PORTLAND

Man loses his supper, shoes in attack by group of teens

Police are looking for the group of male teenagers who attacked a man on Cumberland Avenue, stealing his pepperoni pizza and his shoes – size 9 white leather loafers.

The man, who lives on Boyd Street, was walking near Mayo Street at 8:30 p.m. Friday when six or seven youths confronted him, knocked him down and kicked him, police said.

They stole his shoes and the dinner he had just bought at Wings and Things, then ran away on Smith Street, police said. The 53-year-old man suffered scrapes but did not require hospitalization.

Dog gone from parked car after doors left unlocked

A Falmouth woman told police Monday that someone stole her dachshund from her car on Federal Street.

The woman said she left Henry in her parked Ford Focus near the intersection with Hampshire Street at 8:30 a.m. About 20 minutes later, she returned from a nearby office and the dog was gone, she told police.

The car windows were slightly open, and the doors were unlocked, she said.

The woman did not report the theft immediately because she thought she might have left the dog at home, police said. When she discovered he was not at home, she reported the disappearance.

AUGUSTA

Maine soldiers planning 550-mile ‘Resiliency Run’

Two Maine National Guard soldiers are preparing to run the 26.2-mile distance of a marathon – on 21 consecutive days.

Col. Jack Mosher of Waterville and Maj. Herbert Brock of Winslow plan to run 550 miles, starting in Kittery on May 8 and ending at Arlington National Cemetery during Memorial Day weekend.

They have dubbed their effort the One Life Resiliency Run.

The soldiers said they want to encourage soldiers to live up to their fitness potential. Mosher said fitness builds resiliency.

New law restricts release of Mainers’ vital records

A bill to restrict the release of Mainers’ birth, marriage and death records has been signed into law. Supporters say the law will prevent fraud and identity theft based on those records.

The bill signed Friday by Gov. John Baldacci restricts release of those records to the person on the document and that person’s spouse or domestic partner, parents or guardians, descendants and designated agent or attorney.

Maine law had allowed release of those vital records to anyone who asked for them. The new law allows general release of those records after 100 years.

The bill was amended to allow inspection of vital records by genealogists and researchers who carry researcher identification cards.

Health officials join forces to cut cost of kids’ vaccines

Legislation aimed at lowering the cost of immunizations for Maine children has been signed into law.

Rep. Gary Connor’s bill will reduce the cost of immunizations by having the state work with the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to seek to buy vaccines at the federal rate.

The Democrat from Kennebunk says the law will lead to more children getting recommended vaccinations and save taxpayers and insurance companies money.

The cost of the program will be funded by an agreed-upon assessment on health insurance carriers and third-party administrators, who would gain access to reduced federal pricing for childhood vaccines.

Measure aims to reduce haze by limiting sulfur in fuel oil

Gov. John Baldacci has signed a bill that seeks to reduce haze in Maine’s air by limiting sulfur content in fuel oil.

The measure signed Monday says the sulfur content of distillate fuel may not be greater than 0.005 percent by weight as of 2016. The percentage will drop further in 2018.

The sponsor, Sen. Seth Goodall, D-Richmond, said high sulfur content in heating fuel reduces visibility at Maine’s celebrated vistas.

Goodall said the bill has economic and environmental benefits and will improve the health of thousands of people.

Recession, regulations cited as illegal dumping increases

Officials in the departments of Conservation and Inland Fisheries and Wildlife say illegal trash dumping is increasing across the state.

The downturn in the economy and changes in the way municipalities deal with waste are contributing to the increase, said Robert Duplessie, the Department of Conservation’s director of landowner relations.

He told the Kennebec Journal that he gets more than 50 complaints about illegal dumping each year.

Duplessie said he’s concerned that illegal dumping will prompt landowners to post their property against trespassing, eliminating access for recreation. He said prosecution is difficult unless litterers are caught in the act.

In some places, the Maine Forest Service has been using remote cameras at known dumping spots.

Biddeford man to oversee state employees’ union

The Maine State Employees Association has hired Chris Quint as executive director, the union announced Monday.

Quint, 33, of Biddeford now works for Planned Parenthood of Northern New England. He succeeds Tim Belcher, who left last fall to take a job at a law firm in Boston.

The union represents more than 15,000 public and private sector workers in Maine.

Quint, a native of Aroostook County, graduated from Colby-Sawyer College in New Hampshire in 1998.

DANFORTH

Ribbon-cutting set to mark completion of wind project

A 17-unit expansion of the Stetson Wind project in eastern Maine is complete.

A ribbon-cutting for First Wind’s project is slated for today. First Wind officials will be joined by community and business leaders at the project site near Danforth to mark the beginning of commercial operations. Construction started in November.

The first phase of the project, which includes 38 turbines on Stetson Mountain, was completed in January 2009. Together, the two Stetson projects will produce 82.5 million watts of power.

SANFORD

Firefighters called again to blaze at concrete plant

Firefighters were called to a second fire at a concrete company in Sanford, four days after a blaze sent a firefighter to the hospital.

Fire officials said Monday afternoon’s fire at Genest Concrete was extinguished quickly. The cause was undetermined.

Last Thursday, one firefighter was treated for heat exhaustion after a fire in the facility that mixes sand and gravel. The cause of that fire was not determined, but it was not considered suspicious.

NORTH CONWAY, N.H.

Nine stranded on island after canoes capsize on Saco

Officials say nine people were stranded briefly on an island after their canoes capsized on the Saco River in North Conway.

Conservation Officer Brian Abrams said three canoes and a kayak were on the river Sunday evening when two of the canoes capsized.

Some of the occupants were wearing life preservers, but others had stored them in the canoe.

The water temperature was 39 degrees.

A hiker who noticed a paddle and life preservers floating down the river called authorities, who used an inflatable boat to rescue the stranded group.