AUGUSTA – The underfunding of the Maine court system is undermining the promise of justice made in the preamble of the Maine Constitution, the head of the judiciary told the Legislature on Tuesday in her annual address. Leigh I. Saufley, chief justice of the Maine… Read More
    AUGUSTA – The Department of Environmental Protection is looking to cut at least a dozen positions from its general fund budget to meet the flat funding required of all state agencies for fiscal years 2006 and 2007. Flat funding amid ever-increasing health insurance costs, projected… Read More
    A State page story published Saturday about the 2006 governor’s race erroneously suggested the Maine Green Independent Party could maintain its official party status if it fielded a U.S. Senate candidate who received more than 5 percent of the vote in 2006. In fact, under Maine law, the… Read More
    BANGOR – Penobscot County commissioners Tuesday called on the courts to come up with creative sentencing programs that balance punishment and rehabilitation with reducing costly jail expenses. “Times have changed and we’re looking at budget constraints,” Commissioner Stephen Stanley said during the commissioners’ regular meeting. Read More
    FORT KENT – All 11 men in the first graduating class of certified forest workers in Northern Maine Community College’s 12-week program are working in Maine forests. Graduation ceremonies were held at Fort Kent Jan. 21. One of the graduates is working for the International… Read More
    DOVER-FOXCROFT – Piscataquis County commissioners gave their endorsement Tuesday to the creation of a Piscataquis tourism task force and its work plan. The job of the task force will be to ferret out tourism opportunities from the various tourism studies completed or in progress to… Read More
    The following petitions for bankruptcy have been filed at U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Bangor: Kenneth H. Clifford, no occupation given, Debra A. Clifford, massage therapist, one dependent, Fairfield: assets, $158,910; debts, $297,507. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes =… Read More
    Over the past two years, the Maine Working Waterfront Coalition has identified strategies that we think could help Maine’s coastal communities combat the continuing loss of access to the working waterfront. We are pleased that the recent tax reform package adopted by the Legislature includes two of the… Read More
    The states with the largest economic interest in the pending Central American Free Trade Agreement are in the Southeast. Florida represents nearly 20 percent of U.S. exports to the five Central American countries in the trade pact; Alabama relies on the region to buy its apparel and fabric-mill… Read More
    Although the demise of the state’s lobster industry has been predicted for years, only to be met with years of record catches, a recent study by fisheries researchers provides reason for concern. University of Maine marine scientists found that fishing that targets specific species, especially those high up… Read More
    Isn’t it wonderful! Who would have thought just two years ago that the Iraqi people would be able to hold free elections – their first step toward democracy? But, thanks be to God, it has happened. Despite the naysayers, skep-tics and opinionated doom-and-gloomers, some 60… Read More
    Just when I think the United States cannot be dragged down any lower, it is. The world stands aghast at the spectacle of a secretary of state who, by her own actions and words, has proven herself to be incompetent, unilateral and aggressive – just the opposite of… Read More
    I confess that all I know about Maine’s seemingly misnamed Learning Results program is what I read in the newspaper. The title itself is somewhat ambiguous since “learning,” the noun, is the result of “learning,” the verb. In both cases the quality of “leaning” depends… Read More
    In the past the contracts gave state employees an across-the-board percentage raise. Those at the top might have seen enough of a difference to help with the cost-of-living increases, but those of us at the bottom did not. Cost-of-living increases are just as high for… Read More
    The Child Development Services Program (CDS) is slated for a $418,000 cut this year. A cut of $7,381,000 is planned for next year. This information and much more about planned cuts was made available last week at a standing-room-only meeting at the Legislature. I attended… Read More
    In August, I challenged members of my staff with an aggressive goal: By the end of the academic year, I wanted to establish a Graduate School of Biomedical Science (GSBS) at the University of Maine. A one-year timetable for such an undertaking is a fast track for an… Read More
    CALAIS – A South Portland businessman wants to make it easier for returning soldiers from Iraq and Afghanistan to get a college education. And he has donated nearly $1 million to make it happen. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var… Read More
    BANGOR – Derald Cochran remembers the first car he sold as if it were yesterday. “It was a Dodge Dart. It cost $3,200,” said Cochran, a salesman at Bangor Chrysler Dodge, one of the first auto dealerships to set up shop on Hogan Road in… Read More
    BANGOR – Maine will receive another $2.6 million in emergency funding for its Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program soon. On Tuesday, the federal Department of Health and Human Services announced that it was releasing $100 million from a $300 million LIHEAP contingency fund approved… Read More
    Wolves are again considered federally endangered in Maine, thanks to a ruling by an Oregon judge Tuesday. Regardless of state debates over whether wolves live in or occasionally travel through Maine’s North Woods, the gray wolf has been under federal protection since 1974. googletag.cmd.push(function ()… Read More
    Sukie Rice and Lee Chisholm will give a talk later this month on their work with AIDS-affected orphans in Kenya. Rice, of Freeport, was moved by a 2002 talk about the huge number of orphans in the East African nation. She organized a local Friends of Kakamega group… Read More
    EDDINGTON – Computer simulations of how the Penobscot River might look after a lengthy restoration project is complete elicited spontaneous applause Tuesday night as local residents gathered to consider the ecological past, present and future of their river. If the Veazie and Great Works dams… Read More
    Following are divorces granted recently in 13th District Court on grounds of irreconcilable marital differences: John E. Gifford, Lee, and Kim E. Gifford, Lincoln, married at Lee, Dec. 5, 1992. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var… Read More
    AUGUSTA – Few people who knew Jeff Parola were apt to forget him. Now, the Legislature is poised to make sure that no one who passes through Sidney ever will either. On Nov. 13, 1994, Parola was responding to a domestic violence complaint when his… Read More
    MACHIAS – A federal boost is always helpful to Washington County’s food pantries, but in general, 2004 was a generous year for donations direct from the communities they serve. That was the consensus by those who work the pantries. Nevertheless, they came together for the… Read More
    CALAIS – A bunch of arctic dippers have raised nearly $30,000 for the Ronald McDonald House in Bangor and that number continues to grow. Organizers of last Friday’s fifth annual Washington County Community College Polar Bear Dip said they were pleased with the response, and… Read More
    LINCOLN – Wanted: 10 acres of free land. With a basketball tournament planned for next month that might raise as much as $6,000, grant research under way, residents surveyed and concepts being drawn, the proposed town Parks and Recreation Department center needs something else. googletag.cmd.push(function… Read More
    ST. AGATHA – A state legislator has proposed the construction of a bridge to alleviate the environmental problems caused by a more than half-mile-long causeway to the 285-acre Pelletier Island in the northeast corner of Long Lake. A separate plan with a price tag of… Read More
    The Community School has received $5,000 that it will use to launch its Next Step Fund. The money, to be used as an endowment, will assist graduates of the alternative high school in pursuing further education. Levi Walton of South Thomaston (photo) said he donated the money in… Read More
    Sara Washburn Hatfield of Warren (photo) has joined the Knox Center, a long-term care facility, as executive assistant to the administrator. Hatfield started working at the facility years ago as a volunteer. She is working toward a bachelor’s degree in business administration at the University of Maine in… Read More
    A fire that apparently began in the wiring of a pickup truck burned a Morancy Road resident’s garage Monday night. Sullivan Fire Chief Joe Fountaine said the flames destroyed the garage, ruining three vehicles, a lathe and dozens of tools that Irving Severance kept inside the structure. Firefighters… Read More
    Gov. John Baldacci will be the featured guest at a public spaghetti supper from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 4, at the East Machias municipal building. The dinner is a benefit for Neighbors Helping Neighbors, an East Machias-based nonprofit that helps dozens of Down East families fix… Read More
    Police Chief Alfred Ockenfels has named Sgt. Jeffrey McLaughlin (photo) as the department’s 2004 Officer of the Year. McLaughlin has served in the department for 20 years. He was recognized in a brief ceremony Tuesday for his exemplary professionalism. NEWS reporter Leanne M. Robicheau… Read More
    A fishing vessel made it into port safely on Tuesday after it started taking on water. The vessel Ozone had two people on board and was fishing in waters off Washington County when it started taking on water at about 1 p.m. It was escorted back to shore… Read More
    The U.S. Coast Guard is reshaping itself. Sector by sector, the service is combining its marine safety offices and its other operations, such as groups, small boat stations, air stations and vessel traffic services. The idea is to have one commander for a combined operation. “We hope to… Read More
    Authorities took into custody Tuesday three teenagers suspected of numerous burglaries in Penobscot County. The three were captured after a failed break-in at a Center Drive home in Orrington when they tried to force their way into the home but were confronted by a girl… Read More
    PITTSFIELD – Fresh on the heels of obtaining a $400,000 Community Development Block Grant last year for Walpole Woodworkers to bring 40 new jobs and a major expansion to the town’s Industrial Park, town councilors Tuesday night approved applying for another $400,000 CDBG grant for a log home… Read More
    Penobscot County Superior 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
    BANGOR – A construction crew and members of the Army National Guard were evacuated briefly Tuesday after a small natural gas line broke outside Bangor International Airport. No injuries were reported and the line was quickly shut down. The gas dissipated, Assistant Fire Chief Vance… Read More
    ORRINGTON – The figures are all very preliminary but it looks like Center Drive School will get more state education funds for next year, Superintendent Allan Snell said Tuesday during an Orrington School Committee meeting. “It’s a much better situation for the town,” he said. Read More
    BELFAST – With their lease to operate from the waterfront rail yard in jeopardy, officials from the Belfast & Moosehead Lake Railroad came before the City Council Tuesday asking for a second chance. B&ML president Ron Trottier and his general manager, Paul Hallett, both implored… Read More
    HOULTON – Despite arguments against the idea, town councilors backed Councilor Carl Lord’s notion to “trade the old horse in and get a racer” on Monday evening and denied funding to a local economic development group. After more than an hour of debate at the… Read More
    HOULTON – The local florists, health care workers and businesspeople whom residents see every day will be out in full force again Saturday to raise money for one of the town’s most significant causes. This year’s annual celebrity waiter dinner, sponsored by the Greater Houlton… Read More
    FRENCHVILLE – A transportation bid to haul solid waste from a transfer station at Frenchville to a Canadian landfill is the lowest in recent memory. Brian Roy’s bid of $16.40 per ton could save the Northern Aroostook Regional Incinerator Facility, which includes the towns of… Read More
    HOULTON – A tag-team investigation between Houlton police and personnel at Houlton High School led to the recovery late Tuesday afternoon of a missing laptop computer. Houlton police Lt. Daniel Pelletier said Tuesday that high school Principal Marty Bouchard contacted them on Jan. 12 and… Read More
    AUGUSTA – Maine’s state parks began accepting camping reservations on Feb. 1. Summer reservations can be made for 12 popular state parks; Sebago Lake, Aroostook, Bradbury Mountain, Camden Hills, Cobscook Bay, Lake St. George, Lamoine, Lily Bay, Mount Blue, Peaks-Kenny, Rangeley Lake and Warren Island. Read More
    ORONO – The Women and the Woods workshop originally planned for Thursday, Jan. 20, but canceled because of snow, has been rescheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 8. Organizers hope to create a network of woman woodlot owners who can share information about their traditionally male role. Read More
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Olympia J. Snowe has been presented a Special Recognition Award from the Maine School Boards Association for her efforts in securing funding for schools and libraries across the nation to improve their telecommunications options and access to Internet services. “E-rate funding… Read More
    From Rachel Ferguson and Jan Cox we learn that this is a special week for members of St. John’s Women’s Council of St. John’s Roman Catholic Church in Bangor. Ferguson reports the group is celebrating its 65th anniversary, “in grand style,” with a daylong event. Read More
    ELLSWORTH – Musicians, painters, sculptors, crafters and other artisans are invited to share their ideas Friday afternoon with board members and officers of the Hancock County Cultural Network. The group will meet to brainstorm and prioritize goals during a public meeting from 3 to 4… Read More
    PORTLAND – Motorists along the Maine Turnpike had to scramble for additional change Tuesday as higher tolls went into effect on the day that also marked a switch in the electronic toll collection system. The E-ZPass system used on 40 toll roads in nine other… Read More
    Take a little “Stomp.” Add a pound of “Iron Chef” and a kick of Jackie Chan. Season with humor and high jinks, rhythm and rock ‘n’ roll. Slice, dice and saute over a Korean barbecue for 90 minutes. Now you’re “Cookin’.” googletag.cmd.push(function () { //… Read More
    Asian students at the University of Maine plan to ring in the Lunar New Year with style and spice Sunday. Exotic food and cultural awareness are both on the menu at a special dinner being held at UMaine’s Fogler Library to celebrate Asia’s most important… Read More
    Competition was hot – and mild – during last week’s Super Bowl of Chili, held at the Bangor Daily News’ Warren Stadium (which doubles as publisher Richard Warren’s conference room). The event pitted reporter-chefs Kristen Andresen, Deborah Turcotte and Nok-Noi Hauger against one another in a head-to-head-to-head championship… Read More
    Fireside chat Raise your glass in a stylish toast this Valentine’s Day with Level Vodka’s Fireside cocktail. To make, combine 1 ounce vodka, 1/2 ounce triple sec, 3/4 ounce fresh pomegranate juice and 11/2 ounces of brut champagne in a mixing glass, stir briefly and… Read More
    Jason Thompson remembers how Trent Cunningham played basketball for Washburn High School in the mid-1990s. It was a game based near the basket, but with the ability for success further away. “I watched him growing up, and I play the same way Trent did,” said… Read More
    ORONO – They have 12 forwards in goal-scoring droughts. They are tied for 17th in the PairWise Rankings that are used in choosing the NCAA Hockey Tournament’s at-large teams. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner… Read More
    Is anyone tired of T.O. and whether he’s going to play in the Super Bowl on Sunday? That has been the topic of discussion for the last week and a half. Terrell Owens is the All-Pro wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles, who will face… Read More
    HIGH SCHOOL At Belfast 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 Official standings for boys and girls basketball and hockey as reported by the Maine Principals’ Association. Boys and girls basketball points compiled by Bob and Gertrude Butler of York, respectively. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes =… Read More
    COLLEGE Jimmy Howard 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 At Hermon Mountain 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
    Men’s Basketball MAINE vs. BOSTON UNIVERSITY 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
    LEWISTON – Olivia Zurek posted a double-double with 17 points and 18 rebounds as the No. 4 Bates College Bobcats upset the top-ranked Bowdoin College Polar Bears 74-62 in women’s basketball action Tuesday night. The victory gave coach Jim Murphy his 200th career win in… Read More
    WASHBURN – The Ashland Hornets erased a six-point, first-quarter deficit by outscoring the Washburn Beavers 33-13 over the second and third quarters en route to a 48-38 schoolgirl basketball win Tuesday night. Ashley Nemer knocked down four 3-pointers on her way to 14 points for… Read More
    DEER ISLE – Josh Eaton made both ends of a bonus with a minute left, snapping a 55-55 tie to lift Deer Isle-Stonington to a 57-55 schoolboy basketball victory over Calvary Christian Tuesday night. Bryant Ciomei scored 19 points for Deer Isle-Stonington, which overcame an… Read More
    DEXTER – Dexter High School senior center Ashley Ames set the school girls’ scoring record with 43 points as undefeated Dexter won for the 14th time, 79-37, over Foxcroft Academy Tuesday night. Sabrina Cote had 11 points and Mallory Ames tossed in eight more. googletag.cmd.push(function… Read More
    Prospects are improving for a Maine soldier who was critically injured last December in Iraq. Sgt. Harold Gray, 34, of Penobscot is one of three members of the Maine Army National Guard’s 133rd Engineer Battalion who were injured when insurgents attacked their convoy in Mosul. Read More
    BALTIMORE – It’s the nation’s most prestigious medical research institute, endowed with about $1.9 billion in government and private funding. But Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, where a student from Maine was murdered in 1993, also has become a place where it’s easy to find victims of crime. Read More