PORTLAND

Heavy rain, melting snow spur flood watch Monday

The combination of heavy rainfall and melting snow prompted the National Weather Service to issue a flood watch for most of western and coastal Maine that will remain in effect through Monday afternoon.

Stacie Hanes, a meteorologist with the weather service, said Sunday night that snow and ice melting could cause some of the state’s largest rivers – the Androscoggin, Saco and Kennebec – to reach flood stage Monday.

“It has been raining all over the state today and it is melting the snow,” Hanes said.

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Hanes said Portland got almost an inch of rain Sunday and could expect to see another inch fall Sunday night into Monday morning. The weather service said the additional rain, combined with stormwater runoff and snow melt, could cause rivers, streams and creeks to flood in urban areas.

The weather service also issued a coastal flooding weather advisory for York and Cumberland counties for early Monday. The advisory warned that an astronomical high tide combined with gale-force winds could cause flooding.

There were no reports of flooding Sunday in the downtown areas of Augusta, Gardiner and Hallowell, but the Kennebec County Emergency Management Agency director, Richard Beausoleil, said the flood threat could heighten Monday.

“We’re just keeping an eye on things,” Beausoleil said.

Man in stable condition after getting hit by car

A man was in stable condition at Maine Medical Center on Sunday after being hit by a car Saturday night on Forest Avenue.

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Police said the man was hit about 11:30 p.m. His name was still being withheld Sunday, and the accident is under investigation.

The man was crossing the street near 965 Forest Ave. outside of the pedestrian crosswalk when he was hit. The driver of the sedan stopped, police said.

Maine maritime companies invited to overseas show

Maine maritime companies are invited to display their products in a trade show overseas.

Maine International Trade Center and Commerce Rhode Island International are hosting an exhibit booth at one of the largest trade shows in Europe for boat builders and marine equipment companies.

There is space for three Maine companies to display their items in the Amsterdam show that draws 19,000 visitors each year.

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The show is scheduled for Nov. 18-20. The event is attended by yacht and boat builders, naval architects, marina developers, and other trade officials from around the world.

UMaine Extension office takes over tick ID duties

The University of Maine Cooperative Extension is taking over tick identification duties from the Maine Medical Center Research Institute, which had operated the program for 25 years.

Tick identification at Maine Med was eliminated in December as a result of budget cuts, according to a news release.

The “Tick ID” lab is expected to receive about 1,300 tick specimens each year, to test for Lyme disease and other diseases and to study the state’s tick population.

“It’s going to give the people a much better awareness of ticks and how to avoid ticks in the first place,” said Jim Dill, pest management specialist at the Cooperative Extension.

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Tick identifications cost $10, and can be submitted in person, by mail or by uploading photos to the website. For more information, call 581-3188.

OLD ORCHARD BEACH

Local firefighters clean up kerosene spill near wetland

Old Orchard Beach firefighters contained a kerosene spill Sunday morning near a wetland area off West Tioga Street.

Capt. John Gilboy said he did not know how many gallons of kerosene leaked from a tank that was attached to a seasonal home’s exterior, but he described the spill as small.

Gilboy said firefighters were able to clean up most of the spill using absorbent booms but the department also notified the Maine Department of Environmental Protection.

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The DEP is investigating the cause of the spill.

BANGOR

American Folk Festival announces first acts

The American Folk Festival is lining up its first acts for the three-day summer event in Bangor.

Officials said Grammy-nominated guitarist Bill Kirchen and Cajun band Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys will return to the stage. They performed at the first National Folk Festival in Bangor and at the first American Folk Festival that followed.

Other acts include Bon Debarras, a Quebecois trio from Montreal; Cuban-Canadian singer-songwriter Adonis Puentes and the Voice of Cuba Orchestra; and the West African HighLife.

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Heather McCarthy, executive director, said more performers will be announced in the coming weeks. The event will run from Aug. 22-24 on the Bangor riverfront.

AUGUSTA

Veteran of World War II awarded service medals

A World War II veteran from Maine has been presented with several service medals for what U.S. Sen. Angus King calls his lifesaving act of heroism.

King presented former Navy Capt. Lester Slate of Exeter with the Distinguished Flying Cross and other medals Saturday.

King said Slate put his own life on the line to rescue a fellow service member stranded in enemy waters.

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Slate served in the Navy for 10 years from 1942 to 1952 and flew 43 combat missions during World War II.

King’s office worked with the Coast Guard and the Navy to secure the medals. More than 30 of Slate’s family members and friends attended the ceremony at King’s office in Augusta.

WINDHAM

Man crashes SUV after falling asleep on drive home

A man who was returning home from work late Sunday night fell asleep and crashed his sport utility vehicle into a utility pole, Windham police said.

Thomas Simpson, 74, of Gray was transported to Maine Medical Center in Portland with injuries that were not life-threatening, Sgt. Bill Andrew said. Simpson was alone in his vehicle.

Simpson was driving his 2002 Ford Explorer along Route 115 near Dakota Drive when he dozed off and struck a telephone pole, Andrew said. The accident, which was reported at 10:10 p.m., forced police to close one lane of Route 115.

Central Maine Power Co. sent a crew to the crash site to replace the pole but Andrew said the crash did not cause any power outages.

– From staff and news services


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