AUGUSTA – The price of heating oil continues to fall in Maine. The statewide average cash price on Monday was $4 a gallon, according to the Office of Energy Independence and Security’s biweekly survey. That’s down 42 cents from two weeks ago and 71 cents… Read More
HERMON – The 105th anniversary of Harley-Davidson Motor Co. isn’t until the end of the month, but to get to Milwaukee, Wis., on time, local Harley riders will head out Wednesday. That means the party is today at Central Maine Harley-Davidson on U.S. Route 2… Read More
Q: I am an exotic dancer, and my long red hair was part of my stage persona until a hairdresser ruined it. My regular hairdresser was out on maternity leave when I needed it colored, so I went to a different one, and she ruined it. It’s pink,… Read More
For most of us, summer means more time outside for projects or pleasure. A reminder about child safety is in order as well. As little ones begin to explore, they’re drawn to windows. Just last week, a toddler in Brooksville got out an upper-story window… Read More
The U.S. government will implement its final phase of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative on June 1, 2009, which will require citizens to present a passport book, passport card or other acceptable travel document to enter the United States at all sea or land points of entry. Read More
Do you have a brook flowing through your property? Would you like to use the flowing water to generate electricity? The flow of 1 cubic foot of water per second over a falls 10 feet high will generate about 1 kilowatt of electric power. This is the rate… Read More
AUGUSTA – The state Labor Department says Maine’s unemployment rate in July was 5.4 percent, one-tenth of a percentage point higher than June’s figure. Commissioner Laura Fortman said Friday the preliminary figure is lower than the national rate for July, 5.7 percent. googletag.cmd.push(function () {… Read More
Before we start, let me correct an error I made in my column two weeks ago. I completely made up the Web address for Solar Rating and Certification Corp., or SRCC, from some nether part of my brain. The correct Web address is http://www.solar-rating.org/. I… Read More
Mainers are logging in and signing up for car pooling and van pooling coordinated by the state, and many businesses are working with their employees to make ride-sharing work. “We are getting calls from employers who really are hearing from their employees that they are… Read More
BREWER – A video production company on Thursday was at Cianbro’s Eastern Manufacturing Facility, and at other spots around town, filming for a documentary on what will be the largest oil refinery in United States history. Brewer is featured in the documentary because Cianbro was… Read More
SAN FRANCISCO – Netflix Inc. said Thursday that major technical problems over the past three days have severely limited the number of DVDs it could send out. The unspecified problems affected all of the Los Gatos-based company’s 55 shipping centers and marked the biggest disruption… Read More
OMAHA, Neb. – A review of Nebraska Beef Ltd.’s records prompted Thursday’s recall expansion because USDA investigators determined the company’s practices couldn’t effectively control E. coli bacteria on June 24. About 1.36 million pounds of beef is included in the recall that began Aug. 8… Read More
PORTLAND – The Machinists union decided to keep a trustee in charge of the largest union at Bath Iron Works after an investigation that substantiated claims of fiscal mismanagement and computer porn, International President Thomas Buffenbarger told Local S6 members. A union committee concluded there’s… Read More
BANGOR – By the middle of next week, Hollywood Slots Hotel and Raceway will be able to fully live up to its name. Most of the company’s $132 million gaming and entertainment complex, namely its gaming floor with 1,000 slots, lounge, buffet, snack bar, conference… Read More
NASHVILLE PLANTATION – An Aroostook County mill that has sputtered along in the past few months has finally run out of steam. Irving Forest Products Inc. announced Tuesday that it would permanently close the Pinkham Sawmill in Nashville Plantation by the end of the month… Read More
BUCKSPORT – Verso Paper Corp. announced Tuesday it will provide a $100,000 grant over two years to the Trust to Conserve Northeast Forestlands, or TCNF, to expand participation in that organization’s Forest Stewardship Council, or FSC, group forest certification program. The program seeks to identify… Read More
AUGUSTA – The Kennebec Journal and Morning Sentinel newspapers are eliminating 20 full- and part-time positions this month. Publisher John Christie says the cuts equate to roughly 10 percent of the company’s payroll. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes… Read More
PORTLAND – The Portland City Council will give a final vote Monday on a plan for a private company to redevelop the Maine State Pier. If it gets the green light, The Olympia Cos. of Portland will break ground in 2011 on a project featuring… Read More
BREWER – For more than a century, the former Eastern Fine Paper Co. and its predecessors made paper on the banks of the Penobscot River and over the decades deposited toxic levels of pollutants in the soil around the mill. A half-buried hazardous waste dump,… Read More
BREWER – When Cianbro Corp. officials decided to refurbish and reuse the old Eastern Fine Paper Co. mill site for a new modular manufacturing facility, they made investments in the city, the region and the people who live here. To celebrate the ambitious endeavor –… Read More
PORTLAND – A nationwide tour to showcase hydrogen-powered cars kicked off Monday. The tour, which started at Fort Allen Park in Portland, is organized by the U.S. Transportation and Energy departments, the National Hydrogen Association and the California Fuel Cell Partnership. googletag.cmd.push(function () { //… Read More
QUINCY, Mass. – Stop & Shop is voluntarily recalling tuna salad because it could be contaminated with Listeria. The supermarket chain says the recall covers prepackaged 12 oz. containers of Stop & Shop Tuna Salad with a sell-by date of Aug. 19, as well as… Read More
Many of us are looking for savings in the form of recycled goods. Whether at yard and garage sales, in secondhand stores or in the far corner of a relative’s attic, bargains await those who seek them. But those money savers may be false bargains… Read More
MILLINOCKET – A dozen telemarketers were immersed in quiet telephone conversations, giving the room a seething sound. Vaguely Caribbean dance music pulsed from a boom box. Then a bell rang and the bell-ringer leaned out from behind a window partition. “Is Jordana up there yet?”… Read More
BANGOR – Eight years after the nation’s largest retailer announced plans to replace its aging Bangor store, construction of a new Wal-Mart Supercenter on Stillwater Avenue got under way this week. “They’ve started pouring [concrete] footings,” city Code Enforcement Officer Dan Wellington said Friday. Wellington… Read More
Worldwide about 50 billion liters of ethanol are produced each year – about a third in the U.S. from corn and another third in Brazil from sugar cane. The energy in all this ethanol is the equivalent of about 0.25 billion barrels of oil. The annual worldwide consumption… Read More
Lucky Charms or Magic Stars? Oreos or chocolate sandwich cremes? Pop Tarts or toaster pastries? When the price difference is measured in quarters or dollars rather than pennies or nickels, the choice is easy for many. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes =… Read More
WBRC Architects-Engineers of Bangor, Portland and Sarasota, Fla., has hired Jeffrey R. Davis as director of its Education Studio. With more than 25 years’ experience in the planning and design of educational facilities, Davis will be responsible for all of WBRC’s education sector projects. He is the former… Read More
Momentum Inc. of Casco, an agency that provides residential support to people with intellectual disabilities, says it is expanding its services to the Bangor region. The agency said it is in need of home providers in and around the communities of Bangor, Brewer, Ellsworth, Machias,… Read More
AUGUSTA – A coalition called Health Care for America Now says insurance company profits and executive salaries are too high. The group, which includes labor unions and Democratic-leaning organizations, held a news conference in Augusta on Thursday. Leaders reiterated their call for guaranteed, quality health… Read More
Otelco Inc., the parent company of Mid-Maine Communications, announced Thursday that it has signed an agreement to purchase Country Road Communications LLC, which includes the Pine Tree Networks brand and the Pine Tree Telephone and Saco River Telephone companies. “The acquisition of CRC is consistent… Read More
SPRINGFIELD – Electricity rates might not be going up for Eastern Maine Electric Co-op customers, but the company still is worried about the future. In March, the electric supply rate for EMEC customers increased from 5.8 to 9.15 cents per kilowatt-hour, which will remain in… Read More
LEWISTON – A landmark eatery that has become a requisite campaign stop for the state’s most prominent politicians is poised to celebrate its 100th anniversary. Simones’ Hot Dog Stand has been a fixture on Chestnut Street since it was founded by a Greek immigrant family… Read More
BANGOR – A Husson College building that soon will be home to the school’s development, finance, marketing and creative services offices will be known as the Quirk House. Husson recently bought the property at 891 Broadway from Husson alumna Marcelle Coffin with the help of… Read More
BANGOR – Eastern Maine Medical Center has been named to a list of the nation’s 100 Most Wired Hospitals. The designation is based on results of the 2008 Most Wired Survey and Benchmarking Study released this month by Hospitals & Health Networks magazine. googletag.cmd.push(function ()… Read More
NEW YORK – Burt’s Bees is one of a group personal care products companies that have signed on to a plan that aims to help consumers find natural hair and skin products. The Natural Products Association announced the program, which would set industry guidelines, certify… Read More
ELLSWORTH – The remnants of what was Dave Gould Ford in Ellsworth will be auctioned off this weekend by Bangor Savings Bank. The business, at the intersection of Routes 1 and 3, closed in April after being plagued with financial problems. googletag.cmd.push(function () { //… Read More
WESTBROOK – Nearly two-thirds of the state’s credit unions are offering some sort of fuel assistance loans, with some rates as low as 0 percent and an average rate of 4.97 percent, the Maine Credit Union League said. Many credit unions also are offering special… Read More
PORTLAND – A shipment of wind turbines headed for New Hampshire has brought some good news to Portland. Officials say the shipping company saved in fuel costs by diverting to Portland instead of traveling to its original destination in Pennsylvania. City Manager Joe Gray said… Read More
The Bangor Daily News took first-place honors in seven categories in the annual New England Associated Press News Executives Association contest, results of which were announced Tuesday. The awards will be presented Sept. 19 at the NEAPNEA fall conference in Concord, N.H. A total of… Read More
BELFAST – The shuttered commercial kitchen at Belfast Square Apartments is back on line and available for public use. The kitchen, once used to prepare Meals on Wheels, had been shut down for years. It has been reopened by Maggie Achorn of Morrill for use… Read More
PORTLAND – The president and CEO of Blethen Maine Newspapers Inc. says its dailies in Portland, Augusta and Waterville may have to be shut down if its parent company winds up in default and its Maine assets cannot be sold. In an affidavit filed in… Read More
AUGUSTA – Heating oil prices in Maine took a big dive during the past two weeks, falling 20 cents a gallon in the latest survey by the state energy office. The biweekly summer survey found the average cash price throughout the state to be $4.42… Read More
PORTLAND – Energy East Corp., which serves about 3 million customers throughout upstate New York and New England, reported its second-quarter financial results. Earnings per basic share for the second quarter 2008 were 10 cents compared to 12 cents per share earned in the second quarter 2007, according… Read More
SCARBOROUGH – One of Maine’s leading technology companies, Fairchild Semiconductor, plans to move its corporate headquarters from South Portland to a new building in Scarborough that’s still on the drawing board. The developers of the Gateway at Scarborough project, which includes the new Cabela’s store… Read More
AUGUSTA – A study by the Maine Bureau of Financial Institutions indicates the number of homes in foreclosure in the state has grown, but not enough to threaten the health and stability of state-chartered banks and credit unions. The study analyzed residential real estate lending… Read More
CONCORD, N.H. – Soaring gas prices and rainy weather appear to be taking a bite out of tourism in northern New England. One indicator of a tourism slump is a drop in revenues collected in New Hampshire from its tax on restaurant meals and hotel… Read More
PORTLAND – Two of Maine’s largest power-distribution companies, Central Maine Power and Maine Public Service, are proposing major upgrades aimed at preventing blackouts, bringing as a side benefit thousands of construction jobs. The two companies want to spend $2 billion to upgrade their transmission systems… Read More
BURBANK, Wash. – Ten years ago, Jim Lott had never even tasted a blueberry, let alone thought about planting the fruit at his southeast Washington farm. Then came reports about the fruit’s health benefits, an onslaught of consumer demand and blueberry-laden products, and research showing… Read More
Q. I want to sell my house, but in this market I’m inclined to do it myself to avoid a realtor’s commission. I’m pretty sure I can handle the advertising and showing, but the paperwork when we actually transfer the property worries me. Any advice?… Read More
Last week’s column on extended auto warranties generated a lot of interest. So we’re taking a second look at this kind of sale, which has attracted more than its share of rip-off artists in recent months. One reader e-mailed us, noting that after reading the… Read More
BELFAST – The recently approved increase in the price of electricity comes at a time when businesses and institutions around the state already are struggling with the growing cost of energy. The Maine Public Utilities Commission on Tuesday approved rate increases for medium and large… Read More
ROCKLAND – Eighteen new members have joined the Penobscot Bay Regional Chamber of Commerce: A.E. Sampson & Son Ltd., Warren. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var i = 0; i… Read More
Penobscot Community Health Care has announced that Sandra Wardwell recently joined the medical staff. She began her health care career as an obstetrics registered nurse at Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor in the 1980s and in 2002 she completed her Master of Science degree as a women’s… Read More
NEWPORT – Motorists traveling between Bangor and Waterville know they can get a gas bargain in Newport, and word is getting out now that gas prices have shot upward. This week, when the statewide average for regular was $3.98 a gallon, several gas stations here… Read More
MANCHESTER, N.H. – The president of a mortgage company that does business in New Hampshire, Maine and Massachusetts admits paperwork mistakes but denies fraud. New Hampshire banking officials accuse Mortgage Specialists Inc. of more than 60 violations, including forging signatures and destroying documents. And on… Read More
OWLS HEAD – The U.S. Department of Transportation has selected Cape Air to replace Colgan Air as the scheduled commercial air carrier providing low-fare flights between Boston and Knox County Regional Airport. Airport Manager Jeff Northgraves said Friday the U.S. Department of Transportation released an… Read More
STOCKTON SPRINGS – Visit the test kitchen of Barkwheats Dog Biscuits – one of Maine’s newest and successful cottage industries – and it’s impossible to ignore Chris Roberts’ motivation for his booming new business. They’ll bark at you, give you wet kisses and sniff you… Read More
Blethen Maine Newspapers, owner of the Portland Press Herald, the Maine Sunday Telegram, the Kennebec Journal in Augusta and the Morning Sentinel in Waterville, announced Thursday that the company is negotiating for the sale of its publications to Maine Media Investments LLC, an investment group headed by Bangor… Read More
HERMON – Two local businesses facing foreclosure are scheduled to be sold at auction this month, but there still is time to save the properties, according to one of the owners. Mother and daughter Jacqueline and Morita Tapley own Morgan Hill Event Center and Tapley… Read More
PORTLAND – Japan has lifted a ban on imports of North American lobster that had been linked to a misunderstanding over safety, industry officials said Thursday. The ban took effect this week after the Food and Drug Administration warned consumers not to eat the green… Read More
CONCORD, N.H. – A mortgage company that does business in New Hampshire, Maine and Massachusetts has been accused of fraud in New Hampshire. Mortgage Specialists Inc. faces $200,000 in fines from New Hampshire banking officials. The company is accused of forging signatures, destroying documents and… Read More
EAST MILLINOCKET – When Sandra Rhoda opened her mail this week and found a new FairPoint calling card, she wondered just how much using it would cost her. The answer: more than she wants to pay. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes =… Read More
BANGOR – The Baldacci family, whose members include Gov. John Baldacci, announced Wednesday the sale of the property on which Baldacci’s Restaurant is located. Despite the sale, the restaurant specializing in Italian food will live on, though in a new, yet-to-be-determined location, according to Robert… Read More
PORTLAND – It’s peak season for lobster and tourism in Maine, yet consumption of this crustacean has fallen to the point where it costs no more than sliced turkey in parts of New England. A solid harvest and diminished demand from diners adjusting to the… Read More
PORTLAND – Shipments of North American lobster, also known as Maine lobster, have been banned by Japan because of a misunderstanding over safety, U.S. officials said Wednesday. News of the stalled shipments of live lobster swept across the New England waterfront two days after the… Read More
PORTLAND – The latest rate increase for natural gas customers in Maine is smaller than expected. The Public Utilities Commission this week approved a 3.36 percent increase for Northern Utilities. That’s well below the 17 percent increase the state’s largest natural gas distributor had requested. Read More
The double-digit percentage increase in the “standard offer” electric rates for medium and large business customers of Bangor Hydro-Electric Co. and Central Maine Power approved this week might not be as difficult to swallow as it sounds, a Bangor Hydro spokeswoman said Wednesday. The medium… Read More
BANGOR – Three lightning strikes at different places blew Bangor Hydro-Electric Co. off the grid for at least 2 hours and 30 minutes shortly before 8 a.m. last Thursday. According to a press release from the company, an investigation revealed that the first strike occurred… Read More
PORTLAND – A three-member panel has wrapped up its investigation of alleged fiscal mismanagement and pornography on computers at Bath Iron Works’ largest union. The panel held hearings in April into the allegations against the leadership of Machinists Local S6. It presented its confidential recommendation… Read More
PORTLAND – In another sign of tough economic times, Maine’s largest electric utility faces a record amount of unpaid bills totaling four times as much as the amount owed four years ago. Customers owed Central Maine Power a record $34 million through March, and regulators… Read More
PORTLAND – Maine tourism officials are encouraged by sales tax revenue figures from May, which includes the Memorial Day weekend. According to Maine Revenue Services, sales tax revenue from Maine restaurants was up 4 percent and revenue from lodging was up 9 percent. googletag.cmd.push(function ()… Read More
BANGOR – Red Shield Environmental in Old Town received permission Tuesday to continue operating in idle mode in anticipation of the mill’s potential startup next month. U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Louis H. Kornreich approved a motion that will allow the company access to $300,000 cash collateral… Read More
VINALHAVEN – Members of the Fox Islands Electric Cooperative, which provides power to residents of this Penobscot Bay island and neighboring North Haven, have voted overwhelmingly to pursue a wind power project that will be the largest along the coast of the northeastern United States, according to co-op… Read More
OLD TOWN – An investment company has agreed to lend Red Shield Environmental and RSE Pulp & Chemical $13.6 million to repay the companies’ existing debt and fund the restart of the mill, an attorney representing Red Shield said Monday. Red Shield and RSE filed… Read More
WASHINGTON – The government warned consumers Monday not to eat the soft, green substance found in the body cavity of lobsters, saying it may be contaminated with a toxin. It is still OK to eat the white lobster meat found in the claws and tails… Read More
The Cianbro Corp. has hired veteran television reporter and anchorman Alan Grover to be its public relations and corporate communications manager. Grover has spent the past 20 years in journalism, working first at WWMJ-FM radio before moving on to WVII-TV in Bangor in 1989. For the last 13… Read More
PORTLAND – AAA says the average price paid for regular gasoline dipped by another penny after falling below $4 a gallon over the weekend. AAA said gas prices dropped about a penny over the weekend from $4.017 to $3.997, and then fell again to $3.981… Read More
Some of the worst deals around can be found on those postcards we all seem to be getting in the mail. You know, the ones that “remind” you that your auto warranty is about to expire and offer a deal on a warranty extension. The… Read More
The following petitions for bankruptcy were filed at U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Bangor during February 2008: Brian A. French, delimber operator, no dependents, Weeks Mills: assets, $3,948; debts, $18,199. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner… Read More
ORONO – Maine’s wild blueberry growers are cautiously optimistic about prospects for a healthy crop this year. University of Maine experts expect an average or slightly above average yield of 80 million to 100 million pounds of berries, thanks to adequate rain in May and… Read More
BAR HARBOR – Bar Harbor Bankshares, the parent company of Bar Harbor Bank and Trust, on Friday announced net income of $2 million for the quarter ended June 30, or earnings per share of 67 cents, compared with $1.8 million, or earnings per share of 59 cents, for… Read More
ORONO – Three new scholarships are being offered this fall at the University of Maine for electrical and computer engineering students. The scholarships are being offered through Kepware Technologies, a Portland software development company whose chief executive officer said he wants to help keep young… Read More
If you are a farmer, oh, let’s say, in Grand Isle in Aroostook County, and you are growing some superb watercress, and you are working from sunup to sundown seven days a week, how in the world do you get that watercress to the consumer who desperately wants… Read More
About half of all U.S. electricity is generated by coal-burning power plants. The bulk of the coal is taken from strip mines west of the Mississippi. Twenty tons of coal are extracted by each miner each hour. Twenty tons of coal in a modern coal-to-electric plant will generate… Read More
Producing hot water for home use is a major solar heating topic. We refer to this as solar domestic hot water or SDHW. It is the biggest use of home energy after space heating. A properly sized solar hot water system can usually save at… Read More
PRESQUE ISLE – Although growers have been hampered somewhat by the wet and cool weather conditions, this year’s potato crop is coming along well, according to Don Flannery, the executive director of the Maine Potato Board. “As always, it has been an interesting season,” he… Read More
SOUTH PORTLAND – Existing home sales in Maine fell last month by nearly 25 percent from June 2007 and the median sales price dropped by nearly 6 percent over the one-year period. The figures were announced Friday by the Maine Real Estate Information System, which… Read More
PORTLAND – A man who bilked his victims out of $205,000 has pleaded guilty in Portland to felony theft and violations of state laws governing investments. Jonathan Carroll Rosenbloom admitted Friday to stealing money given him by business partners whom he lured into phony Italian… Read More
BUCKSPORT – Verso Paper Corp. announced on Friday it will be shutting down its Bucksport mill for two weeks later this summer. The “downtime” will begin on Sept. 8, said mill spokesman Bill Cohen. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var… Read More
MACHIASPORT – A plan by a Canadian firm to reopen its salmon processing plant next year could mean 80 new jobs for this small seaside community. Although the opening of the Cooke Aquaculture plant is good news for Machiasport, it is disappointing for Eastport, where… Read More
PORTLAND – The combined operations of Portland-based TD Banknorth and New Jersey-based Commerce Bank will be known as TD Bank. The merged company faced legal challenges to using the TD Commerce Bank name. The company was prevented from using that name on signs and marketing… Read More
Dr. Jonathan Shenkin, a pediatric dentist in private practice in Bangor, is the new president-elect of the Maine Dental Association. Shenkin is an assistant clinical professor of health policy, health services research and pediatric dentistry at Boston University. He completed his dental degree at Columbia University, a master… Read More
EAST CORINTH – There are 300 tons of waste wood in enormous piles outside the entrance to the Corinth Wood Pellets LLC, leftovers from construction sites and sawmills. In a new storage facility nearby, 1,000 tons of sawdust air-dries before going through a series of… Read More
PORTLAND – A study conducted for Maine’s oil dealers concludes air quality could worsen if thousands of homeowners switch from oil heat to wood pellet stoves. The study commissioned by the Maine Oil Dealers Association concludes pellet stoves generate more particle pollution and air toxins… Read More
EAST HARTFORD, Conn. – Jet engine maker Pratt & Whitney is seeking voluntary retirement buyouts for an unspecified number of workers as it cuts its work force to adapt to troubles in the airline industry. Company spokeswoman Jennifer Whitlow would not say on Wednesday how… Read More
OWLS HEAD – A local builder is using modular housing to create energy-efficient homes. Jim Leach of Bay Point Homes LLC of Rockland on Wednesday worked with crews assembling a six-room modular combination cape and chalet home on North Shore Drive in Owls Head. googletag.cmd.push(function… Read More
MADISON – New England’s largest greenhouse grower of vine-ripened tomatoes plans to build a second greenhouse at its central Maine site, nearly doubling its year-round growing space. Backyard Farms LLC is scheduled to begin construction this fall on the new 18-acre, state-of-the-art greenhouse with the… Read More
AUGUSTA – A report presented Tuesday to Gov. John Baldacci calls for a series of energy-reducing efforts, such as expanded home weatherization and additional energy audits, to help the state prepare for the coming heating season. “Everybody that I talk to, everywhere I talk to… Read More
A University of Maine researcher told members of Congress on Tuesday that offshore wind power offers enormous potential for helping wean the U.S. off its fossil fuel dependence and that Maine is ready to lead the charge in developing the technology. Habib Joseph Dagher, director… Read More