Portland Maine News as its happening

Category — Portland, Maine

Man falls asleep at wheel, truck hits pole, trailer

JAY — Police say a man fell asleep behind the steering wheel of his truck Monday morning, and the truck hit a pole and proceeded into a parking lot and struck a trailer.

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Driver hurt in Farmington crash

FARMINGTON – A New Sharon woman was injured Monday after her vehicle was struck by another on Route 156, Farmington police officer Michael Adcock said.

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Candidate petitions destroyed in Minot

Maine State Police are investigating a possible case of weekend vandalism at the Minot Town Office in which the only destruction was two candidates’ petitions.

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Public Works finds 74-year-old map in shops

LEWISTON — Officials and local historians will be on hand Thursday to unwrap a 74-year-old canvas map of the city found in the Public Works shop. Steve Murch, city arborist and traffic supervisor, said he and his crew were clearing some space in the shop in January when they found the forgotten map.

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Town gets grant for Opera House

NORWAY – The town has received a $150,000 grant to stabilize the three-story brick Opera House, Town Manager David Holt said Monday. “This doesn’t save the Opera House. What it does is it keeps it upright,” he said.

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Windmill company hits hurdle in Auburn move

AUBURN — A proposed windmill installation and servicing company needs a change in city zoning codes before it can move its base to Auburn. Economic Development Director Roland Miller said the company, named Techwind, plans to make Auburn its home base.

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Jay man charged with growing pot

JAY — A local man was arrested Friday night after police and drug agents seized 117 live marijuana plants growing in rooms in his mobile home, state Drug Enforcement Agency Supervisor Gerry Baril said Monday.

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Drug store broken into, 2,000 pills stolen

LIVERMORE FALLS — Police and drug agents are investigating the theft of 2,000 narcotic pills from the Rite Aid Pharmacy on Main Street, Livermore Falls police Chief Ernest Steward Jr. said Monday.

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New Vineyard passes wind project moratorium

NEW VINEYARD – Voters made a few revisions to articles Saturday during a town meeting, select board Chairwoman Fay Adams said Monday. Incumbent Selectman Frank Forster was elected by a 36-21 vote over William McLatchey, she said.

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Auburn considers 17 percent permit fee increase to match Lewiston

AUBURN — Revenues from building permits and fees would increase 17 percent in the next fiscal year if councilors agree, making them match Lewiston’s fee schedule and shifting department costs onto developers.

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Auburn property tax increase looms

AUBURN — Despite efforts to trim the budget and make city government more efficient, the city still faces a 9.18 percent increase in property taxes in the 2010-11 budget.

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Time for spring cleaning

With little snow left and temperatures rising, Jeff Dunham from the town’s Public Works Department began sweeping sidewalks on Maple Ave. in Farmington Monday.

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School board approves administrative changes

PARIS — The Oxford Hills School Board of Directors unanimously approved a new administrative staffing plan Monday that will eliminate 2.5 principal positions and save a projected $210,000.

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Telstar students’ community service instills respect, fulfills needs

BETHEL — Wood has been stacked for people who need help, chores have been done for a local church, and flowers planted at the high school, among other things, thanks to a community service requirement that began this school year at Telstar High School.

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Dixfield nomination papers ready

DIXFIELD — Residents who want to run for one of two selectmen’s seats, or a seat on the board of Western Foothills Regional School Unit 10 may pick up nominating papers at the Dixfield Town Office.

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Rumford Crime Bulletin

Between 6 p.m. March 7 and 6 p.m. March 14, patrol officers responded to 92 complaints. On March 7 — 8:32 p.m., Joseph Downs, 31, of Rumford was charged by Ptl. Lawrence Winson with domestic violence assault and refusal to submit to arrest on Rumford Avenue.

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Warm, dry winter means savings for cities, towns

Less snow and warmer temperatures are starting to add up to real savings for cities and towns, a survey of local government officials on Monday showed.

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Maine couple lose $240,000 in contest scam

RANDOLPH, Maine (AP) — Police are investigating a scam that duped a central Maine couple out of $240,000.

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California pushes for new ski industry laws

ALPINE MEADOWS, California (AP) — On a ridge near the 8,600-foot (2,600-meter) summit of Alpine Meadows ski resort, 17-year-old snowboarder Lucas Fuller scopes out the many chutes and bowls that radiate out from Ward Peak.

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March is Red Cross month

AUGUSTA , Maine (NEWS CENTER) - On March 3rd, Governor Baldacci signed a proclamation announcing March as ‘Red Cross Month.” He follows President Obama’s lead - who made the proclamation on the 1st. President Obama steps in the footsteps of every president since Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the first declaration in 1943.

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Body of missing woman found in Clinton

CLINTON , Maine (NEWS CENTER) - State Police say they have found the body of a young mother from New Hampshire who has been missing since mid-December.

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Topsham neighbors: "Stuart Bull has erratic history"

TOPSHAM, Maine (NEWS CENTER) — We’re learning more about a Topsham man who police say lured a 5-year old into his home Saturday afternoon and refused to let her go.

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Mother warns parents about choking game on Dr. Oz

VEAZIE, Maine (NEWS CENTER) — A woman from Veazie will be featured on a popular talk show to spread the word about a deadly game that killed her teenage son.

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Seminar teaches owners of off-road vehicles to respect land

BUXTON, Maine (NEWS CENTER) — Some off-road enthuiasts spent the day inside learning about responsible recreation.

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UMaine trustees to meet Monday

BANGOR, Maine (AP) — Chancellor Richard Pattenaude will provide an update on the University of Maine System’s new long-term initiative to cut costs and reposition the state’s universities for the future.

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Health insurance caps coming to a vote in Maine

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — Further Maine House and Senate votes are expected this week on a bill to bar annual and lifetime caps on health insurance payments.

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Heavy rain, high winds cause outages, flooding

ALFRED, Maine (NEWS CENTER) — Heavy rain and high winds caused both flooding and power outages Sunday night.

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Topsham neighborhood says no to cell phone tower

Topsham, MAINE (NEWSCENTER) — A proposed 75 foot cell phone tower in Topsham is drawing critisism from the three neighborhood that would surround the site.

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Bates professor will present at Great Falls Forum

LEWISTON — The Great Falls Forum lecture series will present professor Alexandre Dauge-Roth speaking on “Lewiston to Kigali and Back: Learning with Orphans of the Rwandan Genocide,” at noon Thursday, March 18, in Callahan Hall at the Lewiston Public Library, 200 Lisbon St.

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Rainy Sunday

Nell Wachsberger, left, and Francesca Aborn walk across a wet Bates College campus in Lewiston on Sunday. The freshman roommates from Manhattan were headed to the commons for an early dinner.

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