TURNER

Officer finds body in vehicle burning after morning crash

An early morning car crash Sunday killed one person, according to the Androscoggin County Sheriff’s Department.

An officer arriving at the corner of Center Bridge Road and Back Cove discovered a car engulfed in flames and the remains of a person inside.

That person has been tentatively identified, but the department is working with the state Medical Examiner’s Office to confirm that identity.

No other vehicles were involved in the accident, which remains under investigation. State police are assisting with reconstruction of the crash.

MARS HILL

Pickup driver faces charges after fatal head-on collision

One person is dead and another is facing charges following a head-on collision Saturday.

Maine State Police say a pickup truck and a station wagon collided on U.S. Route 1 at 6:20 p.m.

Officials said 51-year-old Nathan York of Medway, a passenger in the station wagon, died at the scene. The driver of the pickup truck, 51-year-old William Barton of Mars Hill, was charged with operating under the influence of alcohol and possession of methamphetamine.

York’s 21-year-old son, Jerome, was driving the car. He was treated at a Presque Isle hospital and released. Jerome York’s uncle, who was a passenger, was taken to Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor with serious injuries.

Barton was treated and released from a Presque Isle hospital.

YARMOUTH

Police identify man killed in crash on East Main Street

Police identified Chad Meier, 36, of Yarmouth as the victim of a fatal single-vehicle crash Saturday afternoon on East Main Street.

Meier was driving a 1991 Nissan pickup truck that left the road, hit a stump and rolled over, police said. The cause of the crash is under investigation.

Police said Meier was wearing a seat belt.

PORTLAND

High court to decide if suit against priest goes forward

Maine’s highest court will hear arguments on whether a woman’s lawsuit should go forward against a former Catholic priest she says abused her in the early 1970s.

The Maine Supreme Judicial Court will hear oral arguments Sept. 13 in Christine Angell’s lawsuit against Renald Hallee. Angell, 49, of Portland claims Hallee sexually abused her while he was assigned to St. John Catholic Church in Bangor.

Hallee and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland deny the allegations.

The Bangor Daily News said a Superior Court justice last September dismissed Angell’s lawsuit against Hallee and the diocese because the statute of limitations had expired.

According to court documents, the claims against the diocese were resolved last year. Hallee is the sole defendant in the appeal to Supreme Judicial Court.

INDUSTRY

Passenger hurt in ATV crash; caused by excessive speed

Officials say an ATV accident that injured a Massachusetts man Sunday morning was caused by excessive speed.

The Maine Warden Service said Ryan Murray, 23, of Lowell, Mass., was a passenger on the all-terrain vehicle, which flipped over and landed on him after hitting an embankment. Murray was hospitalized with a possible leg fracture

Wardens say the ATV driver, 22-year-old Justin Messina of Tewksbury, Mass., was thrown clear of the machine and managed to roll the ATV off Murray.

Both men were wearing helmets.

SCARBOROUGH

Man charged in break-ins at Beech Ridge Speedway

Scarborough police arrested a Sidney man after witnesses reported seeing him use an ax to break into several vehicles at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway on Saturday night.

“A lady came up to me and said, ‘Hey, some guy is out in the parking lot smashing cars,”‘ said Sgt. Mary Pearson, who was working security at the track Saturday night.

Dale Boyce, 20, of Sidney was charged with aggravated criminal mischief, burglary to motor vehicles, possession of burglar tools and possession by consumption. Pearson said he was in possession of stolen property when apprehended.

CASTINE

New captain takes the helm of academy’s training ship

Maine Maritime Academy’s 500-foot training ship State of Maine has a new skipper.

Capt. Leslie Eadie III of Brewer most recently served as interim master of the vessel during the college’s annual training cruise to domestic and foreign ports.

Eadie will oversee all operations of the vessel, will represent the college in the U.S. Maritime Administration for ongoing ship maintenance, and command the vessel while in port and during training cruises.

Eadie has sailed in various capacities with Sun Oil Co., ARCO Marine Inc. and Sabine Transportation Co.

As training ship captain, Eadie succeeds Capt. Laurence “Larry” Wade, who retired.

BRIDGTON

Three injured in collision of pickup, car on Route 107

Injuries to three people involved in a collision Saturday night on Route 107 are not life-threatening, according to Bridgton police.

A Kia Sephia and Chevrolet pickup truck collided about 8 p.m., said a supervisor at the Cumberland County Sheriff’s office. Rescue crews responded to the crash and the road was temporarily closed.

The accident remains under investigation. There is no indication that alcohol or drugs were involved, police said.

A passenger in the car was transported by helicopter to a regional hospital. None of the victims was identified.

CARIBOU

Newborn becomes 10,000th to get Alfond college grant

A baby from Caribou has become the 10,000th Maine newborn to receive a $500 Harold Alfond College Challenge Grant.

Officials say Bentley Coyle is getting a head start on his college fund through the Alfond Scholarship Program, which was formed through the estate of the late Harold Alfond, founder of Dexter Shoe Co. Bentley was enrolled in the program this summer.

Since it went into effect in 2008, the program has contributed more than $5 million to NextGen college savings accounts to help families prepare early for the costs of higher education. Any baby born in Maine can receive a grant if they are signed up before their first birthday.

AUGUSTA

Officials warn of schemes involving ‘distressed’ property

So-called “distressed” real estate schemes are on the list of top investment traps that are being highlighted by Maine business regulation officials.

The Office of Securities and the North American Securities Administrators Association say many investors have been taken in amid difficult economic conditions and fluctuations in the stock market.

Many investment traps promise high returns to cash-strapped investors but provide little if any disclosure of risks and offer high commissions to aggressive salespeople.

Top investor traps include offerings of distressed real estate, which have been on the rise following the collapse of the real estate bubble. Swindlers also trick investors by touting the promise of untapped oil and gas reserves and other sources of energy production.

Higher precious metal prices also have lured investors into a variety of scams.

— From staff and news services