PORTLAND

Suspect held in county jail after thrift store robbery

A suspect who stopped to light a cigarette after allegedly robbing a thrift store in downtown Portland at knifepoint was taken into custody Sunday afternoon by Portland police.

Police said Kirk T. Jardis, 35, of Brackett Street, walked into the A Cut Above store at 604 Congress St. around 1 p.m., showed a knife and demanded money. The clerk handed over a small amount of cash but kept an eye on him while contacting police.

Lt. Gary Hutcheson said Jardis stopped to light a cigarette about 200 feet from the store. By then, several police cruisers were in the vicinity and arrested him at Congress and High streets without incident.

Jardis has been charged with armed robbery, Hutcheson said. He is being held at the Cumberland County Jail on $560 cash bail.

Report cites highs and lows of Mainers’ life expectancy

A new report says life expectancy for Maine men is highest in Lincoln County, while Maine women live longest in Cumberland County.

The study published in the journal Population Health Metrics breaks down life expectancy rates for every county in the country in 2007.

According to the study, the highest life expectancy for men is in Lincoln County, where the rate is 77.3 years. The lowest rate comes in at 73.1 years, in Washington County.

Among women, Cumberland County has the highest life expectancy rate of 81.7 years, while Somerset County has the lowest rate, 79.8 years.

BAR HARBOR

Bay State kayaker’s body found in Frenchman Bay

The body of a Massachusetts kayaker reported missing Sunday morning was recovered Sunday afternoon near Porcupine Island off the coast of Bar Harbor.

The Coast Guard said the man, who is believed to be in his late 20s, was kayaking by himself. He was found floating in Frenchman Bay with a life jacket on. The man’s identity is being withheld until his relatives have been notified.

SKOWHEGAN

High-speed chase leaves driver in Bangor hospital

A Norridgewock man was hospitalized Saturday night after leading police on a high-speed chase through several Somerset County towns, flipping his car over and becoming pinned underneath.
Richard Hilton Jr., 33, was taken by LifeFlight helicopter to Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor. 

Maine State Police Trooper John Brown, who pursued Hilton, said Sunday afternoon that Hilton had not yet been placed under arrest. He faces charges of eluding police and criminal speeding, while other charges are possible, Brown said.

The chase began shortly after 7 p.m. when Hilton, driving a 2005 Chrysler Sebring, evaded Skowhegan police. During the chase, Hilton’s average speed was 80 mph, Brown said.

ELIOT

Residents OK ordinances regulating adult businesses

Residents in Eliot have given their unanimous approval to three town ordinances regulating adult entertainment.

About 200 people voted Saturday on restrictions that include banning full nudity and alcohol sales and prohibiting a strip club from operating between midnight and 6 a.m. Partial nudity would be allowed.

The vote came in response to a proposal to open a business called 403 Gentlemen’s Club on Route 236.

An attorney hired by the town to craft the ordinances said a municipality cannot completely ban all adult businesses, but can regulate the time, place and manner of adult businesses.

BRIDGTON

Massachusetts man suffers head injuries in ATV crash

Wildlife officials say a Massachusetts man suffered serious head injuries in an all-terrain vehicle accident.

Officials said 45-year-old William Sturgis of Waquoit was injured shortly after 11 p.m. Saturday when he rolled his ATV into a ditch alongside a driveway in Bridgton.

Wardens said alcohol was a factor and that Sturgis was not wearing a helmet. He was taken to Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston, where he was listed in serious but stable condition.

ACADIA NATIONAL PARK

Park to acquire two parcels for 56 additional acres

Acadia National Park’s top official says the park is planning to grow by 56 acres.

Superintendent Sheridan Steele said the park plans to acquire a 39-acre parcel abutting Lower Hadlock Pond near Northeast Harbor, and another 17-acre parcel abutting Round Pond near the village of Pretty Marsh. According to its website, the park currently owns 35,322 acres.

Steele told the Bangor Daily News the park has $1.7 million to go toward the purchases. He said the total cost will be higher, but that the park is being assisted in the acquisitions by the Friends of Acadia and Maine Coast Heritage Trust.