RIPLEY

Four adults, teen accused of hunting deer at night

Maine wardens say they’ve charged four adults and a 17-year-old girl in the shootings of five deer at night in the town of Ripley.

The Maine Warden Service identified Jesse Kwasniewski, 21, of Harmony, as the primary person responsible for the deer killings in early October.

He was charged with five counts of night hunting, one count of hunting under the influence, five counts of hunting or possessing deer in closed season, shooting too close to a dwelling, shooting from a motor vehicle and hunting without a license.

The three other adults and the juvenile were issued summonses on a variety of hunting offenses.

LEWISTON

Embezzlement cases rise to 56 in Maine during 2011

Embezzlement cases are on the rise in Maine, reaching 56 in 2011.

From 1987 to 2002, no more than 20 people were arrested for embezzlement each year.

The numbers started going up in 2003, according to the Sun Journal of Lewiston, with the count growing to 43 in 2010 and 56 in 2011. The cases have included people stealing from towns, banks, libraries, lawyers and civic organizations.

Officials say there are a number of theories about why the numbers are rising, including that there are simply more people embezzling, that more people are getting caught, that victims are more willing to report the thefts, and that police and prosecutors are more willing to investigate and prosecute.

PORTLAND

Former marine official honored with high award

A former longtime Department of Marine Resources commissioner in Maine has been honored with the highest annual award given by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission.

The commission presented the Capt. David D. Hart Award to George Lapointe, the DMR commissioner from 1998 to 2010, at the commission’s annual meeting last week in Philadelphia.

Lapointe was recognized for his more than 30 years of serving in fisheries management leadership positions at the state, interstate and federal levels.

The Atlantic State Marine Fisheries Commission is a regional agency that oversees the management of certain marine species along the Eastern Seaboard.

Museum to extend hours for Winslow Homer exhibit

The Portland Museum of Art is extending the hours of its Winslow Homer exhibition because of public demand.

“Weatherbeaten: Winslow Homer and Maine” has been a popular draw since it opened Sept. 22. The exhibit features 38 of Homer’s works that he produced in his studio in Scarborough, where he lived from 1883 until his death in 1910.

To accommodate more people, the museum says it will extend its hours on Nov. 24 and 25, the Saturday and Sunday after Thanksgiving, until 9 p.m. From Dec. 13 until Dec. 29, the museum will extend its hours on Thursdays and Saturdays until 8 p.m.

The museum normally closes at 5 p.m. on those days.

AUBURN

Police looking for gunman who robbed Auburn store

Auburn police are seeking a suspect who robbed a store at gunpoint.

Officials said a white man wearing dark sunglasses and a scarf over his face entered Wheeler’s Market about 7 p.m. Saturday, pulled a gun and demanded money. The man fled with an undisclosed amount of cash, police said. No one was injured.

The man was described as just under 6 feet tall, 180 to 200 pounds, and wearing a blue sweatshirt and dark pants during the robbery.