KENNEBUNK

Police track down suspects in several home burglaries

Kennebunk police on Thursday arrested two suspects in a pair of home burglaries and an attempted burglary earlier this week.

According to police, the owners of a home on Fairway Drive said they returned home Tuesday to find their house had been burglarized. At about the same time, another homeowner on Sea Garden Circle reported a burglary and a neighbor reported an attempted burglary.

The homeowner in the attempted burglary said the suspects ran away when they saw the home was occupied and the homeowner was calling 911.

Witnesses said the burglars were a man and a woman.

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Kennebunk police said similar burglaries had been committed in Exeter, N.H. With help from Exeter, Kennebunk police said they were able to identify potential suspects and the car they were using.

The vehicle was found at the Biddeford Hotel, where police arrested the car’s owner, Terry M. Deschenes, 23, of Seabrook, N.H., on a warrant for violating probation in New Hampshire. Police said they expect to file other charges soon.

Arrested with Deschenes was Shannon M. Reed, 24, of Portsmouth, N.H., who was charged with three counts of burglary and taken to York County Jail.

FREEPORT

Man found dead after crash likely had medical condition

A Freeport man whose car crashed into a tree on Route 136 in Freeport Friday morning apparently died of a medical condition, police said.

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Robert Harvey, 75, of Beech Hill Road, was driving a 2005 Chrysler Voyager on Route 136 near the intersection of Route 125 at about 7 a.m. when he apparently lost consciousness and drove off the road into a tree, police said.

Harvey was not wearing a seat belt but it appears he died as a result of the medical condition, police said.

AUGUSTA

Cancer Task Force outlines proposals for Legislature

A Maine panel that’s been studying how the state can help lower rates of cancer wants lawmakers to look for ways to increase funding for tobacco and obesity prevention.

The Cancer Task Force met Friday to finalize its recommendations for the Legislature, which returns next month.

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The commission is backing an effort to expand Medicaid coverage under the federal health care overhaul and an education campaign on nutrition and physical activity.

Other recommendations include increasing some taxes on cigarettes and requiring health plans that cover chemotherapy to include medication that’s administered orally.

LEWISTON

Woman charged with fraud for getting welfare benefits

A Lewiston woman has been charged with fraudulently obtaining about $10,000 worth of welfare benefits.

Amina Ege was indicted on multiple counts of theft by deception, aggravated forgery and unsworn falsification.

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Authorities allege the 41-year-old Ege lied about the fact that she was living with a man who provided her with financial support and failed to disclose that she had received a workers’ compensation settlement, the Sun Journal reported.

The result of those omissions, according to the indictment, was that Ege received more than $10,000 worth of food stamp benefits, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, and housing assistance.

Drug agents charge man with heroin distribution

Maine drug enforcement officials say they’ve charged a Lewiston man with illegal distribution of heroin.

Maine Drug Enforcement Agency Cmdr. Scott Pelletier said 40-year-old Macarthur Taylor was arrested Thursday at his Lewiston apartment.

Pelletier said agents made undercover heroin purchases from Taylor, including several in designated drug-free zones near schools.

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Pelletier said the investigation led agents to search Taylor’s apartment, where they seized drug-trafficking items.

The MDEA said it anticipates more arrests.

OLD TOWN

Old Town man, 32, dies after falling from roof

Authorities say a 32-year-old roofer from Bangor has died after falling from an Old Town building.

The man apparently lost his balance and fell head first about 15 feet to the concrete below at about 3:30 p.m. Thursday.

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He was pronounced dead at the scene.

His name was not immediately released. Police say he was part of a roofing crew working on a commercial building.

The state Medical Examiner’s Office and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration are investigating, although police say the death appears accidental.

FARMINGTON

Local police sergeant cited for hunting violation

A Farmington police sergeant is facing a fine for unintentionally killing a cow moose without a hunting permit.

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The Maine Warden Service summoned Sgt. Edward Hastings IV of Chesterville.

The Warden Service said Hastings and a hunting partner shot at a bull moose during the season on Oct. 16. When they got to the place where the moose fell, however, two moose were down, including the cow, for which they did not have a permit.

An investigation determined the bullet that killed the cow came from Hastings’ gun and the shooting was unintentional.

Hastings does not face jail time but could be fined.

Hastings, the department’s employee of the year in 2012, apologized in a statement to the Sun Journal newspaper for killing the moose and bringing unwanted attention to the department.


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