YORK

Crash yields summons for distracted driving

Three people were taken to the hospital following a crash on Route 1 in York on Saturday that also resulted in a summons for distracted driving.

A southbound black Mercedes had stopped to turn left at Lucia’s Kitchen when a red Saab headed in the same direction rear-ended it, said York Officer Nikolaos Piskopanis.

The driver of the Saab, Benjamin Snow, 23, of Candia, N.H., had been speaking with his passenger, Wyatt Allen, 23, of Lebanon, and did not realize the car in front of him had stopped, Piskopanis said. The officer issued Snow a court summons charging him with distracted driving.

Allen and the two people in the Mercedes, Danny and Catherine Thornhill, both 61, of Kittery, were taken to York Hospital for treatment.

BRUNSWICK

Oil dealer shutting doors, refers customers elsewhere

Thibeault Energy, a family-run oil dealer in Brunswick, is shutting down, according to a message on its answering machine.

Media reports have indicated that the 84-year-old company has been struggling financially, but Thibeault’s lawyer told The Times Record late last week that it was making deliveries.

But a message on the company’s answering machine Saturday announced that the company was closing its doors.

“We appreciate the customer support,” said the message, a woman’s voice. “The reason we are closing is beyond our control.”

The speaker then listed a series of oil dealers that customers could contact for deliveries or service. The message made no mention of people who paid in advance for oil deliveries throughout the season.

The company started in 1927 when Raoul Thibeault started delivering kerosene in 5-gallon cans for the newly available gas ranges, according to the company’s website.

Under his son, the company recently boasted a fleet of 27 delivery and service trucks and vans and an inventory of 250,000 gallons of heating oil and 60,000 gallons of propane.

AUGUSTA

LePage urges quick action on supplemental budget

Gov. Paul LePage is asking for fast passage of his supplemental budget.

In his weekly radio address, LePage said that the budget pays Maine hospitals $248 million in unpaid MaineCare reimbursements, owed back as far as 2006. The governor said that bills that are four years old will just be getting paid this spring if his budget passes.

LePage wants the bill to pass with a two-thirds majority so it will take effect immediately. That’s important, he said, because many hospitals are facing cash-flow problems. And, he said, the state can maximize federal matches if lawmakers act quickly.

In the Democratic response, Sen. Margaret Craven of Lewiston said that repeal of the federal Affordable Health Care Act will cause real harm to Maine people. However, Maine will be joining a multistate suit to challenge the law’s constitutionality.