BRUNSWICK

Father asks for public’s help in finding his missing son

The father of a Brunswick man who has schizophrenia and has been missing for nearly three weeks is appealing to the public for help.

Jason Reil, 33, was last seen by his father on Jan. 12.

Doug Reil told the Bangor Daily News that his son visited and said he hadn’t been sleeping or taking his medication. He also was delusional and began talking about government conspiracies. He went out for a walk and never came back.

He was last seen wearing khakis, a green pullover sweater and leather shoes. He left his jacket and gloves at his father’s house and left his phone and keys at his apartment.

The family filed a missing-person report with Brunswick police.

SCARBOROUGH

Cause of blaze in home at Pine Point investigated

The cause of a fire that damaged a year-round home Monday night at Pine Point remains under investigation.

A dispatcher for the Scarborough Fire Department said the owner of the home at 24 Oceanview Road contacted authorities around 6:30 p.m. to report that his home was on fire. When fire crews arrived, they encountered smoke coming from the two-story, wood-frame house in the oceanfront community.

No injuries were reported, but the home did sustain significant damage.

Firefighters from Old Orchard Beach also responded. Fire crews spent nearly three hours cleaning up debris.

PORTLAND

LePage’s proposed cuts called a burden to others

A group of city officials, hospital officials, business leaders and nonprofit organizations are voicing concerns over Gov. Paul LePage’s proposed cuts to the state’s health and human services budget.

At a press conference Monday near the Mercy Hospital emergency room, Mayor Michael Brennan said the cuts would shift the burden of providing health care onto the city, medical providers and nonprofit groups. He said the proposed budget would eliminate $2 million a year for city programs.

Mercy officials said the cuts would cost the hospital $6 million in lost revenue. Eileen Skinner, president and chief executive officer of Mercy Health System of Maine, called the proposal the “nuclear option.”

Other groups in the coalition are the Portland Regional Chamber, Catholic Charities Maine, Preble Street and the United Way of Greater Portland.

LePage has proposed closing a $221 million shortfall in the Department of Health and Human Services primarily by overhauling MaineCare, the state’s Medicaid program, to bring it closer to what other states spend on public health benefits. His plan would drop 65,000 people from coverage by tightening eligibility requirements.

The plan also proposes cutting $29.5 million from the Fund for a Healthy Maine, about half the program’s budget.

Downtown Showdown canceled for lack of snow

The Downtown Showdown, a skiing and snowboarding competition in downtown Portland sponsored by the Sunday River and Sugarloaf ski areas, has been canceled this year because of a lack of snow.

The event was scheduled for Friday, but officials from the ski areas met Monday morning and decided to cancel, said Ethan Austin, communications manager for Sugarloaf.

Austin said the event will not be rescheduled this winter.

The free event has been held for the past few winters in Monument Square, where a 35-foot-high skiing hill was constructed with scaffolding and snow trucked in from nearby areas.

UNITY

Republicans start caucuses to pick presidential nominee

Maine Republicans are beginning to hold their local caucuses to choose presidential favorites, but the results won’t be known for a while.

The Bangor Daily News said Republicans in the town of Unity cast their votes Sunday in a straw poll marking one of the first caucuses to be held in Maine this presidential election year.

Republicans have been asked by party leaders to hold their caucuses between Feb. 4 and 11, with statewide results to be announced on the latter date in Portland. The nonbinding results are the first step toward electing Maine’s 24 delegates to the Republican National Convention.

The strongest GOP candidates in Maine are Mitt Romney, who has a strong campaign organization, and Ron Paul, who is not only organized but has recently visited the state.

FREEPORT

Coalition against soccer deal invites public to meeting

The Save Our Neighborhoods Coalition will hold a public meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Freeport Community Library.

The coalition is fighting a proposal to give 12 acres of town-owned land near Hedgehog Mountain to the Seacoast United Maine soccer club to develop an indoor-outdoor field complex.

In exchange, the town would get some public use of one of two outdoor artificial-turf fields and a 62,000-square-foot indoor soccer arena.

Coalition members said they’re considering steps to block the Town Council from allowing commercial development in rural residential districts, which make up about 70 percent of the town.

They’re also questioning the role of the town-funded Freeport Economic Development Corp. in promoting commercial interests in the community.

WINDHAM

Firefighters forced to use extinguishers against blaze

Firefighters used manual extinguishers on a garage fire at 20 Aroostook Drive as they dealt with an extremely icy private road leading to the home.

The fire, reported at 8:22 p.m. Sunday, was caused by items stored too close to a portable kerosene heater in the garage, said Fire Chief Charlie Hammond.

Thirty to 40 firefighters from Windham, Gray, Gorham and Westbrook converged at the scene because of the difficulty of the conditions.

It took firefighters about 40 minutes to get the fire under control, though most of that time was spent getting to the scene and using manual extinguishers, Hammond said.

No one was hurt.

The smoke and water in the garage produced steam and smoke particles in the living area above, Hammond said. The resident cannot stay in the house in its current condition.

AUGUSTA

Attorney general asked again about Poliquin’s dealings

Democrats in the Legislature say a second request is being filed with the state attorney general about whether Treasurer Bruce Poliquin’s private business dealings violate the state Constitution.

Portland Democratic Rep. Mark Dion made a second request for a formal opinion on Poliquin’s business dealings as owner of the Popham Beach Club. Dion sent his initial request for an opinion to Attorney General William Schneider on Jan. 17. The attorney general’s office is investigating.

Democrats say the Constitution bars the treasurer from engaging in any business of trade or commerce while serving in that office.

The Maine Democratic Party has also filed a complaint with the state ethics commission claiming Poliquin failed to disclose financial information required by law in his most recent financial disclosure form.

ROCKLAND

Antiques duo to be featured in ‘Born Dealers’ marathon

“Born Dealers,” a cable TV program that features antiques dealers from Rockland, will air a six-hour marathon of episodes Wednesday on Planet Green, a Discovery network.

The show follows the antics of Jerry and Jeremiah Pasternak, a father-son team who travel the country buying and selling “cool kitsch” antiques such as vintage jukeboxes and barber chairs.

The Pasternaks, who live in Florida during winter and in Maine in the summer, sell their finds over the Internet and from a Rockland warehouse that is open by appointment only. Their website is PasternakAntiques.com.

“Born Dealers” premiered in November and ran for a half-dozen episodes.

All six shows will be aired Wednesday beginning at 1 p.m. during a marathon on Planet Green, which can be found on Time Warner Cable Channel 107.

BANGOR

Lynx dies in trap as officials await shield from liability

Maine wildlife officials say one lynx has been killed and at least six others captured in traps during the 2011-12 trapping season. Meanwhile, state officials are awaiting federal action on a permit intended to shield the state from liability when the protected wildcats are inadvertently caught.

Wally Jakubas of the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife says the six lynx released alive after being caught in foothold traps showed little or no sign of harm. He told the Bangor Daily News the investigation into the killed lynx is continuing and the trapper faces charges.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is reviewing the state’s application for an “incidental take” permit that would protect the state and trappers from legal claims if lynx are inadvertently caught in legally set traps intended for other species.

JAY

Man charged with theft of rum, computer, 22 guns

A Jay man has been charged with stealing an arsenal of 22 guns as well as a bottle of rum and a laptop computer from a home in town.

Police say Roger Briscoe, 33, was arrested within 12 hours of the theft on Friday, in which a chain saw and a bucket of change were also stolen.

He was charged with felony theft by unauthorized taking or transfer and burglary, and violation of condition of release. He was ordered held on $5,000 cash bail.

The Sun Journal reported that the weapons stolen included semi-automatic assault rifles, handguns and shotguns. All of the stolen items were recovered.

CONCORD, N.H.

Judge dismisses Mainer’s lawsuit over dog in road

A federal judge has thrown out a lawsuit blaming a New Hampshire man for a motorcycle crash involving his son’s dog.

Lisa Lorrain, a Maine resident, was seriously hurt in 2009 when she tried to avoid hitting the dog and crashed into a telephone poll in Wakefield. She sued John Branscombe of Nottingham, whose adult son owned the dog, arguing that he could be considered the dog’s “keeper” under the law because he let his son bring the dog to work at a business he owned in Rochester.

A U.S. District Court judge rejected that argument Monday and said that even if Branscombe was the dog’s keeper, the state’s “dog bite” law doesn’t apply because the dog wasn’t being vicious or mischievous in running into the road.