PORTLAND – Two Maine Army National Guard soldiers were killed and a third was seriously injured on Saturday in an attack in Iraq, Gov. John Baldacci said Monday. Staff Sgt. Dale James Kelly Jr., 48, of Richmond and Staff Sgt. David Michael Veverka, 25, a… Read More
    Bugaboo Creek Steak House recently hosted its annual general managers’ conference at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress in Orlando, Fla. During the conference awards ceremony, Bugaboo Creek President Kristi Nyhof announced the winners of the 2005 performance awards. Bugaboo Creek Steak House’s Bangor location at 24 Bangor Mall… Read More
    Linda Keady, owner of Celtic Rainbow Gifts in Bar Harbor, recently returned from a whistle-stop tour of Ireland’s finest craft and gift manufacturing companies. The tour, which was arranged by Enterprise Ireland, the Irish government’s trade board, was designed to let retailers go behind the scenes at small… Read More
    There can be no doubt that President Bush has violated the law in authorizing wiretapping of American citizens. A president who violates our laws is subject to impeachment. However, the initiation of impeachment proceedings would not be productive. Even if he were removed from office,… Read More
    Serious questions keep arising about what looked at first like a minor dirty campaign trick in the 2002 New Hampshire election of a U.S. senator. Recently, the Associated Press reported that a GOP telemarketing firm implicated in two criminal prosecutions involving the issue got startup… Read More
    The Ministry of Health in China recently reported the country’s 18th case of human infection with the H5N1 avian influenza virus. More than 30 countries have now registered the flu’s presence, and the question of how to react to a pandemic is spreading even faster. The answer is… Read More
    The article, “Brewer couple proposes Maine Avenue day care” (BDN, May 4), seemed to indicate that the Warren Center for Communication & Learning was uninterested in presenting an amended offer for the Maine Avenue property in Bangor. In truth the Warren Center was very much interested in this… Read More
    An April 19 editorial, “Roth Complaint,” outlines a tax-cutting gimmick being considered by Congress and suggests that the public will not voice its objections. But I suspect this will draw more public concern than you expect, particularly as people hear more about it. What Congress… Read More
    On the front page of the May 4 Bangor Daily News there is an article about University of Maine System students facing a tuition hike for the second year in a row. Then, “Health insurance, salaries, among others to blame for budget shortfall, officials say.”… Read More
    By now, many Americans know something about the ongoing crisis in Sudan’s Darfur region. They may have heard a few words knocked around, from a handful of celebrities, politicians and activists who have gotten only snippets of airtime in speaking out against the atrocities in Darfur, speaking of… Read More
    Dear Mr. Jenkins, It seems a simple thing to tell a man of 48 that he will not see 50, but I had a hard time of it that night we first met in the ER. You have died by now, I am sure,… Read More
    The Health Insurance Marketplace Modernization and Affordability Act (S. 1955) is scheduled for debate this week by the U.S. Senate. Because the bill would not benefit most consumers and could have a detrimental impact on the regional economy, The New England Council urges New England’s senators to oppose… Read More
    PORTLAND – Passamaquoddy documents and meetings about a proposed $500 million liquefied natural gas terminal on tribal land in Washington County need not be open to the public, Maine’s highest court ruled Monday. The Supreme Judicial Court unanimously upheld a lower court’s ruling that the… Read More
    It would be an understatement to say that rural Maine has never been known as a hotbed of men’s fashion. For decades, those familiar woodsy men with long hair, full beards and flannel shirts who still abound in the Maine countryside would have been considered… Read More
    CARIBOU – Two Washburn sisters were the third and fourth persons sentenced Friday in the April 2004 fatal car crash that took the life of Jason P. Hersey of Fort Fairfield. April and Lynn Clapper, 25 and 22, were sentenced for having furnished a place… Read More
    AUGUSTA – White students on one side of the room, students of color on the other. That was the surprising directive that participants at the Statewide Civil Rights Team Conference received Monday when they joined one of the discussion groups at the Augusta Civic Center. Read More
    BANGOR – When Christopher Nill, 25, of Bangor stepped onto the “Help is Here Express” bus Monday at the Eastern Maine Healthcare Mall parking lot, he was willing to try anything to lower the cost of his $85-per-month prescription medicine. “My sister called me last… Read More
    BANGOR – The conviction of an Etna man serving five years in prison for driving drunk and causing an accident should be overturned because he was denied a fair trial, his attorney, James Beardsley of Bangor, told the Maine Supreme Judicial Court on Monday. The… Read More
    HOWLAND – For Ellen Simone, what began as a labor of love – helping rebuild and redesign SAD 31’s Web site – has turned into something like a never-ending grind. First there are the pictures. Penobscot Valley High School junior Brian Harris had some nice… Read More
    LINCOLN – The town’s plan to start an ambulance service is dead. The Town Council voted 3-3 on a proposal Monday to put as much as $180,000 into funding the service within the town’s proposed 2006-07 budget. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes… Read More
    HERMON – Town Clerk Carol Davis usually finds herself this time of year heavily involved in monitoring local elections, making sure candidates have filed the appropriate papers and working on the ballots for the June election. But among the six Town Council candidates who filed… Read More
    BANGOR – As City Manager Edward Barrett sees it, Bangor’s curbside trash problem is a lot like graffiti. “One person puts graffiti on a bridge, and the next thing you know the whole bridge is covered with it,” Barrett said Monday night, moments before city… Read More
    PRESQUE ISLE – Wendy Koenig is what you might call a classic bibliophile. The local university student and owner of Crystal Compass Books – the Main Street bookstore which opened Saturday – loves everything about books. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes =… Read More
    CAMDEN – Union Trust announced Monday a promotional program it hopes will send as much as $25,000 to Maine’s state parks this year. The promotion was explained at a news conference at Camden Hills State Park attended by state Conservation Commissioner Patrick McGowan and Peter… Read More
    TRENTON – Needy cats and dogs in Hancock County are getting something new: a home. Organizers have broken ground on the first shelter ever in the nearly 100 years that the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals of Hancock County has been in existence. Read More
    ROCKLAND – A local couple was charged with drug trafficking in what Rockland police said was the largest amount of heroin ever seized in the midcoast area. Robert Bentley, 37, and Elizabeth Bentley, 38, had just returned to Rockland from a trip to Massachusetts, according… Read More
    BELFAST – A local man was being held Monday on $2,500 bail after his arrest in a domestic assault. Robert E. Day, 64, of Piper Stream Road appeared Monday in Waldo County Superior Court on Monday. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes =… Read More
    STONINGTON – Voters spoke with one voice Monday afternoon as they approved measures that will ensure that the sand beach remains open to the public. At a special town meeting, voters overwhelmingly authorized selectmen to negotiate a lease with members of the McGuffie family, who… Read More
    Searsport District High School Third quarter honor roll 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
    MOUNT DESERT – A Cinco de Mayo celebration in the village of Seal Harbor ended in jail for three men who were charged with furnishing alcohol to minors. Benjamin Muir, 20, Rowan Fraley, 19, and Brian O’Connell, 21, were arrested late Friday night after police… Read More
    BAILEYVILLE – The Passamaquoddy Tribe was recently awarded six disease-resistant American Liberty Elms under a Matching Tree Grant sponsored by Elm Research Institute, Keene, N.H. The trees are scheduled for arrival the week of May 15. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes =… Read More
    THOMASTON – The Maine Educational Opportunity Center will hold essentials of college planning workshops in Thomaston, Belfast, Ellsworth, and Dover-Foxcroft, 9 a.m.-12 p.m. . Tuesday, May 16, and Tuesday, May 23 at the University College of Thomaston. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes… Read More
    CALAIS – Washington County Community College will hold its 36 Commencement Exercises at 11 a.m. Friday, May 12, in the Calais High School gymnasium. The college will be graduating one of the largest classes in its history with more than 175 students graduating with associate… Read More
    FORT KENT – The University of Maine at Fort Kent will offer two sessions of Introduction to Global Positioning Systems, a course designed for community members to learn how to use the state-of-the-art navigational aid and mapping device. The first session will be Monday and… Read More
    BELFAST – After defeat at the polls of a second plan to bail out SAD 34 from a budget shortfall, the district will seek permission at a districtwide meeting May 16 to spend $550,000. On May 2, voters in Belfast, Belmont, Morrill, Northport, Searsmont and… Read More
    FORT KENT – The University of Maine at Fort Kent will offer three week-long language courses. French Review I will be Monday, July 10, through Friday, July 14. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner =… Read More
    PRESQUE ISLE – The Presque Isle Area Chamber of Commerce, Leaders Encouraging Aroostook Development and the city of Presque Isle will sponsor an Eggs N’ Issues breakfast at 7:30 a.m. Friday, May 19, at the Northeastland Hotel. The cost is $8 per person. googletag.cmd.push(function ()… Read More
    FORT KENT – The Fort Kent Recreation and Parks Department dog obedience school will be from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 24, through Wednesday, June 28. The fee is $40. For more information, call the recreation office at 834-3730. Read More
    CARIBOU – The Friends of the Caribou Public Library will sponsor a perennial sale at 10 a.m. Saturday, June 3. Persons wishing to donate perennials for the event are asked to contact the library. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var… Read More
    PRESQUE ISLE – The Presque Isle Area Chamber of Commerce will co-sponsor a business forum presented by Eastern Maine Healthcare systems regarding health policy in Maine at 11:45 a.m. Thursday, May 25, at the University of Maine at Presque Isle Campus Center. Lunch will be… Read More
    PRESQUE ISLE – Pokemon USA Inc. announced that the Pokemon Trading Card Game Gym Challenge will be held in Presque Isle at 11 a.m. Saturday, May 20, at Eagle Hill, 351 Main St. Challenges provide players the opportunity to qualify for an invitation to the… Read More
    Penobscot Valley High School HOWLAND – Principal Carol Marcinkus has announced the honor parts for the Class of 2006 at Penobscot Valley High School. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var i… Read More
    PITTSFIELD – Despite a neighbor’s concerns about water runoff, the Pittsfield planning board gave preliminary approval Monday night to a major golf course expansion and companion construction of up to 24 town house units. The project, to be built in stages off Hartland Avenue, was… Read More
    DEXTER – While SAD 46’s proposed $9.5 million spending plan for 2006-2007 reflects a 5.64 percent increase, the combined assessment to the district’s four towns will actually decrease. What helped reduce the assessment was an increase of $477,196 in state subsidy which will leave the… Read More
    MCI, Pittsfield PITTSFIELD – Maine Central Institute has announced its honor parts for the Class of 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++) {… Read More
    DEXTER – SAD 46 directors recently hired one administrator and accepted the resignation of another. Directors voted to hire Stephen Bell, 38, as Dexter Regional High School principal. Bell, who has served as assistant principal and athletic director in the district for seven years, was… Read More
    DOVER-FOXCROFT – Voters will have to go somewhere other than the municipal building to obtain their town reports this year. As they have typically done in past years, selectmen have made recommendations on budgetary items and nonappropriation warrant articles in the town report. But because… Read More
    BANGOR – Spruce Run Association is seeking volunteers to answer hot line calls and work with children. Spruce Run’s hot line is available 24 hours a day for anyone who wants a safe, confidential place to talk about what’s going on in a relationship or… Read More
    The River Coalition has moved from its former office at 240 Main St. to a rental space across the street at 259 Main St., suite 2. The new office is located above Gossamer Press. The River Coalition is a nonprofit organization that focuses on children and their families… Read More
    Drivers using the eastbound lanes of Interstate 395 today can expect to encounter a Maine Department of Transportation work crew and a lane closure between Odlin Road and the Interstate 95 overpass, according to DOT officials. Lanes will be closed to install detector loops in the pavement. The… Read More
    BELFAST – After defeat at the polls of a second plan to bail out SAD 34 from a budget shortfall, the district will seek permission at a districtwide meeting May 16 to spend $550,000. On May 2, voters in Belfast, Belmont, Morrill, Northport, Searsmont and… Read More
    DEER ISLE – Three people were charged with alcohol violations Sunday after police responded to a complaint about a loud party. Officers answered the complaint on Horseshoe Lane and found 30 to 40 people at the gathering. Most of them were over 21, according to… Read More
    HANCOCK – After several years of not having to pay for roadside trash pickup, residents in this Hancock County town decided Monday that they didn’t want to start now. The town voted 42-16 against a warrant article that would have discontinued the issuance of free… Read More
    Bucksport High School BUCKSPORT – Principal Tom Sullivan has announced the honor parts for the graduating Class of 2006 at Bucksport High School. Commencement exercises will be held at 6 p.m. Friday, June 9, at the Ralph Jewett Gymnasium, Bucksport High School. googletag.cmd.push(function () {… Read More
    EASTPORT – High tides are as familiar Down East as the sunrise, but now those high tides may be harnessed in a demonstration tidal energy project that could lead to economic development. The idea – find a way to produce cheap electricity by using the… Read More
    PRESQUE ISLE – With graduation fast approaching, officials with Northern Maine Community College recently announced the institution’s student of the year and named the speakers for commencement exercises Saturday. Jason Smith, a senior in the electrical construction and maintenance program, has been named Student of… Read More
    ASHLAND – A private home was destroyed by fire Saturday, despite the efforts of firefighters from four towns. The home of Steve and Tammy O’Clair on Wrightville Road was gutted, according to Ashland Fire Chief Ned Lebel. There were no injuries. googletag.cmd.push(function () { //… Read More
    AUGUSTA – Sen. John L. Martin, of Eagle Lake, was recognized by the Coalition of Maine Nursing Organizations, Organization of Maine Nursing Executives, and Nursing Leaders of Maine for his advocacy of nursing issues. The event was held in conjunction with the annual Nurses’ Tea,… Read More
    MADAWASKA – Madawaska Police Chief Ronald Pelletier issued a warning Monday for motorists to be alert for wildlife on or near roadways. A motorist, who was not injured, struck a moose Friday night on Route 1, south of town. The moose was injured and had… Read More
    A project to create a health information network throughout Maine is getting two things that should help it become a reality within the next few years. HealthInfoNet has been awarded a $1 million challenge grant from Maine Health Access Foundation and has hired its first… Read More
    OLD ORCHARD BEACH – Police in this seaside resort community have teamed up with a group of residents to try to head off what some say has been a post-prom tradition: the rental of hotel rooms by teenagers for a night of underage drinking. Police… Read More
    Not only did Robert and Stephanie Seccareccia and their four sons lose all their belongings when their Eddington home burned on May 1, they also lost their three family pets, a dog and two cats. During this very difficult and emotional time, the Seccareccias are… Read More
    MOUNT DESERT – A truck hauling a load of bait caught on fire Saturday morning and traveled through the village of Somesville shooting flames and smoke behind it. No one was hurt in the incident, and the quick reactions of truck driver Arthur Merchant of… Read More
    WASHINGTON – Maine’s congressional delegation sent a letter to the head of the Federal Highway Administration on Monday seeking support for legislation that would give the FHWA authority to temporarily lift weight limit restrictions on federal highways. In the letter, the four delegation members expressed… Read More
    AUGUSTA – All-terrain vehicle operators who trespass or drive recklessly face tougher penalties under a new law that fine-tunes major ATV regulations enacted two years ago. “The number of ATV users continues to grow, and we’re still learning how to best regulate the riders,” spokesman… Read More
    PERRY – George Bunker Jr. sounded like a man on a mission Saturday as he sat over lunch at the New Friendly Restaurant midway between the Washington County Sheriff’s Department in Machias and the northern portion of the county, where he lives. If he were… Read More
    AUGUSTA – Maine organizations and private citizens gained ground in their effort to ensure access to government information and meetings with the enactment of a bill creating a Freedom of Access Advisory Committee. Gov. John Baldacci signed the bill into law on May 4. The… Read More
    BATH- Investigators said Monday they have determined that last week’s $1 million fire that swept through the former Stinson Seafood sardine cannery along the Kennebec River was deliberately set. The State Fire Marshal’s Office would not comment on possible suspects but said it was following… Read More
    WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded airports and towns throughout Maine $1,920,008 in funding for airport-related projects. The awards will “allow recipient airports to make much-needed improvements to their facilities and thereby increase the operational safety of their services,” U.S. Sens. Olympia… Read More
    BOSTON – Even thin-skinned New Englanders couldn’t complain about last winter, with temperatures here hitting 60 degrees in January. Portland, Maine, saw the state’s sixth warmest winter on record. Residents in Concord, N.H., escaped with just 49.7 inches of snow – almost 15 inches below… Read More
    Time, I am sorry to inform you, reduces the original glory of all things. This is especially true of lampshades. I mean, who ever gives more than a passing thought to lampshades? You switch on the light, you pick up your needlework. You don’t even look at the… Read More
    The Kenny Rogers concert scheduled for Thursday, May 11, has been canceled. A new show has been rescheduled for 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 17, and will feature both classic and holiday songs from the country singer. All tickets purchased for the May 11 show will be honored on… Read More
    One secret to writing about the outdoors (or most anything else, I figure) is that it comes in handy if you know more than you’re willing to admit you know. And it’s downright deadly to know less than you’re willing to assert in print. googletag.cmd.push(function… Read More
    It hasn’t exactly been a dream season for Bangor native and former Bangor American Legion baseball standout Josh Pressley. After signing a minor league free agent contract with the Boston Red Sox Feb. 1, the 26-year-old Pressley was ready for what he hoped to be… Read More
    ORONO – The University of Maine softball team will play host to the America East softball tournament this week at Kessock Field. The regular-season champion and top-seeded Black Bears (35-17) face No. 4 Boston University (26-27) Thursday at 2:30 p.m. Second-seeded Albany (33-10) meets No. Read More
    EASTERN LEAGUE Kason Gabbard 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
    HIGH SCHOOL At Van Buren 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… Read More
    HIGH SCHOOL At Fort Kent 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… Read More
    HIGH SCHOOL At Bangor 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
    It was my privilege recently to spend a little time with Mrs. Holly Scott’s second-grade class at the Hermon Elementary School. The lesson for the day was tolerance, and I had the good fortune to read author Myron Uhlberg’s timely book, “Dad, Jackie, and Me,”… Read More
    Red Sox fans’ treatment of Damon disappointing I hope I’m not the only one embarrassed and disappointed by the way the crowd treated Johnny Damon on his return to Fenway Park. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = [];… Read More
    NEWPORT – Sammy Moore hit an RBI triple in the sixth inning to break a 3-3 tie and lift the Nokomis Warriors to a 4-3 high school softball victory over the Bangor Rams Monday. Patrice Cianchette tied it in the sixth inning with an RBI… Read More
    ST. AGATHA – Kayla Michaud socked an RBI triple in the bottom of the sixth inning to lift the Wisdom Pioneers to a 6-5 high school softball victory over the Van Buren Crusaders on Monday. Nicole St. Pierre added a double for the winners. googletag.cmd.push(function… Read More
    LINCOLN – Nick Swanson fired a six-hit shutout and helped his own cause with a home run and two singles as the Mount Desert Island Trojans earned their first victory of the season, 2-0 over Mattanawcook Academy in high school baseball action Monday. Swanson struck… Read More