AUGUSTA – It’s no secret that many Mainers work at low-paying jobs and aren’t able to afford health insurance even if their employer offers it. But when that employer is a major multinational corporation with record-breaking profits year after year, is it right for overburdened Maine taxpayers to… Read More
DOVER-FOXCROFT – A Brownville man who allegedly committed sex acts on a local 7-year-old girl and downloaded onto his computer digital images of her and another young girl in various stages of undress made his initial court appearance Wednesday in Piscataquis County Superior Court. Richard… Read More
AUGUSTA – The Passamaquoddy Tribe has had too many signatures disqualified to get its Washington County racino proposal on the November ballot, but proponents aren’t giving up and now are shooting for a referendum next year. “We will be on the ballot in 2007,” vowed… Read More
AUGUSTA – Maine’s Roman Catholic bishop on Tuesday urged lawmakers to resist attempts to redefine marriage in ways that would allow same-sex unions in the state. Although there are no bills in the Legislature to address the issue of homosexual marriage this session, Bishop Richard J. Malone said… Read More
ALLAGASH – When registered Maine Guides Alexandra and Garrett Conover set out to walk from Allagash to Greenville in January, they expected to complete the 200-mile snowshoe trek, conducted as an educational outreach project, almost exclusively on frozen waterways. Thanks to an unusually mild early… Read More
In a Feb. 27 story about the death of former Los Angeles Times Publisher Otis Chandler, The Associated Press reported erroneously that Chandler’s great-grandfather Gen. Harrison Gray Otis was the newspaper’s founder. Otis became publisher and part-owner of the newspaper in 1882, a year after it was founded. Read More
Amid mounting criticism of its crackdown on mail-order medications, U.S. Customs has released hundreds of seized packages to consumers since Friday, said Canadian pharmacies and U.S. lawmakers on Tuesday. The crackdown began in November, when U.S. Customs and Border Protection quietly increased seizures of prescription… Read More
AUGUSTA – Maine’s attorney general has thrown his support behind privacy legislation intended to curb the sale or disclosure of cell-phone records. “Certainly, consumers have a right to expect that their phone records [will] be kept private,” Steven Rowe said. “Putting this law in place… Read More
NEW YORK – A promising multiple sclerosis drug that was suspended from the market because three people developed a rare brain disease now appears relatively safe and quite effective, three studies found. The research in Thursday’s New England Journal of Medicine comes days before government… Read More
CONCORD, N.H. – Federal prosecutors reportedly intend to indict a fourth person in the jamming of Democratic get-out-the-vote telephone lines in 2002. WMUR-TV reported Wednesday that an indictment is expected at the end of the month. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes =… Read More
COLLEGE Ben Bishop 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 PVC Basketball Classes C&D 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
David Broder’s Monday column on school dropout as a silent American academic epidemic states that a study finds: “The challenge of a tough curriculum, backed by skillful teaching in small classes and plenty of personal counseling, can be a path to success.” No “study” was… Read More
Is it too early to ask, will Dubai Ports World be operating the Split Rock LNG terminal? Walter Guinon 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;… Read More
The compliant media have failed to responsibly cover the Bush disasters; Todd Benoit simply gets it wrong in his column, “Risky talk for democracy” (BDN, Feb. 25-26). He labels “pietic” our non-violent protests, employed to call attention to our government’s abuses. Naming aloud those sacrificed… Read More
The Allagash Waterway Management Plan is nothing more than the result of special interest groups attempting to deny Maine people access for recreation. What they fail to understand is that all Maine citizens bought and paid for this waterway. Recently, we paid $1.4 million to… Read More
The top of the hill of the intersection of Third and Cedar streets in Bangor has been a magnet for car crashes for a long time now. So last fall the Public Works Department tried to alleviate this problem by spreading out the corners on all sides. Who… Read More
The furor over a sale that would put a Dubai company in charge of six U.S. ports has exposed American vulnerabilities. More than four years into the War on Terror, government agencies still aren’t sharing intelligence information and a lack of resources has left large gaps in port… Read More
Before more than a dozen candidates for governor decided to run on public funding, Maine lawmakers had borrowed enough from the Clean Election Fund so that even if the candidates got the required signatures and $5 contributions, the state no longer had enough money to cover their campaigns,… Read More
The much-touted $14 million plan to annex Katahdin Lake and 6,000 adjoining acres of scenic wildland to Baxter State Park reminds me of a mail-order life insurance policy. It’s an attractive deal until you begin to scrutinize the fine print. It’s complicated and not a straightforward deal. Read More
PRESQUE ISLE – A Washburn man is facing charges of escape and assault of a police officer after he managed Wednesday morning to remove his handcuff, bolt from custody outside the local courthouse and jump into a waiting getaway vehicle a few blocks away, officials said. Read More
AUGUSTA – Thousands of jobs across the state are going unfilled because the Maine Community College System doesn’t have the money to expand occupational programs in such fields as health care, boat building, construction and machine tools. “We have skilled workers needed all over the… Read More
Whenever he passes the ranch-style house being built on his property in Etna, next door to the old and rundown mobile home where he lives with his wife and baby, Thayne Fields can’t help but think that he’ll soon have a new neighbor. The house… Read More
LIMESTONE – The first person to arrive at a burning home where three people lost their lives early Tuesday morning in Limestone did everything he could to help people inside the inferno. Sgt. Larry Goff of the Aroostook County Sheriff’s Department tried many doors before… Read More
A task force that reviewed Maine’s bear-hunting rules has recommended banning steel-jawed leg traps and requested additional study into how bait popular with sportsmen is affecting the size and health of the state’s bear population. But the proposals did little to settle the intense debate… Read More
ELLSWORTH – U.S. Coast Guard officials, with help from state agencies and other interested parties, started work Wednesday on weighing the safety and security concerns posed by two proposed liquefied natural gas terminals on Passamaquoddy Bay. Approximately 30 people gathered Wednesday morning in a meeting… Read More
BANGOR – Judy Guay, a longtime city resident and advocate for issues related to poverty and low-income families in Maine, died on Tuesday night at Eastern Maine Medical Center at the age of 64. Guay, who raised five children, two stepchildren and a foster child,… Read More
MONSON – A U.S. Border Patrol K-9 agent escaped injury Wednesday when a tree-length log fell from a tractor-trailer on Route 15 and struck his vehicle. Jorge Mendoza, 42, of the Jackman Border Station was northbound on Route 15 at about 12:30 p.m. when a… Read More
HARTLAND – A decrease in the town’s annual budget, combined with the revaluation of some new development on Great Moose Lake, will likely result in a lower mill rate this year for Hartland residents. Voters will gather at 10 a.m. Saturday, March 4, at town… Read More
HAMPDEN – SAD 22 had a “fantastic” year in 2005 with a host of noteworthy accomplishments, Superintendent Rick Lyons said Wednesday. Presenting the district status report to the board of directors, Lyons said the purpose of the annual undertaking is to reflect on and highlight… Read More
ST. ALBANS – The two-man Board of Selectmen on Wednesday morning interviewed a single candidate, Marie Kirven of St. Albans, for the position of town manager, a move that residents attending the meeting called unnecessary and an insult. Interim Town Manager Bert Taylor also questioned… Read More
PITTSFIELD – After a series of meetings to refine their issues and concerns, a grassroots parents organization, the Citizens for Positive Change, decided on Tuesday to sit back for a while and try to work within a similar group established at Maine Central Institute. “We… Read More
ORONO – A local nightclub owner who previously was denied special amusement and liquor permits by the Town Council will be allowed to continue to operate his business, with some conditions, based on an agreement approved Wednesday by the council. The council approved the forbearance… Read More
ORONO – An Orono man remained in jail Wednesday after he was arrested by Orono police who were executing a search warrant at the man’s Essex Street home Tuesday. Michael Hughes, 40, of Orono wasn’t home when police began searching the house at 2302 Essex… Read More
PITTSFIELD – The annual winter carnival will be held today, Friday and Saturday, March 2-4, at Maine Central Institute, in the Parks Gymnasium. A tug of war will take place at 1 p.m. Friday. Student-made snow sculptures will be judged at 3:30 p.m. and a… Read More
NEWPORT – A college and job fair for high school students and parents or other adults who plan to attend college will be held 10 a.m.-4 p.m. and 6-9 p.m. Wednesday, March 22, at Nokomis Regional High School. Workshops will be offered during the evening… Read More
MILLINOCKET – A representative from the Bangor office of U.S. Sen. Susan Collins will be available to talk with constituents about any concerns, and provide assistance with federal issues and agencies, such as Social Security, veterans affairs and citizenship and immigration, 1-3 p.m. Thursday, March 9, at the… Read More
BREWER – Traffic at a busy intersection was interrupted for nearly an hour late Wednesday afternoon when a train broke down, triggering stop lights. A Springfield Terminal Railway train broke down on the trestle bridge near the intersection of State and Center streets around 5… Read More
MACHIAS – A trial that pitted a prominent Calais family that made its money in the blueberry industry against a Charlotte man who owns a helicopter business left a Washington County Superior Court jury hopelessly deadlocked on Wednesday. The focal points of the two-day theft… Read More
CARIBOU – Northern Maine winters are especially harsh on pet animals with no homes, and Aroostook County does not have enough room for the number of animals that roam. That thought spurred three Caribou-area women, with years of experience in animal shelter care, to open… Read More
Knox County Superior Court Cases Feb. 13-17, 2006 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
MACHIAS – Dorice Timko got a new job last Friday, and Wednesday she got a new title: Queen of the black flies. At the eighth annual “convention” of the tongue-in-cheek Maine Blackfly Breeders Association, the Lubec woman drew more votes than her closest competitor, the… Read More
MACHIAS – Just when the public is getting used to the idea of a new regional airport eventually getting built along U.S. Route 1 near the Downeast Fairgrounds, state planners and consultants are saying: Not so fast. The site is still prime on the list… Read More
ROCKLAND – Knox County commissioners met Wednesday morning to consider appointing a temporary administrator, but instead decided to cover the position themselves. Jane Desaulniers, the county’s first administrator who was hired in August, resigned suddenly last week. The three commissioners decided Wednesday they will take… Read More
COLUMBIA FALLS – The Republican caucus for western Washington County towns will be held at 3 p.m. Saturday, March 4, at the community room of the Columbia Falls town office. Republicans from all communities from Jonesboro west are invited to participate in the caucus. The… Read More
THOMASTON – A potluck dinner, sponsored by the Midcoast Peace and Justice Group and Our Town Thomaston, will be held at 6:30 p.m. Friday, March 10, at Watts Hall. Guest speaker Al Norman, author of “Slam Dunking Wal-Mart: How You Can Stop Superstore Sprawl” and… Read More
KNOX – The Belfast Bay Watershed Coalition plans a ski-snowshoe-hiking trip, depending on conditions March 11. The trip will involve the Passagassawakeag River Headwaters Loop, to the base of Frye Mountain and over streams and ponds in the Passy watershed. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define… Read More
CAMDEN – A Midcoast Maine Matters workshop will be held from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Thursday, March 9, at the Camden Public Library. The video “Growing Together: Consensus Building, Smart Growth and Community change,” will be shown, followed by a discussion. googletag.cmd.push(function () { //… Read More
BELFAST – The Belfast Bay Watershed Coalition will be host of a Beginning with Habitat presentation at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 15, at the Belfast Public Library. Beginning with Habitat is a partnership of private and government groups whose goal is to help communities maintain… Read More
ELLSWORTH – A Trenton man who was involved with a suspected methamphetamine laboratory in Bangor was arrested and jailed last week in Piscataquis County in connection with a series of burglaries that happened last April around Green Lake. Joshua W. Cass, 21, was indicted in… Read More
ELLSWORTH – An Ellsworth man who is facing 62 charges of burglary, theft and criminal mischief for his alleged role in a rash of burglaries all over Hancock County was arrested last week because he failed to appear for a series of court dates, according to police officials. Read More
BANGOR – The City Council met Wednesday with Bangor International Airport officials to move forward with plans for a $10.2 million parking garage that would bring nearly 700 spaces to the airport. BIA Director Rebecca Hupp presented council members with a conceptual design of the… Read More
NEWPORT – Newport selectmen unanimously denied Lucky’s Tavern and Restaurant’s liquor license renewal Wednesday night, citing a pattern of patrons being allowed to overindulge, frequent fights and assaults, and the owner’s refusal to correct the situation. “We warned him last year that things had to… Read More
EDDINGTON – Residents will be asked whether they want to construct an addition to the municipal building, at a cost of approximately $950,000, at the annual town meeting later this month. The proposed construction is just one of 22 items that residents will consider, eight… Read More
Although the first session of NAMI-Bangor’s free, 12-week, education class for families who are coping with mental illness began yesterday, it is not too late to register and enroll. Nancy Grimes of Winterport, speaking for the local chapter of the National Association for the Mentally… Read More
ROCKLAND – Handcuffs, a variety of sex toys, 19 condoms, a silk nightie, a bullet casing and Allison Small’s wedding ring were among the evidence recovered by state police crime scene specialists on Jan. 28, 2005 – the day Small was shot to death allegedly by her lover. Read More
A Wilton lawmaker embroiled in a highly public controversy with several environmental organizations requested Wednesday not to be reseated on the Legislature’s Natural Resources Committee. Rep. Thomas Saviello, an unenrolled lawmaker, had asked House Speaker John Richardson to remove him temporarily from the committee in… Read More
SOUTH PORTLAND – An initiative that would cap government spending is the wrong solution for Maine and would hurt education, public safety, health care and other services across the state, opponents said Wednesday. A coalition representing 75 organizations held press conferences in South Portland and… Read More
BAR HARBOR – At College of the Atlantic, trays of stiffened research rodents are nestled in sliding metal trays, jars of pickled snakes are tucked underneath the stairwell, and cubbies in the basement are piled up to the ceiling with whale bones. A trip through… Read More
BANGOR – An Old Town man who led Maine State Police on a high-speed chase from Orono to the Penobscot County Jail remained in his cell Wednesday night unable to make bail. Hugh J. Hill, 40, was arrested on Tuesday evening in the jail parking… Read More
Kay Perry cradles the candlepin bowling ball in her paper-thin hands and sends it gently down the lane. The 79-year-old bowling champion from Cherryfield won’t win any records for speed, but she’s accurate – the small ball travels straight as an arrow down the wooden… Read More
It’s a mantra heard in Maine almost year-round: “Take off those muddy [or snowy] boots!” Now a Belfast architect has found a way to solve this age-old dilemma: the indoor overshoe called a Pushover. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var… Read More
I have great news for the people on treatment waiting lists, for the addicts still out there and for friends and families affected by substance abuse and the disease of addiction. There is an answer! The answer is right under our noses, in our own communities. There are… Read More
While watching Olympic medalists stand motionless as the national anthem is played or while hearing the anthem sung before football games or Memorial Day services, we proudly join in the concluding phrase: for the land of the free and the home of the brave. To… Read More
Note to St. John Valley anglers: If Allan Albert calls and wants you to go fishing with him, it might be a good idea to drop what you’re doing, cancel your day’s plans, and go along. And if Kim Masse of Smyrna calls, do the… Read More
GORHAM – Ashley Marble is a small-town girl – and proud of it. She grew up in Topsfield Township (pop. 225) and attended Woodland High School, where she was among 52 graduates in 2002. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var… Read More
At least it’s not Dirigo. The Dexter girls basketball team will face a stiff challenge when they head to Augusta Saturday for the Class C state final, but it won’t come from the Cougars of Dixfield. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes =… Read More
The Central Aroostook boys basketball team is a bit of a throwback. While other teams have heavy-duty summer schedules, the Panthers either play on their own or wait until basketball season – save for the 5:30 a.m. pickup games brothers Andrew and Cameron York play… Read More
ORONO – Abby Schrader had already played the game of her life Wednesday night when, with 22.8 seconds left, coach Ann McInerney put her senior center back into the game – as a decoy. With the Black Bears clinging to a one-point lead and the… Read More
INDIANAPOLIS – Teams at 65 schools – including Texas, Tennessee and West Virginia – failed to meet the NCAA’s new academic standards and now face the loss of scholarships for their poor grades. But don’t look for any of the biggest names in football or… Read More
CRAFTSBURY, Vt. – Four Aroostook County skiers have been named to the 2006 New England Junior Olympic Nordic Ski Team and will head to Michigan next week to compete in the 2006 Junior National Championships. The competition runs March 6-11 in Houghton, Mich. Michigan Technological… Read More
Bates College of Lewiston junior center Meg Coffin was named the New England Small College Athletic Conference Player of the Year while teammates Sarah Barton and Matia Kostakis also received women’s basketball all-conference honors. The 6-foot-1 Coffin was second in the conference in scoring and… Read More
APPLETON – A 21-year-old soldier from Appleton was killed Sunday by a roadside bomb that detonated near his military vehicle while he was on patrol in Baghdad. Spc. Joshua U. Humble was one of two soldiers killed by the blast. Both Humble and Spc. Clay… Read More
FORT KENT – Northern Maine supporters of the Allagash Wilderness Waterway will have a chance Sunday to bring concerns about their river to the commissioner of the Department of Conservation. In a related matter, the department’s Bureau of Parks and Lands has extended the period… Read More
March is Newspapers in Education Month! The Bangor Daily News joins more than 950 newspapers in a nationwide celebration of NIE. NIE strives to enrich young minds by providing students with a newspaper and empowering teachers with appropriate curriculum materials to use the newspaper as a supplemental tool. Read More
HAMPDEN – A dozen students and two teachers at Hampden Academy understand a little better what it’s like to use a wheelchair thanks to an activity coordinated by sophomore Jessica Cyr. It was Cyr who came up with the idea of a wheelchair awareness day. Read More
BANGOR – Bright wool threads made lovely blots of color on creamy white linen. Blunt hooks pulled small strips of woolen fabric through cloth to make subtle earth-toned shadings in a painterly kind of way. Beautifully pieced quilts spilled from frames as skilled fingers added… Read More
“What’s the best part about the basketball tournaments?” “The fans. I like the yelling and cheering.” 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… Read More
ORONO – Ginger Yang Hwalek, a music instructor in the University of Maine School of Performing Arts’ music division and longtime piano teacher and accompanist in the Bangor area, has been named the 2006 Teacher of the Year by one of the largest music teachers organizations in the… Read More
Woman’s Career Day sponsored by Girl Scout troop BANGOR – Girl Scout Troop 387 of All Souls Church will hold Professional Woman’s Career Day 9:30 a.m.-noon Saturday, March 4, at the Husson College Family Business Center. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes =… Read More
BREWER – The Maine Games kicks off with its first event of the year Saturday and Sunday, March 25-26, at the Brewer Auditorium. Powerlifting is the main attraction for the second year with more than 100 of Maine’s strongest men, women and teens competing for… Read More
ORONO – University of Maine accounting students are available on Mondays through April 17 to provide free help with filing state and federal income tax returns. The sessions run 12-2:30 p.m. Mondays in Room 113 in the Donald P. Corbett Business Building. Students in the… Read More
BANGOR – The Eastern Maine Soap Box Derby race will be held at 8 a.m. Saturday, June 3, on Buck Street between the Bangor Auditorium and the Bangor Daily News. But the event is at a crossroads, in need of volunteer and financial support in… Read More
(As reported in the Bangor Daily News) 10 years ago – March 2, 1996 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()) {… Read More
The Maine Junior Miss program is making the call for high school senior girls who are interested in participating in the contest. Volunteers and sponsors are needed as well. The Maine’s Junior Miss program will take place in spring 2006 – an exact date will be announced at… Read More
Bangor Program on photography 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 – Members of Zonta Club of Bangor will celebrate both International Women’s Day and Zonta Rose Day on Wednesday, March 8. International Women’s Day is marked by women’s groups around the world, commemorated at the United Nations and designated a national holiday in many… Read More
Bangor Workshop on guardianship 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
Julie Mallett and Eleanor Bruchey sit in side-by-side offices at Eastern Agency on Aging. Each maintains a mild manner that belies the passion and tenacity she draws upon to serve a senior in need. Mallett and Bruchey are but two of the dedicated staff at… Read More
Mental health screening BANGOR – As part of its community outreach program, Phoenix Mental Health Services will offer a free screening for depression, bipolar disorder, alcohol abuse, eating disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes… Read More
BANGOR AREA – Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, for those who have a desire to stop drinking, AA hot line, (800) 737-6237, or www.aamaine.org. BANGOR-BUCKSPORT AREA – Al-Anon meetings, for family and friends of problem drinkers; beginners encouraged. Beginners, 5:30 p.m.; Al-Anon, 6 p.m. Tuesdays, First United… Read More
ORONO – More than 90 University of Maine students, faculty and employees are dedicating their spring break vacations to doing charitable volunteer work up and down the East Coast and in Central America. It is the largest representation from UM since the Alternative Spring Break… Read More
AURORA – A 15-year-old home-schooler from Brewer is doing what he can to help obtain baseball uniforms and equipment for Airline Community School in Aurora as a 4-H Community Service Project. Jess Elliot, who has a hearing disability, never attended the school. But when he… Read More
BREWER – The Brewer Ministerial Association will host its annual ecumenical Lenten program at 7 p.m. Thursdays during Lent at several churches in the area. The theme for this year is “The Body of Christ,” with lessons examining the spiritual aspects of Christ’s heart, eyes,… Read More
3rd District Court, Bangor Cases Jan. 30-Feb. 3, 2006 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 () { //… Read More
ORONO – A recent University of Maine graduate has become one of the newest tenants at the Target Technology Innovation Center’s business incubator in Orono, launching a forest consulting business he hopes will help loggers, foresters and landowners make the most efficient use of their property and equipment. Read More
Real estate transfers recorded with city of Bangor in 2005: To Mandi K. and Eric D. Odier-Fink, Bangor, from Katie Esposito, Bangor, April 15, 431 Hancock St., $123,000. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner =… Read More