’s health administrators are preparing to appear before state legislators in Augusta who are deciding on budget cuts at the Bureau of Medical Services. Last Friday, gathering at the Harrington Family Health Center, professionals pooled their energy after learning how the state’s… Read More
MACHIAS – The new and the old were presented Sunday at the annual winter open house for the town’s historic Porter Memorial Library. The occasion featured the debut of the refurbished children’s room in the basement, its color and lighting scheme a real change for… Read More
BUCKSPORT – The Bucksport Senior Center will hold a ribbon-cutting for the Buck Connection public transportation service, 9 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 7, at the center’s parking lot. In an effort to better meet community transportation needs, Terry’s Taxi and Downeast Transportation Services created the shuttle… Read More
SEDGWICK – Old photographs will be featured at the Sedgwick-Brooklin Historical Society’s meeting at 7 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 20, in the society’s archiving room, at the Sedgwick Storage Co. on Route 172, about one mile north of the Sedgwick Town House and historic district. The… Read More
NEBRASKA CITY, Neb. – Ten flowering trees will be given to each person who joins The National Arbor Day Foundation this month. The trees are part of the nonprofit foundation’s Trees for America campaign, and include flowering dogwoods, flowering crab apples, Washington hawthorns, American redbuds… Read More
NEWPORT – Citing concerns about the legality of a resident’s petition requesting a tax cap in area communities, Newport Town Manager James Ricker said Monday that he has turned documents over to the town’s attorney for review. Ricker said his concern was that the petition… Read More
BANGOR – Home-schooled students who enroll at Bangor High School intending to graduate in 2007 must meet the Maine Learning Results before they can be awarded a diploma, according to new policies adopted Monday by the school committee. Also, parents of Bangor students who are… Read More
BREWER – Adding self-funded Class B teams to the middle school baseball, softball and cheering programs and adding a self-funded middle school field hockey team may be on the horizon for Brewer. The Brewer School Committee approved the concept for adding the sports to the… Read More
HAMPDEN – Town councilors Monday endorsed a Bangor City Council resolution to press state and federal authorities to increase the weight limit on Interstate 95 north of Augusta. Concerned about the effects that an increase in heavy truck traffic likely would have on congestion, safety… Read More
AUGUSTA – A yearlong celebration kicked off Sunday to commemorate the 250th anniversary of Fort Western, one of the northernmost outposts of English colonial settlement and the seed for the future formation of Augusta. The fort, now known as Old Fort Western, is billed as… Read More
ROCKLAND – If city councilors vote next week to offer health insurance to the domestic partners of city employees, the benefit will be paid for by the affected employees. At their agenda-setting session Monday night, Councilors Mark Curtis, Tom Molloy and Brian Harden indicated that… Read More
BAR HARBOR – Voters at a special town meeting Monday gave their enthusiastic support to a $2.3 million school renovation project, with only a handful of the nearly 100 residents voicing opposition. “It’s a big commitment for them to make,” Glenon Friedmann, chairwoman of the… Read More
CAMDEN – The Select Board agreed to let the town be the lead applicant for a housing assessment grant at its meeting Monday night. Mike Bonzagni, housing services director for the Rockland-based Coastal Community Action Program, helped put together a consortium of eight communities seeking… Read More
VEAZIE – A Bangor man appeared Friday in court, charged with burglarizing three homes and a storage shed in Veazie. James White, 33, of Bangor allegedly stole a minimum of $5,000 worth of personal property, including furniture, TVs and a VCR, according to Veazie Police… Read More
CORINTH – State police Monday released a drawing of the man who apparently kicked in the back door of a mobile home last week on Route 15 in Corinth and threatened two teenage boys with a screwdriver. The man still is being sought by police. Read More
Bar Harbor District Court Cases Dec. 1-30, 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
PRESQUE ISLE – A local woman who was the victim of a hit-and-run accident died Sunday after suffering massive head and internal injuries, according to a Presque Isle police officer. Susan Rundle, 50, of Presque Isle died from her injuries soon after she was rushed… Read More
BANGOR – A man accused of breaking into a home in Bangor last month and leaving his identification card on the bathroom sink was indicted Monday by the Penobscot County grand jury. Jeremy Bean, 28, of Bangor was indicted on 10 counts of burglary, six… Read More
EDDINGTON – Two-thirds of the $300,000 housing improvement grant the towns of Eddington, Clifton and Bradley received in July remains unused. The money, which can be used for everything from improving home heating systems to adding a wheelchair ramp, needs to be used by the… Read More
LEWISTON – Four suspects have been arrested in connection with a vandalism spree in the Lewiston-Auburn area that damaged more than a dozen vehicles. The incidents Sunday caused thousands of dollars in damage when vehicles in Lewiston, Lisbon and Auburn were shot with a BB… Read More
Most of us probably believe that free house calls by anyone of any profession, from doctors to electricians, are a thing of the past. But that’s not so in the Machias area, where Curtis Carver of Carver Computers has been making free house calls for… Read More
BANGOR – A Glenburn man was sentenced Monday to 15 years in prison for stealing jeans and assaulting a security guard in February 2003 at J.C. Penney Co. in Bangor. Other charges against Kirk DePhilippo, 40, are pending in Hancock County for alleged thefts in… Read More
Members of Maine’s congressional delegation say they will continue to push for legislation to reduce mercury emissions from power plants in response to a Bush administration decision to relax restrictions. The Environmental Protection Agency last month proposed extending the timeline to 15 years by when… Read More
For years, for no other reason than the simple pleasure of messing around with fabric, needle, thread and ideas, I made myself a rag doll each holiday season. I made so many, they filled a trunk. I used commercial patterns for some of the dolls,… Read More
ORONO – John Patches, executive director of the Maine Center for the Arts, has always kept a producer’s eye on Atlantic Canada’s art scene, programming theater, dance and music generated by artists on the other side of Maine’s northern borders. Canada acknowledged Patches’ attention last September when he… Read More
With wedding season still months away, hundreds of brides-to-be turned out to scout the latest trends at two bridal shows in the Bangor area last weekend. Maine Wedding magazine staged a fashion show featuring wedding gowns as well as attire for the entire wedding party… Read More
“The modern style of letter-writing gains in force what it loses in circumlocution and ceremony. It is characterized by directness and brevity.” Those words were written in 1891 by Daphne Dale, who comprosed what she called a “practical guide to deportment, easy manners and social… Read More
Dear Jim: Some neighbors with gas or oil heat just installed heat pumps. I have electric heat and I am thinking about installing a heat pump too. What is new in heat pumps and which are most efficient and comfortable? – Ray W. Dear Ray:… Read More
The University of Maine hockey team didn’t have much time to enjoy Sunday afternoon’s impressive 6-1 win over Vermont at Portland’s Cumberland County Civic Center. They will return to the ice Tuesday night for a Hockey East makeup game against Merrimack College at Lawler Arena. Read More
Both the Bangor and Hampden girls basketball teams will be missing members of the regular starting lineup when the Broncos and Rams meet Tuesday for the second time this season. Bangor center Alyssa Ogden will miss her third straight game with a broken finger. And… Read More
Bucksport native Jason Harvey expects to be trading in his green-and-gold uniform for a blue-and-white version this spring. Harvey, a three-sport standout at Bucksport High School, intends to transfer from Husson College to the University of Maine and hopes to be working out with coach… Read More
MILO – The Penquis girls basketball team has had some trouble this year winning close games. In fact, several of the Patriots’ losses have come despite fourth-quarter leads. Penquis nearly let Monday night’s Eastern Maine Class C matchup against Mattanawcook Academy get away from them,… Read More
A cold snap is coming. Honest. At least, that’s what the latest weather reports are telling us. And for those of us who think hats with furry ear-flaps are not only functional, but also quite dapper, that means only one thing: It’s time to go fishing … well,… Read More
COLLEGE Meg Cressler 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
HIGH SCHOOL PTC Class B Football 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
MAINE vs. MERRIMACK Time, site: Tuesday, 7 p.m., Lawler Arena, No. Andover, Mass. 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… Read More
MADAWASKA – Jeremy Chasse’s 3-point goal with 21/2 minutes remaining gave Van Buren a 45-43 schoolboy basketball victory over Madawaska on Monday night. Chasse finished with a team-high 17 points, while Matthew Gagnon added 10 points for Van Buren. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot… Read More
EAST MACHIAS – Senior guard Whitney Stevens scored eight of his game-high 24 points in the third quarter as Washington Academy remained undefeated with a 62-41 Downeast Athletic Conference schoolboy basketball victory over Calais on Monday night. Jared Gray added 12 points for the Raiders,… Read More
GUILFORD – Trisha MacDonald scored 22 points to lead Stearns of Millinocket to a 77-61 schoolgirl basketball victory over the Piscataquis Pirates on Monday night. Jen Nason added 11 points for Stearns, which gradually pulled away from a 16-16 first-quarter tie. googletag.cmd.push(function () { //… Read More
FARMINGTON – Kari Simpson poured in 24 points to help carry the University of Maine-Farmington to a 72-64 women’s basketball victory over Plymouth State Monday night. Karen Sirois contributed with 12 points, nine rebounds and seven assists for UMF. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot… Read More
RUMFORD – Olympian Carl Swenson and Rebecca Dussault made it two titles in two races Monday at the Chevrolet U.S. Cross Country Championships as a record-breaking number of skiers raced. Swenson, of Park City, Utah, won his 10th U.S. championship as he covered the two-lap,… Read More
HELSINKI, Finland – The United States won its first world junior hockey title Monday, beating Canada 4-3 after Canadian goalie Marc-Andre Fleury’s failed clearing pass ended up in his own goal. Fleury’s pass bounced off teammate Braydon Coburn and into the Canadian goal with 5:12… Read More