WASHINGTON – “Joyful all ye nations rise, join the triumph of the skies” echoed through the East Room as White House visitors passed through after catching a quick glimpse of the Mount View High School Chamber Singers. Unfortunately, performing in front of a constant stream… Read More
HOULTON – Congressman John E. Baldacci brought a Christmas present of sorts to officials at Houlton Regional Hospital on Monday. He announced that the hospital, and others like it across the country, will be reimbursed more for services provided to Medicare and Medicaid patients. googletag.cmd.push(function… Read More
CARIBOU – The Sexual Trauma and Recovery Services of Aroostook Mental Health Center will sponsor sexual assault advocate training in cooperation with Cary Medical Center. The training is a 40-hour skill-based training session that focuses on training people who wish to make a commitment to volunteer and to… Read More
BANGOR – A Maine Driving Dynamics course is scheduled from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 20, at 21 Bomarc Rd. Those completing the course will receive a 3-point credit on their driving record, according to instructor Sally Ann Hollan. The course, sponsored by… Read More
FORT KENT – The Fort Kent Recreation and Parks Department will open the Jalbert Park Skating Rink for the season 1-4 p.m. and 6-9 p.m. Thursday, weather permitting. Public skating will be held 6-9 p.m. Fridays and 1-4 and 6-9 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. During… Read More
ORONO – Deirdre Gilbert of Brewer, a master’s degree student in marine policy at the University of Maine, has been awarded the prestigious Dean John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship by the National Sea Grant College Program. Hundreds of graduate students from throughout the country competed for the… Read More
BANGOR – Santa will visit toddlers and preschool children at UCP of Maine (formerly United Cerebral Palsy of Northeastern Maine) at 10 a.m. and at 2:15 p.m. today at 700 Mount Hope Ave., Suite 320. Thanks to Brewer Auto Components of Maine, Santa will give… Read More
ELLSWORTH – A few Ellsworth residents told the city council Monday night that they felt left in the dark. And they want the city council to do something about it. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var… Read More
FAIRFIELD – Fresh from a recruiting trip to Germany seeking tenants for Fairfield’s biotech park, Economic Director Clyde Dyar said Monday that the journey was a resounding success. “It was very, very productive,” said Dyar, who attended a European business conference in late November with… Read More
Bangor District Court William Smith, 27, Bangor, theft by unauthorized taking or transfer, $400. 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()) {… Read More
A 25-year-old Bangor man under house arrest was charged with assault Sunday night after it was reported that he went to a neighbor’s apartment and choked his brother’s girlfriend. In addition to the assault charge, David Archer will likely have repercussions with regard to his… Read More
NORWAY – People who dial a toll-free number for the Rape Education and Crisis Hotline are being referred to a pay-per-call sexual fantasy talk line for men because the phone number was reassigned. In what a telephone company official called a “terrible” coincidence, the old… Read More
BAILEYVILLE – It started out with a few people sitting around a table talking about the future. Next year, the new business and commercial park on the corner of Routes 1 and 9 could become the economic heart and soul of Washington County. googletag.cmd.push(function ()… Read More
Bangor District Court ABET, no address given, rule violation, operating commercial motor vehicle without medical certificate, $100; towing unregistered trailer without permission, $100. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var i =… Read More
BELFAST – Following are divorces granted in Belfast District Court during November on grounds of irreconcilable marital differences. Norman W. Kirby of Waldo and Monique A. Kirby of Belfast, married at Belfast on Oct. 17, 1987; shared custody of one child. Monique Kirby to change… Read More
LINCOLNVILLE – The Lincolnville Central School will be demolished to make way for a new K-8 school, residents decided Monday night. At a special town meeting, an article that gave the town’s school committee the authority to raze the building passed in a 127-84 vote. Read More
BELFAST – The city received a Christmas gift this week, wrapped in rocks, trees and a babbling brook. In what some hope will be a seed that will flower into similar gifts, a retired banker and Waldo County official has donated a pristine wooded hillside… Read More
DEER ISLE – School officials in Deer Isle and Stonington should know more in January about when their new elementary school will be completed. That’s when David Poulin, owner of D.L. Poulin Contractors of Brunswick, the main contractor on the project, will have a breakdown… Read More
GARDINER – Maine schools are buying heating oil early and locking in prices, but they still expect to take a hit this winter. James Jurdak, director of business for the Maranacook schools in Readfield, said his school district is locked in at 90 cents a… Read More
FAIRFIELD – Two men were charged early Monday with alcohol violations in the wake of a traffic accident on Bray Avenue. Jared Cofer, 20, of Pittsfield was taken into custody on a probation hold and summoned for possession of liquor by consumption and failure to… Read More
WASHINGTON – The Army has awarded a contract totaling $19.4 million for weapons production at General Dynamics Armament Systems in Saco. “This is great news for General Dynamics Armament Systems,” said Sen. Olympia Snowe, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, “and builds on… Read More
State drug agents have arrested several people as a result of recent investigations into the sale and distribution of heroin, prescription drugs and other illegal substances in Eastern Maine. Eric Becker, 20, of Bangor has been charged with trafficking in morphine after authorities purchased two… Read More
Are you now, or are you about to be, a first-time parent? Do you have questions or concerns about this wonderful, life-altering process you are about to enter? If you do, a new organization is available to help you. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot… Read More
WATERVILLE – The buyer for the Maine Criminal Justice Academy is nearly ready to reveal itself, according to Realtor Gregg Perkins. Perkins, owner of Affiliated Realty in Waterville, confirmed Monday that a buyer has entered into a sale agreement for the facility and will soon… Read More
AUGUSTA – The state of Maine, which recently has been recognized as a leader in “e-government” solutions, unveiled two new Web sites Dec. 18. The press conference held at the Department of Professional and Financial Regulation’s offices at the Gardiner Annex showed the new and… Read More
JONESPORT – A powerful wave during a pounding storm may have caused the load aboard the 35-foot trawler The Little Raspy to shift, swamping the boat and sending the three mussel fishermen aboard to their deaths in Chandler Bay. The bodies of all three men… Read More
Record-breaking warm weather and a mischievous storm system brought a combination of thunderstorms, flooding and wind to New England, sending emergency crews scurrying throughout the region. According to the National Weather Service in Taunton, Mass., the mercury climbed past records in Hartford, Conn., Concord, N.H.,… Read More
INDIAN TOWNSHIP – The controversy over whether the state has the authority to issue federal water pollution permits for Indian lands – a debate that has resulted in contempt citations for the governors of two Indian tribes – has made Passamaquoddy tribal members distrustful of any state effort… Read More
ORONO – Notable graduates of the University of Maine include scientists, engineers, professional athletes, members of Congress, a Nobel Prize winner and perhaps the world’s most-read author. On Saturday, 462 students were awarded degrees at the 197th commencement, joining the ranks, if not matching the… Read More
CAMDEN – An antique dealer and the girlfriend he shot to death before killing himself had been together for about a year, but she apparently wanted to end the relationship, investigators said. Detectives during the weekend were questioning friends and associates of Paul Turnbull, 49,… Read More
The Santa’s Helper Fund has reached almost $30,000 in donations, reaching 60 percent of its goal with only two weeks left to support this year’s effort. Consider joining the many people and organizations who are assisting The Salvation Army through this charity. googletag.cmd.push(function () {… Read More
BANGOR – The owner of a Stetson center for training hunting dogs was fined $1,200 last week after pleading guilty to three charges related to setting traps, some on 6-foot poles, to capture birds of prey. Dennis Seelenbrandt, 54, apparently wanted to catch and kill… Read More
Fort Kent District Court William E. Ahrendt, 40, Fort Kent, operating motor vehicle without driver’s license, $75. 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
ALFRED – A Wells man who stuffed his girlfriend into the trunk of her car faces up to 40 years in prison after being found guilty Friday of kidnapping and attempted murder. A York County Superior Court jury also found Olin K. Williams, 23, guilty… Read More
PRESQUE ISLE – A Caribou man is facing a felony charge after allegedly smashing windows at the field offices of two members of Congress, two law offices and the former residence of a state legislator, police said Saturday. Lance Kelley, 48, was arrested late Friday… Read More
A night shift employee at the Airport Mall Shop ‘n Save discovered his car, a 1990 Ford sedan, was missing Saturday morning from the store’s parking lot. The employee, who had left the keys in his vehicle, discovered that the Bangor Police Department had learned that the vehicle… Read More
CARIBOU – After five years of budgets with decreases, the proposed spending plan for 2001 for Aroostook County government reflects an increase of 6.5 percent in expenditures. The $5.3 million budget, which funds agencies such as the District Attorney’s Office, the county jail and the… Read More
BAR HARBOR – Tourists and horse trailers are a frightening combination in Acadia National Park, a group of equestrians told park officials this weekend. Tourists visit the facility for carriage rides provided by a concessionaire under contract to the park. In addition, equestrians can bring… Read More
WALDOBORO – A benefit dinner will be held for Debra and Vincent Grassia at 5 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 6, at the Waldoboro VFW Hall on Mill Street. Debra was recently diagnosed with a brain tumor in a place that is inoperable. Debra has had a long battle over… Read More
STONINGTON – A 27-year-old woman rolled her new Ford, causing an estimated $7,000 in damage, when she struck a patch of ice and lost control of the vehicle Friday morning. According to the Hancock County Sheriff’s Department, Michelle Eaton of Stonington was driving too fast… Read More
SURRY – A 19-year-old Sedgwick man was found unconscious on the shoulder beside Route 172 Friday morning with no recollection of how he arrived there. Several residents were gathered around Eddie Silguero, covering him with blankets, when Hancock County Deputy Jason Lepper arrived. googletag.cmd.push(function ()… Read More
PITTSFIELD – After Skowhegan Regional Vocational Center director Ray Arbour criticized SAD 53 earlier this year for what he perceived as a lack of participation by Maine Central Institute students in the center, MCI took a close look at how it was informing students about vocational education. Read More
Newport District Court Delores E. Adams, 28, Corinna, operating motor vehicle after suspension of driver’s license, $250; failure to appear in court on criminal summons, continued for sentencing. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner =… Read More
PITTSFIELD – Town councilors will hold six public hearings Tuesday night, including one for the proposed $2.3 million 2001 town budget. With councilors divided on one key issue in the budget – the retention of the economic director’s full-time position – it’s uncertain whether the budget will pass… Read More
Houlton District Court Travis White, 15, Wade, failing to give motor vehicle accident information, jail 48 hours; failing to make oral or written accident report, jail 48 hours; operating motor vehicle without driver’s license, jail 48 hours. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes… Read More
BRUNSWICK – Acquaintances of the woman accused of killing her husband’s mistress nine years ago in California are shocked by the allegations. Susan Navarat, 47, narrowly escaped arrest in Brunswick on Tuesday. Navarat, who has run the Thai Place restaurant for the past five years,… Read More
PORTLAND – Maine Turnpike Authority Chairman Julian Coles should have tried harder to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest when the panel voted for a new interchange near a moving business he owns, an investigation by the Attorney General’s Office concluded. Coles did… Read More
ALFRED – A Wells man who stuffed his girlfriend into the trunk of her car faces up to 40 years in prison after being found guilty Friday of kidnapping and attempted murder. A York County Superior Court jury also found Olin K. Williams, 23, guilty… Read More
CALAIS – The federal government has turned off the tap on the city’s effort to establish a water source at the Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge. That unilateral decision could cost the city the $275,000 it already has spent on the project. googletag.cmd.push(function () { //… Read More
PITTSFIELD – Two 15-year-old boys, one from Pittsfield and the other from Detroit, were arrested early Sunday and charged with stealing a pickup truck from a Route 100 driveway. Gareth Southard reported his 1988 Ford stolen about 6 a.m. and police discovered it abandoned less… Read More
Come one, come all is the invitation for a “Christmas Carol Sing and Potluck Supper” at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 19, at the Prospect Harbor Methodist Church. The supper is the major holiday event sponsored by Schoodic Arts for All. New SAA director Mary Laury… Read More
LONG ISLAND – A Portland man suffered a minor injury when hit by buckshot fired by his hunting companion Saturday during a specially authorized hunt to remove nuisance deer on this Casco Bay island, the Maine Warden Service said. Daniel Train, 31, was struck in… Read More
BOSTON – The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit recently affirmed a Bangor jury’s decision awarding a former employee of a Waterville U-Haul outlet $300,000 for sex discrimination. In a decision rendered Dec. 7, the appeals court affirmed that Karen Romano of Augusta… Read More
Our schools aren’t the only places where you can find evidence of a digital divide. During the Christmas gift-buying season, the gap between the technological haves and have-nots is on display every time you wander through one of those big, slick electronics emporiums that are… Read More
HOULTON – Three former Houlton police officers have filed a 108-count civil lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Bangor against the town, its police department, the town manager and police chief, and the Maine Municipal Association. They claim that their constitutional rights were violated in… Read More
For some people in our area, financial choices are life choices. Should one fix the car or pay the fuel bill? Either decision could have an unfortunate outcome: Have transportation and fall behind with bills, or be warm and fall behind with bills. It’s a tough choice. Read More
NORTHEAST HARBOR – A decision in William P. Stewart’s marathon attempt to earn municipal approval for a proposed expansion of his dock and float system was delayed a second time after the zoning appeals board closed nearly eight hours of legal and public testimony Wednesday night. Read More
BANGOR – Dana McGovern, the head of an ambulance company that has served residents of Washington County for more than two decades, appeared at U.S. District Court Friday afternoon and pleaded innocent to 214 federal counts charging him with, among other things, defrauding Medicare and Medicaid health benefit… Read More
Maine will delay implementation of its law aimed at lowering prescription drug prices for the uninsured until April, Department of Human Services Commissioner Kevin Concannon announced Friday. Concannon backed away from an earlier assertion that some drug prices would be reduced Jan. 1, despite a… Read More
FORT KENT – Route 11, from Fort Kent to Eagle Lake, is one of the Maine Department of Transportation sites in northern Maine where the use of salt on roads, instead of winter sand, is being tested. It’s a learning experience for both road crews… Read More
CARIBOU – Dr. Can Bulucu has been appointed staff psychiatrist at the Aroostook Mental Health Center at Caribou. Bulucu is noted for his many medical presentations and publications. He is conducting research for the treatment of intermittent explosive disorder in mentally retarded inpatients. The former… Read More
PRESQUE ISLE – The windows of several local offices of attorneys and members of Congress and the Maine Legislature were smashed early Friday morning, according to local police. Presque Isle officers are working closely with the Caribou Police Department in the investigation, according to Presque… Read More
UNITY – It was a chipper group of residents who turned out to tour the town’s new health center and meet its newest doctor. The New Horizons Health Care facility will be headed by Dr. Gavin M. Ducker, who made a special flight from his… Read More
BANGOR – A Brewer youth charged with selling a very powerful dose of the painkiller OxyContin remained jailed Friday night after a federal court appearance earlier in the day. Adam D. Barnes, 18, will appear again Monday before federal Magistrate Judge Margaret J. Kravchuk in… Read More
BANGOR – The hopes of city officials here sank Friday as bids on the River Dog cruise boat failed to meet expectations at a Belfast auction. “I was disappointed to say the least,” city solicitor Norm Heitmann said after the auction, where the high bidder… Read More
DETROIT – A combination of public funding and private business expansion will bring new jobs to Detroit and additional money to a regional development fund. At 7 p.m. Tuesday, the town of Detroit will hold a public hearing on an application for a Community Development… Read More
A year ago, a 10-year-old boy named Jessy appeared in this column. Available for adoption, Jessy was a shy, yet winsome youth who constantly played with a toy canoe as he answered a reporter’s questions about his need for a new family. Today that boat rests on his… Read More
VAN BUREN – Volunteer firefighters in Van Buren have acquired a new piece of technology that is designed to help save lives and assist in locating hard-to-find fires. The thermal-imaging system was delivered this week, and firefighters will be trained in the use of the… Read More
ORONO – Investigators have charged a Milford teen affiliated with the local fire department in connection with a fire last July that destroyed a hay barn. Travis Smith, 16, has been charged with arson, a felony, and is expected to appear in Bangor District Court… Read More
PORTLAND – Two men in ski masks robbed a Portland apartment Thursday night, making off with cash and prescription drugs, police said. The men, whose names have not been released, are accused of breaking into a first-floor apartment on Cumberland Avenue just after 6 p.m. Read More
CAMDEN – A man and a woman were found shot to death Friday inside a home on Route 52 in what Maine State Police termed a murder-suicide. Details were sketchy and the identities of the dead were being withheld until family members could be notified. Read More
ROCKPORT – A dispute between neighbors of the Maine Coast Artists gallery and the town has landed back in court. A group of neighbors filed a challenge on Friday, asking the court to reverse the action of the Rockport Zoning Board of Appeals and declare… Read More
ROCKLAND – A city man, who played a role in the 1992 murder of a 79-year-old Warren man will face his second probation revocation hearing Jan. 9 in Knox County Superior Court. Floyd Firth Jr., 36, of Rockland received a significantly lighter sentence than his… Read More
BELFAST – Convicted rapist Larry Chouteau has received a prison sentence that should guarantee he’ll remain behind bars for all his days. Waldo County Superior Court Justice Francis Marsano sentenced Chouteau to 40 years in prison for the vicious rape of a former girlfriend last… Read More
AUGUSTA – The final decision on who won the House District 137 election could come down to 12 disputed ballots. The 12 ballots will be examined by the House Elections Committee at 9 a.m. Dec. 22 in Room 427 of the State House. A recount… Read More
DOVER-FOXCROFT – SAD 68 directors voted unanimously this month to give a pay increase to Superintendent Donald Siviski. Directors voted to increase his salary from $72,700 to $74,900 and increased his pension by $1,400. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes… Read More
ORONO – The University of Maine’s Lobster Institute is using the technology of today to help record the traditions of the past. The institute, aided by a $2,500 grant from the Maine Community Foundation, is working on an oral history project focused on lobstering in… Read More
DEXTER – Despite the fact that a judge in 1995 had ordered a former Dexter man to pay for the disposal of some 100,000 tires on his property, it appears that the town and state will end up footing the bill. The Dexter Town Council… Read More
BANGOR – Jay Kaiser, author and publisher of “Acadia Revealed: Mount Desert & Acadia National Park: The Complete Guide,” will hold a book signing at 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 17, at Borders, 116 Bangor Mall Blvd. Kaiser, who grew up in Bangor and is a… Read More
KENNEBUNKPORT – Officials in the town that George Bush put on the map are preparing for heavy tourist traffic now that his son is headed to the White House. Kennebunkport police are making plans to limit the number of vehicles that can drive by the… Read More
LEWISTON – Pundits predicted that President-elect George W. Bush’s tenure in the White House would help Maine’s economy, but do little to ease the high cost of prescription drugs, provide health care coverage to the uninsured or protect the environment. Several warned that the new… Read More
Members of Orono Boy Scout Troop 478, Orono Girl Scout Troop 927 and Cub Scout Pack 47 request that residents of their town help them help the needy this holiday season. Dr. Eva Szillery informs us that all the Scouts in town will be going… Read More
Thelma White is looking for about six Curity gauze diapers, not prefolded. She will pay postage. Her address is P.O. Box 155, Sorrento 04677-0155. The 51st Hanscom family reunion was held Sunday, Sept. 17, at the home of Richard and Nancy Weeks in West Gardiner. Read More
BANGOR – The Bangor & Aroostook rail system will return more than two dozen locomotives and rail cars to a San Francisco leasing company, according to a settlement filed in Maine District Court here Friday. B&A is scheduled to start moving the locomotives to a transfer point on… Read More
ORONO – A University of Maine Cooperative Extension educator has been named to the newly created post of statewide community gardening coordinator by U.S. Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman. Gleason Gray will provide advice to Maine communities and groups on establishing and expanding community gardens in… Read More
Should William Stewart be permitted to enlarge the float system at the end of his pier? As of Friday, 109 summer and permanent residents of Mount Desert have written to members of the zoning appeals board to voice their opposition. Following are some of their comments:… Read More
BIDDEFORD – Biddeford is one of only two communities in the country refusing to agree to Time Warner’s merger with America Online. The city has an ongoing dispute with the cable TV company. They are continuing to hold out for improvements the company promised last… Read More
A fast-moving storm that left a trail of rain and ice from Texas to the Northeast blanketed Maine with about a half-foot of snow over most of the state Thursday before changing to rain and sleet later in the day. The storm contributed to numerous… Read More
The state paid $70,000 to settle a lawsuit brought by the former manager of the Allagash Wilderness Waterway, according to documents obtained by the Bangor Daily News under the Maine Freedom of Access law. Tim Caverly, who claimed he was unjustly fired, was awarded $48,000,… Read More
BANGOR – After deliberating for five hours Thursday, a Penobscot County jury told Maine Superior Court Justice Andrew Mead that members were hopelessly deadlocked and could not reach a verdict in the arson trial of Scott Gagnon. When the jury was polled, each member told Mead that they… Read More
It’s easy to take electricity, three meals a day and the car we have to get us to and from work for granted. But imagine what life would be like without such things. One family writes that its members once were homeless and slept in… Read More
PORTLAND – The state can use extreme neglect as it does incest and abuse to justify the permanent removal of a child from a parent’s home, the state supreme court ruled Thursday. The court ruled against the father of a Lewiston girl who was found… Read More
Property owners on Greenings Island, an offshore chunk of Southwest Harbor, earned a reprieve Thursday when the Maine Supreme Judicial Court decided against the town in a case that sets a precedent for dozens of others who have contested the assessor’s shoreland valuations. The issue… Read More
YARMOUTH – State regulators are postponing until February a decision on how to cut emissions from the Wyman Station power. The state Board of Environmental Protection is considering a rule that would reduce nitrogen oxide emissions by about 40 percent. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define… Read More
VAN BUREN – Seniors at the SAD 24 District Secondary School lost the use of a lounge because of a small fire of suspicious origin there. SAD 24 directors were told of the incident Wednesday night. They agreed with the school administration that the facility… Read More
WINTER HARBOR – The most recent set of upgrades to the town’s water system may be near completion. Shirley Chase, one of the water district’s three trustees, said Thursday that replacement of connections along the water grid should be completed by the end of the… Read More
CARIBOU – The following divorce was granted in November in Aroostook County Superior Court on the grounds of irreconcilable marital differences. Kenneth Eugene Schuurman of Hamel, Minn., and Charity Ann Schuurman of Wytopitlock, married in Wytopitlock, Feb. 17, 1995, custody of three children to the… Read More
Fort Kent Community High School 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
ELLSWORTH – Two scholarships have been awarded to Hancock County residents through the Next Step, Hancock County’s only domestic violence project. The Martha Beathem Scholarships are awarded to people who have suffered domestic abuse but who have a strong desire to develop or improve their… Read More
DYER BROOK – The school board of the Southern Aroostook Community School District has voted unanimously to rehire Terry Comeau as superintendent for the 2001-2002 school year. Comeau will be employed half time as superintendent and half time as the district’s business manager. googletag.cmd.push(function ()… Read More