Fiber Optic
(Ellsworth) – City officials in Ellsworth say construction of a fiber optic line blanketing the city center should be complete next week. IT Director Jason Ingalls says they’re looking for Internet Service Providers to tap into the line to provide services to businesses and residences along the 3-mile network which runs from Water Street to City Hall, up Oak Street and High Street then down the Beechland Road and back. The City got a quarter million dollar grant to help with the project.
Standoff Sentence
(Ellsworth) – A 53-year old Ellsworth man with a long criminal history in Maine and California will spend 6-and-a-half years in federal prison. Jeffrey Barnard survived getting shot in the face during a 2014 standoff with police on North Street in Ellsworth. During the standoff which began as a dispute over a set of tractor keys, Barnard fired several shots, and when officers tear gassed his camper trailer, he came out and pointed a gun at police. A state trooper shot Barnard in the face.
Drug Dealers Sentenced
(Bangor) – Two convicted drug dealers from Harmony will go to federal prison for dealing cocaine in the Dexter area. A federal judge sentenced 67-year old Eugene Moulton to 3-years and 48-year old Antoinette Perreault to 20-months. The US Attorney’s office reports to Star 97-7 the two will both be on 3-years supervised release after their terms are done. They were part of a large ring that brought cocaine to Dexter from Rhode Island, operating for nearly 12-years.(Bangor) – A pair of drug dealers from Harmony who were part of a Dexter based ring will spend time in federal prison. The US Attorney’s office reports to Star 97.7 67-year old Eugene Moulton and 48-year old Antoinette Perreault were part of the conspiracy that bought cocaine in Rhode Island and then sold them in the Dexter area. Moulton will serve 3-years and Perreault 20-months, and both will be on supervised release for 3-years.
Drug Arrest
(Milbridge) – Police in Milbridge arrested two people on drug charges after searching a suspicious vehicle at the town’s marina. Officers charged 28-year old Jennifer Grant of Cherryfield and 18-year old Tayler Tibbetts of Addison with drug trafficking and possession. They seized crack cocaine, suboxone and drug paraphernalia and report more arrests are likely.(Milbridge) A vehicle check at the Milbridge Marina led to the discovery of drugs in the car and put the 2 occupants in jail. The Milbridge Police Department reports 28-year-old Jennifer Grant of Cherryfield possessed crack cocaine and Suboxone, and a myriad of drug paraphernalia. Grant is charged will Trafficking. Her passenger, 18-year-old Tayler Tibbetts of Addison, is charged with drug Possession. Milbridge police say the investigation continues and they anticipate more arrests.
Tax Clerk Job
(Ellsworth) Ellsworth has an opening for a Tax Clerk. The city posts on their Facebook page the duties include collecting real estate and personal property taxes, excise tax, plus water and sewer payments. The clerk will need to multi-task and have a knowledge of bookkeeping and accounting procedures. Contact City Hall for details.
Christmas Tree Collection
(Mt Desert) The town of Mount Desert says they’ll collect Christmas trees next week. They ask residents to place their trees curbside on their designated trash day next week. Mt Desert reminds locals there’s no trash pickup on Martin Luther King Jr Day, Monday the 16th – those bags will be collected the next day with the other Tuesday pick-ups.
New Buses
(Washington DC) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency awarded more than $7.7 million to replace or retrofit about 400 older diesel school buses nationwide. The funds are going to 88 school bus fleets in 27 states, including 2 school systems in Maine. RSU 21 in Kennebunk looks to replace or retrofit 8 buses while RSU 24 in Sullivan has been granted money for 2 buses. Each which will receive rebates through EPA’s Diesel Emissions Reduction Act funding. The new and retrofitted buses will reduce pollutants that are linked to health problems such as asthma and lung damage.
VA Fraud
(Bangor) An Athens woman pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud the US Department of Veterans Affairs and will be sentenced later. 25-year-old Lisa-Marie Watson was in a Bangor courtroom Thursday to face the charges that she and her father-in-law plotted to illegally obtain VA compensation benefits. Watson and her father-in-law submitted documents to the VA falsely claiming she suffered from mental disabilities connected to her service in the U.S. Army. Last November the defendant’s father-in-law, David Watson, pleaded guilty to engaging in a conspiracy to defraud the VA and he awaits sentencing. She faces up to 5 years in prison and a quarter million dollar fine.
Hate Crime Investigation
(Westbrook) The Westbrook Police Department has closed its investigation into anti-Muslim threats discovered at an apartment complex in the southern Maine city last summer. Police launched a hate crime investigation after typewritten messages with the phrase “All Muslims are Terrorists should be Killed” began appearing at the Westbrook Pointe Apartments in August.
Police Body Cameras
(S. Portland) The South Portland Police Department will soon be equipping on-duty officers with body cameras. They’ll become the first officers in Greater Portland to use the technology. The Portland Press Herald reports Wednesday that that the department has two dozen chest-mounted cameras. They are expected to be used later this month or by early February.
More LL Bean
(Lewiston) With L.L. Bean boots in high demand, the Freeport-based retailer is moving into a new 110,000-square-foot warehouse in Lewiston and bringing 100 more jobs with it. The Sun Journal reports the new space is double the size of L.L. Bean’s current production facilities in the Androscoggin County city.
Snowy Roofs
(Maine) There’s so much snow in Maine that residents are being warned to be wary of roof collapses. The Maine Emergency Management Agency says the snow load on roofs is becoming a concern after several storms with heavy wet snow across northern Maine.
Plowless Town
(Parsonsfield) Residents of a tiny Maine town volunteered to pick up the slack after its only snowplow driver quit. The plow truck driver for most of Parsonsfield quit after a storm dumped 25 inches of snow on the town on Dec. 30. Local officials say the roads were close to fully cleared by Thursday afternoon after residents with plows and shovels helped out others from the Maine DOT and the neighboring town of Cornish clear the roads.
Mining in Maine
(Augusta) Maine legislators will decide once again whether to approve rules to jumpstart mining of Maine’s deposits of copper, zinc, gold and silver. Both critics and supporters agree that mining will lead to contamination. But the state says its latest rules offer more protection. On Thursday, the Board of Environmental Protection unanimously approved the latest rules, which lay out the permit process for mining companies as well as environmental regulations, standards and requirements for cleanup.
King Honored
(Bath) The U.S. Navy has presented Maine Sen. Angus King with its highest civilian honor. The Navy gave King with the Navy Distinguished Public Service Award on Thursday in Washington, D.C. The award was established in 1951 and is the highest honor the Navy can bestow on civilians who don’t work for the Department of the Navy.
Rat Poison Investigation
(OGUNQUIT) A state investigation into the discovery of rat poison on a beach in Maine is now complete. Rat poison was found on a public beach in Ogunquit last summer. WMTW-TV reports the Maine Board of Pesticides Control’s investigation into the discovery is now complete.
Sports
High School Boys Basketball
Mount Desert Island 68, Ellsworth 50
Bangor 55, Brewer 45
Deer Isle-Stonington 41, Bangor Christian 35
Central 50, Mattanawcook Academy 35
Dexter Regional 55, Foxcroft Academy 45
Hermon 60, Old Town 39
Houlton 75, Calais 32
John Bapst Memorial 48, Bucksport 34
Lee Academy 54, Piscataquis Community 52
Mount View 64, Camden Hills Regional 48
Penquis Valley 58, Stearns 32
Girls
Bangor 42, Brewer 38
Deer Isle-Stonington 54, Bangor Christian 37
Shead 58, Jonesport-Beals 26
Piscataquis Community 57, Lee Academy 17
Camden Hills Regional 78, Belfast Area 20
College Basketball: Mens – Vermont 90 U-Maine 77
NHL: Edmonton Oilers 4 Boston Bruins 3
NBA: Celtics home against Philadelphia 76ers
Leave a Reply