Bucksport – Salmon Farm
(Bucksport) – Excitement in Bucksport as a Maine based company plans to buy the former Verso Paper mill and open a salmon farming operation. It’s the second major salmon farm to locate in the area in recent weeks, joining another project by a competing company in Belfast. Whole Oceans, which is based in Yarmouth, says it plans to put $250-million dollars into the facilities where the dismantled mill stands. Once complete, the salmon farm plans to employ 200-people and produce 20-thousand tons of salmon a year.
Seacoast Mission
(Mt. Desert) – The Maine Seacoast Mission says it plans to move its headquarters from an old mansion in Bar Harbor to Northeast Harbor. The Mt. Desert Islander reports the mission will place its offices in a new building that a group called Mount Desert 365 which recently purchased several buildings in Northeast Harbor. The mansion in Bar Harbor has been up for sale for several months.
HCRCC Director
(Ellsworth) Hancock County Commissioners have appointed a new director for the Regional Communications Center. Bob Conary is currently a dispatcher with the RCC. He tells Star 97-7 things will change a bit once he assumes the director role on March 3rd. Conary is also the Fire Chief in Orland and says he’ll maintain that position for the time being.
Fournier GUILTY
(Bangor) – More than 37-years after searchers found a 16-year old East Millinocket girl’s body behind Schenck High School a judge has found her killer guilty. Justice Ann Murray delivered her 27-page decision against Phillip Scott Fournier yesterday, 3-weeks after his jury waived trial ended. Murray concluded that Fournier killed Joyce McClain in August 1980. He confessed to a pastor, his mother, and even to a co-worker a few years ago. Fournier’s attorney claimed a head injury suffered in a vehicle crash the night McClain disappeared caused a false confession.
2017 Drug Deaths
(Maine) Drug related deaths rose 11-percent in 2017 from the year before. Figures released by the Maine Attorney General’s Office say 418 Mainers died from drug-induced deaths, the average cause a result of consuming 3 drugs at once. The vast majority of overdose deaths were caused by at least one opioid. Most of the pharmaceutical opioids, or prescription drugs, were not prescribed for the person who died. AG Janet Mills says fentanyl has invaded our state, noting it killed 247 people last year alone.
School Threat Arrest
(Ellsworth) An Ellsworth teen is held at the Hancock County Jail for making online threats. Police chief Glenn Moshier reports to Star 97-7 the FBI contacted his department Wednesday regarding a possible school shooting threat posted on a popular mobile game. Using the IP address police tracked the user and discovered he’s a local resident they’re familiar with. An investigation and interview led to the arrest of 19-year-old Michael Allen for Terrorizing and Violating Conditions of Release.
Bump Stock Ban
(Augusta) Some Maine lawmakers are trying to revive an effort to ban bump stocks in the state, but others say moves at the federal level may make it unnecessary. President Donald Trump has directed the Justice Department to work toward a nationwide ban on the devices, which transform semi-automatic weapons to mimic machine guns. Republican leaders in the state Senate say they want to monitor federal action before doing anything at the state level.
Pot Social Clubs
(Augusta) Maine’s marijuana implementation committee has voted to remove social clubs from the state’s Marijuana Legalization Act. Committee members on Wednesday also rejected a measure that would allow the state to share marijuana tax revenues with municipalities that host licensed pot cultivation or retail businesses. A final committee vote is scheduled for Friday.
No Ethics Investigation
(Augusta) – State ethics commissioners say they won’t investigate a once-anonymous website owned by a Maine GOP official. The Bangor Daily News reports that Maine’s ethics commission voted 3-2 Thursday against launching an investigation of a website that published articles Democrats said slandered their unsuccessful mayoral candidate. Maine Republican Party Executive Director Jason Savage told a state ethics commission that he alone was responsible for running the anonymous website in his free time. Savage said Thursday that he participated in decisions to share the website’s posts on the party’s social media page. Democrats have alleged that Republicans should have reported the website in campaign finance reports. But Republicans say they reported needed expenses. Savage argued the Maine Examiner website falls into an exemption from disclosure intended for the news media.
Sports
- The Red Sox opened spring training play yesterday beating a pair of college teams. The Sox face the Twins today.
- The Celtics play the Pistons in Detroit tonight.
Class “D” Girls Semifinals
#2 Woodland 54 #3 Deer Isle/Stonington 45
#1 Southern Aroostook 73 #5 Katahdin 41
Class “D” Boys Semifinals
# 2 Jonesport-Beals 46 # 6 Machias 36
#1 Woodland 63 # 5 Schenck 50
Class “C” Semi Finals are today – Girls this afternoon, Boys tonight.
