PORTLAND

Local man pleads guilty to drug conspiracy charge

A Portland man who was snared in a federal investigation into crack cocaine trafficking in the city pleaded guilty Tuesday in U.S. District Court to a drug conspiracy charge.

Clay Rinehart, 42, was arrested in February by Portland police in an unrelated case. While in custody, he was confronted by authorities who played back telephone calls that had been recorded in a wiretap investigation by the FBI from Nov. 23 to Dec. 22, 2011, according to court records.

Rinehart told authorities that it was his voice on the recorded calls and that he was ordering crack cocaine from a person who is not referred to by name, the court documents say.

In separate calls, Rinehart was recorded twice ordering two “baskets,” the street term for 3.5 grams of crack, the records state.

Rinehart pleaded guilty to a single count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute crack cocaine, punishable by as much as 20 years in prison. He is scheduled for sentencing Oct. 2.

 

Lineup of bands announced for summer concert series

The annual “Alive at Five” free concert series in Monument Square will start July 11 with the Portland funk/soul bands Model Airplane and The Kenya Hall Band.

The rest of the series, featuring two to three local bands each week, will continue into August.

The shows are held from 5 to 7:30 p.m. on Thursdays. The series is put on each year by Portland’s Downtown District. For more information, go to Portlandmaine.com.

The complete schedule:

July 11: Model Airplane; The Kenya Hall Band.

July 18: Beware of Pedestrians; Old Soul; Amy Allen.

July 25: The Other Bones; ShaShaSha.

Aug. 1: Ghost of Paul Revere; North of Nashville.

Aug. 8: Jeff Beam; Sara Hallie Richardson; Arc of Sky.

WOOLWICH

Police investigating theft of painting of clipper ship

The Sagadahoc County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the theft of a 143-year-old oil painting from a home in Woolwich earlier this year.

Chief Deputy Brett Strout said Tuesday that the piece was painted by the marine artist William Yorke around 1870. It shows a clipper ship under full sail near Thacher Island, off the coast of Massachusetts.

He would not reveal the appraised value of the painting, citing the investigation.

Authorities said the stolen painting most likely would have been sold to an antiques dealer, or possibly to an auction house in New England.

Anyone with knowledge of the painting’s whereabouts is encouraged to call Detective Adam Temple at 386-5827.

BANGOR

Man’s sports honor revoked after child-porn conviction

The Maine Sports Hall of Fame has revoked the induction of a former college basketball star because of his conviction on a child pornography charge.

Dana Wilson, 62, of Brewer was inducted into the hall in May 2012 for his basketball accomplishments at Bangor’s Husson College, where he graduated in 1974. Wilson averaged nearly 35 points a game his senior year, best among all NCAA Division III schools that year.

A month after his induction, he was arrested on allegations of having child pornography on his computer.

A judge found him guilty last month after he pleaded no contest. Sentencing is scheduled for July.

Soon after Wilson was convicted, the Hall of Fame board of directors voted unanimously to revoke his induction.

AUGUSTA

Governor’s veto sustained in long-term care legislation

Lawmakers have sustained Republican Gov. Paul LePage’s veto of a bill designed to lower long-term care insurance costs.

The House voted 87-55 on Tuesday to uphold the veto. Rep. Sharon Treat, D-Hallowell, is the bill’s sponsor.

The bill would have directed the state to study issues related to long-term care insurance, including ways to prevent discrimination based on gender. The bill originally aimed to prohibit insurers from charging individuals different amounts for long-term insurance based on gender.

LePage said in his veto letter than he opposes “unfunded mandates” that “create a significant drain on valuable state resources.”

 

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