News from July 31, 2012

August 1, 2012

Officers say man freed car from ‘boot’

But the Portland resident’s costs multiply after he manages to detach the vehicle immobilizer.

August 1, 2012

Maine's big storms likely to become more severe, study finds

 It might come as no surprise in Brownville, but heavy rain and snowstorms have been getting worse in Maine for years.

August 1, 2012

Low patient count forces cuts at Boothbay hospital

St. Andrews in Boothbay Harbor is eliminating its emergency room and some other patient services.

July 31, 2012

Two state agencies to relocate, save a bundle in rent



August 1, 2012

Tri for a Cure raises a record $1.2 million

Since 2008, the Maine Cancer Foundation has awarded about $4 million in grants.

August 1, 2012

Congress OKs veterans homes funding gap fix



July 31, 2012

Wiz Khalifa concertgoers treated for exhaustion

A few arrests are reported but the concert at Scarborough Downs is largely trouble-free.

August 1, 2012

Royal River restoration Several photos included in this story

 A three-day cooperative effort has begun to remove 25 granite blocks that once formed a dam on the Yarmouth waterway. And advocates hope it's just the beginning.

July 31, 2012

I-295 roadwork backs up southbound traffic in Falmouth

Traffic was restricted to one lane during the evening commute for a stretch south of Exit 10 and traffic had backed up to Exit 11 by 6:15 p.m.

July 31, 2012

Whooping cough prompts statewide alert

Maine has seen more cases in the last six months than in all of 2011.

July 31, 2012

Phelps sets record with 19th career Olympic medal

Several fans held up a bedsheet with "PHELPS GREATEST OLYMPIAN EVER" handwritten on it after the swimmer broke the all-time record.

July 31, 2012

Portland man removes parking boot, now faces theft charge

A green Audi gets "booted" for outstanding parking tickets, then shows up a block away without the boot and difference license plates.

July 31, 2012

Alfred man pleads guilty to embezzling $900,000

Thomas Nelson, the ex-director of the York County Community Action Corporation, faces up to 10 years in prison.

July 31, 2012

Contract inked creating Maine's 1st charter school

The Maine Academy of Natural Science in Hinckley has signed a five-year contract with the state's charter school commission.

August 1, 2012

Portland police chief heading to FBI school

Chief Michael Sauschuck will take 10 weeks of classes at the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Va.

July 31, 2012

NY couple, 85, to remarry 48 years after divorce

They got hitched while still in their teens, divorced 20 years and four children later, and are getting remarried after nearly a half-century apart.

July 31, 2012

Poll: 65 percent of Democrats support gay marriage

Overall, Americans remain closely divided on same-sex marriage. The new Pew poll found 48 percent in favor and 44 percent opposed.

July 31, 2012

Turnpike schedules nighttime traffic stops in Falmouth

State police will stop traffic for as long as 25 minutes whenever necessary to ensure safety during Exit 53 bridge construction.

July 31, 2012

Olympics awash in Twitter, for better or worse

For Olympics organizers who pride themselves on putting on a carefully choreographed — obsessively controlled, some would say — 17-day show, the bursts of Twitter activity are like gamma rays escaping from a solar flare.

July 31, 2012

Portion of High Street will be one lane Wednesday

Parking will also be restricted tomorrow.

July 31, 2012

Boothbay Harbor hospital may close ER, eliminate other services

St. Andrews’ fate rests in the hands of the board of directors of MaineHealth. Local community leaders want more time to assess impact.

July 31, 2012

State issues whooping cough alert

Cases of pertussis, or whooping cough, are way up in Maine and other states.

July 31, 2012

Down East magazine publisher resigns

John Viehman had been with the company for six years.

July 31, 2012

Nuclear submarine arson suspect due back in court

The hearings will address bail conditions and whether the government had probable cause to arrest Casey James Fury, who worked at the shipyard as a painter and sandblaster.

July 31, 2012

US women win 1st Olympic gymnastics title since '96

The Americans had come into the last two Olympics as world champions, only to leave without a gold.

July 31, 2012

Extreme rain, snow in Maine becoming more frequent, study says

A new report contends that dramatic storms will become even more intense and frequent in years to come.

July 31, 2012

Senate panel OKs $604 billion defense bill

The measure would provide $511 billion for the base budget and $93.3 billion for the war in Afghanistan in the fiscal year beginning Oct. 1.

July 31, 2012

Maine pharmacy employee charged with drug theft

A pharmacy technician in northern Maine has been charged with stealing drugs from the pharmacy where she worked.

July 31, 2012

New digs for Maine agencies will save $1M annually

The state government will save more than $1 million per year in rent when two agencies move into a newly constructed office building at the edge of Maine's capital.

July 31, 2012

Celebrate Ice Cream Sandwich Day with samples, blimp flyover in Portland

Mass.-based Hood Ice Cream will celebrate the dairy delight in four cities, including Portland, by offering free ice cream sandwich samples and coupons from noon to 2 p.m. Thursday.

July 31, 2012

Harpswell man faces Richmond OUI charge

Harpswell man is facing charges after reportedly smashing into a curb while trying to start his car early Friday morning.

July 31, 2012

Girl grabs wheel when grandfather dies in NJ

After her grandfather suffered a heart attack and died while driving her home, 12-year-old Miranda Bowman managed to stop the truck and escape unharmed.

July 31, 2012

Woman charged with Topsham pharmacy robberies

Police say the suspect entered the drug stores within minutes of each other and passed the pharmacists a note demanding prescription painkillers.

July 31, 2012

Steel to arrive for new Memorial Bridge in Sept



July 31, 2012

Police: 2 rob NH gas station, crash car in Maine

Police arrested 18-year-old Patrick Saunders of Somersworth and 30-year-old Allan Nicholson of Milton early Monday after their vehicle crashed in North Berwick.

July 31, 2012

Small farmers struggle as drought kills vegetables



July 31, 2012

Whole Amtrak system now open to eTickets

eTickets enable passengers to skip the line at the ticket window and go straight to the gate by printing their tickets anywhere.

July 31, 2012

Canada-Maine marathon to debut in 2013

The marathon will start at Quoddy Head Station in the eastern Maine town of Lubec and cross over the Lubec Narrows onto Canada's Campobello Island.

July 31, 2012

Farmington man charged with stealing boats, selling them on radio

FARMINGTON -- A Farmington man faces felony charges -- possibly in three separate courts -- after he allegedly stole boats from across the region and sold them on a local radio station flea market program.

July 31, 2012

Monmouth Fair ready for its 102nd celebration of farming

MONMOUTH -- Paul Fox has been involved with putting on the Monmouth Fair since 1966, but the small country fair still gives him a charge each year.

July 31, 2012

Local & State Dispatches

Man charged in Westbrook murder refuses to enter plea / Five post-concert parties to feature 'special guests' / Hypnotist loses appeal of sex-assault conviction ... and more news from around the state.

July 31, 2012

Cape Elizabeth lawyer's judicial nomination on hold

20090709_Snapshots The Senate majority leader says a vote to seat William Kayatta is unlikely before Election Day.

July 31, 2012

Maine man charged with raping 4-year-old girl

A 22-year-old baby-sitter is accused of raping a 4-year-old girl and recording the act on his cellphone.

July 31, 2012

Wandering toddler rescued by Waterville police

A toddler who was found screaming on a porch on Silver Street on Monday morning, wearing only a diaper, was rescued by police and returned to his baby-sitter.

July 31, 2012

Windham to get roundabout on River Road

The state will build the traffic circle at the Windham Center Road intersection as part of a project that starts next year.

July 31, 2012

Island's past stirs a burning desire Several photos included in this story

 An online exhibit featuring vintage photos highlights an effort to enhance Little Chebeague as a destination.

July 31, 2012

If someone's on the brink, he's there to talk them down

 Crisis counselor Bob Rockett stopped a man from jumping off a dam near the Maine Mall last week.

July 31, 2012

Dust control pledged at Munjoy Hill construction site

 Avesta promises to use sprinklers and keep neighbors informed, but skepticism lingers.

July 30, 2012

Funnel cloud forms over Sebago Lake

The funnel cloud might have become a tornado if it had continued over land, according to the National Weather Service.

July 31, 2012

Yarmouth demolition could lead to massive fines

 The Yarmouth Water District and its contractor face as much as $300,000 in fines for tearing down a 200-year-old house without getting a demolition permit or notifying the town's historical society.

July 30, 2012

For-profit schools get scathing review

Olympia Snow, Jock McKernan One firm, tied to former Maine Gov. John McKernan, is part of a harsh critique in a Senate panel's probe.

July 30, 2012

Bay State Legislature rejects attempt to soften 3-strikes bill

The debate is over whether judges should have the discretion to allow for parole after long prison terms. The governor says 'yes,' the House says 'no.'

July 30, 2012

Saco voters face question on split from RSU 23

Dayton will answer a similar question Aug. 13. The school district will vote on the budget Tuesday.

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