SANFORD

Apartment fire displaces occupants of five units

The occupants of five units in a Sanford apartment building at 7 Frost St. were displaced by a fire Sunday afternoon.

No one was hurt in the fire, which broke out in a third-floor apartment in the wooden structure about 12:05 p.m., said Lt. Steven Ouellette of the Sanford Fire Department.

Ouellette said most of the tenants, including those in the apartment where the fire started, were home when a neighbor noticed smoke and shouted a warning to those inside the building.

Ouellette said the apartment was heavily damaged. Smoke and water damaged other units in the building, he said.

About 24 firefighters fought the blaze, and the scene was cleared at 3 p.m.

The cause of the fire is under investigation by the State Fire Marshal’s Office. It has not been ruled suspicious at this point, Ouellette said.

Ouellette said the American Red Cross is finding temporary housing for the displaced tenants.

AUGUSTA

Homeless women’s shelter gets boost from state funds

A transitional home in Maine for women and children who are homeless is getting a boost from the state.

Gov. Paul LePage is designating $20,000 from his contingency fund to the Penquis Journey House in Dexter.

The home for women between the ages of 16 and 21 offers job training, parenting classes and other resources. The home can support up to four women with one or two children each for as long as 18 months.

The governor’s office says most of the women who seek shelter at the home have experienced hardships such as child abuse and domestic violence.

Maine seeks applications for project grant funding

Maine is seeking applications for grant funding for projects designed to boost job creation in struggling communities.

Gov. Paul LePage said several Maine counties, including Androscoggin, Franklin and Kennebec, are eligible for a piece of $4.5 million in grants that will be handed out by the Northern Border Regional Commission. Individual projects will receive as much as $250,000.

The grants can go toward a variety of initiatives, including health care and transportation infrastructure projects.

LePage said the grants will help “maximize the creation of quality jobs for Mainers in some of our more economically disadvantaged regions.”

The state’s Department of Economic and Community Development is accepting applications for the grants, which will be awarded in September.

– From staff and news services