AUGUSTA

Baldacci: Maine’s revenues for May exceed projections

Gov. John Baldacci says the economy is improving – slowly.

In his weekly radio address, Maine’s governor says the state finished May with revenues beating projections by more than $15 million. Baldacci says that with less than a month left in the current fiscal year, Maine’s on track to finish $50 million or more above budget.

At the same time, Maine’s unemployment rate fell to 8 percent in May, a slight improvement over April and last year.

But Baldacci says there’s still a big question mark out there – how well the tourism industry will do between now and Labor Day.

As the summer tourism season reaches its high points in the next few months, Baldacci says a much clearer picture of the economy will come into view.

Weekend operation targets boaters under the influence

Law enforcement officials in Maine say they’re on the lookout for people who are operating their boats after having too much alcohol to drink.

The Maine Warden Service and Maine Marine Patrol are participating this weekend in Operation Dry Water.

That is a national law enforcement initiative targeting boaters who are under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

In Maine, it’s illegal to operate a boat with a blood alcohol content of 0.08 percent or greater – the same standard as driving a motor vehicle.

CASTINE

MMA training ship expected home after 11,000-mile sail

Maine Maritime Academy’s training ship is arriving home after 60 days at sea for the school’s annual training cruise.

The State of Maine was due to arrive Saturday evening at its home port of Castine.

For the cruise, the ship carried 55 crew members and 230 students and visited Marseille, France; Gibraltar; Kiel, Germany; and Portsmouth, England. It then stopped in Portland and Rockland before the final leg.

PORTSMOUTH, N.H.

States’ bridge study group considers hybrid structure

A group that has been studying replacement or repair options for two bridges between Maine and New Hampshire is looking at a hybrid structure that wouldn’t need to be raised as often.

Members of the Maine-N.H. Connections Study group say one option for replacing the Sarah Mildred Long Bridge between Kittery and Portsmouth would be a double-lift bridge based on one in Portland, Ore.

Copy the Story Link