BELFAST

Suspect in firefighter’s death given support at courthouse

More than 50 friends and family members turned out to support a man at his first court appearance on a charge that he murdered a Florida firefighter.

Daniel Porter of Jackson wore a bulletproof vest over his jail jumpsuit as he appeared Friday in Waldo County Superior Court. He didn’t enter a plea.

The Bangor Daily News reports that supporters shouted, “We love you, Daniel!” as he made his way through the courthouse.

Porter, 24, is charged with killing Jerry Perdomo of Orange City, Fla. Perdomo, 31, was last seen Feb. 16, and his body was recovered Wednesday in Newburgh.

Police say the two were involved in drugs and had exchanged death threats.

Porter gave a thumbs-up to supporters as he was being driven back to jail.

AUGUSTA

Votes expected on cutting election act’s matching funds

Further legislative votes are expected on a bill to strip so-called matching funds out of the Maine public campaign financing law.

The Senate on Thursday gave initial approval to the bill, which was submitted in response to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling. The justices rejected a provision in Arizona’s law that tied the amount of public funds a candidate receives to how much privately funded rivals spend.

Maine has a similar matching fund provision in its Clean Election Act, putting it on shaky legal ground, so the Senate voted to scuttle it. Further House and Senate votes are expected next week.

Some groups want the Legislature to pass an alternative allowing participating candidates to receive supplemental funding.

Copper-wire thief banned from property owned by CMP

An Augusta man who stole 69 copper ground wires from utility poles in Augusta in July has been banned from being on property owned by Central Maine Power Co. as a condition of his probation.

Michael Buck pleaded guilty in Kennebec County Superior Court to five counts each of burglary and theft by unauthorized taking.

The crimes occurred in Waterville, Farmingdale, Augusta and South China, between April 1 and July 1.

The Kennebec Journal reports that Buck, 28, was also sentenced to three years in jail, with all but six months suspended, and two years of probation.

He was also ordered to pay nearly $36,000 in restitution.

WATERVILLE

Teddy bear donations will be collected today at Ayla vigil

A vigil for the missing toddler Ayla Reynolds is scheduled for 1 p.m. today at Castonguay Square.

Organizers of the Teddy Bear Vigil will distribute free bracelets and night lights.

The Morning Sentinel reports that participants are asked to bring donations of teddy bears that organizers say will be donated to police or other agencies that help children cope with emergencies.

Ayla was 20 months old when she was reported missing Dec. 17 by her father, Justin DiPietro. He said he last saw her when he put her to bed the night before.

Police have called her disappearance a crime but no one has been charged.

Her mother, Trista Reynolds, lives in Portland.

ROCKLAND

Man who used baby as shield to spend up to 90 days in jail

A Maine man authorities say was under the influence of the drug known as bath salts when he used an infant as a shield to avoid arrest has reached a deal with prosecutors under which he will spend no more than 90 days in jail.

Tony Bartlett entered guilty pleas in Knox County Superior Court this week to charges including assaulting an officer and endangering the welfare of a child.

The Bangor Daily News reported that if Bartlett violates the agreement, the judge would be able to impose a more severe sentence.

Bartlett, 21, was arrested in December after police responded to a domestic violence call.

Police say he had his 6-month-old baby in his arms and refused to give him up, squeezing him until he cried.

BANGOR

PenAir and Cape Air to serve Presque Isle and Bar Harbor

The U.S. Department of Transportation has announced the airlines that will provide air service to Presque Isle and the Bar Harbor region under the government’s Essential Air Service program.

Officials said Friday that Peninsula Airways, or PenAir, will provide year-round air service to the Northern Maine Regional Airport in Presque Isle and seasonal service to the Hancock County-Bar Harbor Airport in Trenton.

Cape Air will provide year-round service to the Bar Harbor airport.

Colgan Air last year tried to terminate its service to the airports, but the transportation department prohibited it from doing so until replacement air carriers were found.

The Essential Air Service program provides federal assistance to carriers serving rural communities that otherwise might lose service because of economic factors.

KITTERY

Nuclear submarine arrives at shipyard for maintenance

A Connecticut-based nuclear submarine is going to spend the next 20 months at Maine’s Portsmouth Naval Shipyard while the vessel undergoes maintenance and upgrades.

The fast attack submarine USS Miami arrived on Thursday after operating five months in Europe.

The Miami is based in Groton, Conn.

Foster’s Daily Democrat said the Miami has been traveling between ports in Europe and across the Mediterranean conducting maritime security operations.

The shipyard will perform most of the repair work, but crew members are also going to be working on the vessel and training.

— From staff and news services

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