BANGOR

Nebraska man sentenced for sex abuse of girl in 1990

A Nebraska man who was convicted of sexually abusing an 8-year-old relative in Maine in 1990 has been ordered to serve five years in prison.

WZON-AM reported that a Superior Court judge imposed the sentence Friday on Clarence Cote, 65, of Nemaha, Neb., who was convicted in January of abusing the girl.

Cote’s attorney, who vowed to appeal, had questioned why the state took so long to prosecute when it knew of the allegations in 1994.

He said the state had lost key evidence.

Prosecutors say they had trouble finding Cote after he moved to Nebraska. 

Man held on $100,000 bail in death of 5-month-old

A Bangor man who is charged with manslaughter in the death of a 5-month-old child he was baby-sitting has been ordered held on $100,000 cash bail.

Samuel Moore, 25, did not enter a plea during his initial court appearance on Friday. WZON-AM reported that the judge ordered the affidavit sealed.

Police say Moore was baby-sitting the victim, Korbyn Antworth, who died Wednesday at Eastern Maine Medical Center. The cause of death has not been released.

A prosecutor said Friday that the baby had numerous injuries that were consistent with shaken baby syndrome.

Moore’s attorney, Marvin Glazier of Bangor, had no comment after the hearing.

AUGUSTA

House will vote on proposal to change wind-power goals

Maine’s Democratic-controlled House will vote on a proposal by Republican Gov. Paul LePage to change the state’s wind-power goals aimed at lowering energy costs and producing jobs.

The Energy, Utilities and Technology Committee voted 6-2 Friday to endorse an amended version of the bill, which would keep the megawatt targets and add that Maine should seek to lower electricity prices and expand economic opportunities through wind power. Five members who were absent can still submit votes.

Maine’s current goals are to produce 2,000 megawatts of electricity through wind projects by 2015 and 3,000 megawatts by 2020.

LePage’s original measure would have stripped the megawatt goals. His administration says the goals must be improved to benefit Mainers. But environmental groups have called it an attack on wind power.

AROOSTOOK COUNTY

Five charged with selling bath salts; one, oxycodone

Agents with the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency charged five Aroostook County residents Thursday with trafficking in bath salts and a sixth with selling the painkiller oxycodone, according to a news release by the Maine Department of Public Safety.

The undercover investigation also led to the seizure of 12 pounds of bath salts, worth about $800,000. Police also seized $40,000 in cash.

Agents infiltrated the group over the course of months and made a number of purchases, police said.

The MDEA was joined in the investigation by the Aroostook County Sheriff’s Office, Fort Fairfield police and Homeland Security Investigations.

The men were being held at Aroostook County Jail in Houlton on $10,000 bail each.

Police arrested Keith Cochran, 38, Karter Burtt, 24, and Brandon Mills, 24, all of Mars Hill; and Doil Hayes 33, of Fort Fairfield; Ryan Brewer 21, of Blaine; and Eric Rosten 50, of Presque Isle.

Rosten was charged with selling oxycodone.

Police said more arrests are expected.

PORTSMOUTH, N.H.

Oil tanker strikes bridge on Maine side of channel

The New Hampshire Transportation Department said an oil tanker struck a pier at the Memorial Bridge, which connects New Hampshire and Maine, but there’s no apparent damage to the bridge. There were no injuries.

Bill Boynton of the transportation department said the 600-foot-long oil tanker Seapride was outbound on the Piscataqua River when it hit the lift bridge about 5:15 a.m. Friday.

Boynton said the incident did not affect lift operations at the bridge.

The U.S. Coast Guard said the ship hit the bridge’s fender system, which is designed to protect the bridge piers. A component of the fender system was missing and believed to be in the water under the bridge.

Boynton said the pier that was struck was on the Maine side of the channel.

The Coast Guard is investigating. Drug and alcohol testing is being done on those involved, a standard procedure.

The bridge carries Route 1 traffic between Portsmouth and Kittery, Maine.

ROCKPORT

Hospitality House shelter reopens with new approach

A shelter that closed a year ago has reopened with a new approach aimed at ending the cycle of homelessness.

Hospitality House is now operated by the Knox County Housing Coalition.

Churches contributed food, businesses donated furniture and appliances, and individuals gave time and labor to help complete the revamp.

Rather than just providing a bed for the night, Hospitality House is showing people the way out of homelessness through job training, a GED program and even lessons in how to budget properly.

Hospitality House is still seeking grants and donations.