Fatal Fire
(Lewiston) – A 75-year old Lewiston man died when his clothing caught fire Sunday. State public safety department spokesman Steve McCausland reports to Star 97.7 that Victor Lauze was smoking when the fire broke out. The Life Flight helicopter flew Lauze to Maine Medical Center where he died. Firefighters in Lewiston responded to his 2nd floor apartment after neighbors heard his smoke detector going off. The apartment suffered minor damage.
Ellsworth Accident
(Ellsworth) – A weekend head on crash in Ellsworth left five people in the hospital, one with life-threatening injuries. Ellsworth police have not released names from Saturday’s collision on Route 1-A in front of the old Ellsworth Audio building on outer State Street. It happened early in the afternoon, and rescue crews closed down the road for a couple hours. Investigators say a pickup truck driver got onto the wrong side of the road and slammed head on into an SUV.
Gray Fatal
(Gray) – A 58-year old North Yarmouth man whose wife took her own life last year is charged with OUI in connection with a fatal crash in Gray. Jay Westra had his 11-year old daughter in the vehicle with him when he allegedly struck 40-year old Samantha Rinaldi Saturday evening. Police took him to jail. Last fall police spent days looking for Westra’s wife Kristen before discovering her body in a wooded area near their home.
Body Found
(Bangor) – The State Medical Examiner’s Office is trying to identify human remains found in the woods off Stillwater Avenue. Bangor Police report they got a call from the Maine Warden Service Sunday morning that they had discovered the remains. Police have not released any more information. In March, police were still looking for 47-year old Thomas Lynch, last seen in the Bangor Wal-Mart area. He fled from police last September, entering the woods behind the Kobe Restaurant. Police had not considered him dangerous.
Bangor Fire
(Bangor) – No immediate word on the cause for a Bangor fire that left four people homeless late Friday night. Smoke detectors alerted all the tenants in the building and they escaped without injury. Firefighters report they got called to Warren Street around 9:30 Friday night and found smoke belching from the home. Bangor firefighters called in help from Brewer, Veazie, Hermon, Holden and Orono.
Library – Cards/Fee
(Ellsworth) – Folks who don’t live in Ellsworth or one of the several surrounding towns that help fund the public library will have to start paying for library cards soon. Library Director Amy Wisehart tells Star 97.7 that the Board of Trustees decided to start charging for library cards for the first time in recent memory. The price will go up in subsequent years. The City of Ellsworth funds at least 85% of the cost to run the library.
Bridge Inspection
(Deer Isle) Inspection work begins today on the Deer Isle-Sedgwick Bridge. Motorists should expect minor delays from 7:30 AM to 3:30 PM each weekday now through May 24th. The bridge carries Route 15 over Eggemoggin Reach. Inspection work by the Maine DOT requires a lane closure. Flaggers will direct alternating traffic.
Railroad Caution
(Ellsworth) Train traffic returns this Friday in Ellsworth and Hancock. The Downeast Scenic Railroad will begin operating work trains in preparation of its 2019 excursion season. Rail officials ask motorists and pedestrians in both locations to be aware of train crossings and approach with caution.
Confession Ruling
(Portland) A judge has ruled that parts of accused cop killer John Williams’ confession can be used at trail. The 30-year-old Williams is accused of killing Somerset County deputy Eugene Cole last year. Williams has pleaded not guilty. The ruling came a day after the one-year anniversary of Cole’s killing. During a suppression hearing this month Williams’ lawyers claimed police beat the confession out of him. The judge ruled statements Williams made in the woods to police may be used during at his trial in June. But statements he made at the Waterville Police Department will be omitted because of Williams’ fatigue at that time.
Missing Boys
(Presque Isle) Police are looking for 2 boys from Aroostook County who they believe were taken out of Maine against their will. The Presque Isle police department reports 12-year-old Joel Strother and his 10-year-old brother Carter may be in North or South Carolina. Police say the boys may be with one of 4 adults: Joel Strother, Kimberley McLeod who also goes by the last name of Strother, Christopher McLeod or Matthew McLeod. Presque Isle police are asking folks to share the boys’ picture on Facebook.
Airline Travel Tips
(Bangor) Airline travel is expected to be the busiest on record this spring and summer. Transportation Security Administration officials will share travel tips at Bangor International Airport today to explain some of the their protocols, such as – why travelers must remove their shoes during security checks, why laptops must be removed from carry-on bags coming through the checkpoint, and why there’s a size limit for carry-on liquids. The TSA will conduct the same travel advisory at the Portland International Jetport on Tuesday.
Turkey Hunting Season
(Augusta) Maine’s spring turkey hunting season begins today, though youth hunters had their own day on Saturday. The Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife is capturing and placing transmitting collars on turkeys in several areas around the state, then tracking movements, monitoring nesting success and mortalities. With data from the current study, the department will use seasonal harvest numbers in addition to factors like weather, turkey productivity, and natural mortality to estimate the population at the Wildlife Management district scale. Maine is divided into 29 wildlife management districts.
Lunch Bill
(Augusta) The Maine Legislature has approved a bill designed to require that students in school are fed a meal regardless of their ability to pay. The bill was crafted to stop “food shaming,” and it’s headed to Governor Janet Mills for signature. The House Democratic Office says the bill “prohibits punishing, openly identifying or stigmatizing a student who cannot pay or who has payments due.”
Sports
- Tampa Bay Rays 5 Boston Red Sox 2
- The Red Sox host the A’s tonight, Eduardo Rodriguez slated to start for Boston
- Boston Celtics 112 Milwaukee Bucks 90 (Celtics lead playoff series 1-0,Kyrie Irving and Al Horford each had double-doubles)
- The Patriots drafted Auburn quarterback Jarrett Stidham in the 4th round
