WESTBROOK
Man out on bail charged with assault on an officer

Police charged a 35-year-old man with assault on an officer Tuesday after he allegedly hit Westbrook Officer Chris Burgess repeatedly in the face and bit him, police said.

Eric Mashala Mulamba was out on bail when the alleged assault occurred. He had been charged Jan. 31 with domestic assault and was prohibited from having contact with the alleged victim.

At 2 a.m., Burgess spotted Mulamba’s car at the alleged victim’s house on Austin Street and heard a disturbance. Mulamba ran out the back door and Burgess was able to catch him, but Mulamba resisted, police said.

Burgess finally used his Taser and restrained Mulamba.

Mulamba has been denied bail after allegedly violating earlier bail conditions. He also is charged with assault on an officer, reckless conduct and refusing to submit to arrest.

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Burgess was treated at the scene by Westbrook rescue workers.

WATERBORO

Single-vehicle crash leaves one man critically injured

One person has been hospitalized at Maine Medical Center in Portland with life-threatening injuries after a late-night, single-car crash on Route 202 in Waterboro.

The York County Sheriff’s Department said two men, ages 21 and 27, were in the vehicle when it crashed around 10 p.m. Their names were not available.

Authorities said one of the men was thrown from the vehicle, and had to be transported to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.

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Speed and alcohol are considered factors in the crash, according to a statement from the Sheriff’s Department.

PORTLAND

Judge upholds $7.3 million award in family firm dispute

A judge has upheld a jury verdict that awarded $7.3 million in damages for emotional distress to a businessman who contended he was double-crossed by a law firm he hired.

A Cumberland County jury last summer said the Portland law firm of Bernstein, Shur, Sawyer and Nelson worked against Peter Redman’s interests in a dispute with his brother over control of the now-defunct Northern Mattress and Furniture Co. In a 37-page ruling, Superior Court Justice Thomas Humphrey denied the law firm’s motion seeking a new trial.

Redman, of Old Orchard Beach, was banned from the family business’ headquarters over a sexual harassment claim he contended was orchestrated by his brother to wrest control of the business.

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Redman said the firm failed to defend him against the accusations.

Pilot who crash-landed on lake remains hospitalized

The pilot of a plane that crashed on Sebago Lake over the weekend is in fair condition at Maine Medical Center.

Richard Randall, 72, of Standish was flying his Piper PA-12 on Saturday when a snowstorm forced him to try to land his ski plane on Sebago Lake. His plane crashed about 200 feet off Nason’s Beach.

Randall had been flying with other pilots north of the Sebago Lake region and they were headed home when the storm came in, said a friend, Bill Ciccarone. Randall tried to make it to his airstrip at Randall Orchards in Standish, Ciccarone said, but was apparently forced to attempt a landing on the lake instead.

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash.

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Portland earns B+ on list of America’s drunkest cities

Portland is a regular in rankings of the most livable cities and the most foodie-friendly towns. The latest list the city has landed on is a more dubious distinction, but the news isn’t all bad.

Men’s Health has published a list on its website of America’s Drunkest Cities, and Portland comes in at number 90, on the more sober side of the list, earning a B+ overall.

The list is based on rates of liver disease caused by alcohol consumption, the number of deaths in drunken driving accidents, the percentage of people who admit to binge drinking, the number of drunken driving arrests and the severity of drunk-driving laws. The higher the ranking, the more sober the city.

According to the list, the least sober city is Fresno, Calif., followed by Reno, Nev. and Billings, Mont., all of which received an overall grade of F.

Portland ranked 93rd in deaths from liver disease and drunken driving crashes; 43rd in binge drinking; 14th in drunken driving arrests; and 42nd in harsh drunken driving laws.

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Boston came in at number 100 with a grade of A+.

MANCHESTER

York man faces charges in knife incident with trooper

A York man faces numerous charges after allegedly pulling a knife on a state trooper after driving into the trooper’s car.

Jerry Larravee, 47, who has been staying in Manchester, was charged with driving under the influence of drugs, driving after license revocation, refusing to submit to arrest assault on a police officer, and criminal threatening with a dangerous weapon.

Off-duty Trooper Jon Leach was driving south Monday on Pond Road in his own vehicle, when he saw Leach’s car headed north in the southbound lane, and the two collided.

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“The vehicle nearly forced four or five vehicles off the road and struck Trooper Leach’s vehicle,” said state police Lt. David Tripp.

Leach then followed Larravee’s car to the intersection of Pond Road and Route 202, where he confronted Larravee as he got out of his car, Tripp said.

Larravee tried to leave, Tripp said, but Leach, who was recovering from shoulder surgery, told Larravee to wait for police.

“The subject began to pull a knife on Trooper Leach,” Tripp said. “Trooper Leach was able to disarm the subject prior to him getting the knife unfolded.”

Officers arrived and arrested Larravee.

Leach was treated at MaineGeneral Medical Center for minor injuries and released, Tripp said. Larravee was not injured.

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SACO

Massachusetts man arrested on crack cocaine charges

A Massachusetts man, who police allege has been selling crack cocaine in the Saco-Biddeford area for about six months, was arrested Monday by agents from the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency.

Gary Richardson, 33, whose most recent address was Hyde Park, Mass., was arrested at an apartment at 60 Lincoln St. Officers seized 38 grams of processed crack with an estimated street value of $3,800.

Steve McCausland, spokesman for the Maine Department of Public Safety, said Richardson has been charged with trafficking in crack cocaine.

Undercover agents, who placed an order for cocaine, followed a suspect to the Lincoln Street address on Monday and witnessed the sale of the drug by Richardson.

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Also known as “J.P.”, Richardson was arrested by drug agents and officers from the Saco Police Department. He is being held at the York County Jail on $5,000 cash bail.

Councilors delay decisions on use of old fire station

City councilors are delaying any decisions regarding the old fire station on Thornton Avenue.
During a council workshop Monday night, councilors discussed options for the building once the fire department moves to its new location on North Street.

Mayor Ron Michaud said Nate Libby’s Masonry and Saco Spirit have been given two to four weeks to develop a plan for the building. The masonry business and nonprofit economic development group were the only two to respond to a request for proposals in December.

Councilors also considered putting the property on the market for six months. Two commercial brokers estimated the market value of the fire station, one at just over $298,000 and the other at $395,000. According to City Assessor Daniel Sanborn, the city has assessed the building and property at $498,100.

The fire department is expected to move in April.

BATH

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Four arrested on charges in stolen antiques investigation

Four Bath residents have been arrested on drug and other charges after their residences were searched as part of an investigation into stolen antiques.

Bath Police Chief Mike Field said in a press release issued Tuesday that search warrants were executed on residences at 48 Central Ave. and 407 Lark St., both in Bath on Jan. 27.

Officers from Bath, Sagadahoc and Lincoln counties recovered some of the stolen antiques, as well as drugs and a weapon, from the homes.

Katelyn Cleaves, 22, of Lark Street, was charged with trafficking drugs and with furnishing drugs. Mark Washburn, 23, of Lark Street, was charged with two counts of drug possession. In the Central Avenue search, police charged Crystal Carpentier, no age given, with possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. Rhonda Brubaker Churchill, 46, was charged with burglary.

CAPE ELIZABETH

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Man wanted in sex assault arrested during traffic stop

A man accused of sexually assaulting a 13-year-old in Florida was arrested this weekend on a fugitive from justice warrant after a traffic stop in Cape Elizabeth.

Steve D. Creary, 31, recently of Westbrook, waived extradition Monday and has agreed to return to Florida to face the charges. He has been sought by police for two years.

Creary was a passenger when Officer Rory Diffin pulled a car over Saturday for an expired inspection sticker at 3:45 p.m. on Bowery Beach Road. The driver was not charged but Creary showed his Jamaican passport when asked for identification. A check of his name turned up the Florida warrant.

According to court records, Creary on Feb. 9, 2009, took a 13-year-old girl into the laundry room of an apartment building in the city of Lauderhill and had sex with her.

YARMOUTH

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Eighth-grader wins third title in county’s spelling bee  

Lily Jordan spelled seven words without a mistake to win the Cumberland County Spelling Bee on Tuesday night at Harrison Middle School.

An eighth-grader at Cape Elizabeth Middle School who won the state bee a year ago, Jordan spelled “apocalyptic” to clinch her third straight county title. One round earlier, two boys and one girl missed their words and she spelled ‘effulgent.’

Eighteen students from nine local junior high or elementary schools qualified for the county competition by placing first or second in their school bees. After Jordan won, the three spellers who missed in the sixth round – eighth-graders Konner Watson of Scarborough and Alexandra Ertman of Falmouth and sixth-grader Jacob Jordan of Cape Elizabeth – competed for second place.

Four rounds later, it was down to Ertman and Jacob Jordan, younger brother of Lily. They went 11 rounds before Ertman became runner-up after spelling “interrupt.”


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