STANDISH

Police: Missing woman found safe but intoxicated

A Standish woman who had been missing since April 20 turned up in Standish on Sunday night, unharmed.

Chief Deputy Kevin Joyce of the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office said 56-year-old Paula Cote of 345 River Road was located around 6 p.m. in the Ossippee Trail West neighborhood. Joyce said Cote was unharmed, but intoxicated.

Joyce said his agency received a phone call from a resident who lives at 579 Ossippee Trail West, alerting police that he had seen a woman matching Cote’s description “hanging around the area.”

On Friday, state game wardens and Cumberland County sheriff’s deputies searched along the Saco River after Cote was reported missing by her boyfriend. She was last seen by her boyfriend’s son walking along the road near her home.

CYR PLANTATION

Local man’s fatal shooting involves trooper, U.S. agent

The Maine Attorney General’s Office is investigating a fatal shooting in Aroostook County that involved two law enforcement officers.

Kate Simmons, spokeswoman for the office, identified the man killed as 55-year-old Neil Begin of Cyr Plantation. Simmons said Begin was shot Friday inside his home during an encounter with a state trooper and a U.S. Border Patrol agent.

Begin died around 5:30 a.m. Saturday at Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor, Simmons said.

It will take the Attorney General’s Office about two months to complete its investigation into whether the use of deadly force was justified.

The Bangor Daily News reported it was not clear which officer — Trooper Robert Flynn or the agent, who was not identified — fired the fatal shot.

LEWISTON

Casino effort’s lobbyist registers after complaint

The spokesman for an effort to build a casino in Oxford County has registered as a lobbyist following an ethics complaint by an organization opposed to casinos in Maine.

Maine law says people who spend more than eight hours per month speaking to lawmakers or legislative staff or working on drafting legislation or testimony, must register as a lobbyist.

Dennis Bailey from CasinosNO! says Black Bear Entertainment spokesman and consultant Peter Martin had to register because of his time spent lobbying on behalf of casino legislation.

Martin, who says he did nothing wrong, registered on April 7, the same day the complaint was filed. The Sun Journal newspaper said his firm was paid $50,000 by Black Bear.

PORTLAND

Public hearings to be held on budgets for schools, city

Public hearings on Portland’s school and municipal budgets are scheduled in the next two weeks.

Starting at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at City Hall, the City Council’s Finance Committee will take public comment on the school system’s 2010-11 budget, then make a recommendation on it.

At 7:30 p.m., the City Council will hold a public hearing on the school budget.

At 11 a.m. Friday, the Finance Committee will discuss the 2010-11 municipal budget and then vote.

At 7 p.m. May 3, the City Council will hold a public hearing on the municipal budget and vote on the school budget. The school budget will be sent to voters on May 11.

The City Council will vote on the municipal budget May 17. 

Friday’s home invasion still under investigation

Portland police are continuing to investigate an armed robbery at a Sagamore Village apartment Friday.

Police said Sunday they had yet to arrest anyone in connection with an early morning incident at the home of a 40-year-old woman who told police three masked men had broken into her apartment on Josslyn Street. Police said the men fired a gunshot, tied up the woman and her children, ages 9 and 11, and fled with cash and a briefcase.

Anyone with information is asked to call police at 874-8533.

ORONO

UMaine puts fraternity on probation for incident

The University of Maine has placed a fraternity on probation for an incident a week ago in which a student spent eight hours lost in the woods.

Robert Dana, dean of students, says Sigma Chi will be on probation through May 31, 2011.

Eleven public safety agencies and dozens of volunteers were involved in the search for 19-year-old Joshua Gilmore, who turned up missing while searching for a white cross in the woods. The university says there was no cross. Gilmore was suffering from hypothermia when he emerged from the woods.

Sigma Chi President Zachary Hunt says the university definition of hazing is too broad.

BANGOR

Collins, Dodd will present child abuse briefing in D.C.

The issue of child abuse prevention is being raised in Washington by Sen. Susan Collins.

Republican Collins and Connecticut Democratic Sen. Christopher Dodd introduced a resolution designating April as National Child Abuse Prevention Month. The resolution says that in 2008, some 772,000 children were determined to be victims of abuse or neglect, and 1,740 children died as a result.

Collins and Dodd are to present a White House staff briefing on the issue today. Bangor Police Chief Ronald Gastia worked with Collins to arrange the event.