Thanks to better preventive measures and healthful lifestyle choices, the average life expectancy in the U.S. has increased steadily in the past few decades. Unless you are a woman in Washington County, or 179 other counties across the U.S. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot… Read More
    NEWCASTLE – The oldest continuing parish north of St. Augustine, Fla., and the first in the nation to be named for St. Patrick will hold its bicentennial celebration this weekend in Newcastle. St. Patrick Catholic Church will hold activities to mark the completion of its first church building… Read More
    AUGUSTA – A new study showing declining life expectancy among Washington County women provoked a call to action by several state officials at a meeting last month at the Department of Health and Human Services building. State Rep. Anne Perry, D-Calais, called the session to… Read More
    CHICAGO – Pressured by desperate parents, government researchers are pushing to test an unproven treatment on autistic children, a move some scientists see as an unethical experiment in voodoo medicine. The treatment removes heavy metals from the body and is based on the fringe theory… Read More
    SOUTH PORTLAND – Southern Maine Community College will become the only college to offer a degree in heavy equipment operations in southern Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. The South Portland campus will begin offering the course this fall. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var… Read More
    AUGUSTA – A firm that tracks new cars sales in Maine says the number of dealerships is down from last year and car sales figures are also slipping. Bart Haag is a partner in the accounting firm of Albin, Randall & Bennett, which tracks new… Read More
    BANGOR – Bangor International Airport Director Rebecca Hupp has been named to the American Association of Airport Executives’ Energy-Air Service Task Force, which will hold its inaugural meeting today in Washington, D.C. The task force was created to explore steps airports can take to address… Read More
    CINCINNATI – Regional airline Comair said Tuesday that it expects to cut about one-fifth of its pilots and flight attendant jobs beginning this fall as part of parent Delta Air Lines Inc.’s overall cost reductions in response to high fuel costs. Erlanger, Ky.-based Comair announced… Read More
    A bill to expand the government’s ability to eavesdrop on Americans appears to be headed for passage in the Senate this week. This is a mistake. The bill, said by the Bush administration to be necessary to protect the country from terrorist attacks, would weaken… Read More
    A special legislative session on energy is not a bad idea – if lawmakers have some concrete steps they plan to quickly take. But Maine, with its lack of excess funds and few indigenous energy resources can do little to lower fuel costs for the coming winter. It… Read More
    Sen. John McCain’s age gives voters interested in political and social issues a chance to reflect on ageism in America – is it a major obstacle to McCain’s election or merely a sidelight or source of jokes? Why is ageism far more socially acceptable than either racism or… Read More
    The headline on the July 3 story, “Jet fuel supplier cites state taxes for decision to pull out of BIA” was factually incorrect and misleading. ExxonMobil has not decided to leave Bangor International. Rather, it has requested a 90-day lease extension and extension of the date of a… Read More
    I am writing in response to the article regarding the tragic death of the Rev. James Robichaud. I was saddened by the complete absence of positive remarks. Father Robichaud was a dedicated servant of God. He lived, spoke and celebrated the Gospel. He was loved and respected by… Read More
    On the Fourth of July, my husband and I were two of 44 people who carried the 30 banners in the Bar Harbor parade with the names of Americans soldiers who have been killed in the war in Iraq. We have done this before and each time we… Read More
    My elderly parents have lived in a small town in Aroostook County for more than 80 years. The town is small enough that until recently no street numbers were required and the U.S. Postal Service recognized the residents by a post office box number. My… Read More
    Mainers face a crisis in the coming heating season. How many will go without food and medications to stay warm? How many will not be able to keep their homes warm? How many might face death from their homes getting below freezing temperatures? These are all issues that… Read More
    In the recent Maine Supreme Judicial Court decision regarding whether to allow further court examination of alleged wrongful taking of the Sail Inn Restaurant by the Maine Department of Transportation, Justicee Donald Alexander concluded that my brothers provided “their own bald assertions” instead of evidence in accusing the… Read More
    When you mix Chicago and political gatherings, you get some of the most electrifying and controversial happenings of all time. Take, for example, the 1968 Democratic convention. The assassination of Bobby Kennedy left the Democrats only two choices: anti-war Sen. Eugene McCarthy and Lyndon Johnson’s… Read More
    PORTLAND – Sappi Fine Paper North America has pulled out of a historic deal to remove a dam on the Presumpscot River to allow sea-run fish to swim upstream. When the agreement between Sappi and conservation groups was announced a year ago, it was hailed… Read More
    PETER DANA POINT – Gov. John E. Baldacci joined tribal, state and federal officials on Tuesday for a smudging ceremony and celebration of the completion of the nearly $8 million Peter Dana Point Wastewater Treatment upgrade. The sewer system improvements were made in two phases,… Read More
    AUGUSTA – At events across the country on Tuesday, groups of labor unions and politically liberal organizations rolled out a new campaign dedicated to identifying affordable health care coverage for all Americans as the most important domestic issue for Congress and the new president to tackle in 2009. Read More
    CHARLOTTE – An 87-year-old Lubec man on Tuesday lost control of the late-model GMC pickup truck he was driving and slammed into a utility pole on Smith Ridge Road. Clifford A. Ryerson was taken by ambulance to Calais Regional Hospital where he was pronounced dead. Read More
    UNITY – Unity College will hold the Maine International Film Festival Pre-Party from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, July 10, at the Unity College Centre for the Performing Arts on Depot Street. The party is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be… Read More
    BANGOR – The Bangor Humane Society is quickly filling to capacity with homeless kittens and cats. More then 116 cats, 73 of which are kittens, are in need of homes. The summer months are known as “kitten season” at the Bangor Humane Society. Since the… Read More
    ST. ALBANS – The complicated process of getting a private road accepted as a town way has begun in St. Albans. The Board of Selectmen has set two public informational meetings about the procedure. Information about the process to accept Pond Road will be available… Read More
    CARIBOU – A New York woman suffered a significant ankle injury Monday afternoon in an ATV accident. Game Warden Ed Christie of the Maine Warden Service said the accident happened around noon in Caribou. According to Christie, Nicole Pone, 28, of Albany, N.Y., was riding… Read More
    DOVER-FOXCROFT – Over the years, Debbie Dyer, 55, of Dover-Foxcroft, always found it heart-wrenching to read about people with breast cancer. When her younger sister Judy Dow, 53, of Yarmouth was diagnosed a few years ago, it hit home hard. It’s not easy watching a… Read More
    EAST MILLINOCKET – It won’t cost as much or feature quite as many events, but town officials and volunteers hope the Centennial Plus One celebration beginning Thursday will draw at least as many people as last year’s Centennial, they said Tuesday. Fireworks, a golf tournament… Read More
    HOLDEN – When Kevin Mills decided to be a candidate to fill a one-year seat on the SAD 63 board of directors, he didn’t realize that his wife’s part-time work as a substitute teacher would cause a conflict of interest. “After he was elected, he… Read More
    BELFAST – The city’s planning office will meet with residents of the east side to gauge their interest and opinion on methods of slowing traffic as it comes off the Veterans Memorial Bridge. City Planner Wayne Marshall said the Department of Transportation has set aside… Read More
    ROCKLAND – The Maine Windjammer Association will be the host for the fifth annual Maine Windjammer Parade off the Rockland Breakwater from 2 to 4 p.m. Friday, July 11. Geared for spectators on shore and windjammer guests, the event will provide close-up views of the… Read More
    SEARSPORT – The Maine Lobster Boat Races will hit town this weekend with racing scheduled for Saturday, July 12. Racing begins at 10 a.m. The course, running across the harbor from Mack Point, allows for unobstructed views from the Searsport Public Landing or nearby Mack… Read More
    INDIAN RIVER – The Pleasant River Historical Society will hold its annual meeting at 6:30 p.m. Monday, July 14, at the Grange Hall on Route 187. Dues of $5 for 2009 are due at the meeting. For information, call 483-4655. Read More
    MORRILL – Authorities are uncertain what caused the death of a well-known local farmer found in a hayfield Tuesday with his arm pinned under the wheel of his tractor. Francis Woodbury, 79, of Woodbury Farm was found in a field off Morey Hill Road at… Read More
    BROOKSVILLE – Police are investigating damage done to a large number of mailboxes in Brooksville and Sedgwick on Sunday. Deputy Jeffrey Turcotte of the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office estimated that as many as 50 mailboxes in the two towns, including the Cape Rosier section of… Read More
    BELFAST – The Parks and Recreation Department will hold a mackerel fishing tournament on Saturday, July 19. Fishing will begin at 9 a.m. and continue until 4:30 p.m., allowing a half-hour for participants to line up for the official weigh-in at 5 p.m. googletag.cmd.push(function ()… Read More
    BRIDGEWATER – The Bridgewater Sesquicentennial Committee is preparing to celebrate the town’s 150th birthday with several events. There will be a parade at 10 a.m. Saturday, July 26. Parade entrants are asked to gather at 9 a.m. on Milliken Street in Bridgewater. For information, call… Read More
    Camden Hills Regional High School Fourth 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
    ORLAND – A long-running feud over town code violations finally may be winding down. The town has received payment of approximately $32,000 from resident Roger Miller, and Miller is in the process of correcting code violations at two properties in town, according to Selectman Wayne… Read More
    BANGOR – Eight months after a drunken driver sideswiped a bus and struck several other vehicles in front of John Bapst Memorial High School, city and school officials are working to prevent such an accident from occurring again. “Had this happened an hour later, possibly… Read More
    TOWNSHIP 4 INDIAN PURCHASE – It wasn’t an ammo dump blowing up, but 500 .22-caliber rounds that exploded when a pickup truck caught fire that gave a show Monday night. John Marden of San Antonio, Texas, was driving on Route 11 with his girlfriend Jacqueline… Read More
    CARIBOU – Several motorists on South Main Street got a scare Tuesday morning when a bear appeared in the darkness of the roadway. It turned out that the bear was stuffed – and the three juveniles and two adults who were behind the caper have… Read More
    PORTLAND – The Maine Legislature’s Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee is poised to review circumstances surrounding a prison hostage situation last week. Sen. Bill Diamond, co-chairman of the panel, said lawmakers want answers to questions including what breakdown led to the situation, and how… Read More
    Unity College will hold the Maine International Film Festival Pre-Party from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, July 10, at the Unity College Centre for the Performing Arts, reports Mark Tardiff of the college. Free and open to the public, the pre-party is co-sponsored by Unity… Read More
    HOLLYWOOD, Fla. – The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the crash of a small plane in South Florida that was registered to a man with Maine ties. The pilot, the only one aboard, died in the crash. Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen said the… Read More
    BANGOR – A Veazie man was arrested last week on Interstate 95 in Mamaroneck, N.Y., after a police dog sniffed out more than 20 pounds of marijuana in his car estimated to be worth more than $50,000, according to a report published a Westchester County, N.Y., newspaper. Read More
    WALDOBORO – A memorial service has been scheduled for the local woman who was killed in Hope last week. The service for 22-year-old Jessica Marie Nichols will start at 1 p.m. Friday at Broad Bay Congregational United Church of Christ in Waldoboro. Nichols died July… Read More
    SKOWHEGAN – Maine farmers will receive their 2008 advance direct payments beginning immediately. The total amount of payments across the country should reach nearly $1.15 billion, said David Lavway, executive director of USDA’s Farm Service Agency in Somerset County. “The Department of Agriculture pledged to… Read More
    DOVER-FOXCROFT – The thief was just a phone call away. Joseph Duquette, 45, of Bradford, who allegedly left his cell phone at the scene of a burglary, was arrested last Thursday on a theft charge. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]];… Read More
    HARTLAND – New details emerged Tuesday in the wake of an alleged assault, arson and incident of a barricaded person in Hartland on Monday evening. Detective Lt. Carl E. Gottardi II said Andrew T. Fox, 31, was arrested and charged with arson, a Class A… Read More
    NORWAY – A teenager from Waterford who was wanted by police flagged down a car to get away, but it turned out to be an unmarked cruiser, which took him straight to jail. Monday’s episode began when 19-year-old Travis Horan allegedly gave someone else’s name… Read More
    AUBURN – Police say an 86-year-old Auburn man who suffers from a medical condition has been missing for three days. Police quote members of Joseph D’amour’s family as saying he disappeared from his home Saturday afternoon and is believed to have a handgun. Police say… Read More
    NAPLES – A motorcyclist killed when she and five other bikers had to lay down their machines to avoid crashing into a stopped vehicle has been identified as a Gorham school bus driver. Authorities say 43-year-old Rochelle Plummer of Gray was thrown from her motorcycle… Read More
    PORTLAND – One of the 10 Cape Elizabeth High School seniors accused of vandalizing the school last March is being forced to do community service, observe a curfew and pay a $400 fine. All 10 teenagers were spared criminal prosecution as long as they stayed… Read More
    PORTLAND – The Maine Supreme Judicial Court has heard arguments about disputed ballots in a legislative primary race in Yarmouth and is expected to issue a written decision within a few days. The June 10 ballot count had Melissa Walsh Innes and Kimberly McLaughlin tied… Read More
    BREWER – Billy Bissell cranked two, three-run home runs to power the Brewer Falcons to a 13-2 American Legion baseball victory over the Trenton Acadians Tuesday night. Bissell sparked Brewer’s five-run first inning with his first homer and its four-run fourth inning with his second… Read More
    HAMPDEN – Zach Violette led off the bottom of the eighth inning with a single, stole second, went to third on a wild pitch, and scored the winning run on an error to give Brewer a 5-4 extra-inning victory over Holbrook in Tuesday’s District 3 Junior League baseball… Read More
    Cheers to that Sisters-in-law Gila Guermian and Jennifer Khavari – the former a resident of New York City, the latter a proud Bangorean – have teamed up to sell their new product (photo). Clinqs, as creator Guermian dubbed them, are little vinyl stickers you can… Read More