SACO

Councilors to discuss latest offer for former fire station

City councilors are expected to discuss an offer for the city’s former fire station on Tuesday, ending a four-month sales listing on the property.

City Administrator Rick Michaud said it is about the fifth offer made on the property since the city decided to build a new fire station. He said Tuesday’s discussion will be conducted by the council in executive session. He declined to disclose details of the offer.

The 73-year-old fire station on Thornton Avenue has been vacant since April, when the fire department moved to its new location on North Street. Around the same time, city councilors voted to list the property for sale at $475,000 for four months through CBRE/The Boulos Co.

If the current offer is accepted, the next step will be to enter into a purchase and sales agreement. Michaud said the sale price would be made public at that time.

If councilors reject the offer, he is unsure what the next step may be. If councilors were to discuss extending the listing through the broker, that would be done in public.

Tuesday’s meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. in the City Hall auditorium.

WASHINGTON, D.C.

Report: Maine’s roads bad but better than neighbors’

A national transportation research group says the rural roads in northern New England are among the most deteriorated in the country. And the report was done before Tropical Storm Irene made those roads even worse.

The Washington-based group TRIP released a report Thursday examining the condition of America’s rural roads and bridges.

The report says 36 percent of Vermont’s rural roads are in poor condition, the worst in the country. New Hampshire has the ninth-worst rural road conditions, while Maine was ranked 14th from the bottom.

Fifteen percent of both New Hampshire’s and Maine’s rural bridges were rated as deficient, putting them 11th and 12th from the bottom.

The group defines rural America as places outside the primary daily commuting zones of cities of 50,000 or more.

EDDINGTON

Two killed, two badly hurt in minivans’ head-on crash

Two people were killed and two were critically injured in a head-on crash in Eddington.

The Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office said two minivans collided on Route 9 on Thursday after one of the vans crossed into oncoming traffic.

Two women in the van that was struck were killed and a man was critically injured. A child in the other van also was critically injured.

ELLSWORTH

State trying to ID remains found in Southwest Harbor

The state Medical Examiner’s Office is attempting to identify human remains that were found in Southwest Harbor.

The remains were discovered last week, not far from one of the last reported locations of Pete Peterson, who disappeared nearly a year ago.

Maine State Police spokesman Stephen McCausland said investigators know that Peterson was last seen in the area.

McCausland told the Bangor Daily News that additional investigations of the site are planned for the area where the remains were found.

OLD TOWN

Three arrested on charges of trafficking in bath salts

Three people were charged with trafficking in bath salts after police raided a home in Old Town.

Police Sgt. Scott Casey said a substance believed to be bath salts, a synthetic drug that can cause hallucinations, was seized in Saturday’s raids, which were launched after police received tips about possible drug trafficking.

Police say they made the arrests at the home of Matthew Tardiff, 23, who was charged. The others arrested were Joshua Smith, 28, of Milford and Kayte Emerson, 18, of Greenbush. They were charged with a variety of offenses. Police say marijuana and cash were taken as evidence.

The Bangor Daily News said all three were taken to the Penobscot County Jail.

PORTLAND

Donations for quake victims stolen from city restaurant

Someone stole a jug Thursday night containing about $1,000 in donations for victims of the earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan in March.

Police Lt. Robert Ridge said the theft occurred at the Yosaku Japanese restaurant on Danforth Street late Thursday night. Apparently, someone walked into the restaurant and removed the jug, which was on a counter near the door.

Doug Gimbel, who ate at the restaurant Thursday night, said the restaurant’s owner has been using the jug to collect money for victims of the disaster.

Gimbel said the owner told him there was about $1,000 in the jug at the time of the theft. Police have no suspects.

— From staff and news services

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