BANGOR

Jury finds Bradford man guilty in beating death

A jury found a Bradford man guilty of manslaughter in the beating death of a construction company owner in a property dispute.

Peter Robinson, 50, was on trial for murder in the death of David Trask, 71, of Hudson in November 2011. But Tuesday afternoon, a Penobscot County Superior Court jury found him guilty of the lesser charge of manslaughter.

The men had a history of disputes over access to Robinson’s land.

Prosecutors and Robinson’s attorney agreed that Trask came at Robinson with a crowbar and that Robinson grabbed the metal bar and beat him to death. But Robinson claimed he acted in self-defense.

Manslaughter carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison.

PORTLAND

Cocaine distribution gets Lyman man 18 years in jail

A 49-year-old Lyman man has been sentenced to 18-1/2 years in prison for his role in a cocaine distribution operation.

Kenneth Pelletier was sentenced Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Portland.

Pelletier pleaded guilty last August to traveling to New York on multiple occasions and picking up crack cocaine, which was then distributed in York County. In all, he was held responsible for distributing nearly 4 pounds of the drug.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office said Pelletier has 24 criminal convictions on his record, including three for drug trafficking.

Six bands earn spots in high school music competition

After a battle of nine bands at the Big Easy on Saturday, six are going to the finals of the  2013 MAMM Slam, Maine’s High School Rock Off.

The bands in the finals are Mark it Zero, Stolen Mural, Rupture the Fish, Beware of Pedestrians, Simple Burden and Zenith! The finals are scheduled for 11:30 a.m. on April 27 at Asylum, at 121 Center St. in Portland.

The contest is organized by The Maine Academy of Modern Music. Each band includes students from high schools around southern Maine.

The MAMM Slam grand prize is $1,000, sponsored by Rusty Rocket Foundation.
MAMM Slam details, including band bios, photos, and audio can be found at www.mainetoday.com/mammslam/.

Residents invited to learn about plans for public spaces

Portland will host its fourth annual “Green Space Gathering” Thursday to introduce residents to their parks and educate them about upcoming projects, the city said in a news release.

City staff members will talk about last year’s achievements and highlights for the upcoming year’s plans.

This year’s projects include restoring Fort Allen Park and replacing the lights at Fitzpatrick Stadium, the city said.

Last year’s projects included the Eastern Cemetery Master Plan, a citywide tree inventory, Taylor Street Park and Playground upgrades, and the installation of fitness stations at several schools and on the Back Cove Trail.

Thursday’s gathering will be held from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Ocean Avenue Elementary School.
A keynote address will be delivered by Eliza Townsend, a former state legislator, Maine League of Conservation Voters executive director and Maine conservation commissioner.

SOUTH BERWICK

Rotarian headed to the White House for honor

A South Berwick woman is among 12 Rotary International members who will be honored Friday at the White House as “Champions of Change.”

Ann Lee Hussey, a Rotarian and a polio survivor, has spent the last 12 years leading teams of volunteers to developing countries to immunize children against polio.

The Champions of Change program was created to allow the White House to feature groups of Americans who are doing extraordinary things to empower and inspire members of their communities.
Hussey has led 14 teams and participated in an additional seven immunization campaigns. Her work has taken her to Chad, Mali, Bangladesh, Niger, Nigeria, Egypt and India. She recently helped provide 600 wheelchairs for Nigerian polio survivors.

AUGUSTA

Woman from Fayette clears nearly $1 million in lottery

A Fayette woman is nearly $1 million richer after winning the jackpot in the March 23 Megabucks Plus drawing, lottery officials said Tuesday.

Bethany Struck chose the cash option for her $2,301,000 prize, which is worth $963,126 after taxes, according to the Maine State Lottery Commission. The ticket was purchased at the Cumberland Farms convenience store on College Avenue in Waterville.

A man who answered the phone Tuesday at Struck’s number said Struck wouldn’t comment.

The outlet that sold the ticket, Cumberland Farms, receives $23,000, and company officials have previously said bonuses would be given to the store manager and employees.