TOPSHAM
Brunswick woman killed in mall-area traffic accident
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A Brunswick woman died in a car crash Wednesday afternoon at the Topsham Fair Mall.
Police Sgt. Mark Gilliam identified the victim as Sally Lemieux, 79, of Katherine Street.
Lemieux’s 2001 Toyota Camry was struck on the driver’s side by a 1997 Jeep Wrangler driven by Renee Ettinger, 27, of Topsham. The vehicles collided around 2:30 p.m. at the intersection of Topsham Fair Mall Road and Midway Drive, near the Ruby Tuesday restaurant.
Topsham Fair Mall Road was closed to traffic for about an hour, Gilliam said.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation by a team from the Brunswick Police Department.
A LifeFlight helicopter was sent to the scene.
SOUTH PORTLAND
Gray man, 25, charged in robbery last February
Police say they have solved a robbery that occurred nine months ago at On the Border, a restaurant at 420 Maine Mall Road.
Police charged Ryan Bell, 25, of Gray with robbery, aggravated assault, and theft. He is being held on $100,000 bail pending a court appearance Friday.
Police said two men entered the Mexican restaurant on Feb. 20 shortly after closing, assaulted one employee and threatened another before leaving with a small amount of money. The investigation stalled for a lack of leads, but was resurrected recently when police received new information.
Police said evidence analyzed by the crime lab led investigators to a series of interviews that led them to charge Bell on Wednesday morning.
AUGUSTA
Blaine House food drive triples last year’s quantity
Maine’s first family says the food drive during which donors dropped off non-perishables at the Blaine House has netted 1,568 pounds of goods, nearly triple last year’s total.
Gov. Paul LePage and first lady Ann LePage received donations at the governor’s mansion each of the last three Saturdays. The LePages say the food will fill the cupboards of Mainers in need within the week.
On Tuesday, a box truck from the Auburn-based Good Shepherd Food-Bank picked up the donated food, which will be inspected, sorted and sent to distribution centers in Brewer, Auburn and Portland. It will then be picked-up by food pantries and meal programs.
PORTLAND
Maine schools get grants for farm-to-school programs
Portland schools will receive a $100,000 federal grant to support and expand farm-to-school programs, U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree announced Wednesday.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture grant will be used to increase local food consumption by students, and increase public awareness and community engagement in the program, Pingree said in a press release.
Plans for the funding include updating kitchen equipment, certifications and training to process local foods; experiential learning through school gardens, agriculture clubs, curriculum and chef-to-school programs; and holding an annual “Local Food Show.”
“Even with a tight budget, Portland has demonstrated an incredible commitment to feeding students healthy, locally produced food whenever possible,” Pingree said in a written statement.
In September, Pingree visited Reiche school with USDA Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan.
SAD 12 in Jackman will receive a $44,000 USDA grant.
Pingree is married to S. Donald Sussman, majority owner of MaineToday Media, which owns the Portland Press Herald.
BANGOR
Woman who left fatal scene gets nine-month sentence
A Brewer woman has been sentenced to nine months in jail after pleading guilty to striking and killing a pedestrian with her car in Bangor, then driving away.
Patricia Giles reached a deal with prosecutors and pleaded guilty Tuesday to leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death and falsifying physical evidence in connection with the hit-and-run death of Joshua Constantine, 37, in June.
Constantine was crossing a street when he was struck and killed instantly.
Giles, 52, turned herself in a week after the crash. In addition to the jail time, she was sentenced to two years of probation and barred from driving for six months.
Her lawyer said there was no evidence his client was reckless or criminally negligent.
CORINTH
Man dies after crashing into oil delivery truck
A man died after his vehicle crashed head-on into a heating oil delivery truck in Corinth.
Chief Deputy Troy Morton of the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Department said the man’s vehicle crossed the center line on Route 15 around noon Wednesday and collided with a C.N. Brown truck.
WZON-AM said two C.N. Brown employees in the truck suffered minor injuries, but no oil spilled.
The victim’s identity was withheld pending notification of relatives.
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