Ticks
(Local) Mother Nature may not have gotten the memo about spring, but the ticks have. University of Maine cooperative extension’s Tick ID program coordinator, Griffin Dill says ticks have already found their way out of the snow and on to warm humans and pets in the area. Dill says a Bangor homeowner is among those who have recently brought ticks to the University of Maine in Orono to have them identified. The tick ID program is free. Dill says do an internet search for UMaine Tick ID; it’ll get you to the website that has all the information on how to submit a tick for identification.
Easter Events
(Ellsworth) The Phillip Carter Reading Foundation and the Community Closet are holding dinner with the Easter bunny tomorrow. Spokeswoman Jacqueline Wycoff says you can also try your luck at winning any of the 200 Easter baskets being raffled. Dinner with the Easter bunny is Friday from 4 ’til 6 at the Ellsworth Elks Lodge. It’s $5 for adults and $3 for kids. Proceeds benefit the Phillip Carter Reading Foundation and the Community Closet.
Firearm Sentencing
(Blue Hill) A Blue Hill man who held a gun to someone’s head and claimed to be working with police has been sentenced for reckless conduct with a firearm and criminal restraint. 36-year old Brian Fowler pleaded no contest this week and was sentenced to 2-years probation. WABI-TV reports Fowler and 56-year-old Ken Charles were armed with guns in September 2016 when they detained 3 people in Blue Hill, alleging they were concerned about drugs being sold on Mother Bush Lane. Charles pleaded no contest in January and was sentenced to a year of probation.
Appeal Denied
(Bangor) The Garland man behind bars for killing his girlfriend and her 2 children will stay locked up for life. The Maine Supreme Court on Thursday rejected Keith Coleman’s appeal for a new trial or a reduced sentence. Coleman was found guilty in 2016 of murdering Christina Sargent and her two children. WABI-TV reports Coleman’s lawyers argued that jurors should have heard more about possible credibility issues surrounding the state medical examiner who performed autopsies on the trio. The Maine Supreme Court ruled the evidence against Coleman was undeniable.
Plastic Bag Hearing
(Camden) A public hearing is set for Camden residents to discuss a new ordinance that would ban polystyrene food containers and also charge fees for using plastic and paper bags. Village Soup-dot Com reports the Camden Select Board voted this week to move forward with the hearing and scheduled it on April 10th. A simplified version of the bag fee ordinance was first presented in February by the Camden Conservation Commission. The revision eliminates fees on paper bags used at smaller stores and on dry-cleaning bags.
Burglary
(Hollis) A convicted felon from Gorham is held at the York County Jail for allegedly stealing a gun and money. State troopers responded to a home on Clarks Mills Road in January where a .22 caliber Beretta handgun and $200 cash were stolen. Investigators followed leads that pointed to 34-year-old Jennifer Talbot, but police had a hard time finding her. Talbot turned herself in this Sunday and is expected to be charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Felon. She’s held on $5,000 cash bail.
Washington County Scam
(Washington Cty) The Washington County Sheriff’s Office is warning residents of a new scam where someone calls claiming to be from Microsoft and wants to refund money that was owed. The scammer emails a link for the victim to click on and set up an electronic way to receive their money as Microsoft does not issue checks. But if you click on the link it opens a team viewer portal and the scammer takes control of your computer. The Sheriff’s Office urges residents to protect their personal information and hang up.
Hydroelectric Dams Re-licensing Forum
(Ellsworth) The Ellsworth City Council is coordinating a community conversation for Ellsworth-area residents who want to learn more about the re-licensing process for the hydroelectric dams at Graham Lake and Leonard Lake. Brookfield Renewable Energy owns the dams and is due for a 30-year license renewal. Representatives from Brookfield as well as state and federal resource agencies will speak at the workshop. It’s free and open to the public next Wednesday, March 28th from 6:30 – 8 pm at the Ellsworth High School.
ME Governor’s Salary
(Augusta) Governor Paul LePage wants to boost the salary for the next governor. LePagehas said that the $70,000 annual salary is too low to attract the best talent, and he’s proposing it gets boosted to $150,000 for the next governor. He said the salary would go from the nation’s lowest to “the middle of the pack” for governors.
Moose Health
(Maine) Maine hunters might be allowed to harvest more moose this year because of strong survival rates in the northern parts of the state. The news is a rare bright spot about the health of moose, which have struggled with parasites throughout the northern U.S. State regulators had trimmed the number of moose hunting permits in recent years, but might increase it by more than 20-percent this year. State moose biologist Lee Kantar says moose calves appear to be experiencing fewer ticks in the state’s far northern reaches.
Stabbing Suspect
(Caribou) Daniel Bertrand made an initial court appearance in Caribou Superior Court Wednesday. Bertrand is accused of stabbing an employee at the Sister Mary O’Donnell Homeless Shelter in Presque Isle. WABI TV reports the attack was an ambush style attack, with the victim pepper sprayed and stabbed when the victim opened the door. Bertrand was arrested Tuesday morning and charged with aggravated assault. His arraignment date has been set for August 3rd in Presque Isle District Court.
ATV Accident
(Medway) An accident involving an ATV, a dirt bike, and a police cruiser on Tuesday ended with the cruiser atop a snowbank. The Penobscot County Sheriff’s office reports Corporal Daren Mason was traveling the Pattagumpus Road in Medway Tuesday afternoon, when he attempted a traffic enforcement stop involving an ATV and a dirt bike. The dirt bike decelerated abruptly, causing the officer to take evasive action. The dirt bike collided with the passenger side of the Sheriff’s vehicle, which then hit a frozen snowbank and ended up on top of it. Corporal Mason was uninjured, but the operator of the dirt bike was transported to a local hospital and released the same day. The accident remains under investigation.
Lamoine Gets Single Sort Recycling
(Lamoine) Lamoine residents will celebrate the launch of a new, single-sort recycling program the first week of April. The town has contracted with Portland based Ecomaine, one of Maine’s pioneers of single sort recycling. Representatives of ecomaine will be on hand at the Lamoine Transfer Station between 8 and 4 on Saturday, April 7, to distribute free 22-gallon recycling bins to the first 100 households to show up at the facility. Staff members will be on hand to answer questions about the program, which will allow for things like glass containers, and numbers one through 7 plastics to all go into the same containers with newspaper, cardboard, and other currently recycled materials. Voters approved funding for the program in March.
Protestors Await Verdict
(Bangor) Three women who protested at the Bangor office of Senator Susan Collins last year will soon hear the judge’s verdict in their federal trial. On December 4th, five people were arrested by Bangor police after refusing to leave Collins’s office. Their state charges were later dropped. But when Sharon Dean of East Machias, Jessica Stewart of Bass Harbor, and Sophia Ridgely Fuller of Belfast protested at that office two weeks later, they were arrested and escorted from the building by a federal official. Defense attorney Logan Perkins claims the women were targeted for what they were saying. A verdict will be delivered in the coming week. If found guilty, each defendant faces up to 30 days in prison and a fine of up to $5,000.
Foster Families
(Augusta) Foster families could soon see an increase in the number of children allowed per household. WABI TV reports a family is currently limited to six children when caring for foster children in Maine. That number includes the family’s legal children. A bill to allow certain families to exceed that limit is headed to the legislature. The bill, sponsored by Senator Troy Jackson, aims to keep foster siblings together, as well as let a family foster home exceed the limit if determined to be in the child’s best interest.
Military Medics
(Augusta) Qualified veterans with healthcare training now have the ability to utilize their military credentials when seeking civilian employment. WABI TV reports a bill to help former military medics transition into the workplace has become law now in Maine. The bill creates a targeted state program to match veterans with employers to help the vets continue their education and training and ultimately secure positions in local medical facilities. The program focuses on veterans with recent military training, within two years of enrolling and is set to start in the fall through the Department of Labor.
Changes at Waterfront Concerts
(Bangor) Big changes could be coming to the Waterfront Concerts venue. Venue officials presented Bangor city staff with an overhaul plan that includes upgrades to the concession area and offers a more streamlined security process. A permanent underground waste line would alleviate bathroom issues with permanent restrooms built in time for next year’s concert series. The plan includes other upgrades that extend even beyond the recent 10-year extension deal secured by Waterfront Concerts.
Tariffs on Softwood Lumber
(Augusta) Sawmills and logging businesses on both sides of the U.S./Canadian border say they are unclear about the impact of President Trump’s tariffs on softwood lumber from Canada. The tariffs have reportedly created new tension between Governor LePage, who says Americans are being gouged, and others who say it’s good for the state’s industry. Former state economist and Bureau of Public Land director Lloyd Irland says tariffs are not the main cause of rising lumber prices faced by builders. He says it’s still unclear how the tariff will end up impacting Maine consumers.
Aroostook County Scam
(Augusta) Officials with the Department of Agriculture are warning Aroostook County businesses about someone falsely posing as an employee. WABI TV reports a man has visited several businesses that sell food in the County, claiming they are in some sort of violation. Department officials say anyone claiming to be in that capacity should be asked to provide proper ID. Anyone with further questions can call the Department at 287-3841.
