PORTLAND
Cape Elizabeth driver jailed for crash that hurt officer

A Cape Elizabeth woman was sentenced Monday to three months in jail, two years of probation and a $2,000 fine for a drunken-driving crash in December that injured a South Portland police officer.

Lisa Cioe, 44, was sentenced by Justice Robert Crowley in Cumberland County Superior Court. She had pleaded guilty to drunken driving, aggravated assault and reckless conduct with a dangerous weapon.

Officers Seth Page and Jeff Levesque were arresting a person for drunken driving on Broadway around 1:45 a.m. Dec. 12 when Cioe crashed into one of the cruisers on the side of the road.

“Cioe had been drinking alcohol at the Griffin Club, and had been warned by the bartender not to drive and even turned down a ride in a cab which had been ordered for her,” said Tamara Getchell, spokeswoman for the Cumberland County District Attorney’s Office, in a prepared statement.

Cioe’s blood alcohol content was 0.23 percent, almost three times Maine’s legal limit to drive, prosecutors said.

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Page recently returned to patrol duties, after suffering injuries to his knee, neck, back and shoulder. He was unable to work for six weeks. Levesque was not injured.

Trade group: Home sales, prices continue to increase

Home sales and prices continue to rise in Maine, according to information released Monday by Maine Real Estate Information Systems.
Trends over the past few months suggest the market has begun to stabilize, the trade group said.

Sales of single-family existing homes rose nearly 63 percent in April, compared with April 2009. Realtors sold 994 homes last month.
The statewide median sale price increased 3.41 percent from April 2009, to $165,450.

The end of the federal homebuyer tax credit contributed to strong sales figures last month, the trade group said.

The National Association of Realtors is reporting a 20.5 percent increase in single-family home sales in the same time period. The national median sales price rose 4.5 percent in April, to $173,400.

In the Northeast, sales were up 41.6 percent. The median price of $243,000 reflects an increase of 2.1 percent.

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WATERFORD, Vt.
Maine motorcycle rider dies in collision with car

A Maine man was killed in a motorcycle accident in northern Vermont.

Vermont State Police say Nathan Stoll, 22, of Carmel died Sunday afternoon when the motorcycle he was driving crossed the center line and clipped the side of an oncoming car on Route 5 in Waterford.

Stoll was wearing a helmet. He was pronounced dead later at Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital in St. Johnsbury.

Trooper Lyle Decker said the cause is still under investigation.

FREEPORT
Moose-hunting lottery to be held at L.L. Bean

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L.L. Bean will host this year’s moose-hunting permit lottery. State game officials say it will be held on June 17.

This year, 3,140 permits will be drawn for the fall hunt. Last year, 82 percent of the moose hunters killed moose.

No more applications for the lottery are being accepted because the deadline has passed.

WINDHAM
Town slates hearing, vote on controversial budget

The Town Council will hold a public hearing tonight and decide whether to approve its municipal budget for 2010-11.

The proposed $13.8 million budget, which includes controversial cuts to the Fire Department and changes to the town’s dispatch operation, will be the subject of debate at 7 p.m. at Town Hall.

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The budget has been sharply criticized by residents for its proposals to cut the deputy fire chief’s position and merge the town’s dispatch operation with a regional communications center. The proposals, intended to help close a $1 million budget gap, have sparked intense debate among residents.

“This is the toughest budget cycle we have been through,” said Town Manager Tony Plante on Monday.

The proposed budget totals $13,776,208, a decrease of $73,412 from the current budget. If it’s approved, the tax rate will rise by about 1.6 percent. The current tax rate is $11.75 per $1,000 valuation.

To accommodate tonight’s expected large turnout, Plante said a room near the council chambers will have more seats and a TV with a live feed of the council meeting.

KITTERY POINT
Boaters urged to look out for whale spotted near river

The Coast Guard is urging boaters to be on the lookout for a whale spotted swimming outside the mouth of the Piscataqua River, separating Maine and New Hampshire.

The Portsmouth Herald said a fisherman reported seeing the whale Sunday morning near Fort Foster.

The Coast Guard couldn’t confirm the sighting, but officials issued the warning to help prevent harm to the animal or any vessels.


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