Storm
(Lamoine) – The bucket trucks are fueled up, extra wire and splicing materials are on board, and the linemen for Emera Maine are ready for the power to go out today. The utility reports to Star 97.7 that it fully expects heavy rains and high winds will bring down trees and limbs and cut power today and tomorrow. The National Weather Service has issued a high wind advisory and flood watches for the storm that is moving in from the Southwest. An Emera storm manager advises homeowners to have flashlights and batteries on hand.
Winterport Fatal
(Winterport) – An overnight accident has left at least one person dead in Winterport. WABI-TV reports the crash on Route 1-A closed down the road at about 1:30 this morning. Authorities closed the road between Route 69 and Wood Street.
Recount Cost
(Augusta) – It cost the State of Maine more than $14,500-dollars to recount ballots cast in Maine’s 2nd Congressional District, and current Congressman Bruce Poliquin is on the hook for it. Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap said most of the cost was for State Police to pick up and deliver back the ballots from towns and cities across the district. Poliquin, who lost the race after ranked choice voting kicked in, put down $5-thousand dollars and still owes the state more than $95-hundred dollars. He terminated the hand recount after workers had recounted 165-thousand of the 296-thousand votes cast. Poliquin is appealing a federal court ruling that using ranked choice voting was legal.
Ferry Terminal
(Bar Harbor) – The Border Patrol may have put a kibosh on plans to resume ferry service between Bar Harbor and Yarmouth Nova Scotia next year. The Mt. Desert Islander reports the US Customs Service and Border Patrol is insisting that Bar Ferries Limited pay for five border patrol agents needed to process passengers coming ashore in Bar Harbor. The border patrol also is requesting upgrades to the abandoned facility at the now town owned complex, including asbestos and PCB removal. The paper reports the repairs will likely take longer than a year to complete.
Millinocket Fire
(Millinocket) Firefighters found a man’s body in the rubble of a home that burned to the ground early yesterday in Millinocket. Firefighters were called to Hemlock Street around 3:30 AM for a fully involved structure fire. They found body on what’s left of the first floor of a 2-story home. The medical examiners office is working to identify the man. Investigators from the State Fire Marshal’s office continue trying to pinpoint the cause of the blaze.
Woman Beater
(Waldoboro) A Waldoboro man is sentenced to 8 years in prison for attacking 2 women in the past 3 years. 42-year-old Jonathan Tarr was arrested in April for assaulting a woman. Tarr was on probation at the time for a previous assault in which he hit a woman with a gun, stabbed her, and held a loaded gun to her head. WABI-TV reports Tarr was ordered this week to serve the rest of his prison time for that crime – which is more than five years. That sentence will be served at the same time as the new 8-year sentence.
Upcoming Blood Drives
(Local) The American Red Cross reminds folks that emergencies don’t take a holiday and now is an important time to give blood and platelets. A seasonal decline in donations occurs from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day when donors get busy with family gatherings and travel. In addition, severe winter weather can cause blood drive cancellations and negatively affect the blood supply. Upcoming blood drives are planned at Saint Joseph’s Church today (12/21) in Ellsworth, Cherryfield Elementary School on December 26th, and the Maine Veteran’s Home in Machias on December 27th.
Museum in the Streets
(Ellsworth) Supporters hope to highlight Ellsworth’s rich history by placing information panels throughout the community. Ellsworth Historic Preservation Commission chair Carolyn Ackerman tells Star 97.7 they’ve been working with Maine-based company Museum in the Streets to produce at least 17 panels for this visual project. The Historic Preservation Commission still needs to raise about $20-thousand-dollars to launch the project.
CMP Drama
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) – The Maine Public Utilities Commission says an independent analysis faults Central Maine Power for its roll out of new billing system but found billing errors to “minimal.” It concluded that CMP meters are accurate and blamed complaints about high bills last winter for cold weather that caused suppliers to raise rates.
Sports
- U-Maine football coach Joe Harasymiak is leaving after the most successful season in Maine history. He’ll be the defensive coordinator at the University of Minnesota.
- Patriots’ wide-receiver Josh Gordon is done. He said he was stepping away from football for mental health reasons. The NFL has suspended Gordon for a 5th time.
- Boston Bruins 3 Anaheim Ducks 1
High School Basketball
Boys
Bucksport 70 DI/Stonington 36
George Stevens defeats Sumner
Bangor Christian 49 Searsport 44
Central 60 Penquis 31
Orono 65 Old Town 61
Girls
DI/Stonington 59 Bucksport 31
Old Town 37 Orono 31
Searsport 34 Bangor Christian 17
