PORTLAND

Emmylou Harris to perform at State Theatre on July 30

Emmylou Harris will return to Portland to sing at the State Theatre on July 30.

Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday for $61, $51 and $41. It’s a reserved-seating, all-ages show. Tickets will be available at the Cumberland County Civic Center box office, online at statetheatreportland.com or by phone at (800) 745-3000.

Harris last performed in Portland in October 2009, at Merrill Auditorium.

She is a 12-time Grammy Award winner with 25 albums to her credit and countless appearances on recordings by others. The Country Music Hall of Fame inducted her in 2008.

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Lobster platter doubles up to eliminate messy splatter

People who love lobster but hate the mess can take heart in a newly developed platter that captures unwanted liquid from lobster.

The “Platter Ensemble” consists of a plastic, slotted oval plate placed over a deep-dish platter that captures the juices that squirt from a claw or tail. It was unveiled Tuesday at DiMillo’s Restaurant, followed by a lobster lunch served on the platters.

The platter was invented by T.J. “Lats” Latvis, who said it should make eating lobster more enjoyable for people who don’t like the splatter.

“A 2¾-pound lobster yields approximately 12 ounces of liquid,” said Latvis, a New England native who now lives in San Francisco. “This is equivalent to a can of Coke that diners otherwise would have to deal with.”

The platters are sold online through the company Lobster Gram and the University of Maine’s Lobster Institute, which gets a portion of the proceeds.

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Lobster Institute Executive Director Bob Bayer said the platter provides a “no-glop approach” to lobster-eating. “With this product, I can enjoy a lobster and not have to change my pants when I’m done eating,” he said.

Prescription take-back nets 12,000 pounds of drugs

A prescription drug take-back program brought in nearly 12,000 pounds of medications in Maine last month.

The National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on April 30 was an effort of the Drug Enforcement Administration and state and local law enforcement agencies.

The program disposes of unneeded drugs, which could be susceptible to abuse and theft. The collection effort prevents drugs from entering the environment by being flushed down toilets or thrown in the trash.

In Maine, 88 agencies at 156 sites collected 11,920 pounds of medications, a 52 percent increase from last year.

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The DEA said 376,593 pounds of drugs were collected nationwide, a 55 percent increase from the first take-back event, held in September.

SACO

Boy, 13, is injured when his bike collides with car

A 13-year-old boy on a bicycle collided with a car Monday after he failed to check both ways for traffic, police said.

Police said the boy hit his head on the windshield of a 2001 BMW and suffered internal and facial injuries. The boy, whose name was not released, was taken to Maine Medical Center in Portland.

The accident occurred on North Street just before 2 p.m. Police said the boy did not yield as he entered North Street and hit the car.

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The driver of the car, Kristy Pawlak, 65, of Newfield, N.H., was not hurt.

Police are investigating the accident and will determine whether any charges are warranted.

BANGOR

Summer trial set for man in Orono hit-and-run death

A South Berwick man is due to go on trial this summer in the hit-and-run death of a University of Maine student who was hit by a vehicle that police say was being driven on the wrong side of a street in Orono.

Garrett Cheney, 23, is charged with manslaughter, drunken driving and other charges in the crash that killed Jordyn Bakley, 20, of Camden on Jan. 30, 2010.

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Police say Bakley was killed instantly, but her body was not found for about two hours.

The Bangor Daily News said the trial will most likely will be held in July, although no date has been set.

SCARBOROUGH

Man who was reported missing found in New York

A Scarborough man who was reported missing is safe in New York state, police said Tuesday.

Nathaniel Chappell, 37, was reported missing Monday by his mother. She had not seen him in five weeks.

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Police said Chappell has bipolar disorder and had not been taking his medication. They sought the public’s help in finding him.

AUGUSTA

Federal grant to fund signs for coastal evacuations

The state is getting federal help to install signs to help people flee the coast in the event of a tsunami or other emergency.

The Department of Transportation is installing more than 100 signs with help from a $30,000 tsunami preparedness grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Few people expect the coast of Maine to be hit by a tsunami, but the warnings can also be used in the event of a hurricane or a violent nor’easter.

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Lynette Miller of Maine Emergency Management said planners have identified evacuation routes so if a storm is headed for the coast there will be a plan.

The Bangor Daily News said local emergency planners feel the signs will be of most benefit for visitors.

Maine wineries allowed to charge for samples now

Gov. Paul LePage has signed a bill that allows Maine wineries to charge for samples.

Under the bill that LePage signed Monday, farm wineries that charge for samples must notify state liquor licensing officials and maintain a record of samples. Each sample poured is subject to Maine’s 7 percent sales tax on alcoholic beverages.

Most Maine wineries have tasting rooms where visitors can sample their products. They’re known for wines produced from apples, blueberries, pears and raspberries.

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U.S. Cellular to offer 4G service to Maine customers

Chicago-based U.S. Cellular announced that it will offer 4G LTE wireless service and 4G-enabled handsets to customers in two dozen markets across the country, including Maine, by this year’s holiday season.

The 4G LTE service, an upgrade from U.S. Cellular’s current 3G service, will give customers “significantly faster data speeds when browsing the Web, accessing email, playing games and viewing and streaming videos,” said a news release.

By the end of 2011, the company hopes to have the service available to 25 percent of its customers. Initial 4G LTE markets include Portland, Bangor and cities in Iowa, Wisconsin, North Carolina, Texas and Oklahoma.


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