PORTLAND – Sen. Susan Collins said Thursday that she largely is satisfied with the Army’s effort to provide armor for Humvees in Iraq, but that more needs to be done to ensure that trucks and other vehicles have protection as well. Collins said in an… Read More
    A March 24 story on B1 incorrectly cited the school where Patricia Bernhardt teaches. She is a science teacher at the James F. Doughty Middle School in Bangor. — googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner… Read More
    PLEASANT POINT – They are members of the Passamaquoddy Tribe. They are environmentalists. They care deeply about their land and the ocean. And they both are in favor of the LNG facility. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes =… Read More
    PLEASANT POINT – Pro-LNG people see Don Smith, 60, as a saint, his mission to create jobs Down East. Anti-LNG people see him as a serpent inviting them to take a bite of the fruit from the forbidden money tree. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define… Read More
    PLEASANT POINT – Not everyone approves of the shotgun wedding the Passamaquoddy Tribe had last year with LNG terminal developers. Several people are calling for a separation if not a divorce until the tribe ascertains whether it has entered into a lasting marriage. googletag.cmd.push(function ()… Read More
    PERRY – It’s a Trojan horse, not a gift horse, say opponents of a proposed $400 million liquefied natural gas terminal on Indian land. And they don’t want an LNG facility in their back yard. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]];… Read More
    The Maine Community College System is sponsoring a half-day conference for policy-makers, education officials, business leaders and others on models and approaches being used by states to nurture and support entrepreneurs. The event, called Entrepreneurship: the Spirit of Maine, will be held from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Read More
    The Bangor Region Chamber of Commerce will hold an Early Bird Breakfast at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, March 30, at Four Points Sheraton, Godfrey Boulevard, Bangor. The topic of the meeting will be Pine Tree Zones, the economic development areas that are a centerpiece of Gov. John Baldacci’s development… Read More
    AUGUSTA – Gov. John Baldacci said Thursday he was nominating former state lawmaker Lloyd LaFountain, a Biddeford lawyer, for the post of superintendent of the Bureau of Financial Institutions. The superintendent serves as the state’s chief regulator of state-chartered banks, savings and loan associations and… Read More
    A ruling last week by the State Superior Court that says legislative leaders could not deny lawmakers special-session pay last year will represent a tiny ding in the state coffers but a large warning to the Legislature. Majority Democrats are busily ignoring that warning now. Read More
    Doubts that central Maine, and Bangor in particular, is a good place to expand a business or locate a new one should have been erased yesterday with the announcement that the state’s retail giant L.L. Bean plans to open a call center here. Late last year,… Read More
    The people of Maine need to seriously look at the two Republican senators we have working for us. We have been targeted for base closings in our state even though Sen. Susan Collins is on the Armed Services Committee. We are currently paying through the nose for a… Read More
    Kudos to the Bangor Daily News for the new addition to your op-ed page: Katha Pollitt. She is my favorite columnist and brings a much-needed perspective to our country’s commentary. Keep up the good work. By the way, with regard to her March 18 piece… Read More
    Gay marriage has become a very divisive issue in this country but the blame game seems to have become much more of an art with this issue. Some of the laws that have resulted and are being pushed through the Legislature are more destructive to our society than… Read More
    While I agree with the sentiments of the letter writer (“Facing war’s realities,” BDN, March 21) that war is a matter of last and desperate resort and facing war’s realities is the urgent debt we owe to those who bear its consequences, I disagree with the way the… Read More
    The editorial cartoon in the March 14 Bangor Daily News disgusted me. It lacks tact and has ignorance written all over it. What kind of gall does one have by dubbing American icon and spectacular journalist, Dan Rather, a “cowardly lion”? Apparently, the cartoonist is biased, however, political… Read More
    Recently, I made an informal survey of townspeople. The first question I asked was, “If you were Terri Schiavo, what would you want?” The answers weren’t as important as the fact that all but one person had an answer. Follow-up questions revealed that more than half of my… Read More
    Health insurance reform was the topic of the week in Augusta. House and Senate Republicans sponsored several bills this session to open up health insurance competition and reduce rates. The experience of other states across the nation shows the reforms we are proposing can lower the high cost… Read More
    The payments came late. We were made promises that were never kept. We always received inconsistent and conflicting advice. No one returned my phone calls. Staff did not respect the people receiving benefits. No, these are not current complaints about the state MaineCare program [MaineCare… Read More
    Maine’s rivers are indeed one of our most treasured natural resources. Once considered the backbone of industry and commerce, our rivers continue to sustain our economy and way of life, providing agricultural and municipal water supplies, sewer treatment capabilities, power for hydroelectric generation, transportation, industrial capacity and countless… Read More
    AUGUSTA – Nearly two months after a nature tourism consultant visited Gov. John Baldacci and three key areas around the state, the Texas-based company is about ready to roll out preliminary recommendations that flesh out the governor’s nature-based tourism initiative. The goal is to guide… Read More
    AUGUSTA – Members of the Legislature’s Transportation Committee have voted to double to nearly $31 million the amount of money set aside for roads and bridges in a proposed transportation bond package. “I think the committee felt there was just not enough in the governor’s… Read More
    AUGUSTA ? If March goes out like a lamb next week as predicted, this winter’s copious snow could result in the flooded basements and sloppy sidewalks that herald the true arrival of spring in Maine. The risk of major ice-jam flooding has diminished in all… Read More
    We were in Clearwater, Fla., last week as the controversy boiled over in the Terri Schiavo case. We were at the beach, while just blocks away, hundreds of people gathered outside Schiavo’s hospital room supporting her parents’ fight to keep in place the feeding tube… Read More
    The town will be selling backyard composting bins as part of Earth Day 2005. The bins will provide Stockton Springs residents with a chance to convert yard trimmings and kitchen leftovers into a rich soil aid. Residents can save $65 for every ton of waste they compost because… Read More
    The Riverside Fellowship Club, affiliated with Second Congregational Church of Warren, has canceled the annual spring variety show called “Live for Now,” which was scheduled for April 8 and 9 at Medomak Valley High School in nearby Waldoboro. Call 273-3968 for refunds. Read More
    Gardener Sharon Whitney of Harpswell will show slides and discuss the culture of Siberian and Japanese irises at 2 p.m. Thursday, March 31, at Ross Center at Merryspring Park. Whitney was associated for years with famed iris breeder Currier McEwen and will demonstrate techniques to cross strains of… Read More
    Robert Mariles has been chosen as the new director of Health Connections, affiliated with Northeast Health. He arrived in Maine from Honolulu, where he was the director of clinical operations at Straub Occupational Health Services, Hawaii’s largest occupational health program. Mariles has more than 18 years of experience… Read More
    The Appleton Village School’s eighth-grade class will host a spaghetti supper, cake auction and talent show at 5:30 p.m. Friday, March 25, in the school cafeteria. The event is $5 per person or $15 for a family. Proceeds will go toward the eighth-grade class trip to Boston. Call… Read More
    The annual Easter egg hunt at the Country Inn at Camden-Rockport will begin at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, March 26. Children 10 and under can participate in the event and should bring their own baskets. The candy-filled plastic eggs are donated by the Kiwanis Club. Call 236-2725 for information. Read More
    A Belfast man was charged with terrorizing after police said he caused a ruckus at the home of a female acquaintance Wednesday night. Belfast Police Chief Jeffrey Trafton said Michael Chamberlain, 34, was arrested by Officer Bryan Cunningham at a home on High View Terrace. Trafton said Thursday… Read More
    Thomaston police responded Wednesday to a report of an altercation between a man and his girlfriend on High Street and wound up arresting him on outstanding warrants and unlawful possession of drugs. Nathan McLellan, 21, of Thomaston was arrested on several outstanding warrants alleging failure to pay court… Read More
    HODGDON – Hodgdon High School Principal Scott Richardson has told SAD 70 board members he will leave the job Sept. 1. Richardson, who was hired as principal in August, submitted his resignation to school board members at a meeting earlier this week. He has worked… Read More
    MACHIAS – A town manager, a Chamber of Commerce director and an economic development specialist have something special in mind for Machias’ downtown. The downtown is poised for a renewal, the leaders suggest, and the community is being invited to talk about it. The Sunrise… Read More
    DANFORTH – Students at the East Grand School will showcase the work they have created under the Maine Learning Results to the public during a unique classroom exhibition and art show on April 7. The goal, East Grand teacher Bette Bickford said Tuesday, is to… Read More
    HOULTON – The local economy will soon be getting a boost from a group of investors who are bringing two new businesses to town. Ed Colin, who is heading up Aroostook Redevelopment Association LLC, said earlier this week that the group will fund the construction… Read More
    OAKFIELD – Voters will be asked to approve a $273,502 budget when they gather for Oakfield’s annual town meeting next week. The polls will open at the town office from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, March 28, with the town meeting following at the… Read More
    Caribou District Court Cases Feb. 1-28, 2005 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
    BLAINE – A Blaine couple who have been embroiled in a housing dispute for the past year have won the right to go to trial, but a judge denied their claim against one party that was named in the lawsuit, which they filed in Aroostook County Superior Court. Read More
    ELLSWORTH – The state Department of Transportation has upgraded the status of Main Street and Washington Junction Road, clearing the way for the routes to receive state and federal construction funds. The streets are now considered by the state as “major collectors” instead of “minor… Read More
    ELLSWORTH – A Bar Harbor man was found guilty Thursday of aggravated assault for stabbing another man after an alcohol-fueled fight on Cottage Street. A jury of five women and seven men deliberated for 31/2 hours before determining that Tucker Bell, 28, did not act… Read More
    A woman stopped early Thursday morning for speeding on Interstate 95 was charged with possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia after police said they found a still-warm pipe inside her car. Bangor police Officer James Hassard stopped Delia MacCabe, 36, of Alton shortly… Read More
    DEXTER – It appears that after more than two years of negotiations, the Dexter Town Council and unionized municipal employees have reached an agreement. Town council members at a special meeting on Tuesday reviewed and tentatively accepted the proposed contract with the American Federation of… Read More
    PITTSFIELD – An investigator with the Maine Human Rights Commission has recommended that a complaint of unlawful sex discrimination against the Pittsfield Fire Department by a former firefighter be dismissed. The issue centered on the department’s residency requirement. Department policies require a firefighter to either… Read More
    ALTON – Residents will hold their annual town meeting at 10 a.m., Saturday, March 26, at the Municipal Building. Voters will be asked to appropriate $22,353 from property taxes for payment on a firetruck; a sum of $20,000 from surplus, plus $25,000 from excise taxes,… Read More
    BANGOR – A woman who reportedly was robbed Wednesday night on Broadway has been released from a local hospital but police have not yet found the man who knocked her down. The victim, a 37-year-old Bangor woman, was treated at St. Joseph Hospital for a… Read More
    Twenty canned hams were donated on Tuesday by Guilford Primary School pupils to the Guilford food cupboard. The funds to purchase the hams came from the Margaret Chase Smith library in Skowhegan. Library officials, who learned that the pupils last month had raised $136 for tsunami victims, contacted… Read More
    PORTLAND – Turning Tide Inc. has turned to federal court in its struggle to open a methadone treatment clinic in Rockland. The organization filed a lawsuit Thursday in U.S. District Court, alleging Rockland officials violated federal law protecting people with disabilities when it changed zoning… Read More
    HAMPDEN – Ever since she showed up as a stray 15 years ago, a chubby black Lab named Sheba has greeted residents and occupied their children as they registered vehicles, purchased fishing licenses and conducted other town business. But Sheba’s job as the town’s beloved… Read More
    HANCOCK – Two Franklin women were injured Thursday afternoon in a two-vehicle accident on Route 1. According to Trooper Carlton Small of the Maine State Police, Steven Bossie, 52, of Winterport was headed north on Route 1 just past Thoreson Road when he slowed in… Read More
    Knox County Superior Court Cases March 21-24, 2005 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
    The following local residents received military honors or have returned from duty: . Army Pvt. Robert P. Parent, son of Donna Parent of Eagle Lake, graduated from basic infantry training at Fort Benning in Columbus, Ga. He is a 2004 graduate of Fort Kent Community… Read More
    INDIAN TOWNSHIP – A petition circulated on the reservation asks that the tribe’s incumbent governor step down as administrator. Opponents say Robert Newell could remain governor, but want him to relinquish his authority over the tribe’s finances. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes… Read More
    PERRY – Six local residents are asking the county’s district attorney to investigate Quoddy Bay’s million-dollar offer just days before voters go to the polls. On Thursday, attorneys for the group sent a letter to District Attorney Michael Povich to ask him to investigate Quoddy… Read More
    BANGOR – A Windham man was sentenced Thursday to more than 111/2 years in federal prison for the attempted armed robbery in November 2003 of the Gardiner Federal Credit Union. Michael Mahone, 26, was convicted in September by a jury of 10 women and two… Read More
    BANGOR – An Idaho judge who graduated from the Job Corps 35 years ago will deliver the keynote graduation address today at the Penobscot Job Corps Center. The son of Mexican farm workers, Sergio Gutierrez, 50, of Boise, Idaho, earned his high school equivalency diploma… Read More
    Residents and town officials in Troy have launched a most ambitious task: raising money for a veterans memorial “for all veterans from the town of Troy,” wrote Selectwoman and Troy Veterans Memorial Fund committee member Frederica “Freddye” Fuller. According to Fuller, “Kate Hillman, Troy’s oldest… Read More
    HERMON – Police are looking for the owner of a large sum of cash that apparently fell off a vehicle Wednesday morning as it traveled on Route 2. A passing motorist saw the money, which amounts to “multiple thousands” of dollars, land on the road… Read More
    ORONO – About 280 students were evacuated on Wednesday night from their University of Maine dormitory after a small chemical spill. A student living in Knox Hall had muriatic acid, a corrosive substance typically used to clean concrete in outdoor settings, that he was intending… Read More
    HERMON – Heart disease has been identified as the cause of death for a Holden man who died on Wednesday after a motorcycle accident on Route 2. Ronald Ferland, 64, died as the result of severe coronary atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries, a spokeswoman… Read More
    MEXICO – A 13-year-old boy was crushed to death in a freak accident Wednesday while helping his father work on a pickup truck, police said. Tyler Larsen died after being pinned between a 1986 GMC pickup and a workbench in a garage at the family’s… Read More
    AUGUSTA – A strong majority of a legislative committee voted Thursday to kill a bill to make motorcycle helmets mandatory in Maine, decreasing its chances of passage after it reaches the House and Senate. Nine members of the Transportation Committee voted to reject the bill,… Read More
    PORTLAND – Maine’s highest court revisited the question of state funding of religious schools Thursday as the justices heard the second challenge in a decade to a 1981 law restricting the use of tuition vouchers. At issue was whether towns that have no high school… Read More
    AUGUSTA – A rural Down East township now known as T8 to its 138 residents will be called Fletcher’s Landing Township if a bill passed by the Legislature is signed, as expected, by Gov. John Baldacci. The bill, LD 140, which won final Senate approval… Read More
    ELLSWORTH – A Jonesboro man who committed 10 burglaries in two counties during a two-week crime spree last summer was sentenced Thursday to serve 18 months behind bars. Hancock County Superior Court Justice Jeffrey Hjelm gave Jonathan Baldwin, 25, an overall sentence of seven years… Read More
    BANGOR – About two dozen emergency response agency representatives met Thursday morning at Bangor International Airport to discuss hot-button issues such as terrorist bombs, victim triage and who will bring the coffee and doughnuts to the planned May mock disaster. The drill will simulate an… Read More
    PORTLAND – A 5-year-old Iraqi girl departed Thursday following a successful heart operation that will allow her to live a full life. The surgery to repair holes in her heart a month ago was arranged by a Utah Army National Guard unit that was stationed… Read More
    BAR HARBOR – In place of a motel and a nursing home, both of which have been defunct in recent years, developers hope to build more than 60 housing units off Highbrook Road and in Hulls Cove. During preliminary sketch plan reviews Wednesday, representatives of… Read More
    BANGOR – Six basketball players who led their teams to a collective 121-7 record, three state championships and four regional titles will vie for the titles of Mr. and Miss Maine Basketball to be announced tonight. Those announcements will highlight the 25th annual Maine McDonald’s… Read More
    It was bound to become sad and it has. The whole steroid issue in baseball, which will spill over to other sports, grinds on as everyone involved tries to escape the winds and avoid responsibility. Barry Bonds, fair or not, has become the poster person… Read More
    COLLEGE Division III All-Independent 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
    CLEARWATER, Fla. – Tip Fairchild hit two doubles to drive in a run and help lead the University of Southern Maine to a 3-0 college baseball win over Allegheny in the first game of a doubleheader Thursday. Allegheny won the second game 12-2 in five innings. Read More
    FORT MYERS, Fla. – Every team, even those celebrated for being stocked with flamboyant players and engaging personalities, has them. They’re the quiet ones, the ones who don’t care about being caught up in the limelight. They may even prefer to avoid the spotlight. googletag.cmd.push(function… Read More
    Max Good has coached Division I college basketball amid both Kentucky’s bluegrass and the glitz of Las Vegas. He’s helped mold the careers of such NBA players as Brad Miller, Cuttino Mobley, and Caron Butler. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]];… Read More
    There are many phases to the season for the University of Maine baseball team. It begins with a bang – two weeks of games down in Florida. The problem is, the Black Bears have to come back to the Northeast, where winter has a way… Read More
    BUCKSPORT – Nick Tymoczko took a lot of pride in leading Bucksport High School to its first state football title in 21 years last fall. Now he’ll join the Pride next fall to continue his career. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes =… Read More
    Maine isn’t the first place that springs to mind when thinking of reggae, but Nyah begs to differ. “I grew up in the Caribbean and wanted a change,” the singer and guitarist for the Portland-based band Stream said. “I didn’t want to be in a… Read More
    PRESQUE ISLE -A 16-year-old fiddling sensation and an award-winning folk artist are coming to town to present an evening of traditional and folk music. Canadian roots musicians Dave Gunning and Samantha “Fiddling Sam” Robichaud, will perform Saturday night at the University of Maine at Presque… Read More
    In theaters ROBOTS, directed by Chris Wedge and Carlos Saldanha, written by Lowell Ganz, David Lindsay-Abaire and Babaloo Mandel, 90 minutes, rated PG. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var i =… Read More