KENNEBUNK

Bush boat hits fog, runs ashore at Gooch’s Beach

Former President George H.W. Bush’s fishing boat ended up high and dry on a beach near his Maine home after it ran aground in thick fog.

Fidelity IV became a curiosity for tourists as it sat stranded on Gooch’s Beach at low tide on Monday. Hours later, his staff moved the boat to its dock in Kennebunkport.

Bush spokesman Jim Appleby says the former president and some family members were aboard when the boat ran aground between 3 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. No one was hurt.

Appleby says Bush was close to shore in low visibility when a wave pushed his boat onto the beach. As water receded at low tide, tourists walked up and snapped photos of the 38-foot boat.

 

Armed man faces robbery charges in pharmacy entry

A Kennebunk man faces robbery charges after allegedly forcing his way into a Biddeford pharmacy, armed with a gun.

Police said Clay Duplessis Jr. showed up at the rear service entry of the CVS Pharmacy at 384 Elm St. at 5:44 a.m. with a .22-caliber rifle. He ordered the store manager to let him in and open the pharmacy, from which he stole the painkiller hydrodcodone and cash, police said.

The manager fled the store and called police. When officers arrived, witnesses described the suspect and where he had gone, and officers caught Duplessis and charged him, police said.

GRAY

Man arrested for having police decals, gear in car

A Gray man faces charges of impersonating an officer after a Cumberland County Sheriff’s deputy spotted his blue 2003 Crown Victoria police interceptor, with “K-9 Unit” decals in the windows.

John J. Redlon IV, 27, was filling his car with gas at the Mobil station at Routes 26 and 115 Saturday afternoon when Deputy Mark Marion pulled up. Redlon’s car had the K-9 markings and in the back seat, a coat rack holding two rolls of police crime scene tape, a black shoulder holster and T-shirts with “police” and “k-9” unit printed on them.

Redlon told Marion that he wanted people to think he was an officer because he liked the way they pulled out of his way when he drove in the passing lane of the Maine Turnpike. That does not, however, explain the gear in the back seat or how the rear window decals would influence drivers in front of him, police said.

Redlon was charged with impersonating a public servant and taken to Cumberland County Jail. He was released on $2,500 unsecured bond pending a Sept. 15 court date, and is not allowed to display or possess police equipment or paraphernalia.

PORTLAND

Police say man, armed with Taser, tried to rob woman

Portland police are looking for information about a man who threatened a woman with a Taser and tried to rob her over the weekend.

The 27-year-old woman was walking on West Street near Carleton at 1:40 a.m. when a man confronted her and demanded her purse, police said.

The woman pushed him away and he attempted to use the stun gun on her, but was unsuccessful. He fled without the purse.

He is described as white, about 5-foot-10, of average build with a shaved head and wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt, white T-shirt and shorts.

Police ask anyone with information to call 874-8533.

 

Woman stole champagne, brandished knife, police say

Police are searching for a woman who stole four bottles of champagne from a supermarket and threatened workers with a knife.

The woman tried to walk out of Shaw’s supermarket at the Westgate Shopping Center with the bottles at 9 p.m. Sunday. When a store employee confronted her she pulled a knife, police said.

The worker left and called police and the woman fled, police said.

 

Illness forces guest organist out of Kotzschmar concert

Stephen Tharp, the guest organist scheduled to perform a concert today as part of the Friends of the Kotzschmar Organ’s summer concert series, has had to cancel due to illness.

Portland’s municipal organist, Ray Cornils, will replace Tharp. The concert is scheduled for 7:30 p.m., with a pre-concert talk beginning at 6:30 p.m., at Portland’s Merrill Auditorium. Tickets are $17; free for youth 12 and younger. Go to www.porttix.com for tickets.

AUGUSTA

Maine, New Brunswick to set up cultural program

Maine Gov. John Baldacci and New Brunswick Premier Shawn Graham have agreed to establish a cross-border cultural program.

The pair on Monday signed a memorandum of understanding to establish what is being called the Maine-New Brunswick Cultural Initiative. The signing took place at the 34th Conference of the New England Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiers in Lenox, Mass.

The agreement recognizes the historical, cultural and artistic ties between Maine and New Brunswick and calls for collaborative cross-border cultural projects, as well as business and cultural trade opportunities.

AUBURN

Woman gets ring back, via Facebook, after 28 years

A Maine woman’s high school class ring is back in her possession — 28 years after it was stolen.

Michelle Bilodeau, of Auburn, hadn’t seen her Edward Little High School class of 1983 ring since it was stolen during her junior year.

But on Friday, it was returned to her by a stranger who tracked her down on Facebook.

Angie Foster, of Benton, told the Sun Journal she found the ring years ago at a roller skating rink in Winslow. She held onto it and at one point called the high school to figure out who had the initials “MMB” that were engraved on the inside of the band.

It took years to find Bilodeau. It wasn’t until Foster looked for her on Facebook that the search paid off.

STOCKTON SPRINGS

Remains of WWI soldier are interred at Arlington

A World War I soldier whose only living relative was from Maine has been laid to rest with full military honors.

Army Pvt. Thomas D. Costello of New York died of shrapnel wounds and was buried along with two other soldiers in a wooded area in northern France in 1918.

He was recently identified using dental records after French citizens found human remains and World War I artifacts.

Military officials tracked down Michael Frisbie of Stockton Springs, Maine, who is Costello’s only surviving relative. Frisbie attended Monday’s service at Arlington National Cemetery.

BANGOR

UMaine-Augusta plans earn approval by system trustees

University of Maine System trustees have agreed to a reorganization of the University of Maine at Augusta and approved grants under a strategic investment fund.

Trustees, who met Monday in Bangor, awarded $2.3 million under the investment program.

Rebecca Wyke, vice chancellor for finance and administration, says $892,000 will go to enrollment management activities. Another $1 million will go to creating new programs, including science, technology, engineering and math disciplines. Wyke says the remaining $300,000 will go toward programs that increase revenues or increase efficiencies.

The academic reorganization at the University of Maine at Augusta eliminates a dean and reduces the number of colleges from three to two. The campus serves 5,000 students.