Fisherman Sentenced
(Portland) – A mid-coast fisherman who was high and drunk when he took his boat out into a storm more than 4-years ago will spend the next four years in federal prison. 30-year old Christopher Hutchinson of Cushing found out his sentence yesterday after pleading guilty to Seaman’s manslaughter last September. The US Attorney’s office reports to Star 97.7 that Hutchinson had smoked marijuana, taken Oxycodone and ingested alcohol just before his lobster boat sank in a predicted storm. Two of his crew members vanished and their bodies have never been found.
Manslaughter Plea
(Ellsworth) – A judge ordered bail for a Pembroke man indicted on manslaughter and OUI charges earlier this month. 32-year old Merrill Muncey appeared in an Ellsworth courtroom yesterday and entered a not guilty plea. Muncey is accused of driving under the influence last summer in Northern Hancock County when the truck rolled over and killed 37-year old Tonya Leach.
Bridge Repair – Detour
(Brooklin) Construction begins Monday to replace the Benjamin River Bridge on Route 175 at the Sedgwick-Brooklin town line. The Penobscot Bay Press reports the bridge, built in 1935, is being replaced due to poor conditions including the deterioration of both the concrete and steel reinforcements. The new bridge will be two feet higher and significantly longer than the current bridge, which should alleviate persistent flooding problems. Motorists can choose between two detours that will be set up beginning Monday and last 12 weeks until May 18th.
Credit Union Arrest
(Patten) Police have arrested a man they believe robbed the East Mill Credit Union in Patten this week. 59-year-old Bryan Ingalls of Patten is charged with robbery and bail is set at $40-thousand-dollars. Ingalls allegedly walked into the bank on Church Street Tuesday, demanded money then fled on foot. Police say they’ve recovered some of the stolen cash.
Mistrial
(Portland) A judge has ordered a new trial for a Windham man who claimed he mistook his wife for an intruder when he shot and killed her. The judge sited inconsistencies in forensic evidence as grounds for declaring a mistrial on Thursday. Noah Gaston’s attorneys asked for a mistrial after the state’s chief medical examiner changed his opinion about the direction of the shotgun wound. The angle could suggest how close Gaston was when he fired the shot, and whether he should’ve recognized his wife. 34-year-old Alicia Gaston died from a single shotgun blast in the stairwell of the family’s home in January 2016. Prosecutors say Gaston intended to kill his wife; the defense contends it was a tragic accident.
Spelling Bee Results
(Penobscot) – A home schooled Blue Hill girl whose two brothers have won the state spelling bees in Maine will head to the state competition herself in March. Rebecca Aponte took the Hancock County title at this week’s county spelling bee held at the Penobscot Community School. Her older brothers Brandon and Colin were both state spelling champs in recent years.
Flu Deaths
(Maine) Maine has seen 13 flu deaths so far this season with four deaths occurring in the past week. WABI-TV reports the youngest person to die from the flu this season was age 40. Nearly 300 Mainers have gone to the hospital because of the flu – that’s about a third of the number at this time last year. The flu is considered widespread across the state.
Rotary Club Scholarships
(Ellsworth) The Rotary Club of Ellsworth is now accepting applications for its annual scholarship program. Ellsworth High School students are encouraged to apply through their guidance office, and applications must be completed and returned to the guidance office by March 1st. Several academic scholarships are available as well as a non-academic leadership and service scholarship being offered this year for the first time.
Atlantic Salmon
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) – The federal government has outlined an ambitious, potentially costly new plan to restore populations of Atlantic salmon in the eastern United States. Rivers once teemed with the salmon, but populations have declined to the point where the last remaining wild populations in the country exist only in a handful of rivers in Maine. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are offering a new recovery plan to bring back those fish.
Sports
- The Bruins are on the West Coast against the Anaheim Ducks tonight.
- The NBA has entered its All-Star Break
High School Baskteball
Prelims – Boys
Class “C” Sumner 70 Fort Fairfield 59
Girls – Class “AA”
Quarterfinal – Bangor 50 Chevrus 38
Quarterfinals @ Cross Center
Class “B” Boys – #6 Ellsworth vs. #3 MDI 5PM
#2 Caribou vs. #10 Washington Academy 6:30 PM
Class “B” Girls – #3 Waterville vs. #11 John Bapst 8PM
