MILLINOCKET – The Hannaford Supermarket on Central Street might have been targeted by an international extortion scam Wednesday because of its Western Union wire service outlet, an FBI spokesman said Thursday. All the banks, grocery and discount stores targeted nationwide by the bomb threat telephone… Read More
AUGUSTA – Gov. John Baldacci, asserting that “our current system is intolerable,” outlined his plan Thursday for a state takeover of Maine’s county jail network. The plan would consolidate 15 county jail systems and the state corrections system into a statewide system managed by the… Read More
Because of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and increasing prices for raw metals, police and sportsmen in Maine are paying higher prices for ammunition, some of which is now scarce. Earlier this year, the Maine State Police had to settle for a partial shipment… Read More
ORONO – A $6 million gift – one of the largest in the University of Maine’s history – was presented to the school Thursday by two alumni intent on boosting the arts and athletics on campus. UM President Robert Kennedy was so pleased at the… Read More
A photo caption on Page B2 of Thursday’s paper should have listed Tech. Sgt. Mike French as a flight chief with the security forces squadron at Bangor’s Air National Guard base. Clarification googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = [];… Read More
WASHINGTON – Researchers have finally confirmed a 20-year-old theory about how the red tide algae produce their toxins. The finding may be a first step in protecting seaside communities, shellfish beds, marine mammals and humans from the periodic outbreaks of the dangerous tides. googletag.cmd.push(function ()… Read More
The Baldacci administration’s plan to have the state assume control of the operation of the county jail system does not sit well with the Maine Sheriffs’ Association – or with one sheriff whose jail would be closed. “It’s just asinine,” said Piscataquis County Sheriff John… Read More
A recent report on obesity from a group called the Trust for Public Health could be shrugged off as just more confirmation that the United States is fatter than ever, and that Americans need to eat better, exercise more, blah, blah, blah. That would be a large mistake:… Read More
It’s still August, barely, but it’s beginning to feel like fall. The sights and sounds and smells of it are everywhere. Nights have turned chilly. The wind whistles, a sign that old timers say means they should start getting ready for winter. Some of the… Read More
On the way home from the Stop the War demonstration in Kennebunkport on Aug. 25, we stopped at a restaurant. The waitress asked us from where we were traveling. When we told her we had been marching with 4,000 others to end the war, she began to serve… Read More
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Federal authorities are close to identifying one or more suspects who have called at least 15 large stores or banks in the last week and threatened to blow up workers with a bomb unless they wire money to an account overseas, an FBI spokesman said… Read More
WASHINGTON – Sens. Norm Coleman and Susan Collins are donating political contributions they received from Sen. Larry Craig’s political action committee to charity. Coleman’s campaign manager, Cullen Sheehan, said Thursday that the Minnesota Republican will donate the $2,500 contribution he received two months ago from… Read More
The National Board of Trial Advocacy has announced that Bangor trial attorney N. Laurence Willey Jr. has been awarded board recertification in civil trial advocacy. Willey is one of nine attorneys in Maine to have obtained board certification by the NBTA. He also serves as Maine’s representative to… Read More
PORTLAND – Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Maine wants to raise rates by an average 18.6 percent across its HealthChoice line, which provides insurance for about 25,000 people who do not have access to group coverage. The request submitted to the Maine Bureau… Read More
WINSLOW – At least five workers at a poultry vaccination plant in central Maine fell ill from salmonella exposure late last year, underscoring risks associated with the manufacture of veterinary products, the national Centers of Disease Control and Prevention reported Thursday. As many as 21… Read More
HAMPDEN – The incoming class of Maine Business School graduate students spent Thursday teaching the Maine Savings Federal Credit Union how to be cool. As part of their intensive MBA Residency Week at the University of Maine, the 34 students acted as consultants to the… Read More
The Penobscots have lived along the Penobscot River for 14,000 years. The last few hundred years of alien occupation is only a drop in the proverbial bucket. Doubtless the Penobscots will continue to live along the Penobscot River for another 14,000 years after the foreigners have gone their… Read More
In response to a statement Ray Hanscom recently made in his letter, “Properly attired Clinton” (BDN, Aug. 15) in regard to a previous article in the Bangor Daily News regarding Hillary Clinton’s cleavage, we should be more concerned about far more important issues in which she has been… Read More
This was the first year I attended the American Folk Festival and worked as a volunteer. The community response to this wonderful program demonstrates the best of the Maine spirit and pride. More than 800 people volunteered to help make the festival a success. Families,… Read More
Having just completed an amazing week in my hometown of Dixmont, I would like to publicly thank the Bicentennial Committee for a job well done. Their years of preparation is much appreciated by all of us who had time to participate in so many events. Read More
We in Maine pride ourselves on being independent minded. We don’t like being told what to do but like to think things through for ourselves. We are also not afraid of hard work. That is why I think Susan Collins is such a great representative… Read More
PORTLAND – The state’s highest court on Thursday overturned a lower court decision, opening the door for a lesbian couple to adopt two siblings who have been in their care for six years. The Maine Supreme Judicial Court unanimously ruled that state law does not… Read More
AUGUSTA – Summer’s almost over, and now homework is due – and some of Maine’s school districts are staying up late to make sure it gets done. But a day before Friday’s deadline for Maine school districts to file consolidation outlines, Education Commissioner Susan Gendron… Read More
CENTERVILLE – A 64-year-old Marshfield man died Wednesday afternoon in an accident at a remote logging site. Kenneth Schoppee, an employee of Guptill Logging in East Machias, was run over by a maintenance truck at about 12:42 p.m. and suffered head and chest injuries, according… Read More
AUGUSTA – The state started the new budget year in the red, with revenues below estimates by $8.2 million, lawmakers were told Thursday. And while it’s too soon to say there are any trends developing, there is concern at the State House that the national… Read More
In the campaign to save Maine’s Atlantic salmon from the brink of extinction, rivers such as the Penobscot, Machias and Dennys often steal the limelight because of their history as top fly-fishing destinations. So perhaps it’s no surprise that the name Harmon Brook may be… Read More
BANGOR – Police are hunting for a young male burglar who pepper-sprayed an 80-year-old woman Wednesday night while trying to steal from her. He is believed to be involved in a dozen or more robberies reported since Aug. 20. The suspect is described as a… Read More
BUCKSPORT – The Bucksport area towns, unable to find partners in surrounding towns to form a regional school unit, will be a “doughnut hole” school district under the state’s new consolidation law. Bucksport, along with the towns of Orland and the SAD 18 towns of… Read More
MACHIAS – The Washington County Commission has come out against a proposed construction and demolition debris landfill even though state regulators earlier this month voted unanimously to rezone the land in Township 14. The Land Use Regulation Commission rezoned 120 acres of a 4,700-acre forested… Read More
ROCKLAND – City police are investigating a break-in at a local convenience store that netted thieves more than $1,000 in cash and other merchandise. Deputy Police Chief Wallace Tower said the break-in at the P.D.Q. Store at Kaler’s Corner on Old County Road was reported… Read More
JACKSON – A local man was arrested on drug charges Wednesday evening after a spotting airplane observed marijuana plants on his property. Jason Roberts, 26, of the Bog Road was arrested by the Waldo County Sheriff’s Department after a search warrant discovered 23 plants, processed… Read More
SOUTHWEST HARBOR – A local restaurant owner who had been missing for 10 days has been located safely out of state, but police still don’t know why he unexpectedly left the area. Ralph “Randy” Palmer, 51, reportedly contacted family members Thursday, according to a dispatcher… Read More
HOPE – Coastal Mountains Land Trust has completed purchase from Bob Wright of a 70-acre parcel on the northern slopes of Bald Mountain in Hope. The forested property, sold to the trust by owner Bob Wright, abuts the land trust’s Kelly Tract, and helps create… Read More
BELFAST – Tree identification will be the subject of the Belfast Bay Watershed Coalition’s two-part program in September. Maine is the most heavily forested state in the country, with more than 65 species of native trees. Morton Moesswilde of the Maine Forest Service will provide… Read More
CAMDEN – The 13th annual Windjammer Weekend – to be held at Camden Harbor today through Sunday – is estimated to be the largest annual gathering of Maine’s historic windjammer fleet. Nearly 30 schooners will converge on Camden this year, said Annie Higbee, founder and… Read More
The University of Maine Cooperative Extension’s Eat Well program is offering free healthy nutrition lessons. Each lesson provides healthy nutrition and money-saving grocery tips as well as recipes. Lessons are taught in your home and are free and confidential. To qualify, you must either be food-stamp eligible or… Read More
BANGOR – Manna Ministries is in need of 85 backpacks for area schoolchildren. Backpacks may be dropped off at 629 Main Street. Read More
BANGOR – The University of Maine System offers a low-cost dental hygiene clinic to the public from September until April. All dental hygiene services are provided, including oral exams, dental cleanings, fluoride treatments, sealants, athletic mouth guards and X-rays. Services are provided by dental hygiene students under the… Read More
BANGOR – Randall Parsons was not only an officer with the Bangor Police Department, he was a family member. He died Wednesday at the age of 39 from complications due to cancer. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes =… Read More
LEE – Steve Krapf Jr. is no longer intubated. His vocal chords have not healed entirely, so his voice is little more than a whisper. But his face has healed well, and by his uncle’s count, Krapf has endured as many as 50 hours of surgery since suffering… Read More
BANGOR – Nearly 50 years after swimming the first lap in the then-new John W. Coombs Memorial Swimming Pool, longtime Bangor Y member and former employee Tim Rice swam the last lap. It happened Saturday afternoon, just before the pool at the Y’s Hammond Street… Read More
Dover-Foxcroft District Court googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var i = 0; i < slot_sizes.length; i++) { if (isMobileDevice()) { if (slot_sizes[i][0] googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]];… Read More
BANGOR – The public is invited to an “End the War-Build the Peace” rally and ceremony at 1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 29, at Paul Bunyan Park. After a short rally with speakers and music there will be a ceremony to mourn all the Iraq war… Read More
A line of thunderstorms that rolled through parts of eastern and central Maine early Thursday evening produced high winds, lightning and heavy rain, knocking down trees and limbs, and cutting power to dozens of utility customers. At 10 p.m., Bangor Hydro-Electric Co. was reporting outages… Read More
Army National Guard Pvt. Timothy J. Veazie has graduated from the Automated Logistical Specialist Advanced Training Course at the U.S. Army Quartermaster Center and School at Fort Lee in Petersberg, Va. Veazie is the son of Timothy and Vicki Veazie of Levant. Read More
WARREN – A local man was hospitalized Thursday after trying to avoid capture on a stolen motorcycle. Darin Upton, 25, of Warren was treated for a broken scapula at Penobscot Bay Medical Center in Rockport after falling from a 1997 Harley-Davidson that was stolen from… Read More
SULLIVAN – A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 1, for a couple who were killed in a car accident last week that left their three children orphaned. Cory Openshaw, 30, and Stacey Collins, 32, both of Sullivan, will be remembered… Read More
CAPE ROSIER – Performer Bennett Konesni will lead a two-day singing workshop at The Good Life Center on Saturday-Sunday, Sept. 8-9. The workshop begins with dinner at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 8, and concludes after lunch at 1 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 9. The cost of the workshop is… Read More
BELFAST – City voters will encounter a ballot with a full slate of candidates when they choose their municipal officers this November. Thursday was the deadline for filing nomination papers and City Clerk Roberta Fogg certified signatures for contested races for mayor and two open… Read More
KNOX – A Massachusetts motorcyclist was treated for minor injuries after he rolled his Harley-Davidson over on Route 220 Wednesday afternoon. Walter T. Belmonte, 34, of Randolph, Mass., was riding his 2001 Harley-Davidson south on Route 220 at 3:15 p.m. when he pulled out to… Read More
SPRINGFIELD – The roughly 300 pounds of hamburger and 40 50-pound bags of potatoes on hand Thursday were a good sign that food will be plentiful at the 157th annual Springfield Fair. As many as 15,000 people are expected to visit the privately run fair,… Read More
CHARLESTON – The town will hold its Old Home Days celebration Sept. 14-16. The theme this year is a Hawaiian luau. The events kick off at 6 p.m. Friday, Sept. 14, with bingo at the Old School Building. The doors will open at 4:30 p.m. Read More
Perhaps you have ties to Island Falls. Perhaps you don’t, but just love to cook and enjoy using cookbooks that have something special to offer. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var… Read More
CENTERVILLE – For more than 40 minutes Wednesday, a group of loggers worked to try to save the life of an injured co-worker, all the while following directions from a Washington County dispatcher miles away from the scene. Dispatcher Cindy Rossi, 47, an EMT and… Read More
AUGUSTA – Determined to find a new way to raise funds to repair and maintain the state’s roads and bridges, the Legislature’s Appropriations and Transportation committees met Thursday to plan a way to keep LD 1790 alive. The bill, proposed in the spring session by… Read More
AUGUSTA – Gov. John Baldacci has posted two new judicial nominations, renominated a third judge and asked for the reassignment of a fourth to active retired status. John Nivison, who was nominated to serve on the Superior Court bench, has served on the Maine District… Read More
AUGUSTA – The roster of Maine legislative candidates who will run in special elections in November is filling out. Republicans in Maine House District 93 nominated Katherine Harvey of Dixfield for state representative Wednesday night. The seat has been vacated by the resignation of Republican… Read More
KITTERY – Town Manager Jon Carter said he has been unable to substantiate allegations of verbal abuse and harassment leveled against the police chief. Virginia Grover, who worked as Police Chief Edward Strong’s secretary for 11 years, retired at the end of April to protect… Read More
Staff with the Land Use Regulation Commission on Wednesday released a tentative schedule for public hearings and workshops on Plum Creek Timber Co.’s development plan for the Moosehead Lake region. The LURC staff has proposed holding public hearings on Nov. 4 in Greenville, Nov. 17… Read More
Maine Turnpike officials are expecting more than 720,000 vehicles to travel the highway from Friday through Monday this Labor Day weekend. Friday is expected to be the busiest day as tourist and commuters mix to bring nearly 240,000 vehicles to the highway. The heaviest traffic… Read More
PORTLAND – The school superintendent in Maine’s largest city has resigned in the aftermath of a multimillion-dollar budget deficit. The Portland School Committee unanimously accepted the resignation of Mary Jo O’Connor on Wednesday night, welcoming her decision as a necessary step in addressing the district’s… Read More
It’s that time again. Time for the annual one-guy-chats-up-a-few coaches-and-chats-up folks-who-chatted-up-a-few-other-coaches, then-puts-his-finger-into-the-air-to-gauge-the-prevailing-sentiment Eastern Maine high school football preseason poll. High school polls have popped up all over the place in recent years, and the best thing about them is they mean nothing, because unlike in… Read More
ORONO – Dick “Rooster” Collins recalls fondly the excitement of playing basketball for the University of Maine in Memorial Gymnasium, which was and still is affectionately known as “The Pit.” Now, nearly 50 years after the proud son of a St. Agatha potato farmer graduated… Read More
Mike Hopkins figured he was going to have a pretty good season this year in the Sport-Four division at Hermon’s Speedway 95. He barely missed out on winning the points championship a year ago, finishing second by four points to Reggie Bickford. He won eight… Read More
ORONO – The University of Maine’s field hockey team has had to be resilient. Josette Babineau is the Black Bears’ third coach in three seasons. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var… Read More
The 2007 high school football season has arrived. Three new teams statewide will make their debuts during Week 1, Class B Nokomis of Newport and Class C Mount View of Thorndike in the East and Class C Yarmouth in the West. That brings the total… Read More
HIGH SCHOOL At Hillcrest GC, Millinocket, par 33 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
CARIBOU – With a ricochet off a goal post, Ali Richards helped the Caribou girls soccer team to a milestone of sorts Thursday night against rival Presque Isle. For the first time in four years, the Vikings logged a tie – not a loss –… Read More
BANGOR – Husson College has the honor of kicking off Maine’s college football season. The Eagles will play the first night game in program history tonight at 7 when they entertain Division II Pace University of Pleasantville, N.Y., at the Winkin Complex. googletag.cmd.push(function () {… Read More
Former Bangor High School pitching standout Matt Kinney is making a late run to earn a September call-up to the San Francisco Giants. The 6-foot-5, 230-pound righthander leads the Pacific Coast League with 12 victories this season for the Class AAA Fresno (Calif.) Grizzlies heading… Read More
You probably know the story: WKIT 100.3, Eastern Maine’s classic rock station, introduced James McMurtry and the Heartless Bastards to the Bangor area in 2004, after owner Stephen King personally recommended that the song “Choctaw Bingo” from the album “Live in Aught-Three” go into heavy rotation. Read More
CAMDEN – Rex Fowler isn’t ready to let Aztec Two-Step be put out to pasture. Thirty-five years after releasing its first, self-titled record, the folk duo of Fowler – a native of Pittsfield – and Neal Shulman is still busy on several fronts, including performing… Read More
In theaters MR. BEAN’S HOLIDAY, directed by Steve Bendelack, written by Hamish McColl and Robin Driscoll, 90 minutes, rated G. 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
Even though it’s not set to premiere until Sept. 19, a new reality show already is causing quite a stir. I have yet to receive a preview, but the commercials, blogs and Web hype have piqued my interest about “Kid Nation.” googletag.cmd.push(function () { //… Read More
I’m always genuinely amazed by people who can play multiple instruments. Me, I am competent on guitar and vocals. I learned clarinet and oboe growing up, two instruments I’ve largely forgotten how to play. And I know where a C is on a piano, so I can make… Read More
CASTINE – Joe Blier didn’t start playing football until he was in the eighth grade. However, during his development in the Bangor High School program, he learned the importance of hard work in the weight room and on the practice field and intensity during games. Read More
WEEK 1 Friday, Aug. 31 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
ORONO – Josh Caldwell enjoyed considerable success playing football, hockey and baseball at Brewer High School. Nothing could have prepared him, though, for the exhilaration he would experience the evening of Sept. 3, 2005. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var… Read More
They may have finished with a losing record last year, but the Belfast Lions were still a playoff team just two plays away from a 6-3 mark and a spot in the semifinals. With 62 students total out for the team and 22 of them… Read More
BANGOR – Jason Cross prefers to do things on his own terms. That helps explain why during training camp the Husson College senior slept in the Newman Gymnasium complex parking lot – in the back of his pickup truck – rather than in the dormitory. Read More
DEXTER – After a 2-7 record last season, you’d think things would be a little down in Dexter High School’s preseason camp. That is not the case, says head coach Tim Wilson. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes =… Read More
BUCKSPORT – While the sun was setting over the nearby Penobscot Narrows Bridge on a recent late-August afternoon, it is beginning to rise on a new football season at Bucksport High School. Expectations are always high in Bucksport, but they may be higher this year… Read More
DOVER-FOXCROFT – The Foxcroft Academy football team is hoping to channel last year’s letdown into this year’s success. With a number of talented skill players and one of the best defenses coach Paul Withee has had in his 18 seasons in charge of the program,… Read More
BANGOR – What does it say about the 2007 football forecast for John Bapst of Bangor when even a returning 1,000-yard rusher is being challenged for playing time in the preseason? “Well, it tells me we have a lot of those ‘good problems’ to have,… Read More
HAMPDEN – Two years under the tutelage of Harry McCluskey have brought steady progress to the Hampden Academy varsity football team. In 2005 the Broncos reached the Pine Tree Conference Class B quarterfinals. Last fall a senior-laden team rallied from a 1-3 start to earn… Read More
Lawrence High School graduated 19 seniors off last year’s team. Ordinarily, that might be cause for concern. However, the Bulldogs of Fairfield also are coming off an undefeated 11-0 season that culminated in the Class A state championship. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var… Read More
BREWER – Two years after winning the Class B state championship, the Brewer High School football program is now one of the smaller combatants in Eastern Maine Class A. Reclassification has elevated the Witches up to the state’s large-school class in the sport for the… Read More
BANGOR – Many of the key players are the same, but the approach to offense will be different this fall as the Bangor High School football team seeks to return to the Class A championship game for the first time in three years. Seventh-year coach… Read More
LINCOLN – For the last two years, the Mattanawcook Academy football team has been one victory away from its first LTC championship since 1999. However, one thing has stood in the Lynx’s way: Foxcroft Academy. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]];… Read More
PITTSFIELD – It has nearly been a year since the Maine Central Institute football team has earned a victory, a 37-36 win over Stearns of Millinocket on Sept. 1, 2006. It was a promising first game of the 2006 season, especially considering that the Huskies… Read More
At the end the 2006 season, Madison football coach Joe Hayden had 17 total players on his team roster and only 14 of them were in uniform. The Bulldogs lived up to their nickname and gutted out a tough 1-8 season despite exceptionally low player… Read More
BAR HARBOR – After dire seasons, the Mount Desert Island football team is on an upward trajectory. The Trojans have shown progress since an 0-9 season in 2004, right up to last year, when they went 5-4 and earned a spot in the PTC Class… Read More
With six starters returning on offense and five on defense from last season’s playoff team, Wes Littlefield has reason for optimism. Considering Messalonskee of Oakland’s football coach has a solid nucleus of 12 seniors leading a squad of 65 total players – 25 of whom… Read More
NEWPORT – The motto on the T-shirts says it all about the state of the program – Nokomis Football: The Tradition Begins. And so the several communities that comprise SAD 48 now have a varsity football team to call their own, and with it an… Read More
THORNDIKE – Ron Simmons already has seen his share of growing pains guiding the evolution of football in the Unity-Thorndike area from a nonaffiliated eight-on-eight youth league program to club status for the past two years at Mount View High School. Now comes the biggest… Read More
ORONO – Bob Sinclair remembers last October rather vividly. After the Orono Red Riots lost their three straight games at the end of September by a combined score of 126-0 and fell to 1-4, Sinclair watched his young team mature in a big way. googletag.cmd.push(function… Read More
OLD TOWN – Give credit to George McKay. In one of the bleakest hours of the history of the Old Town High School football program, the new coach of the Coyotes – and 22-year coach of Mount Desert Island High School – sees a bright… Read More
ROCKLAND – The emphasis in the Rockland District High School football camp heading into the 2007 is on all that is new with the Tigers. There are new tweaks on offense, new wrinkles on defense, new uniforms, new responsibilities for assistant coaches – and a… Read More
With just five seniors on a team of 69 players, the Skowhegan Indians knew the 2006 season would be one of development. This year, 21 of Skowhegan’s 72 players are seniors and another 19 are juniors, so the learning curve shouldn’t be nearly as drastic… Read More
After being asked if his team was one of the Pine Tree Conference Class B favorites, Waterville football coach Frank Knight paused in midthought. “Well… a week ago I would have thought we were,” he said. “Offensively, we could be capable of spreading people out,… Read More