Falls Community Center
(Ellsworth) – The dilapidated building at the center of controversy in Ellsworth Falls can get torn down. That’s the ruling from the Board of Appeals in Ellsworth for the former Community Center which once served as a fire house. The Ellsworth American reports the Board of Appeals ruled there was no restriction on the deed the city granted years ago to Webber Energy that would require the building be maintained. Neighbors cried foul when Webber got a demolition permit last year, as part of the purchase deal was to maintain the old building that has fallen into disrepair.
Blue Hill Road, Administrator Vote
(Blue Hill) – Voters in Blue Hill will decide in April whether to spend $45-thousand dollars for the rest of 2019 to hire a town administrator. They’ll also vote on a $4-million dollar bond question to fix up the local roads to Maine DOT Standards. The Weekly Packet reports the vote will happen on April 5th. The town’s Selectmen have discussed hiring a town administrator to handle day to day management of the Hancock County municipality. Under the proposal the Selectmen’s salaries would be reduced. The road bond would be paid back over a 10-year period.
Infant Assault
(Orono) – A 24-year old Orono man faces assault charges after a baby left in his care suffered fractures and brain injuries. State police arrested Cyree Hansley after the 6-month old baby was hospitalized with numerous injuries. The Bangor Daily News reports Hansley originally told investigators he put the baby too high in a seat and he slipped in a bath tub. He then changed the story and said he slipped with the child while carrying the infant to the bathroom. The injuries occurred about a month ago.
The Grand Mouth Off
(Ellsworth) The Grand Theater’s Mouth Off competition is coming back for its fourth year. This highly competitive lip sync battle sees participants from local businesses, organizations and even childcare workers go wild. Grand executive director Nick Turner says the show’s been bumped up to March 9th, but there’s still time to put together a team and come up with a routine. The audience votes for their favorite team using money – each dollar counts for one point. All money raised during the lip sync benefits The Grand in Ellsworth.
Car Theft Arrest
(Ellsworth) Police arrested a Sullivan man for allegedly stealing a pickup truck early Monday. An Ellsworth resident on Whitmore Way reported his Chevy Silverado stolen around 1:40 yesterday morning. Less than 2 hours later a Hancock County Sheriff’s deputy spotted the truck on Route 179 in Waltham and pulled it over. Deputies charged 27-year-old Mickey Manning with Operating Under the Influence, Theft by Unauthorized Taking, Reckless Conduct, Operating After Suspension, and two counts of Violating Release Conditions.
Drug Sentence
(Jay) A Jay woman is sentenced to a year in prison for having $45-thousand-dollars worth of drugs in her Main Street apartment. WABI-TV reports police found heroin and crack cocaine in 38-year-old Angie Braley’s residence in Jay. She and 21-year-old Darnell Smith of New York were arrested last summer. Braley pled guilty last week; Smith was sentenced in December to 4-years in prison.
School Donations
(Local) Two schools in Regional School Unit 24 have recently received anonymous donations. The contribution to Cave Hill School in Eastbrook was $8-thousand-dollars. Principal Brenda Jordan tells the Ellsworth American the money helps supplement needs in their arts program, academics and athletics that are not in the school’s budget. The Peninsula School in Prospect Harbor received $2-thousand-dollars, which will be used to provide winter items, backpacks and school supplies for kids in need. It also helps cover the cost of insurance for sports for parents who cannot afford the expense.
Teen Camp Donation
(Local) Healthy Acadia’s Downeast Teen Leadership Camp program got a nice boost from a local bank. Employees at Bar Harbor Bank and Trust raise money through donations from their employee-driven charitable giving program and presented Healthy Acadia with a check for $45-hundred-dollars last week. The money will provide scholarships for campers who otherwise may not be able to afford the full cost of the Camp tuition.
Weak Penalty
(Augusta) The Bicycle Coalition of Maine is disappointed by the penalty imposed on a motorist who ran over a bicyclist, causing fatal injuries in October 2016. 23-year-old James Mayo pleaded guilty last month to a traffic infraction. He lost his license for three months and was assessed a $1,000 fine.
Allagash Angry
(Allagash) Residents in the town of Allagash are pushing back against outsiders using their town’s name for marketing purposes. The Bangor Daily News reports residents aired their grievances after it was announced that a movie titled “Allagash” would be filmed in western Maine. Lifelong resident Colleen Jackson says while there’s no doubt western Maine is beautiful, “it’s not Allagash.”
Sports
- The Celtics face the 76ers in Philadelphia tonight
- The Bruins are home against the Chicago Blackhawks
- High School basketball pre-lims get under way in earnest today.
Boys: Class “C” Calais at Fort Kent
Class “B” Washington Academy at Orono
Class “AA” Quarterfinal – Lewiston at Bangor
Girls: Class “B” – John Bapst @ Ellsworth
Class “C” Central at Calais, Searsport at Narraguagus
