Storm
(Lamoine) – Power company linemen and snow plows worked overnight as the latest nor’easter dumped more than a foot, and in some cases nearly 2-feet of snow on Maine overnight. Emera Maine reports more than 4-thousand customers were without power early this morning. Plow trucks have left very tall banks of snow along side the road as they try to keep up with the snowfall. Trenton firefighters responded to a plow truck that caught fire just before 5:30 this morning. The snow got quite heavy yesterday afternoon and well into the night but has eased up a bit this morning. Schools are closed in a lot of towns today. Some businesses and government offices will open late today.
Robbery Arrest
(Caribou) – Police in Aroostook County have arrested a 43-year old Bangor man after he allegedly held up a drug store. WABI-TV reports Lawrence Cyr is charged with robbery and stealing drugs. He allegedly demanded drugs from the Rite Aid in Caribou on Monday. No weapon was shown during the hold up. Cyr is held at the Aroostook County Jail.
Plastic Bag/Styrofoam Ban
(Rockland) Many retailers in Rockland will stop providing plastic bags and Styrofoam carry-out containers to customers. The Rockland city council voted unanimously on Monday in favor of the ordinance that will take effect January 1st 2019. The Pen Bay Pilot reports the plastics and Styrofoam required for shipping meats and seafood are exempt from the ordinance. The fee for paper bags initially written in the same ordinance has been separated and will be implemented later.
Privacy Violator
(Bangor) A former Bangor teacher has been charged for secretly video taping women at various public locations within the city. Detectives discovered 30-year-old Benjamin Emmott of Winterport has been doing this for years. Several of the women have been identified, leading to 7 counts of Violation of Privacy against Emmott. It’s not believed anyone under age 18 was video taped. Due to privacy concerns for the victims, police are not releasing the locations where the videos were taken.
Arson Sentencing
(OOB) The former fire chief of Old Orchard Beach who admitted to setting a fire that required 100 firefighters to put out faces sentencing today. 61-year-old Ricky Plummer pled guilty last fall for the April 2016 fire. He was charged with arson a month later after investigators reviewed surveillance footage from a nearby hotel that showed Plummer in his work vehicle in the area of the fire before it was reported. The Bangor Daily News reports Plummer is scheduled to appear in York County Superior on Wednesday.
School Safety Forum
(Ellsworth) Parents and concerned citizens met Monday night at Ellsworth Elementary Middle School to talk safety at school. Police chief Glenn Moshier told the crowd that a 19-year-old student who was recently charged with terrorizing is still being evaluated for his online violent threat and will remain in jail until further notice. During the Q & A session attendees asked the school panel to consider metal detectors and bullet-proof glass, and reevaluate evacuation procedures and lockdown drills. Superintendent Dan Higgins says there are many topics that are being discussed among the school board and are up for consideration.
Message from SO
(Waldo Cty) The Waldo County Sheriff’s Office wants a better connection with its residents. In a Facebook video chief deputy Jason Trundy addressed the 2 recent incidents at the RSU 3 complex, the beating death of 10-year-old Marissa Kennedy, and the opioid epidemic plaguing Maine. Trundy says the Sheriff’s Office will release information in the coming weeks on ways they are making their department more accessible to victims and those who wish to report crimes.
Terrorizing Charge
(Brewer) Brewer police have charged a 17-year-old student with Terrorizing for threatening remarks he made in front of classmates. The Brewer High School administration and the school resource officer jumped into action after several students came forward to report the threat on March 9th. The teen was found in possession of a knife and removed from school grounds. The investigation has now brought formal charges against the unnamed student.
Hotel Demolition
(Skowhegan) A century-old historic Maine inn will be torn down two weeks after its purchase by the town it resides in. The Kennebec Valley Inn in Skowhegan, once known as the Maine Central Railroad Hotel, was bought two weeks ago by the Skowhegan Economic Development Corporation for $73,000. The building will be torn down and replaced it with a new, multiuse building. A town official says demolition will cost about $70,000.
Loony Tunes
(Falmouth) Maine Audubon says the results of its annual loon count last year showed a population that appears to be holding steady. Maine has the largest common loon population in the eastern U.S. The bird’s range has shrunk in the United States, and it faces threats such as environmental pollution. Audubon says the number of adult loons estimated for 2017 is “virtually unchanged” from the previous two years at about 2,800.
Board Member Criticized
(S. Paris) An Oxford Hills school board member whose social media posts targeted Muslims and black people has resigned. Robert Celeste has denied that his resignation last week from the regional school board had anything to do with critics of his posts who have called him racist and hateful. Celeste defended his posts about protecting the white race to news outlets and told the Bangor Daily News that anyone who disagrees with Islam is considered racist.
Sports
- Boston Bruins 6 Carolina Hurricanes 4 (David Pasternak with a hat trick)
- Danny Amendola is reportedly leaving the Patriots to catch passes for the Miami Dolphins
- The Tennessee Titans have signed former Patriot players Dion Lewis and Malcom Butler
- The Minnesota Vikings sign quarterback Kirk Cousins to a 3-year guaranteed contract.
- The Celtics host the Washington Wizards tonight.
- The Red Sox play the Twins in spring training today.
