BANGOR – Husson University announced it will launch its 2008-2009 Business Breakfast Series on Thursday, Oct. 2, with an address by Husson President William H. Beardsley on “the growing dynamic link between Husson and Maine’s business community.” The breakfast will be held from 7:30 to… Read More
    PORTLAND – FairPoint Communications Inc. has pushed back the “cutover date” when it assumes full responsibility of the northern New England landline phone and Internet network it bought from Verizon Communications Inc. this year. Officials with the North Carolina-based company said Monday that they have… Read More
    PORTLAND – The number of planes flying in and out of Portland International Jetport is on the rise even as airlines are cutting back on their overall flights around the country. Monthly passenger traffic at the airport topped 200,000 for the first time in August,… Read More
    BATH – Members of Local S6 have appealed a decision by the Machinists Union to keep a trustee in charge of the largest union at Bath Iron Works. Last month, a union committee decided to keep the trustee in charge after concluding there’s sufficient evidence… Read More
    ORONO – A.D. “Pete” Correll, a 1966 University of Maine graduate and retired president and CEO of Georgia-Pacific, will return to his alma mater at 4 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 17, to present UMaine’s inaugural Distinguished Presidential Lecture. The presentation is scheduled in Minsky Recital Hall. Read More
    If we exclude the United States, worldwide average electric consumption is 2,200 kilowatt-hours for each person each year. The average U.S. electric consumption is 13,000 kilowatt-hours each year for each person. Read More
    OLD TOWN – A bankruptcy hearing for Red Shield Environmental LLC has been postponed for a third time. The hearing, which had been rescheduled for Monday, Sept. 15, in Bangor, now will take place at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 23, in Portland. U.S. Bankruptcy Court… Read More
    Do you know about Japanese knotweed? It is an invasive species that grows on disturbed soils. Many Mainers call it bamboo. It was imported into this country and is recognized as one of the world’s most invasive species. You probably know that if you have… Read More
    PRINCETON — The U.S. Air Force has awarded a $3.63 million contract to the Passamaquoddy business Source For Native American Products for Paraclete armored vests, Targeted News Service reported. The contract was awarded by the Air Force Materiel Command’s Aeronautical Systems Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in… Read More
    NEW YORK – Graco Children’s Products said that it alerted federal authorities that bassinets sold under its name were identical to some being recalled late last month, but federal officials apparently did not alert the public until late Thursday. The incident was first reported in… Read More
    David S. Nealley has joined Webster Atlantic-Bangor Metro as chief operating officer. His primary functions are to facilitate current business activity and develop new business. Nealley has eight years of experience as an investment adviser. Previously he served for eight years as general manager of Snow and Nealley,… Read More
    ALBANY, N.Y. – Global energy company Iberdrola SA has accepted a series of conditions New York regulators placed on its buyout of Maine-based Energy East and plans to go ahead with the $4.6 billion deal. The approval of New York’s Public Service Commission was the… Read More
    MANCHESTER, Vt. – A small Manchester company has won a $1 million contract to provide specialized sensors that will be used in a new class of U.S. Navy destroyer. Battenkill Technologies will supply the sensors to Bath Iron Works of Bath, Maine, for the Navy’s… Read More
    AUGUSTA – Two Augusta-based financial institutions, one a federal credit union and the other a state-chartered savings bank, announced Tuesday that they plan to merge. If it wins regulatory approval, the merger of Kennebec Savings Bank and KV Federal Credit Union would mark a first… Read More
    AUGUSTA – Seven Maine counties will share in a $250,000 federal grant to help businesses recover from severe storms and flooding in April and May. Gov. John Baldacci announced the grant Monday from the Commerce Department’s Economic Development Administration. The state sought the funds specifically… Read More
    SANGERVILLE – Sue Humphries and Eric Ernst, licensed clinical social workers, have opened a practice at 91 Main St., Sangerville. Combined, the pair have 30 years of experience working in the mental health field serving children through adults and were previously with Community Health and… Read More
    BANGOR – A local business networking group for young professionals has won a statewide business award. FusionBangor was named the Maine Development Foundation REALIZE!Maine award winner as the top young professionals’ group in the state. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]];… Read More
    BANGOR – Mortgage lenders across eastern Maine said Monday that it’s unlikely the recent federal takeover of two lending giants will directly affect the local market, at least in the short term. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson announced Sunday that the government would seize Fannie Mae… Read More
    PORTLAND – Gasoline prices in Maine continue to fall with the start of the new workweek. According to AAA, which tracks prices nationwide, a gallon of regular gasoline Monday was averaging $3.65 in Maine, down more than a penny from a day earlier and 20… Read More
    MILLINOCKET – Layoffs at the Katahdin Avenue paper mill will start by week’s end with small numbers of workers as mill cleanup and mothballing operations continue, a mill spokesman said Monday. “There will be a little bit here and there but not in large numbers… Read More
    EAST MILLINOCKET – With layoffs of Katahdin Paper Co. millworkers starting next week, efforts by state and local government, community leaders and churches to help them survive unemployment will kick into high gear, they said Monday. The Katahdin Transition Team will meet at 10 a.m. Read More
    During this active hurricane season, our hearts go out to people who have lost loved ones, homes and property. Before we open our wallets, we should take a hard look at those who solicit funds in the name of helping storm victims – they may be simply helping… Read More
    PORTLAND – When the 1,020-foot Explorer of the Seas cruises through North Atlantic waters next year, it’ll spend more time off the coast of New England and less time near Canadian shores, and it’s not because of better vistas. Royal Caribbean International and other cruise… Read More
    MONTPELIER, Vt. – A Vermont firefighters union on Friday demanded an investigation of FairPoint Communications two days after the phone company was blamed for a nearly two-hour outage of the 911 emergency calling system serving northern Vermont. Wednesday’s outage left at least one Chittenden County… Read More
    Don’t believe T. Boone Pickens when he claims his wind farm will supply 20 percent of U.S. electricity in 2030. The U.S. Energy Information Administration estimates that in 2030 the United States will need 1 billion kilowatts of electric generation capacity to provide about 5,000 billion kilowatt-hours of… Read More
    BUCKSPORT – The Verso Paper mill is preparing for a two-week shutdown that will begin Sunday. The shutdown is in response to market conditions, according to Verso spokesman Bill Cohen. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var… Read More
    AUGUSTA – MaineHousing has sold $25 million of its housing bonds to continue its popular first-time homebuyer program at current interest rates. The bond sale was timed to occur soon after new federal housing legislation, which contains tax advantages for people purchasing MaineHousing revenue bonds,… Read More
    RANGELEY – A former owner of Maine’s Sugarloaf ski resort has been named chief executive officer and general manager of the Saddleback ski area. In his new job, Warren Cook is responsible for all aspects of Saddleback’s operations. Saddleback, located outside of Rangeley, is Maine’s… Read More
    LINCOLN, Neb. – Newell Rubbermaid, which owns the Vise-Grip brand, is shutting down its plant in DeWitt, Neb., population 572. About 300 people work at the plant. Roughly 40 of the employees make Unibit tool parts. Unibit operations are moving to a plant in Gorham,… Read More
    AUGUSTA – Maine’s latest biweekly survey indicates the average cash price of heating oil has dropped 2 cents a gallon and now stands at $3.98. Dealer prices ranged from a low of $3.52 in southwestern Maine to a high of $4.20 in the eastern region. Read More
    ALBANY, N.Y. – New York utility regulators have given the global energy company Iberdrola the go-ahead to buy Maine-based Energy East. New York’s Public Service Commission voted 4-0 to approve the $4.6 billion deal Wednesday. It was expected to consider the proposal last week, but… Read More
    FULTON, Ky. – A trucking company from Bangor, Maine, is putting a terminal in far western Kentucky, creating about 100 new jobs. The Paducah Sun reported that Hartt Transportation Systems of Bangor will open an office and warehouse by the end of the month in… Read More
    MILLINOCKET – As Katahdin Paper’s closing looms, some public officials are looking for ways to preserve at least the power-generating asset of the facility. Town Councilor Scott Gonya wants the Town Council to discuss the possibility of eminent domain. Duane Lugdon has actually tried such… Read More
    OLD TOWN – The city approved Tuesday a zoning measure that officials believe could protect the city and landowners when the Juniper Ridge Landfill expands in the future. The council voted 7-0 to create a landfill zone (L-1) for the area, which was formerly a… Read More
    OLD TOWN – A hearing on Red Shield Environmental LLC’s request for $13.6 million in funding has been postponed to Sept. 15. U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Leron H. Kornreich approved the postponement Friday. The hearing was to have taken place Tuesday at U.S. Bankruptcy Court in… Read More
    MILLINOCKET – Brookfield Renewable Power Inc.’s hydro-electric systems will only be allowed to use state bodies of water in ways that support papermaking if a town councilor’s proposal to change the state charter is accepted. Councilor Jimmy Busque seeks to press state legislators to revert… Read More
    ROCKLAND – An area fabric-and-frame manufacturing company has installed its products in the Indianapolis Colts’ new 1.8-million-square-foot football stadium. Duvall Dynamic Spaces said it has completed its installation of video monitors in the $700 million project, named Lucas Oil Stadium, in Indianapolis. googletag.cmd.push(function () {… Read More
    The task of dealing with identity theft can be a daunting one. This is especially true when the thieves work through the invisible web surrounding many aspects of our lives, the Internet. Fortunately there are many sources of help to avoid identity theft and to… Read More
    Q: My brother from California was visiting me here in Maine over the holidays and was charged with an OUI and has a court date here in Maine next month. Of course he’s gone back home. His job requires him to drive and he can’t risk losing his… Read More
    HARTLAND – Prime Tanning Co. Inc. announced Friday that its leather-finishing operations in Berwick will cease immediately, affecting 150 workers, but jobs at Prime’s Hartland facility, formerly Irving Tannery, are secure. The finishing operations will move from Berwick to Hartland, and company officials said they… Read More
    MILLINOCKET – Maine’s two senators are requesting trade adjustment assistance for workers who are losing their jobs at Katahdin Paper Co.’s mill in Millinocket. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins sent a letter Thursday to Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao saying the workers are being displaced… Read More
    ELLSWORTH – There were no bids high enough to satisfy Bangor Savings Bank during the foreclosure auction for Dave Gould Ford in Ellsworth on Thursday morning. The auction, which began at 11 a.m. and ended at noon, saw bidding start at $400,000 and top out… Read More
    It’s not easy being green. My wife and I have always been motivated to save energy and not waste stuff. It is not because we consider ourselves “green,” whatever that fuzzy moniker means to you, but rather because we are frugal Yankees who do not… Read More
    BANGOR – When Robbins Lumber Inc. president Jim Robbins heard about last year’s recalls on lead paint-containing toys from China, his Yankee ingenuity took hold of him – and so did his grandfatherly instincts. “I didn’t want my grandkids using toys that were unsafe,” said… Read More
    A typical home may have a volume of 20,000 cubic feet. At least 4,000 cubic feet per hour should be exchanged with the outdoors to control odors, humidity, etc. A kitchen or bathroom exhaust fan (60 cubic feet of air per minute) may force the induction of sufficient… Read More
    LIMESTONE – There’s one sure thing about raising cows: They poop. A lot. Pineland Farms Natural Meats estimates that the 2,000 cows on their cattle farm in Fort Fairfield, the largest feed lot in New England, produces about 10,000 yards of manure each year. googletag.cmd.push(function… Read More
    AUGUSTA – Maine has reached agreement with Merrill Lynch to recover $20 million the state paid to purchase Mainsail II commercial paper last summer, state Treasurer David Lemoine said Thursday. Lemoine said the agreement restores the state’s long-standing relationship with Merrill Lynch. googletag.cmd.push(function () {… Read More
    PORTLAND – An investment group that has been in discussions to buy Blethen Maine Newspapers no longer has exclusive negotiating rights. Maine Media Investment LLC initiated the termination of the deal. But Richard Connor, one of four principals, said his group is still working to… Read More
    MILLINOCKET – Multibillion dollar conglomerate Brookfield Asset Management lied about its plans for the Katahdin Avenue paper mill it will close indefinitely, a union president said Wednesday. United Steel Workers Local 152 boss Louis Ouellette and other union officials minced no words when asked how… Read More
    HAMPTON, N.H. – New England public utility Unitil Corp. said Wednesday it resolved state regulatory concerns arising from its proposed purchase of two companies from Indiana-based NiSource Inc. In February, Unitil said it would buy Northern Utilities Inc. and Granite State Gas Transmission Inc. for… Read More
    AUGUSTA – Over the past year, the speed of Internet access has increased in Maine, according to a national online report. But the United States ranks only 15th worldwide in Internet speed, experts note, and that hurts Maine businesses trying to compete in international markets. Read More
    AUGUSTA – Maine’s attorney general is alerting people about a scam in which people receive phone messages warning that they’ve reached the credit limit on their Visa cards. People who call the toll-free number get an automated recording identified as “Visa credit limit support.” They’re… Read More
    The Maine Health Management Coalition has awarded Bangor Internal Medicine Associates, an affiliate of St. Joseph Healthcare, three of its Pathways to Excellence blue ribbon awards. Ribbons were awarded in recognition of the practice’s heart disease care and diabetes care as well as the use of technology in… Read More
    ALBANY, N.Y. – New York’s Public Service Commission has postponed consideration of Iberdrola SA’s proposal to buy Energy East Corp. The commission planned Wednesday to consider staff recommendations for various conditions on the $4.6 billion deal. Spokesman James Denn says two of the five board… Read More
    MILLINOCKET – The Katahdin Paper Co. mill will shut down indefinitely on or about Sept. 2, but will reopen next year with a biomass boiler that will end the mill’s total dependence on oil, Gov. John Baldacci said Tuesday. Union leaders and management supervisors began… Read More
    BANGOR – U.S. Cellular announced Tuesday that it is adding new cell sites in the northern part of Bangor, as well as in Hermon and Corinth. In addition, a cell site in Charleston is due to come on line by the end of August. The… Read More
    SOUTH PORTLAND – Sales of existing single-family homes in Maine declined by 17.2 percent last month – from 1,247 units to 1,032 – compared with July 2007, the Maine Real Estate Information System reported Monday. During the same period, the median sale price of homes… Read More
    SANFORD – A Maine company’s plans for a $10 million expansion at Sanford Regional Airport have been derailed after financial backing fell through. Oxford Aviation had planned to open a 96,000-square-foot airplane-refurbishing facility at the airport with up to 200 jobs. The company, based in… Read More
    The Portland office of Consigli Construction Co. Inc. has been named one of Maine’s “Best Places to Work” for the second consecutive year, the company announced. Consigli is building the new Penobscot County Judicial Center in Bangor. The annual campaign, created by the Society for… Read More
    JAY – Wisconsin-based Wausau Paper plans to shut down one of two paper machines at its Otis Mill in Maine, eliminating about 150 jobs. Spokesman Perry Grueber said Monday that the No. 10 paper machine targeted for permanent shutdown in Jay makes paper that’s used… Read More
    Good Will-Hinckley, a school in Hinckley that seeks to change the lives of youths in need of a helping hand, has appointed John R. Massaua to the newly created position of director of business development. “We are pleased to have John join us; we are sure his extensive… Read More
    The following recalls have been announced: . Hop Lee Trading Co. Inc. is recalling 12-ounce plastic packages of Chinese-made Flower brand dried sweet potato because they contain sulfites that are not listed on the label. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]];… Read More
    First, the hard figures from a study done for the Federal Trade Commission. In 2005, 8.3 million Americans had their identities stolen through misuse of their credit card, banking or telephone accounts. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes =… Read More
    GREENVILLE – Greenville Steam Co., one of the community’s larger employers, is up for sale. General manager Scott Hersey confirmed to selectmen Wednesday that employees were told the owners are entertaining the sale of the company’s assets. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes… Read More
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    Verizon Wireless has purchased the parent company of Unicel, officials of both cellular telephone companies said Friday. “The sale closed Aug. 6,” Barb Ostrander of Unicel’s marketing department in Alexandria, Minn., said Friday. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes… Read More
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    LEWISTON – When the Lewiston McDonald’s opened in 1966, there was no such thing as flat-screen TV, and Wi-Fi setups for personal computers were an unknown concept. But a redo of Maine’s third McDonald’s to be built will feature those as well as a bistro… Read More
    OLD TOWN – A loan was approved Thursday to allow Red Shield Environmental to continue to operate in idle mode pending next month’s bankruptcy hearing to determine the fate of the facility. The final bankruptcy hearing was supposed to be held Wednesday, but was postponed… Read More
    ROCKLAND – Bangor Savings Bank is purchasing a former bank building on U.S. Route 1 in a move that is likely to create new jobs. The new bank is going into the vacant former Union Trust building close to McDonald’s. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define… Read More
    PORTLAND – Dozens of union members turned out Thursday to confront a national business group’s campaign to promote opposition to legislation that would allow workers to unionize without the need for secret-ballot elections. The Employee Free Choice Act emerged as an issue in Maine’s U.S. Read More
    TORONTO – An outbreak of listeriosis has killed one person and sickened at least 16 others, Canadian public health officials said Wednesday, as a food company suspended production at a Toronto plant and expanded a recall of nearly two dozen types of packaged meats. The… Read More
    CUSHING – About 450 wooded acres along the Meduncook River that once held a promise for development of homes worth $300,000 to $900,000 are going up for public sale. The Meduncook Bay Colony, proposed in 2004 by Glenburn developer Jim Tower, 62, was planned to… Read More
    BAR HARBOR – Maine will be the host when New England governors and premiers from eastern Canada meet next month to talk about energy, transportation and economic development. Gov. John Baldacci’s office announced Wednesday that the 32nd annual Conference of New England Governors and Eastern… Read More
    BANGOR – Hollywood Slots on Wednesday unveiled the final component of its $132 million-plus gambling and entertainment complex. Floors one through four of its 152-room hotel are open for business. The event was applauded during a grand opening celebration that drew several company and city… Read More
    OLD TOWN – Employees at Red Shield Environmental will have to wait until September to learn the fate of the mill that they were hoping would be restarted by the end of this month. A hearing scheduled Wednesday to determine whether a financing agreement that… Read More
    BREWER – Gov. John E. Baldacci joined officials from Brewer, Maine’s Congressional delegation, Cianbro and others for the grand opening ceremony on Aug. 15 of the new Cianbro Eastern Manufacturing Facility. The governor praised the local, state, federal and private partners for their achievement, the… Read More
    Gift to MMA CASTINE – Gov. John E. Baldacci joined Maine Maritime Academy President Leonard Tyler and members of the MMA community on Aug. 19 to announce a $2.5 million gift to the college. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var… Read More
    HERMON – The rumble of Harley-Davidson engines could be heard Tuesday afternoon as motorcycle after motorcycle rolled into Central Maine Harley-Davidson on U.S. Route 2 for a party to celebrate the 105th anniversary of Harley-Davidson Motor Co. Jim McCaslin, president and chief operating officer of… Read More
    WESTBROOK – Maine’s credit unions posted healthy increases in all major categories – assets, shares, loans and membership – during the first six months of 2008, according to the Maine Credit Union League. Assets at the credit unions increased 5.86 percent, loans grew by 2.22… Read More
    BANGOR – The Maine Real Estate & Development Association will host a breakfast seminar in Bangor next month on Maine’s historic rehabilitation tax credit. The breakfast, sponsored by Bangor Savings Bank, Drummond Woodsum & MacMahon, and WBRC Architects Engineers, will be held 7:30-9:30 a.m. Tuesday,… Read More
    BANGOR – With winter on the way, many Mainers are becoming increasingly preoccupied with energy efficiency. With that in mind, Bangor Hydro-Electric Co. has organized Maine Winter Expo 2008. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner… Read More