PORTLAND

Jurors expected to resume deliberations in murder trial

The jury in William Hanaman’s murder trial is expected to resume deliberations this morning, after being unable to reach a verdict Tuesday.

The jury got the case around 2 p.m. Monday, and has deliberated for about 6½ hours in Cumberland County Superior Court. That does not include time spent on lunches, and about two hours spent listening to a read-back of Hanaman’s testimony.

Hanaman, 52, is charged with killing his girlfriend, Marion Shea, on Nov. 10, 2009.

Prosecutors say Hanaman repeatedly stabbed Shea, a 47-year-old mother of five, during a fight in Hanaman’s apartment on Ocean Avenue.

He has claimed during the trial that Shea came at him with the knife and he stabbed her in self-defense.

If he is convicted, he will face a sentence of 25 years to life in prison.

 

School board chairwoman announces goals for year

School Committee Chairwoman Kate Snyder has several goals for the coming year, including development of a comprehensive plan for Maine’s largest school district.

Snyder announced her goals after Monday’s inauguration of new and re-elected committee members.

Snyder, who headed the Finance Subcommittee for the last two years, said she also plans to continue and expand use of multi-year budgeting and successfully negotiate new contracts with school employee unions.

“We need to do right by all of our students and families,” she said. “That means constantly examining what works and remaining open to new ways of doing business in the Portland public schools.”

 

Is it warm here, or is it just us? November joins streak

Portland’s streak of above-average monthly temperatures has hit 13 straight months.

The National Weather Service said Portland’s average temperature in November was 40 degrees, 1.7 degrees above normal – extending a streak that began in November 2009.

The monthly averages during the streak have been 1.7 degrees to 6.2 degrees above normal.

 

Buxton man faces charges after headlightless chase

A Buxton man faces felony charges after allegedly trying to avoid a speeding ticket by shutting off his headlights and accelerating to 120 mph on the Maine Turnpike.

The driver crashed into a guardrail at the Portland International Jetport exit.

Joshua Mains, 27, was held in the Cumberland County Jail on $360 bail on charges of eluding an officer, driving to endanger, criminal speeding and driving with a suspended license.

State police say Mains passed Trooper Bernard Campbell going 91 mph in a 65-mph zone in New Gloucester at 1:20 a.m. When the trooper caught up to him, Mains, who had a radar detector in his 2005 Honda Accord, had slowed down, police said.

But when Campbell turned on his blue lights, Mains turned off his headlights and sped up to 120 mph, in what he later said was a trick that had worked once for him, police said.

OLD ORCHARD BEACH

Party-goer found injured; suspect held on $5,000 bail

Police charged a man with aggravated assault after he allegedly smashed a chair over a woman’s head at a party in his apartment.

Police were called to 29 Saco Ave. at 1:49 a.m. Monday and found an 18-year-old woman bleeding from her head and with a broken arm. The woman lives in the apartment building where the party was and had been invited, police said.

She was taken to Southern Maine Medical Center in Biddeford for treatment. Meanwhile, police searched for Nicholas Osgood, 27, who lives in the apartment where the party occurred. They found him at a motel in Scarborough and took him to the York County Jail, where his bail was set at $5,000.

Police ask that anyone with information about the incident call Detective Sgt. David Hemingway at 934-4911.

CAPE ELIZABETH

Public invited to talk with superintendent consultant

The community is invited to meet with the School Board’s superintendent-search consultant Dec. 15.

The board has appointed Jackie Roy, a consultant with J.A. Roy Associates in Dennisport, Mass., to assist in the search. The meeting is meant to gather information about the strengths and challenges of the town’s schools for use in the search.

Superintendent Alan Hawkins will retire at the end of this month. Ken Murphy, a longtime superintendent for Yarmouth, will serve as superintendent for the rest of the school year.

The meeting with Roy will begin at 7 p.m. Dec. 15 in the Town Hall chamber.

 

Councilors unanimously choose Sherman chairman

David Sherman Jr. was chosen by his fellow councilors Monday to serve as the Town Council chairman.

Councilors unanimously chose Sherman for the post. He is a third-year councilor who led the Ordinance Committee this year. The official vote will be held Monday, when councilors will also be sworn in.

Sara Lennon will be chairwoman of the Finance Committee again. Jessica Sullivan will lead the Appointments Committee and James Walsh will head the Ordinance Committee.

SCARBOROUGH

Forum on smart meters to continue on Tuesday

The second part of a public forum on smart electricity meters will be held Tuesday.

Town officials and Central Maine Power Co. arranged a forum after the Town Council approved a resolution asking the utility to delay installation of smart meter equipment until residents could voice their concerns about the program.

A forum held last week ran so long that another was scheduled. Most of the forum focused on health concerns.

The second forum will focus on concerns about fire safety and cybersecurity. It will be held at 7 p.m. in the Town Council chambers.

CMP has started a $192 million program to replace 620,000 meters with wireless, digital versions over two years.

BROWNFIELD

Charo concert postponed; tickets applied to new date

The Charo concert scheduled for tonight at Stone Mountain Arts Center has been postponed.

All tickets for the show will be automatically transferred to the new Charo concert date, once it is scheduled, according to the Stone Mountain website. Charo, a staple of 1970s TV variety shows, is touring the country, playing guitar and singing.

For more information go to www.stonemountainartscenter.com or call 935-7292.

LEBANON

Berwick man pinned in truck in Carl Broggi Highway crash

A 45-year-old man from Berwick was trapped in his Chevrolet Tahoe on Tuesday after the truck went off the Carl Broggi Highway and came to rest against a line of trees.

The accident, around 3 p.m., pinned the driver between the dashboard and the front seats, said Assistant Rescue Chief Jason Cole. The man was not wearing a seat belt.

It took rescue crews about 30 minutes to remove him from the truck. The man, whose name was not available, complained of severe pain and was taken to Goodall Hospital in Sanford with non-life-threatening injuries.

Firefighters had to cut trees to gain access to the vehicle. The cause of the crash is being investigated.