LINCOLN

Festival parade attracts more than 1,000 people

More than 1,000 people attended this year’s annual homecoming parade in Lincoln, with the theme “Just Cartooning Around.”

The festival, which ran from Thursday through Sunday, is Lincoln’s largest of the year. Sunday’s events included a 5K race, and golf and basketball tourneys.

GARDINER

New online service intends to inform, protect investors

Maine’s Office of Securities is spreading the word about a new online service that aims to inform and protect investors.

Maine Securities Administrator Judith Shaw said the new service can be found on the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s website: www.adviserinfo.sec.gov.

It allows investors to electronically access information about people who work for investment advisory companies, such as background information that includes customer complaints, professional qualifications and employment history.

NEWRY

Sunday River resort holding 5-K endurance race Aug. 28

Athletes will have a chance to test their physical and mental endurance in a new race at Sunday River resort that will take them over a course featuring snow guns blowing water and wind, a mud crawl and a ring of fire.

The Tough Mountain Challenge will be held Aug. 28. The 5-K course includes obstacles with names such as Hurricane Alley, Trench of Terror, Suicide Sprint and Gates from Hell.

The race is open to the first 200 entrants.

MONTPELIER, Vt.

State cites Plum Creek for improper logging

The largest piece of privately owned land in Vermont has been removed from a program that offers landowners tax breaks. State officials cited the owner for improper logging.

Regulators said Plum Creek Timber Co. Inc. violated its forest management plan by cutting too many trees on 140 acres in Lemington. That’s part of a 56,000-acre tract owned by the Maine-based company.

Vermont officials said the parcel will be withdrawn from the Current Use program, which offers tax breaks on forest and farmland, and Plum Creek will pay an additional $170,000 in annual taxes.

A Plum Creek spokesman told the Barre-Montpelier Times Argus that there was heavier cutting than planned. But he said sanctions should be limited to the 140 acres, not the entire tract. The company is considering an appeal.