TX Molester Arrest
(Northport) – A Texas man awaits extradition back to Texas after his arrest in Waldo County during the weekend. State police arrested 45-year old James Helms at a home on Route 1 in Northport. He is wanted there on child pornography charges. Computer crimes investigators seized three cell phones from Helms and will check them for illegal downloads.
Blue Hill Treasurer Trial
(Ellsworth ) – Jury selection could get under way today as prosecutors put the former town treasurer in Blue Hill on trial for theft. Sheriff’s Department investigators accuse 39-year old Jody Murphy of taking more than $17-thousand dollars from the town coffers by failing to make cash deposits. Murphy lives in Massachusetts now. Auditors discovered the thefts in 2017. Murphy has claimed innocence, but resigned from her post a year and a half ago.
Fire Victims
(Ellsworth) Last week’s fire in Ellsworth displaced 9-people from an Oak Street apartment building. Community Closet founder Jacqueline Wycoff tells Star 97-7 she met with 8 of those fire victims during the weekend. Wycoff says despite these folks losing everything last Thursday they’re all rallying around a man who resided on the top floor. Wycoff says donations of grocery cards and gas cards are helpful. She said people wanting to help can bring donations to the Community Closet on Eastward Lane in Ellsworth.
Child Killer Trial
(Augusta) – A judge has begun hearing testimony against a Wiscasset woman charged with killing her fiancé’s 4-year old granddaughter. Shawna Gatto is accused of hitting the child in the head numerous times. She was Kendall Chick’s primary care-giver in 2017 when the little girl died. The emotionally charged trial is before a judge instead of a jury. The case was one of two in which young girls died, leading to a serious look at child protective services in Maine.
Robbery Arrest
(Bangor) – Police in Connecticut have arrested a 59-year old Hampden man who is accused of holding up a credit union in Bangor. Ronald Tilley awaits extradition to Maine for last Wednesday’s hold up at the Downeast Credit Union on Springer Drive. Connecticut police arrested him during the weekend on an unrelated theft charge then discovered he was wanted by Maine police
Power Outage Reason
(Ellsworth) The electricity went out for a few Hancock County communities early Saturday after a vehicle hit a utility pole and fled the scene. The Bangor Daily News reports the crash occurred on Route 1 in Ellsworth around 4:30 Saturday morning. The pole was still intact when Emera workers arrived, but the guy wire became disconnected and tangled with electric lines, leaving 13-hundred customers in the dark in Ellsworth, Trenton and Bar Harbor. Electricity was restored in about an hour.
Google Confronter Arrested
(Waterville) The Waterville man, who made national headlines after driving to California to confront Google for disabling his YouTube channel, was arrested last week for violating a protection order. 33-year-old Kyle Long is now charged with violating a protection order and criminal mischief. The Morning Sentinel reports Long’s wife has a protection from abuse order against him. Long allegedly went to an apartment where his wife was staying last week, made demands, and broke a window on her SUV using a rock.
Chamber Nominees
(Ellsworth) The Ellsworth Area Chamber of Commerce announces nominees for their 3 big awards. New Business of the Year contenders are Cross Fit Breakwater, Dragonfire Pizza, Fogtown Brewing Company, and Perry’s Lobster Shack. Revitalization Award nominees include 1-A Relics, Josie’s Country Store and Café, and Stanley Subaru. And the Customer Service nominees are Computer Essentials, Curtis Shoe, Full Circle Printing, and Shirley’s Yarns and Crafts. Online voting runs from April 15th thru May 3rd. Awards are handed out on May 16th during the Ellsworth Chamber’s annual Awards Night.
Mass Casualty Training
(Bar Harbor) Numerous emergency response vehicles and personnel will be at Acadia National Park this Thursday for special exercise. The National Park Service is hosting a Mass Casualty Incident Training session involving a simulated vehicle accident and van rollover. All emergency responders on MDI are encouraged to participate. MDI Hospital staff will host a concurrent Mass Casualty Drill related to the injured parties transported from the park. Simulation of an event of this severity allows fine-tuning action plans and collaboration necessary to coordinate the most effective and efficient response. The training is this Thursday from 10 AM ‘til 2 PM.
Carriage Road Closures
(Acadia Nat’l Park) Visitors to Acadia National Park are asked to help protect the historic carriage road system by staying off them. The carriage roads in the park are closed to all users until the roads dry out and become firm enough to prevent damage to their gravel surface. Walking, biking, and riding horses on the carriage roads under the current conditions can cause ruts and potholes that will channel water and intensify erosion.
Citizen Science Day Trainings
(Winter Harbor) To coincide with Citizen Science Day the Schoodic Institute at Acadia National Park is offering 3 separate workshops including birding, documenting local effects of global warming, and recording information about native plants and animals. Trainings are free on April 13th from 9AM to 3PM, but you must register by contacting the Schoodic Institute.
AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) – A bill to prevent Maine public schools from using mascots and logos depicting Native Americans is moving ahead. The Legislature’s Education and Cultural Affairs committee voted 7-5 along party lines Monday to recommend the legislation. Democratic Rep. Benjamin Colling’s bill faces further votes. Republican lawmakers argued local school boards should decide such issues.
AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) – A new report says Maine’s revenues are growing even though they were below budgetary expectations in February. Maine’s economic forecasting commission says in a Monday report that preliminary March figures indicate revenues were under budget because of a timing issue. The commission’s experts say revenues could end up exceeding expectations from July through next March.
Sports
- Oakland A’s 7 Boston Red Sox 0 (A’s hit 4 home runs off Boston pitching).
- Chris Sale will make his 2nd start of the season for the Sox against the A’s late tonight.
- Boston Celtics 110 Miami Heat 105
- The Bruins skate against the Blue Jackets in Columbus tonight.
- Patriot’s quarterback Tom Brady joined Twitter yesterday – his first tweet was that he was retiring. It was April Fool’s Day Monday.
