WASHINGTON – House Republicans tentatively agreed Thursday to prohibit Customs agents from seizing prescription drugs that Americans buy in Canada and bring back into the United States. The deal would let Americans carry up to a 90-day supply of medication back to the U.S. from… Read More
AUGUSTA – A spokeswoman for the federal agency charged with overseeing Maine’s Medicaid program said Thursday that the agency would support all of an independent U.S. inspector general’s recommendations for rectifying the state’s problematic computer billing system. The state, which has been trying to repair… Read More
WASHINGTON – The White House and rebellious Senate Republicans announced agreement Thursday on rules for the interrogation and trial of suspects in the war on terror. President Bush urged Congress to put it into law before adjourning for the midterm elections. “I’m pleased to say… Read More
PORTLAND – A class-action trial over strip-searches at the Knox County Jail, scheduled to begin next month in Portland, appears to have been derailed by a federal judge. U.S. District Judge Gene Carter on Tuesday reversed an earlier decision that allowed the lawsuit to become… Read More
AUGUSTA – State Republican legislative leaders on Thursday asked Democratic Gov. John Baldacci to avoid doing business in the future with Hugo Chavez, saying the Venezuelan leader has insulted President Bush and the United States by his remarks before the United Nations. Baldacci, who approved… Read More
WYTOPITLOCK – All 10 pupils at Wytopitlock Elementary School were hard at work last Friday morning, including Harvey the reading dog. Lying in a corner of the classroom, his head between his paws, the friendly golden retriever was being read a book about animals by… Read More
ELLSWORTH – If the opinions of 15 or so lobster fishermen who attended a public hearing Wednesday reflect those of others throughout the state, Maine fishermen are not keen on changing the rules that they say have helped make their regional fishery healthy. The Atlantic… Read More
AUGUSTA – Approximately 48,000 Maine taxpayers who received a six-month extension to file their 2005 income tax return have less than a month remaining. The deadline to file the tax return is Oct. 16. This year, for the first time, taxpayers automatically were granted a… Read More
I would like to commend the organizers and supporters of the Susan G. Komen Maine Race for the Cure for another successful event. In fact, it was a record 10th year both in terms of participants (more than 3,200!) and money raised (approximately $175,00!, 75 percent of which… Read More
Lobbying reform emerged with the promise of spring, stalled before summer and seems now to be one of those things Congress would rather not discuss. A last-minute attempt in the Senate to rescue a piece of the reform by matching House provisions on earmarks looks similarly doomed. Read More
A group called Opportunity Maine has a good idea in the form of a proposal to build a citizen’s initiative to highlight the importance of going to college. Whether its specific proposal – a tax credit to repay tuition costs for those who remain in Maine after graduating… Read More
Bill Trotter’s article of Sept. 19, “Mapping project’s SUV causes stir,” is informative but misses the point. It is not the sport-utility vehicle that is causing the stir rather that the federal government through the Census Bureau has hired a tech firm to build a video database on… Read More
While observing today’s Muslim unrest against the pope it should be pointed out that according to the Koran the Muslim god and Christian god is not the same deity. Where does the Koran say this? It clearly states in many places that the idea of Allah having a… Read More
I first met Rod Merritt in the summer of 2004 when he came to Montana to compete in the 5.11 Challenge. I am the executive director of the 5.11 Challenge and each summer I am lucky enough to work with 32 teams of officers competing for $100,000 for… Read More
Bess Urbahn’s letter (BDN, Sept. 9-10), which deplores Verizon’s use of Spanish in a notice to customers, exhibits the ignorance plaguing America today. We have no official language in this country, and we have to face the fact that more and more people within our… Read More
This year’s Republican rhetoric has become rather disheartening. They pose questions like “Wouldn’t it be nice if Maine were like the rest of the country?” as if they have the answer. The answer to their question, by the way, is clear. No. Nor do they… Read More
When my daughter was in the third grade she got off the school bus one day and informed me that the bus driver swore at the kids on the way home. “She said the ‘s’ word,” my daughter said quite disgustedly. googletag.cmd.push(function () { //… Read More
A letter that landed in thousands of Maine mailboxes this week designed to drum up financial support for the Taxpayer Bill of Rights campaign might have left some recipients confused. First, the four-page fundraising letter included a Bangor Daily News editorial and identified the newspaper… Read More
AUGUSTA – Maine’s attorney general asked a federal court Thursday to throw out the government’s lawsuit against Maine officials over whether a phone company should release information about its handling of confidential records. Attorney General G. Steven Rowe said the state’s request, filed on behalf… Read More
NEWPORT – In 1826, Mary Chapin married Justus Kirby and together they settled on what is now Elm Street but was once a major stagecoach route. They built a farmhouse, operated a trading business, and had nine children. Four of those children – Sarah Marie,… Read More
BANGOR – Heating Maine’s schools and other government facilities using wood-chip boilers is one way Maine can create energy independently, said leaders of the biomass technology movement during a local conference Thursday. Leaders and researchers from energy organizations gathered with landowners and school superintendents at… Read More
BANGOR – Eleven protesters were arrested Thursday after refusing to leave the Bangor office of U.S. Sen. Olympia Snowe, whom they were pressing for an end to the war in Iraq and to bring American troops home. The 11 peace activists were part of a… Read More
MILLINOCKET – Joining several other local rural governments across the state, Millinocket’s Town Council formally will oppose the government spending initiative known as TABOR that will be on the November ballot. The Taxpayer Bill of Rights proposal for government spending – which would limit spending… Read More
GREENVILLE – Town officials agreed Wednesday to press forward with corrective actions which they hope will extend the life of the landfill. The town is under pressure from the state Department of Environmental Protection to close the facility even though it was designed for about… Read More
In a special town meeting Thursday night, councilors and the handful of residents present approved spending $75,000 from the highway capital reserve account to replace four culverts on the New Boston road, near the Wheeler Stream. The culvert replacement will close the road for a maximum of two… Read More
Landowners, loggers, truckers, and lumber processors are expected to attend the annual meeting of the Maine Forest Products Council on Sunday and Monday, Sept. 24-25. The Piscataquis County Economic Development Council and the Composite Technology Centers Corp. will sponsor a reception for the group at noon Monday, Sept. Read More
Since the town’s valuation went up 104 percent with the recent revaluation, town officials are looking at a 2007 mill rate of $10.60 per $1,000 valuation. The present tax rate is $20.70 per $1,000. Town Manager John Simko said selectmen are expected to set the rate, which could… Read More
PITTSFIELD – With four teenagers – three of them students – involved in a traffic accident Thursday afternoon at the school’s entrance, police and Maine Central Institute administrators are saying they’re fed up with speeding and reckless teenagers. The crash was the third involving MCI… Read More
HAMPDEN – Waist-deep in chlorinated water and clad in vibrant-colored swimsuits, more than a dozen participants worked their arms and legs in Wednesday’s adult exercise class at the newly renovated Lura E. Hoit Memorial Pool. After drawing themselves from the lukewarm bath, many of the… Read More
HOULTON – Cold winds left onlookers shivering, but Maine State Police officers with Troop F stood resolutely at attention – in short-sleeved uniforms – as top officials conducted the annual troop inspection Thursday morning. Troopers and their cruisers were lined up in formation behind the… Read More
LIMESTONE – A wastewater treatment project in central Aroostook County that could bring jobs to northern Maine is on the back burner because the state is out of money for such projects and federal dollars are dwindling. State Environmental Protection Commissioner David Littell cited the… Read More
PRESQUE ISLE – The fate of the area’s landfill is in the hands of officials from the seven towns that use the site after the city’s solid waste director reported a clogging problem to councilors this week. The collection system at the 13-acre Presque Isle… Read More
MARS HILL – Town councilors plan to bring holiday colors back to downtown. During a fairly quiet meeting of the Town Council Monday night, they picked out $4,000 worth of Christmas decorations that will be hung along Main Street for the winter season. googletag.cmd.push(function ()… Read More
HOULTON – After a powerfully moving show drew a crowd last year, the Southern Aroostook Cultural Arts Project has once again joined hands with the Battered Women’s Project to host an art exhibit geared toward raising awareness about domestic violence, celebrating the survivors and mourning the victims. Read More
WASHINGTON – Senators Olympia J. Snowe and Susan Collins announced Thursday that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has awarded Jackson Laboratory in Bar Harbor several grants totaling $2,694,107. “The importance of ongoing medical research cannot be overstated,” the senators said. “This DHHS… Read More
HAMPDEN – Climbing the winding stairs to the top floor of the high school, Latin teacher Ben Johnson said he often reminds students that the language has been around about 10 times as long as the 1830s section of Hampden Academy that houses his classroom. Read More
ROCKLAND – Rockland Detective Sgt. James Pease was honored last week with the Confidential Funds Utilization Award from the New England State Police Intelligence Network. The award was made at a ceremony Sept. 13 in Nashua, N.H. The award recognized Pease for his “well-planned and… Read More
ROCKLAND – The city’s finance director will leave Oct. 13 for a similar job in Pottstown, Pa., not far from his hometown of Roseto. Robert Armelin announced his resignation this week after serving as finance director since Jan. 18, 1998. Armelin said he is leaving… Read More
MILLINOCKET – The developer of what would have been the town’s first large-scale housing project since the 1980s has put his property up for sale. Because the Town Council voted 4-1-1 last month against a variance that would have allowed the proposed $2 million to… Read More
BELFAST – The Belfast Historical Society will present “Photographic Postcards From the Eastern Illustrating and Publishing Company” at the Belfast Free Library’s Abbott Room at 7 p.m. Monday, Sept. 25. Kevin Johnson, archives curator at the Rockport Institute of Photographic Education, will present slides of… Read More
MACHIAS – Teenage girls in Washington County who used to be part of Girl Scouts have the chance to join up again, starting Sunday. A Super Troop is forming that will reconnect girls who want to be in Scouts again – and whose local troops… Read More
INDIAN TOWNSHIP – She calls him Wayne. He calls her Dot. Soon they will be calling each other councilor. 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
STEUBEN – From Jeanne Benedict’s perspective in Washington County – at her librarian’s desk in Steuben – the county’s libraries are few and far between. There are a mere 18 public libraries serving the county’s population of 33,000, and resources can stretch only so far… Read More
VASSALBORO – An ex-Marine who returned home last month after serving three tours in Iraq lost his life in a highway crash as he was preparing to begin a new life as a civilian. Timothy Foshay, 22, had just found a new apartment and had… Read More
PORTLAND – A third person in Maine has been sickened from the same strain of E. coli bacteria that was linked to a national outbreak arising from tainted spinach, state health officials said Thursday. The latest confirmed case involved a young woman from Kennebec County… Read More
FALMOUTH, Mass. – Colonies of sea squirts living on an 88-square-mile section of ocean floor in Georges Bank grew denser during the last year, but the species that could threaten the fishing industry hasn’t spread eastward into Canadian waters, according to new research. The annual… Read More
MILLINOCKET – Gov. John Baldacci will meet with Katahdin Region leaders today to discuss conservationist Roxanne Quimby’s recent purchase of a 23,000-acre chunk of Maine’s North Woods. Council Chairman David Nelson said he hoped the meeting with Baldacci, at 11 a.m. at American Legion Post… Read More
Some singles in the Bangor area in the 50-60 age range are putting their heads together to come up with a professional, upscale opportunity to meet others. Leslie Thistle, owner of Cafe Nouveau at 84 Hammond St. in downtown Bangor, wrote me about the group… Read More
BANGOR – A Penobscot County investigator on Thursday renewed a request for the public’s help in finding a suspect in the Sept. 11 armed robbery of an Enfield couple and said that a woman accompanying the suspect has not been heard from by her family since shortly after… Read More
ORONO – It’s an expensive endeavor, but the $10,000 project to install street signs on campus is well worth the cost and effort for several reasons, University of Maine senior cartographer Michael Hermann said Thursday. The money for the signs and their installation was provided… Read More
AUGUSTA – Green Independent gubernatorial candidate Pat LaMarche called Thursday for the creation of a Maine Healthcare Authority that would administer a lifetime health care system for all Mainers financed in part by taxes on employers. “Most of the world’s industrialized countries provide universal health… Read More
AUGUSTA – “No senior left behind” was the popular theme of the Blaine House Conference on Aging, a daylong workshop held Thursday at the civic center in Augusta. About 300 people gathered to advocate for public policies that support the well-being of older Mainers and… Read More
Milo’s Shaun Washburn puts in long hours at work. But he doesn’t mind. 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… Read More
Losing a game is tough for anyone who competes, but it’s nothing compared to the loss Foxcroft Academy football coach Paul Withee and his family have endured in recent times. Two years ago his dad died, painful enough because Frank Withee shared with his son… Read More
BANGOR – After a week’s worth of sort-of slumping games, the Bangor boys soccer team is hoping the past two nights will be a bit of a turnaround. The Rams posted their second lopsided shutout in as many games. One night after a 7-0 win… Read More
ORONO – Nothing is more important to Justin Roberts than family. Whether it’s his mom, dad and sisters in West Milford, N.J., or his football “brothers” at the University of Maine, Roberts takes great pride in representing both families. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot… Read More
Believe it or not, Week 4 of the high school football season marks the midpoint of the regular season for high school football teams in Classes A and B who play eight-game schedules. For Class C, which plays a ninth game, that same midpoint is… Read More
HIGH SCHOOL At Penobscot Valley CC, Orono par 36 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
HIGH SCHOOL At Penobscot Valley CC, Orono par 36 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
Golf COLLEGE 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 Corrected boys soccer standings as reported by the Maine Principals’ Association for games through Sept. 16. 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
HIGH SCHOOL At Fort Kent, 3.1 miles 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 Natanis GC, Vassalboro 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
The Old Town Youth Hockey Association is offering 20 scholarships to local youth in Old Town, Bradley, Milford and Alton for the upcoming Penobscot Valley Hockey Conference’s Family Fun Skate and Scholarship program. The association is offering the scholarships to new instructional hockey players (ages… Read More
CARMEL – The 2005 championship car of NASCAR driver Tony Stewart and the M&M car of Elliott Sadler will be featured in a car show at the Wayne Elston Speed Shop on Rte. 2 today from noon to 6 p.m. The show is also linked… Read More
Bangor all-sports radio station WZON (620 AM) came away with recognition in three of the five awards categories at the annual Maine Association of Broadcasters dinner in Portland last weekend. The Sports Zone was first in the sports feature category and also took a second… Read More
ORONO – Fans who plan to go watch the University of Maine’s football home opener Saturday against Shaw University, or any college games this fall, should be aware of a few rules changes implemented by the NCAA. On kickoffs, the clock now starts when the… Read More
CALAIS – Courtney Hill scored the second of her two goals with 6 minutes left in regulation to lift the Calais Blue Devils to a 4-3 high school girls soccer victory over the Washington Academy Raiders Thursday. Kayla Cobb netted a pair of goals for… Read More
The University of Maine men’s basketball team will encounter a wide spectrum of opponents during the 2006-07 season. The Black Bears’ schedule, which was released Thursday, includes a potential ESPN Bracket Buster matchup in February, along with road games against the likes of Providence of… Read More
Interim head coach Lauren Steblen has been encouraged by her UMaine women’s hockey team, which opens its season against perennial power Mercyhurst College (Pa.) Sept. 30 at 1 p.m. at Alfond Arena. They will square off again on Sunday at 111 a.m. googletag.cmd.push(function () {… Read More
DOVER-FOXCROFT – Jenn Gagnon scored off an Amy Molinaro assist with 30 seconds left in the second overtime to lift the Foxcroft Academy Ponies past John Bapst of Bangor 2-1 in high school field hockey play Thursday. Foxcroft’s Kelsey Boss scored the game’s first goal… Read More
MADAWASKA – Brittany Theriault scored the game-tying goal for Fort Kent with 29 minutes left in regulation, and neither the Warriors nor archrival Madawaska would score the rest of the en route to a 1-1 double-overtime tie in high school girls soccer action Thursday. Jamie… Read More
WATERVILLE – Chrissy Maloney scored the game-winning goal with 26:35 remaining in regulation to lift Colby College past Husson College of Bangor 2-1 in women’s soccer action Thursday. Jenn Reilly got the only goal of the first half off an assist from Amy Campbell. Jamie… Read More
Will Malaby has spent the better part of the past two years in his jam-packed, poster-covered room, hunched over a Macintosh G5 computer. Set amid several guitars, a keyboard, a drum set and even a sitar he got last Christmas, he’s been composing and recording a full-length album,… Read More
CAMDEN – In high school, David Hyde Pierce was an accomplished musician, excelling on piano and organ. “I was very good, [at least] growing up in a relatively small town in upstate New York,” Pierce said in a recent telephone interview from his home in… Read More
A year ago, Scott Levy made his debut in Bangor as Penobscot Theatre Company’s newest producing artistic director. Tonight at the Bangor Opera House, Levy makes his acting debut in the musical “Falsettos.” He plays Mendel, a psychiatrist helping and then joining a Jewish family after the father… Read More
Paul Benjamin knows about the Monday night blues. For most people, Monday is a back-to-work day. For Benjamin and other music lovers, it’s live blues night at Time Out Pub in Rockland. Benjamin is best known around his neighborhood as the creator of the North… Read More
And now, it’s time for a good old-fashioned nighttime soap opera. As the title suggests, this new drama is the story of the Walkers, five screwed-up siblings and their supposedly perfect parents. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes =… Read More
According to www.dictionary.com, “cambiata” is a musical term referring to a series of changing notes a few tones above one another. According to Sean Morin, Chris Moulton, Daniel McKellick, Miguel Barajas and Stan Dzengelewski, it’s also the name of a post-hard-core/emo band from central Maine,… Read More
On DVD THE NOTORIOUS BETTIE PAGE, directed by Mary Harron, written by Harron and Guinevere Turner, 94 minutes, rated R. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var i = 0; i… Read More