BANGOR – The priest who shepherded St. Mary’s Catholic Church through the 1978 fire that destroyed its Cedar Street home has been removed from the pastorate of two South Portland parishes because of his association with a man accused of sexual abuse of a minor. Read More
    In a move that could affect the prospects for a liquefied natural gas terminal in Passamaquoddy Bay, Canadian provincial authorities gave conditional approval Friday to Irving Oil’s plans for an LNG facility near Saint John, New Brunswick. The proposed terminal would be at Mispec, near… Read More
    Portland homemaker Janice Thayer contacted COMBAT when pricey kitchen utensils she had ordered from a California company four months earlier had not yet arrived. Luckily, Janice did everything right, and her experience demonstrates perfectly how to deal with long-distance ordering problems. Janice had ordered a… Read More
    Washington County’s wild blueberry land, which provides more than 70 percent of the state’s annual harvest, will be alive with action this week as harvesting machines, bosses and raking crews tackle the fields. Cherryfield Foods Inc., the state’s largest grower and processor, sends its work… Read More
    Republicans and the media keep bringing up an issue that Sen. John Kerry threw away his well-earned medals after he came home from Vietnam. He was a decorated war hero that saved his men from disaster. Kerry could have left behind one soldier who fell into the water,… Read More
    It is only partly in jest that some refer to the world’s premier bicycle race as the “Tour de Lance.” Lance Armstrong, who won an unprecedented sixth straight Tour de France last month, brought a sense of determination, hard work and grit back to the 21-day cycling race,… Read More
    The University of Maine System recently posted on its Web site more than 150 comments and criticisms of its strategic plan that should strengthen the final version, due at the end of this month. Some of the comments are praise; a few tell the chancellor to forget the… Read More
    How many times have we all said, “Actions speak louder than words”? I can’t help thinking of this when reflecting on the Democratic convention. Most of the speeches I heard consisted mainly of promises, promises, but I heard little about how these promises would be financed. Read More
    A recent letter asked readers not to “change players” in the upcoming presidential election. I know a lot of Mainers like to play cards: cribbage, hearts, sixty-three, even poker. However, when you are playing cards and it becomes obvious that one or more of the players is cheating,… Read More
    I totally agree with Lucy Quimby’s letter, “Bangor’s equal magnets” (BDN, July 29), about the importance of a vibrant downtown; if a community wants to attract not only visitors, but the “creative work force.” On a nationwide basis, those cities that keep their municipal services,… Read More
    Undiscerning readers might deduce from Michael P. Siklosi’s letter, “Mercury information” (BDN, July 30), citing data from the Environmental Protection Agency’s’s Web site, that it is unrealistic to expect power plants burning lignite and sub-bituminous coals to be able to meet the Clean Air Act requirement of a… Read More
    John Frachella’s op-ed, “Sovereignty is not just a tribal issue” (BDN, May 27), was right on target. We are losing our state to the out-of-staters – rich individuals, investment groups and a multitude of so-called environmental-conservation organizations with deep pockets. In Washington County a group… Read More
    PORTLAND – Everyone who has been hospitalized or has undergone an outpatient procedure knows – and probably loathes – the skimpy, ill-fitting, one-size-fits-none hospital gown. Maine Medical Center finally decided to do something about it upon discovering that Muslim women accustomed to being fully covered… Read More
    BREWER – A particularly egregious application of Murphy’s Law – that if it is possible for something to go wrong, it will – was revealed to every property owner mailed a property tax bill last Friday: owners’ names were correct, but the property they were being taxed for… Read More
    Maine Army National Guard members were welcomed home on a grand scale Saturday when almost 2,000 people attended ceremonies at the Bangor Auditorium as part of the Freedom Salute Campaign. The approximately 160 soldiers, who returned in April from a year in Iraq, Kuwait and… Read More
    A Biddeford man was arrested for drug possession Saturday night after Bangor police found him sleeping in a car at Shaw’s supermarket on Main Street. Joseph Howe, 24, of Biddeford told police he was tired after they found him slumped over the car steering wheel… Read More
    CASWELL – As pupils are sitting down to laptops in the classroom and pulling up to desktop computers at night, it is easy to forget that some families are struggling to provide their children with even the most basic school supplies. But one woman in… Read More
    HOULTON – When the spring rains start to dry up and the short stretch of summer sneaks in, you can hear the subtle sounds of the town’s skateboarding population in Market Square. Mostly teenagers, they bring down their boards onto short sections of asphalt near… Read More
    HOULTON – In recent years, Houlton International Airport has seemed like an awkward teenager, alternating between spurts of growth and relative stability. A vital resource for pilots and a security tool for the U.S. Border Patrol, it is also in an area where jobs have… Read More
    PRESQUE ISLE – From behind the black mesh barrier that protected spectators at the Northern Maine Fair on Saturday afternoon, Lori Branscombe was a bundle of emotions. The Smyrna woman screamed, cheered, covered her eyes and clapped her hands over her mouth. She ran her… Read More
    ROCKLAND – All midcoast families with babies born in the last year are invited to attend the first Baby’s First Birthday party at 1 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 15, at Penobscot Bay Medical Center. Birthday cake, ice cream, punch and fresh fruit will be served under… Read More
    ST. STEPHEN, New Brunswick – The Rose Bowl parade has professionally built floats with millions of colorful flower petals. Macy’s is unparalleled when it comes to giant helium balloons. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner… Read More
    NORTH HAVEN – The man who brought Broadway-quality theater to a small Maine island was honored Saturday night by the community. In what must have been a no-brainer decision, residents dedicated the theater at the new North Haven Arts and Enrichment at Waterman’s Community Center… Read More
    Courts Rockland District Court 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
    ELLSWORTH – A tour of the Ellsworth Public Library gardens will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 14. John O’Keefe, who designed the gardens, will lead the tour. Participants should gather on the library’s front lawn at 10 a.m. There is no rain date for the tour… Read More
    DETROIT – This tiny Somerset County town of 750 residents has always had a reputation for frugality. “We raise tax money only for the bare necessities,” said veteran First Selectman Joseph Cianchette this week. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var… Read More
    GARLAND – A local man was killed early Saturday morning when the truck he was driving rolled over and struck a tree on the Campbell Road. Thomas Adams, 26, of Garland was dead when police arrived on the scene just after midnight Friday, according to… Read More
    PLYMOUTH – The driver of a car involved in a fatal head-on collision Friday had swerved into the lane of oncoming traffic as a way of saying hello to another vehicle, police said Sunday. This appears to be a trend among some drivers, Deputy James… Read More
    ORRINGTON – Penobscot County detectives are investigating a Saturday BB-gun shooting on the Fowler Road. A Bangor family was traveling toward Center Drive when a shot from either a BB gun or a pellet rifle hit the van’s front right window, shattering the glass, according… Read More
    Because of the difficulty that nighttime driving presents to people with multiple sclerosis, just getting from the Blue Hill area to Ellsworth to participate in an MS support group there can be challenging. For that reason, Rick Alexander of Blue Hill told me, an effort… Read More
    WINSLOW – A health organization will ask the Town Council to support a resolution that would discourage smoking on public land by posting “Tobacco Free Zone” signs. Healthy Horizons, one of 31 Healthy Maine Partnerships, hopes to get the council to embrace the resolution during… Read More
    After a year as the University of Maine’s image and marketing chief, Luanne Lawrence is moving on. She plans to leave at the end of September to become vice president for university advancement at Oregon State University, which means she will be that school’s top… Read More
    ROCKLAND – The Maine Boats & Harbors Show is more about a way of life on the Maine coast than simply boats. It slips into Rockland’s harbor front Friday for three days of events this Friday. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes =… Read More
    Hoping to set the stage for a lifetime of good citizenship for Maine’s youth, a group made up of people from around the state will begin meeting next month to recommend ways to involve more students in civic and political affairs. Research suggests that young… Read More
    What started out as a way for two men to improve their health turned into a two-year East Coast adventure as they rode their bikes from Calais to Key West, Fla., during their vacations. It all added up to a 3,067-mile journey, and Jason Baack… Read More
    FALMOUTH – The head of the White House’s Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives says he’ll fight local governments that impede federal funding of religious groups. “Sometimes you see local governments that bully faith-based organizations and basically tell them that they have to compromise their… Read More
    FORT KENT – With a loud plunking sound, the tin can went flying backward off the small ledge. “Range closed!” Walt Shepard said, his voice raised so that the five youngsters could hear him – and stop shooting. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var… Read More
    QUEBEC CITY – Shane Hopper and Ricky Morton each had two hits and three RBIs to lead the division-leading Quebec Capitales to an 8-5 victory over the Bangor Lumberjacks Saturday night. The Capitales’ win gives them a two-game lead over Bangor in the Northeast League… Read More
    LOCAL At Dover-Foxcroft 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
    SYRACUSE, N.Y. – The Hampden-Newburgh-Winterport Junior League state champion softball team won its first three games at the Eastern Regional Tournament Saturday and Sunday. On Sunday afternoon, HNW beat the Maryland state champs 6-4 and then downed Delaware 2-1 in the tourney for ages 13… Read More
    SCARBOROUGH – Rick Frenette captured his fourth victory of the season in the Pro Series at Beech Ridge Speedway Saturday night. Frenette led from the drop of the green but had a mirror full of Steve Carrier challenging him the entire 40 laps. J.R. Barill… Read More
    MIAMI – Bangor native Matt Kinney was designated for assignment by the Milwaukee Brewers Saturday to make room on the roster for righthanded starter Wes Obermueller, who was recalled Friday Triple-A Indianapolis. Being designated for assignment means Kinney must pass through waivers without being claimed… Read More
    BANGOR – It’s summertime, and the livin’ is easy for those with a place to go – a cottage, a camp, a relative’s kitchen or even just an evening listening to a nationally known author talk about his summer place. George Howe Colt, author of “The Big House,”… Read More
    THE GARDEN OF MARTYRS, by Michael C. White, St. Martin’s Press, New York, 2004, 359 pages, $24.95. Americans have always mistrusted – hated is probably a more accurate word – certain groups of foreigners. In New England in 1805, much of that fear and loathing… Read More
    A Nova Scotia woman is hoping to contact some distant relatives who may live in Bangor. M. Yvonne (Chiasson) Olson writes that Victor Chiasson, son of Laurent Chiasson and Flavie (Boudreau) was born in the mid-1800s at Belle Cote, Inverness County, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, on the famous… Read More
    In theaters “The Manchurian Candidate” 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