Stonington Lobsterman’s Death
(Stonington) – It wasn’t like Butch Ciomei to come in late from lobster fishing into Stonington and when his son couldn’t reach him, he raised concern, reporting him missing. An hour later the son found Ciomei’s body wrapped in fishing line and in the water outside his running boat, the Chelsea Lynn which had run aground near Marshall Island. The 60-year old lobsterman did not survive. The Marine Patrol and Coast Guard continue to investigate.
Woman Found
(Mexico) – Game wardens using search dogs found a 62-year old woman from the Western Maine town of Mexico alive in the woods on a mountain about a mile from her home. The Warden Service had issued a missing person’s alert for Mary Ann Rumley. Her family reported her missing on Saturday – she was last seen taking her dog for a walk. They turned up alive and well in the woods. Local police continue to investigate what happened to cause her family to report her overdue.
Fatal Fire
(Norway) -Neighbors saw smoke coming from a home in Western Maine yesterday and called 9-1-1. Firefighters from Norway and other area departments responded and found 68-year old Stephen McAllister’s body in the living room of his home. The Maine Medical Examiner’s office will conduct an autopsy. There’s no immediate word on how the fire started.
Dark Skies
(Millinocket) – What’s the best area to watch the stars? Northern Maine might just be the answer as Friends of Katahdin woods and waters is looking for designation as the largest area of dark skies in the nation. The organization is looking at the clear, dark skies as a tourism draw and has applied to the International Dark Sky Association for the highest level of dark sky designation given.
Cannon – Bomb Squad
(Skowhegan) – Police in Skowhegan called in the State Police bomb squad and evacuated a neighborhood after a resident called to say he was concerned about a terrorist attack. Authorities charged 46-year old Phillip Ewing with criminal use of explosives. He was drilling holes in a black powder cannon when police arrived. The police chief said Ewing appeared to be under the influence when they arrived at his home, finding numerous chemicals and large metal barrels. No injuries are reported.
Car Wash Fundraiser
(Ellsworth) A boy scout will put on a car wash fundraiser in Ellsworth as he works to earn his Eagle Scout rank. Will Hutchins is trying to raise $10-thousand-dollars to build baseball dugouts at the Ellsworth Elementary Middle School. Hutchins is about a quarter of the way to his fundraising goal. The car wash will be held at EEMS this Saturday from 9 AM to 1 PM. The cost is by donation.
Police Graduation
(Vassalboro) Maine’s 65 newest police officers graduated from the Maine Criminal Justice Academy in Vassalboro on Friday. Most of the officers will begin patrolling immediately, which is just in time for Memorial Day weekend- enforcement efforts. Graduates to serve in municipal departments include Steven Mahon – Ellsworth, John Shively – Gouldsboro, Wayne Robbins – Machias, Anne Griffith – Rockland, and Mariza Gionfriddo and Toni Bridges with the Washington County Sheriff’s Office.
EMS Providers
(Augusta) Maine Emergency Medical Services will honor the state’s EMS providers at a ceremony at the State House in Augusta. Over 6,000 licensed Emergency Medical Technicians provide emergency care around the clock in Maine. This year’s theme “Stronger Together” focuses on long and short-term dangers EMS providers encounter daily, involving violence, substance abuse, and mental health disorders. A number of EMS providers and agencies will be honored this Wednesday afternoon at 1 o’clock.
Toll Evader
(Turner) State police have charged a Turner man who allegedly racked up $13-hundred-dollars in unpaid tolls in Maine. 61-year-old Danny Olson, owner of Olson Transportation, had avoided paying tolls for up to 6-years by using license plates belonging to other people. Olson was pulled over Thursday on the Maine Turnpike and taken to the Androscoggin County Jail. He faces multiple charges and is free on bail. Police are contacting other states to inquire about possible unpaid toll violations by Olson.
Moose Antlers
(Canada) A Canadian man pled guilty Thursday in U.S. District Court to importing illegally-taken moose antlers and a hide. Court records say in September 2013, Canadian outfitter and guide Daniel Dyer arranged for a West Virginia man to unlawfully harvest a moose in New Brunswick using a license issued to someone else. The 57-year-old Dyer later brought the hide and antlers through Maine while transporting the hide to Pennsylvania and the antlers to West Virginia. Dyer faces up to 5-years and prison and a quarter-million-dollar fine.
Failure to Register
(Garland) A Massachusetts man faces up to 10 years in prison for failing to register as a sex offender when he moved to Maine. The US Attorney’s office reports 66-year-old Roger Picard was convicted of child sex crimes in 1983 and must register as a sex offender for life. Court documents show Picard moved to Garland in December 2016 but did not notify authorities. Picard will be sentenced after an investigation by the U.S. Marshals Service is complete.
EMHS Withdraws
(Portland) Eastern Maine Healthcare Systems is withdrawing from partnerships it has with two Maine cities over a lawsuit filed against opioid manufacturers. EMHS released a statement Thursday saying it’s leaving two-groups that support addiction treatment in Portland and Bangor due to concerns that current and former physicians it employed could be named in the lawsuit. Portland filed a $1 billion lawsuit against pharmaceutical companies in April over their alleged role in the opioid epidemic. One of the physicians named in the lawsuit used to work for an EMHS organization. EMHS is not directly named in the suit.
Fiddleheads Safe
(Maine) Officials say Maine fiddleheads are safe to eat despite warnings across the border in Canada that the ferns may be contaminated due to flooding. Ron Dyer with the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry tells the Bangor Daily News while there was flooding in the state, the fiddleheads are not at risk due to better water quality. Still, he says it is risky to eat the fern raw or undercooked.
Sports
- Boston Red Sox 5 Baltimore Orioles 0 (JD Martinez with 2-home runs, Eduardo Rodriguez gets the win). Sox are off today.
- The Celtics play the Cleveland Cavaliers in game 4 of the NBA’s Eastern Conference Finals. Boston got blown out by 30-points Saturday night, but still leads the series 2-1.
- The expansion Vegas Golden Knights will play in the Stanley Cup Finals after beating the Winnipeg Jets yesterday.
High School Baseball
Ellsworth 4 Old Town 1
Brewer 8 MCI 0
Greenville sweeps DI/Stonington
Softball
Old Town 18 Ellsworth 0
Brewer 9 MCI 5
Greenville sweeps DI/Stonington
