Credit Union Robbery
(Bangor) – A man wearing a plaid jacket walked into the Downeast Credit Union on Bangor’s Springer Drive yesterday afternoon and told the tellers to give him cash. They did. He fled. Police say the robber took off in a maroon Chevy pickup truck. They’re not saying how much cash he took. No one was injured. The credit union will open later than usual today as police continue the investigation.
Abandoned Cats-Charges
(Unity) – A grand jury has indicted a Waldo County woman on animal cruelty charges after authorities removed a dozen cats from a storage unit last fall. WABI-TV reports 66-year old Anna Elander will go to trail at a later date. The cats turned up in a Unity self-storage unit – three of them were already dead, and two others died after animal control officials moved them to safety. Investigators say the cats were clearly abandoned.
Freedom Roads
(Freedom) – Dirt roads in the Waldo County Town of Freedom got some attention at the annual town meeting. Village Soup dot com reports voters called for repairs on two dirt roads that became impassable in recent days because of mud. The town towed a vehicle left abandoned on one of the roads when it got stuck, and the owner wants damage reimbursement. Village Soup dot com reports the town’s Selectmen said they could pave portions of the road over a few years to help with the problem, but that comes at the expense of other roads they planned to repave.
School Threats
(Bangor/Orono) A 13-year-old student from Bangor is charged with Terrorizing after allegedly creating a fake social media account and posting a violent threat. All schools in Bangor and Orono High School went into lockdown Wednesday morning after several students reported the threat. Investigators conducted interviews and tracked the IP address to the suspect. The case will be reviewed by the Penobscot County District Attorney’s Office. In Ellsworth, a letter from Superintendent Dan Higgins says there was no threat to his schools but as a precaution heightened security was implemented on campuses. Ellsworth police officers were deployed to the schools and outdoor activities were restricted.
Suicide Prevention
(Ellsworth) Ellsworth Elementary Middle School will host a presentation about suicide prevention put on by the National Alliance on Mental Illness. The organization offers resources to communities for preventing suicides as well as supporting families and protecting children after a tragedy. The presentation is Monday, April 1st from 6 to 8 PM at EEMS.
Felon with Gun
(Winter Harbor) A Winter Harbor man is sentenced to 5-years probation for being a convicted felon with a gun. 61-year-old Timothy Davis was sentenced Tuesday in federal court in Bangor. Court documents say in 2010 Davis was convicted in Massachusetts of armed assault with intent to murder. In 2016 a neighbor in Winter Harbor told police that Davis threatened another man with a shotgun. Davis pled guilty last summer.
DCF Bills
(Augusta) A pair of bills could reopen a shuttered prison Downeast. Former Governor Paul LePage emptied the minimum-security facility in Machiasport last year – a move criticized by some who described the prison as an important source of employment in a rural part of the state. The legislature’s Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee heard testimony Wednesday about efforts to bring back the Downeast Correctional Facility. One bill would use a $10-million-dollar bond from 2016 to reopen a smaller version of the facility. The other would bring the facility back to its former capacity. The Committee is scheduled to hold a work session about the proposals on April 3rd.
Hemp Sales
(Augusta) Maine lawmakers overwhelmingly support a bill making clear that production and sale of hemp-derived food products are allowable in the state. The bill was initiated earlier this year after state regulators told retailers to stop sales of food products containing the hemp derivative cannabidoil, or CBD. The bill aligns with the federal Farm Bill that the definition of hemp in state law is not marijuana. The Maine House of Representatives approved the bill 116-1, while the Senate signed off by a count of 32-1. The proposal now heads to Democratic Gov. Janet Mills for signature. It would take effect as soon as signed.
Mother-In-Law Arrested
(Paris) A woman from Paris Maine pointed a loaded handgun at her son-in-law and fired, but the gun failed to go off. 61-year-old Mary Landers allegedly broke into Matthew Lobb’s house on Saturday where the incident took place. Lobb grabbed the gun from Landers before she fled. The Sun Journal reports an affidavit filed by the Oxford County Sheriff’s Office says Lobb argued with his wife earlier that day, and that Landers sent a text message to her daughter about threatening to kill Lobb.
Walking Trail Extension
(Ellsworth) – An $80-thousand dollar project will connect Ellsworth’s Harbor Park to the downtown area by a trail. Assistant city planner Steve Fuller tells Star 97-7 a lot of people are working on the trail extension. The city is funding the project with a state grant and unused bond funding, so there is no impact on property taxes. It’s not clear when the project will be complete.
Sports
- The Red Sox open their regular season this evening in Seattle. Chris Sale wills start for the World Champs.
- Boston Bruins 6 NY Rangers 3 (David Pasternak with a hat trick for Boston)
- The NCAA men’s basketball tournament resumes tonight with four games.
