SOUTH PORTLAND

Police looking for man in armed bank robbery

Police are investigating an armed bank robbery that occurred Monday evening.

Sgt. Steve Webster said the robber, identified as a white man with a thin build, entered the TD Bank branch at 9 Market St. at 5:28 p.m. and pointed a handgun at a teller.

The suspect, who was wearing a mask, demanded money and was given “a small amount” before he fled.

He was last seen wearing a dark hooded sweatshirt, a black baseball hat, jeans and white sneakers. The mask covered half of his face. Police said the man was wearing black gloves.

Anyone with information about the robbery should call Detective Steve Connors at 799-5511, extension 7217.

BELFAST

Man gets 16 years in prison for killing Florida firefighter

A man who pleaded guilty to killing a Florida firefighter in a dispute over drug money is going to prison for 16 years.

A judge imposed the sentence Monday on Daniel Porter, who pleaded guilty to manslaughter under an agreement that capped his sentence at 20 years.

Porter, 25, was arrested in February 2012 at a house in Jackson where police say he killed Jerry Perdomo, 31, of Orange City, Fla. Porter told police that he owed the Seminole County firefighter $3,000 and that Perdomo had threatened him and his family.

Police said Porter and Perdomo had exchanged threats, with Porter threatening to put Perdomo through a wood chipper and Perdomo threatening to cut off Porter’s hands.

AUGUSTA

Bill to let fishermen sell lobster by-catch is dead

A legislative committee has tabled a bill to let fishermen land lobsters they inadvertently catch in their nets, with committee members saying there’s virtually no support for the proposal.

State Sen. Anne Haskell, D-Portland, submitted the bill to let fishermen to sell their lobster by-catch in Portland to help maintain the city’s fish auction, processing plants, fuel and ice suppliers, and related businesses. Many Maine fishermen now bring their catches to Massachusetts, where it’s legal to sell lobsters that get caught in their nets.

Sen. Christopher Johnson, co-chairman of the Marine Resources Committee, said committee members showed no support for the bill at a work session Monday but are willing to listen to other proposals that would help the fishing industry in Portland.

KENNEBUNK

Animal shelter offers reward for return of missing puppy

The Animal Welfare Society in West Kennebunk is asking for the public’s help to find a puppy that may have been stolen during the weekend.

Walton, a 4-month-old mixed-breed male, disappeared from the quarantine area of the Animal Welfare Society early Sunday afternoon. The staff believes that a woman who was last seen with the puppy on a leash may have stolen Walton, said Gail Crowell, the shelter’s program coordinator. The quarantine area is closed to the public.

Staff members realized around 2 p.m. that the dog was missing and that the woman was not a volunteer or a staff member.

Walton was not yet available for adoption and had not had all of his medical and temperament tests.

The shelter has sent Walton’s photo to about 30 veterinarians and is offering a reward for his return.

Walton weighs about 20 pounds and is black and tan. His left front paw and the tip of his tail are white.

A dog was stolen from the shelter last year and later returned. In that incident, no one was seen taking or returning the dog, Crowell said.

Anyone with information is asked to call 985-3244 or 650-1112.

GORHAM

Gorham Middle School wins challenge to reduce waste

Gorham Middle School was awarded $2,000 for coming in first in a competition to create a plan to reduce waste in schools.

The winners of the second annual Zero Waste Challenge were announced at an Earth Day assembly Monday at Gorham Middle School, according to the contest’s sponsors.

Among the 700 people at the assembly were students from Westbrook Middle School, which received $1,000 for second place, and Molly Ockett School in Fryeburg, which received $500 for third place.

The competition, sponsored by Poland Spring and The Chewonki Foundation in Wiscasset, asks middle-school students to form plans for how their schools can save money by reducing the amount of waste they produce.

The entries were judged by a panel that included sustainability experts from the Ferry Beach Ecology School, Bowdoin College, Pine Tree Waste and ecomaine. The prize money must be used to implement the plans to reduce waste or to attend an environmental education program at Chewonki.

PORTLAND

Climate experts will hold conference Thursday at USM

Maine climate adaptation experts will gather to discuss the likely effects of climate change and planning that’s needed to address it.

The forum will be held Thursday at the University of Southern Maine’s Portland campus.

Topics to be addressed include anticipated changes in sea levels, challenges of floods and storms, and solutions to address risks from sea level changes and severe weather.

The Maine Department of Environmental Protection issued a report in 2010 that contained 60 recommendations to adapt to and mitigate climate change effects. Lawmakers are now considering legislation to resume that study and submit a plan by February 2015.

Thursday’s conference is organized by the Environmental and Energy Technology Council of Maine, a nonprofit trade association.