SOUTH PORTLAND

Fishing boat runs aground near Portland Head Light

Additional Photos

A team from Clean Harbors secures a boom around the Rachel T, a fishing vessel that ran aground near the Portland Head Light on Saturday, The boat’s owner, Terry Alexander, who was not aboard, said he had 10,000 pounds of fish in the hold. Derek Davis/Staff Photographer

A fishing vessel that ran aground early Saturday has been towed to a Portland marina.

The Rachel T ran aground around 4:45 a.m. between Portland Head Light and Willard Beach. Four people on board were able to get off the vessel safely without injury.

The vessel was freed later in the morning when a wave created by another vessel pushed the Rachel T off the rocks. Crews towed the vessel to Willard Beach rather than to Portland because it was sinking.

The effort to move the vessel from Willard Beach had to wait until the tide came up. The vessel arrived at Gowen Marine around 9:30 p.m., according to Coast Guard Petty Officer 1st Class Erin Lopez.

“She is out of the water and on the blocks,” Lopez said.

With 400 gallons of diesel fuel on board, there were concerns about pollution. Crews from Clean Harbors set up a boom to keep any leaked fuel from contaminating the environment, according to the Coast Guard. Lopez said there was no fuel leakage.

The cause of the incident remains under investigation.

NEWRY

Chairlift malfunction spurs evacuation at Sunday River

About 160 people were evacuated Saturday from a chairlift at the Sunday River ski resort after a bearing in the system that moves the chairs failed, triggering a safety device that automatically stopped the lift.

A resort spokeswoman said the malfunction happened at 11:15 a.m. Saturday on the South Ridge Express quad lift.

The ski patrol started evacuating people from the lift about 15 minutes later. The evacuation ended an hour later, and there were no injuries.

Spokeswoman Darcy Morse said that mechanics identified the problem as a blown bearing in the system that moves the chair through the bottom terminal. The bearing was replaced, and the chairlift was reopened.

Morse said the chairlift receives routine daily inspections.

CARRABASSETT VALLEY

Winds force resort to delay final testing on chairlift

Because of high, gusty winds at Sugarloaf USA on Saturday, some testing that was expected to be conducted on the chairlift that derailed on Dec. 28 was put on hold.

“Some of the electrical testing, which basically is plugging a computer in and testing the system,” was completed, Sugarloaf spokesman Ethan Austin said Saturday. “Some (testing) involves operating the lift, which we couldn’t do today because of the wind.”

Tests completed Friday by resort mechanics, along with the state’s chief inspector and an insurance representative, revealed no mechanical concerns, Sugarloaf said in a statement Friday evening.

If winds calm down, Austin said Sugarloaf mechanics hope to continue tests on the lift today. He said the reopening of Spillway East is contingent upon weather, the completion of these tests and the state Tramway Board reinstating the chairlift.

The National Weather Service forecast for the Sugarloaf area today calls for winds between 15 and 25 mph with gusts up to 45 mph, dropping off in the afternoon.

PARSONSFIELD

Blaze at South Road homeclaims life of one person

One person died in a house fire here Saturday afternoon, according to the state Fire Marshal’s Office.

Firefighters discovered the body soon after they arrived at the ranch-style home on South Road. The elderly man who owns the home was unaccounted-for, according to the Fire Marshal’s Office.

The fire was reported shortly before 4 p.m.

State fire investigators were at the scene Saturday evening, where firefighters were still mopping up.

PORTLAND

Church: Accusations against Maine priest are unproven

Maine’s Roman Catholic Diocese says that sexual abuse complaints against a priest stemming from the 1980s have not been proven.

The Rev. Thomas Lee was removed from the ministry in 2004. At the time of the alleged abuse, he was pastor of Our Lady Queen of Peace parish in Boothbay Harbor, where he served from 1971 to 1985.

In 2008, a three-priest church tribunal determined the accusations were not proven. Bishop Richard Malone appealed that decision.

The diocese announced Saturday that a church appeals court has confirmed the tribunal’s findings, but it also agreed that Lee acted imprudently with minors.

The diocese said that based on that conduct and on circumstances surrounding the case, Malone has decided to continue to bar Lee from serving any public ministry in the church. Possible exceptions will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

Three cities get $300,000 to provide diesel bus services

The Maine Department of Transportation is getting $300,000 for diesel buses for metropolitan bus services in three cities.

Democratic U.S. Reps. Mike Michaud and Chellie Pingree said the Federal Transit Administration money will be used to lease the buses to the Greater Portland Transit District, the South Portland Bus Service and the Bangor Area Transportation System.

Michaud and Pingree said the buses use a clean fuel and will improve transit options in those communities.

WATERVILLE

Fire destroys bus parked at school; nobody injured

Authorities say a fire has destroyed an empty school bus parked at Waterville Junior High School. No one was hurt.

The cause of the fire was unknown. Waterville fire Lt. Rodney Alderman said the Friday morning fire started in the engine compartment.

The transportation director for the school district that includes Waterville, Winslow and Vassalboro told the Morning Sentinel that the bus is too damaged to repair.

The driver had covered a general route Friday, then parked the five-year-old bus about 9 a.m.

AUGUSTA

Governor’s weekly address focuses on pension liability

Gov. Paul LePage says $6.5 billion of Maine’s total debt are unfunded pension and health benefit liabilities owed to state employees and teachers.

In his weekly radio address, LePage said that for years, promises about health and retirement benefits have been made to public employees but were not paid for by the Legislature. Now, he said, the bills are starting to come due, and they are enormous.

The governor said his proposed budget includes more than $500 million in retiree pension and health care obligation payments over the next two years.

In the Democratic response, Sen. Justin Alfond of Portland said that LePage’s proposal to cut $524 million from public employees’ and teachers’ pensions is unfair. Alfond said thousands of working Maine families will suffer as a result of those cuts.

State continues free-fishing family promotion today

Wildlife officials are encouraging Mainers to get out on the state’s lakes and rivers by offering a weekend of free fishing. The Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Department said Saturday’s and today’s

Family Free Fishing Days are open to all except people whose licenses have been revoked or suspended.

Acting Commissioner Joel Wilkinson said the promotion is a great way for adults to experience the joy of fishing with their children.

The state sells about 286,000 fishing licenses annually.

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