GEORGETOWN

Georgetown motorist killed in single-vehicle accident

A 24-year-old Georgetown man was killed Saturday night in a single-vehicle crash on Bay Point Road.
Sagadahoc County Sheriff Joel Merry said Henry S. Gilliam III was killed when his 1988 GMC 1500 pickup truck veered off the road while traveling north and struck several large trees.

Merry said the accident was discovered by a passing motorist who reported it at 9:46 p.m. Sheriff’s deputies responded to the scene and requested medical air transport, but attempts to stabilize Gilliam were unsuccessful.

Merry said Gilliam was not wearing a seat belt and alcohol is considered a contributing factor in the crash.

Merry said investigators are still trying to trace Gilliam’s whereabouts before the accident.

HAMPDEN

Passenger in vehicle dies after driver loses control

A 28-year-old Hermon woman died in a single-vehicle accident Saturday night.

Hampden police said Sarah Eason was a passenger in a sport utility vehicle when the driver lost control on Bog Road.

Authorities told WABI-TV that Eason was ejected when the vehicle rolled over and landed on its roof. She was later pronounced dead at Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor.

The driver, 33-year-old Sarah Courtney of Orrington, was treated at the hospital and released.

The crash is under investigation.

PORTLAND

Man found inside vehicle died of natural causes

Police said a 62-year-old man whose body was found inside a vehicle on Forest Avenue early Sunday died of natural causes.

Lt. Gary Hutcheson said police shut down the road while they investigated the cause of the man’s death.

“There is nothing suspicious. He died in his vehicle,” Hutcheson said.

The man’s identity won’t be released until his relatives have been notified. His body was discovered around 2 a.m.

Bicycle Coalition of Maine launching weeklong ride

The Bicycle Coalition of Maine is launching a weeklong ride that will cover 400 miles through inland and coastal communities.

The event, called BikeMaine, will start and end in Orono and include overnight stops in Dover-Foxcroft, Belfast, Castine, Bar Harbor and Ellsworth. Riders will pedal 60 to 75 miles a day.

The inaugural ride from Sept. 7-14 will be limited to 350 riders, but the organization hopes to increase it in time to 2,000 participants.

The cost is $875, which includes meals, beverages and snacks along the route, baggage transport, mechanical and medical support, and campsites that include hot showers and restrooms.

More information is available on the coalition’s website, www.bikemaine.org.

BOOTHBAY HARBOR

Fundraising efforts kick off for Windjammer Days fest

Fundraising and planning efforts have kicked off for an annual festival celebrating Maine’s historic windjammer fleet and rich maritime heritage.

The Boothbay Harbor Region Chamber of Commerce says the 51st annual Windjammer Days festival will be held June 25 and 26 in Boothbay Harbor.

Nine windjammers, as well as a pirate ship and a Friendship sloop, have committed to taking part in this year’s festival. Besides the windjammers, the event features an antique boat parade, a street parade, fireworks over the harbor, concerts, arts and crafts, and food.

Organizers say it’s important to collect enough donations to cover the festival costs because most of the events are free to the public.

AUGUSTA

Annual conference features police from Newtown, Conn.

An annual Maine emergency preparedness conference this year will feature police from Newtown, Conn., the site of December’s school massacre.

Speakers from the Newtown Police Department will discuss their reaction to the attack on Sandy Hook Elementary School, which left 26 students and educators dead.

The two-day conference at the Augusta Civic Center on Tuesday and Wednesday will also feature a wide range of workshops and information sessions on all phases of emergency management for all hazards.

Maine responders to Superstorm Sandy also will address the conference, which is expected to draw more than 500 participants.

Northbound I-95 on-ramp to be temporarily closed

Maine transportation officials say the northbound on-ramp of Interstate 95 in Augusta will be temporarily closed.

The closure of the northbound on-ramp at Exit 113 takes effect Monday. It’s due to comprehensive improvement of the interchange and nearby roads and intersections to ease congestion and improve traffic flow with construction of the new regional hospital known as the Alfond Center for Health.

Drivers wishing to enter I-95 northbound lanes from Route 3 and north Augusta will be guided to a detour on Route 104 to the northbound on-ramp at Exit 120 in Sidney.

Funding for the $13 million project includes a mix of federal, state, city and private funds from the medical center.

The Alfond Center for Health is scheduled to open in November.