AUGUSTA

Man sentenced for selling his food stamp benefits

A Lewiston man has been ordered to serve 30 days in jail for stealing from the food stamps program, said Maine Attorney General William Schneider.

He said Robert Baylor, 35, pleaded guilty to one count of theft by deception and was sentenced last week for stealing 14 months of benefits worth $2,800.

Authorities said Baylor sold his Electronic Benefits Transfer Card with $200 a month on it to another man for $100.

The ATM-like card requires that it be swiped and a PIN number entered at a store checkout.

Schneider said a card loaded with state benefits “is not a commodity to be bought and sold.”

DEP urges boaters to check vessels for invasive plants

With the arrival of summer, Maine environmental officials are urging boaters to closely inspect their boats before launching them into lakes, to prevent the spread of invasive species.

The Department of Environmental Protection estimates that before launching, less than 20 percent of boaters take the three minutes needed to self-inspect their boats and remove any plants from the anchor, lines, propeller, fishing gear and trailer.

The DEP said courtesy boat inspectors conducted a record 76,000 inspections last year, but they’re stationed on just 116 of the state’s 6,000 lakes.

Invasive aquatic plants such as milfoil and hydrilla are now present in 23 of the state’s lake systems.

PORTLAND

Cyclists heading to Maine to celebrate cooperatives

A team of cyclists, including a vice president of Vermont’s Cabot Creamery Cooperative, is riding through Massachusetts and New Hampshire and headed for Maine as part of a celebration of cooperatives and community volunteerism.

For Myron and Cathy Skott, both in their 60s, the New England leg is the last stretch of a ride that began in May at their home in south Florida.

In Providence, R.I., they were joined by Cabot Vice President Roberta MacDonald, who is heading from there to the trip’s terminus at this Saturday’s celebration of the International Day of Cooperatives at Portland’s Payson Park.

The Skotts have spent much of their journey on the East Coast Greenway, a trail under development for non-motorized traffic that when completed will stretch from Maine to Florida.

HOULTON

Northern Maine fair season gets under way in Houlton

Northern Maine’s fair season kicked off Wednesday with the start of the Houlton Agricultural Fair at the Houlton Fair Grounds.

The fair’s attractions include a demolition derby, truck and tractor pulls, live music, children’s games, livestock competitions and pig scrambles.

The fair runs through Sunday.

LANCASTER, N.H.

Appalachian Trail hiker rescued after becoming ill

A 25-year-old Virginia man has been rescued from Wildcat Ridge Trail after becoming ill while hiking.

Fish and Game Conservation officers received an emergency call at about 1 p.m. Tuesday, saying that Jason Farr of Charlottesville was ill. He has been hiking the Appalachian trail, of which Wildcat Ridge Trail is part, since late February.

When rescuers arrived, two other hikers were assisting Farr. He was taken to a hospital.

— From news service reports