AND ANOTHER THING …

Penobscot County District Attorney Christopher Almy, a Democrat, told reporters that President Bush – and Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins and their support of the Iraq War – were to blame for the jury verdict that acquitted six protesters of trespassing at Sen. Collins’ office. Mr. Almy’s office prosecuted the alleged trespassers. Funny, jurors said they decided the case based on the evidence and the law.

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Two University of Maine students were summoned for what university officials said was their part in starting a fire in their dormitory. The young men put light bulbs in their microwave oven, and the nuked bulbs ignited a blaze. Why is academia squelching this pursuit of knowledge? Would UMaine have suspended Ben Franklin for flying his kite in a thunderstorm? And isn’t this the same institution that brought the stars of Myth Busters – who win high TV ratings for experiments much like the “light bulb as microwave treat” – to campus?

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The Canadian Broadcasting Corp. reports that the surge of water that flooded Fort Kent worked its way downstream and ravaged the New Brunswick port city of Saint John early this week. The Bay of Fundy, with its incredible tides, acted like a dam, worsening conditions. And somehow, the reporting of measurements in the metric system sounds even worse: “The 673-kilometer St. John River stretches from its headwaters in Maine to the port city of Saint John, draining 55,000 square kilometers of land. The flooding … was compounded when 100 millimeters of rain fell…”

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Independent Senate candidate Laurie Dobson, who made headlines earlier this year for trying to persuade Kennebunkport selectmen to arrest George W. Bush and Dick Cheney the next time they come to town, was “escorted” by police out of the state Republican convention last weekend. Ms. Dobson claims she was invited to the convention by Ron Paul supporters. Being an independent candidate can be lonely, but she might want to use more discretion in deciding which parties she will crash.

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Troop greeters at Bangor International Airport took down pictures of Stephen King to protest comments by the Bangor author – and generous community benefactor – that students should read so they’ll have more career options than ending up in Iraq with the military. Perhaps they can replace the posters with copies of the First Amendment.