BANGOR – Gov. John Baldacci’s announcement Tuesday of nearly $38 million in General Fund reductions hit a nerve among Bangor-area providers of mental and behavioral health services. More than $13.5 million of the governor’s “curtailments” will be drawn from the biennial budget of the Department of Health and… Read More
    WASHINGTON – Congress is seeking to delay a new security rule requiring passports at all U.S. border crossings next year in hopes of avoiding a repeat of last summer’s vacation-killing backlog of passport applications. The Bush administration said Monday it opposed the measure and still… Read More
    A Page 1 article in the Dec. 1-2 edition of the BDN erroneously described some events leading up to a complex land deal involving the state and Roxanne Quimby. Gardner Land Co. of Lincoln and the nonprofit Trust for Public Land continued to negotiate the sale of 8,000-plus… Read More
    State officials plan to publish a combined open-water fishing and ice fishing lawbook early next year as part of the budget cuts ordered Tuesday by the Baldacci administration. And in a more controversial move, the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife is considering publishing… Read More
    For the third time in a month, an analysis of state finances is warning that budget deficits and spending cuts are on the way. Thirteen states say they could face shortfalls for the fiscal year that begins July 1 in most states, including large states… Read More
    BANGOR – Allegiant Air says it will add flights from Bangor to Sanford, Fla., near Orlando, during peak travel periods in February and April. The discount airline now operates a twice-weekly service between the two cities on Wednesdays and Saturdays. It said it will add… Read More
    ROCKPORT – Pen Bay Healthcare and MaineHealth are strengthening their relations with a formal agreement. Trustees of Pen Bay Healthcare and MaineHealth announced Tuesday that they’ve approved the strategic affiliation of Pen Bay Medical Center in Rockport and Maine Medical Center in Portland, along with… Read More
    PORTSMOUTH, N.H. – Legislators from Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont want the government to give states more of a voice in international trade. The leaders of three state commissions on international trade are concerned about the impact trade agreements have on their states. googletag.cmd.push(function ()… Read More
    In the article, “Treasurer traces timeline of troubled investment” (BDN Dec. 13), State Treasurer David Lemoine states: “This is an appropriate time to take apart our cash pool investment process and policies and to examine each assumption and practice.” May I respectfully suggest that Mr. Lemoine is a… Read More
    America’s oldest symphony orchestra – and many would say its best – is planning a concert in North Korea’s capital in February. This marks a welcome opportunity for both countries to trade smiles instead of glares and for one of the world’s most isolated nations to enter the… Read More
    The emphasis in solving the state’s current budget problems has been to find ways to cut ongoing costs to shrink expected future shortfalls. Gov. John Baldacci moved the state in this direction Tuesday with an executive order that will shrink, and in many cases, stop state payments across… Read More
    Harold Waltz takes on the president’s Christian faith. “Bush and Beatitudes” (BDN, Dec. 5), citing an apparent conflict with scriptural principles, particularly Matthew 5:9, which states “Blessed are the peacemakers.” The question is what kind of a “peace” Iraqi citizens endured under Saddam Hussein. It… Read More
    Congress chose, after many years, to raise the minimum wage for those who perform the nation’s most tedious work. The politic critic states that “this is a step in the right direction,” but fails to consider the length of time before the next step is made. The realistic… Read More
    I would like to say I found Renee Ordway’s column (BDN, Dec. 15-16) about the rules on gift cards very informative, and I’m sure any criminal reading the article did as well. Not only did she tell us how many gift cards she had, but where they were… Read More
    I have tinnitus, a constant sound in my ears. This morning, Dec. 17, it changed from ringing to a whine when I looked at Page One of the BDN. Yet another whine from the Maine Chamber of Commerce fearing that some level of government is going to ask… Read More
    Christmas is a time for giving, and in this case, for giving back that which was lost one morning in the middle of Route 95 south of Sherman Mills two years ago. On this morning I was driving a friend to the hospital in Bangor. Read More
    Several years ago, Somerset County was at a critical state of affairs with its county jail. The Maine Department of Corrections (MDOC) declared Somerset’s jail in noncompliance with state standards and issued a clear directive for the county to pursue building a new jail or face closing the… Read More
    Dear Santa, Merry Christmas. Sorry for writing to you this way – you know in such a public forum – but there’s less than a week now before your big ride and we’re in need. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]];… Read More
    BANGOR – The installation of a stronger exhaust system and filling in the gaps between Spanky’s Pizza and the adjacent Cigar & Smoke Shoppe have basically stopped the smell of smoke from filtering into the pizza shop, the business owners said. “It has pretty much… Read More
    A small but growing number of Maine high schools, from Washington Academy in East Machias to Noble High School in Berwick, are adding Chinese to their menu of language courses. At Yarmouth High School, 17-year-old Zach Hynes has been working with other students to persuade… Read More
    ST. ALBANS – Beyond simply saying “It’s time,” St. Albans Town Manager Larry Post would not expand Tuesday on his reasons for leaving his position next June, a post he has held for 30 years. Post’s decision to resign was announced last week at a… Read More
    DOVER-FOXCROFT – A LaGrange man who had 73.1 grams of cocaine and more than $10,000 in cash in his vehicle during a traffic stop in Brownville will spend more than four years in prison. Shawn P. Burke, 21, pleaded guilty on Sept. 21 to an… Read More
    BREWER – The city has six used vehicles, a lawnmower and a toolbox that it no longer needs, and it’s accepting “as is, where is” bids for the surplus equipment. Up for grabs are a 1987 Ford L8000 dump truck, a 1996 Chevrolet Caprice formerly… Read More
    GREENVILLE – The Greenville School Committee agreed Monday to revisit a resolution it signed about two years ago in support of Plum Creek’s proposed development and conservation plan for the Moosehead Lake region. Because the board’s composition has changed since that resolution was adopted, the… Read More
    ETNA – After months of communitywide controversy involving the town’s Fire Department, a familiar face has moved to its helm. Selectmen unanimously approved on Monday night the appointment of Walter Gibbons as the town’s fire chief. Gibbons previously served as chief for 10 years from… Read More
    ROCKLAND – The city’s downtown and waterfront look unmistakably like a seafaring community, particularly along Tillson Avenue to the U.S. Coast Guard building and beyond, to the commercial docks. One-way traffic wedged into two lanes along the narrow Main Street passes old-fashioned brick shops lit… Read More
    HERMON – The town Fire Department has recognized a Carmel couple for donating towing service and equipment for years. The Hermon Fire Association presented Mike and Diane Mellott, owners of Discount Towing, with the 2006 Walter Munn Award last week. The annual award is given… Read More
    EAST MILLINOCKET – A Houlton construction company will start renovating the town hall auditorium early next month as part of an $83,336 plan to restore the building, officials said Tuesday. Selectmen voted 5-0 on Monday night to accept a bid from Howland Construction Inc. of… Read More
    Belfast District Court Cases Dec. 3-7, 2007 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
    BANGOR – City officials took an initial step Tuesday toward adopting a policy on energy conservation and climate protection, a policy they say is a localized version of the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement. The mayors’ pact originated in February 2005 when the United States… Read More
    Penobscot County Superior 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… Read More
    PITTSFIELD – With little discussion, town councilors adopted Tuesday night the 2008 operating and capital budgets, which represent a combined 1.5 percent increase of just $42,000 that did not push up taxes. Included in the operating budget was an eleventh-hour shift in funds that allowed… Read More
    Army Pfc. Benjamin M. Butler has graduated from basic combat training at Fort Jackson in Columbia, S.C. He was trained in military weapons, chemical warfare and field tactics. Butler is the son of Lisa Robles of Pittsfield and is a 2007 graduate of Nokomis Regional High School in… Read More
    SEDGWICK – Members of the Regional Planning Committee on the Blue Hill Peninsula have postponed further discussion of school reorganization until after the Legislature acts on amendments to the consolidation law. The Legislature’s education committee is scheduled to begin hearings on proposed amendments to the… Read More
    CARIBOU – The largest and most experienced physical therapy provider in Aroostook County is celebrating its 20th anniversary. County Physical Therapy LLC opened in 1987 in Caribou with founder Mark Rossignol as its only physical therapist. Today CPT has 16 therapists and nearly 50 employees… Read More
    A new “pink ribbon” license plate supporting breast cancer research and services will become a reality in Maine after a recent flurry of orders established the necessary support for the state to begin production. According to Rep. Meredith Burgess, R-Cumberland, a breast cancer survivor and… Read More
    AUGUSTA – A search committee has been created to help select the next chief of the Maine Warden Service. The position of game warden colonel became vacant Nov. 1 with the resignation of Col. Thomas A. Santaguida. Since Nov. 21, Maj. Gregory Sanborn of Sidney… Read More
    WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration has granted $35,267 to the Penobscot Indian Nation for American Indian Native Planning. The EDA grant will help establish an economic development planning framework, process and strategy that supports private capital investment and job creation in the region. Read More
    ORONO – The Maine State Society of Washington, D.C., has given retired University of Maine professor Harold Borns its 2007 “Big ‘M’ Award,” recognizing Borns’ “accomplishments and achievements in [his] profession, [and] for service to Maine and its citizens.” Borns retired from the UMaine faculty… Read More
    WASHINGTON – Maine’s dairy farmers will reap significant benefits from this year’s Farm Bill passed by the Senate last Friday. The bill included provisions to extend the two federal programs that support milk prices (the dairy price support program and the Milk Income Loss Contract) for five years;… Read More
    Two organizations in northern and eastern Maine will share more than $250,000 in grant funding that was announced recently by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Down East Resource Conservation and Development, a nonprofit agency based in Cherryfield, will receive $174,000 to develop a youth leadership… Read More
    Although “our deadline for submissions ended Dec. 7,” wrote Rhonda French, chairwoman of the 23rd annual Christmas Drive for Needy Children in Downeast Maine, “calls have been flooding in from school principals/teachers, daycare directors, churches and other concerned individuals … informing us of people who are in desperate… Read More
    HARMONY – A central Maine woman got out of her car just before it exploded into flames. Police say Doreen Bowley’s car slipped off an unsanded road in Harmony on Saturday. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = [];… Read More
    LINCOLN – A town man armed with several firearms who held town, county and state police at bay for four hours Monday might be charged with terrorizing and creating a police standoff, Police Chief Bill Flagg said Tuesday. Police are finishing paperwork for the investigation… Read More
    PITTSFIELD and BELFAST – Two high schools canceled classes Tuesday, one for the day, one for a few hours, after written threats were discovered. Maine Central Institute, a private college prep school that serves as the high school for about 400 SAD 53 teenagers and… Read More
    EAST MILLINOCKET – The Board of Selectmen voted 5-0 Monday night to accept a $10,000 endowment funded by the Violette family that will pay a $500 annual scholarship for a graduating Schenck High School senior. Richard and Dorothy Violette of East Millinocket created the endowment… Read More
    ORONO – A woman driving on Interstate 95 caught the eye and nose of another motorist last week, resulting in Jacqueline Francis, 44, of Old Town being arrested for operating under the influence. A male motorist called police when he smelled rubber and then noticed… Read More
    Christmas is still six days away, but veteran radio and television announcer George Hale has already received some big gifts this month. Just more than a week after becoming the first broadcaster ever to receive the New England Football Writers’ George C. Carens Award, the… Read More
    The Portland Pirates played the Manchester Monarchs Tuesday night as the American Hockey League ventured north. It was the Pirates’ first visit to Orono. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var i… Read More
    BANGOR – It wasn’t Senior Night – the Bangor High girls basketball team has a few more months before that day comes – but it sure felt like it, especially as the Rams faced down Brewer in the second half of Tuesday night’s Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference Class… Read More
    ORONO – Former University of Maine star Teddy Purcell, the Hockey East Rookie of the Year last season, made a triumphant return to Alfond Arena Tuesday night. And he was instrumental in the victory. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var… Read More
    BREWER – The Bangor High boys basketball team entered Tuesday night’s Class A matchup against rival Brewer with considerable advantages in size and experience. The Rams used both commodities to remain undefeated with a 63-44 victory. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes =… Read More
    COLLEGE Marie Lint 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
    EASTON – Jeremy Brock scored nine points, Sam Bacon put in nine and Brad Trask added six when the Bears outscored the Beavers 23-6 in the third quarter to pull away for a 72-40 boys basketball victory Tuesday night. Brock finished with 23 points for… Read More
    MACHIAS – Blake Chase scored 16 points in the second half as the Narraguagus Knights of Harrington pulled away for an 84-67 boys basketball victory over Machias Tuesday night. Chase finished with a game-high 32 points for Narraguagus while Stephen Strout tossed in 21. googletag.cmd.push(function… Read More
    BANGOR – Aaron Healey scored six of his 10 points in overtime to lead the John Bapst boys basketball team to its second straight overtime victory with a 64-61 triumph over Ellsworth at the Bangor Auditorium Tuesday night. John Bapst beat Old Town Monday night… Read More
    The Penobscot Theatre Company’s invitation to visit Neverland should not be turned down. Its layered and lavish production of J.M. Barrie’s “Peter Pan” at the Bangor Opera House is a refreshing substitute for “A Christmas Carol.” The show captures all the excitement children experience during… Read More
    Reader favorites Last week’s article about Maine food gifts generated a few tasty suggestions from readers: Lenny Sweet of Hulls Cove recommends a stop at A and B Naturals at 101 Cottage St., Bar Harbor. Sweet says the store has “many good products … and… Read More
    WASHINGTON – Congress by a wide margin approved the first increase in automobile fuel economy in 32 years Tuesday, and President Bush plans to sign the legislation quickly, accepting the mandates on the auto industry. The energy bill, boosting mileage by 40 percent to 35… Read More