WATERBORO

Coast Guardsman who died attended Massabesic High

One of three Coast Guard crew members killed Wednesday in a helicopter crash off the coast of Washington state grew up in Maine.

Lt. Sean D. Krueger of Seymour, Conn., the commander, attended Massabesic High School in Waterboro. He was 33, and leaves behind a wife and three children.

Also killed were 40-year-old Adam C. Hoke of Great Falls, Mont.; and 33-year-old Brett M. Banks of Rock Spring, N.Y. A fourth crew member is recovering from a broken arm and leg at a hospital in Seattle.

Coast Guard investigators are trying to determine why the MH-60 Jayhawk went down about 100 miles west of Seattle on the Olympic Peninsula.

STANDISH

Baldwin man dies as result of car crash on Route 113

A 20-year-old Baldwin man has died as a result of a single-car accident Thursday in Standish.

The victim was identified as Timothy D. Strout of Bishop-Delisle Lane, according to the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office.

Capt. Don Goulet said Strout was driving a 1998 Toyota Corolla on Pequawket Trail, also known as Route 113, in Standish around noon. The car went off the road, struck a utility pole and then a tree. The vehicle caught fire. Passersby removed Strout from the car, but he was pronounced dead at the scene, Goulet said.

Speed and failure to wear a seatbelt were factors in the accident, Goulet said. A test will be performed for blood-alcohol content, but there was no evidence that alcohol was involved. The accident remains under investigation.

BATH

Police seek to identify man who tried to rob another

Bath police are seeking the public’s help in identifying a man who they say tried to rob another man Wednesday morning near the Big Apple convenience store on Western Avenue.

Detective Sgt. Robert Savary said the victim had just left the store when he noticed two men walking toward him. One of the men asked if he had money and demanded his wallet.

When the victim refused, the assailant and the victim scuffled and fell to the ground, where the victim was stabbed in the arm with a knife. The victim got to his feet and fled. He was treated for minor injuries at a local hospital.

The suspect is in his mid-20s, about 5-foot-8, has orange-red curly hair, several facial freckles and light skin. He wore a black T-shirt, blue jeans and white sneakers.

Anyone with information about the suspect should contact Savary at 443-8367.

PORTLAND

American Idol Live concert canceled by LiveNation

The American Idol Live concert scheduled for Sept. 16 at the Cumberland County Civic Center has been canceled by LiveNation, according to the venue’s website.

Entertainment Weekly’s website reports that eight of the concerts on the 2010 tour have been canceled. Those who have purchased tickets to the Portland show can get refunds at the point of purchase. 

UNE College of Pharmacy achieves candidate status

The University of New England College of Pharmacy has hired a new dean and achieved candidate status for its Doctor of Pharmacy Program from the Accreditation Council on Pharmacy Education, the school announced Thursday.

Students enrolled in a pharmacy school with candidate status have the same rights and privileges as those in a fully accredited program that occurs after the inaugural class graduates, according to the accreditation council.

“We are very pleased we have received this recognition,” said Dr. Douglas Kay, dean of the pharmacy school.

The school’s inaugural class has completed the first year of the four-year program, and the second class of 100 students will arrive on campus this fall.

UNE also announced its College of Pharmacy will welcome a new dean in September after an extensive national search. Gayle A. Brazeau, Ph.D., most recently served as the associate dean for academic affairs at the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Buffalo, State University of New York. She is also a professor in pharmacy practice there. 

USM announces winners of Presidential Scholarship

The University of Southern Maine has announced the first recipients of a prestigious new scholarship that recognizes exceptional academic achievement and community leadership.

The Creating Maine’s Future Presidential Scholarship Program provides incoming freshmen with $5,000 in tuition assistance each year for four years. More than 100 graduating seniors of Maine high schools were nominated.

The 2010 recipients are Alexandra Bishop, a graduate of Southern Aroostook High School in Dyer Brook; Kelsey Doiron, a graduate of Jay High School; Kim Lim, a graduate of South Portland High School; and Julia Richardson, a graduate of St. Dominic Regional High School in Auburn. Under terms of the scholarship, recipients must be enrolled as full-time students and maintain a grade point average of 3.0 or above.

This year’s scholarships were made possible through the financial support of Wright Express of South Portland; the USM Foundation Board of Directors, and individual members of that board.

A recent gift from Gorham Savings Bank, along with others soon to be announced, will allow additional Presidential Scholarships to be awarded next spring. 

Open invitation extended to Back Cove Block Party

Everyone is invited to the Back Cove Block Party this year, not just neighborhood residents.

The block party will be Sunday, Aug. 8, from noon to 3 p.m. on Baxter Boulevard in Portland. The road will be closed from Vannah Avenue to Payson Park.

An ice cream truck and firetruck will be there. Potluck desserts and drinks will be available.

The block party is put on by the Back Cove Neighborhood Association with help from the city of Portland. This is the event’s third year.

YORK

Driver charged with OUI after rollover on turnpike

A Massachusetts man was jailed on drunk driving charges after a crash that shut down several lanes of the Maine Turnpike early Thursday.

Police said a 1999 Subaru wagon driven by Neal Berwick, 28, of Charlestown, Mass., was traveling south around 1 a.m. when it began passing a tractor trailer on the right and collided with the right front fender of the truck. The collision caused the truck to roll over into the northbound lanes at mile 11.

Berwick was treated for minor injuries and released from York Hospital. He was charged with drunk driving and violating bail conditions. He was out on bail on charges of assault and resisting arrest from an earlier alcohol-related incident, according to Maine State Police Trooper Bernard Campbell.

A southbound lane was closed for much of the day while workers replaced about 150 feet of guardrail. The truck’s load of paper rolls, bound for Maryland, was destroyed.

WELLS

Smoking materials disposal blamed for fire at house

A home at 43 Valley Road was destroyed by fire Thursday, but no injuries were reported.

Wells Fire Chief Dan Moore said the fire is believed to have been caused by improper disposal of smoking materials.

When firefighters arrived around 3:30 p.m., about half the building was on fire and flames had gone through the roof. An occupant of the home was trying to use a garden hose to extinguish the fire, Moore said.

Firefighters from Wells, North Berwick, Sanford and Kennebunk responded.

CUMBERLAND

Medical examiner enters case of man found in pool

The State Medical Examiner was scheduled to conduct an examination to determine what killed a Cumberland man whose body was found in his swimming pool Tuesday night.

Kermit Schott of 3 Meadow Way was found by family members. They performed CPR until rescue workers arrived and took over, but he was pronounced dead at a hospital.

The medical examiner will try to determine whether Schott died as a result of a medical condition, such as a heart attack, or an injury to his spine, Fire Chief Dan Small said.

Schott, who was in his 40s, is survived by his wife and two children, he said.

HIRAM

Ossipee Valley Fair opens without midway rides

The Ossipee Valley Fair got under way in Hiram on Thursday morning, but without the usual midway rides.

A Canadian company that had agreed to provide the rides backed out late last week, according to Kathleen Haley, a lead organizer of the annual fair. The cancellation left no time to bring in a new midway provider, so the organizers got creative, she said.

Instead of a Ferris wheel and other rides, the fair has nearly a dozen inflatable children’s attractions, a dunk tank, a mechanical bull, a rock wall, bungee jumping and many other children’s games. First-day crowds were moderate and the midway makeover was not a problem, Haley said.

The country fair has lots of music, food and the traditional fare of livestock, exhibits and events, including a pie-eating contest, horse pulling, watermelon seed spitting and pig calling.

For more information and a schedule of events, go to: www.ossipeevalleyfair.com

AUGUSTA

Private funeral service held for soldier raised in Maine

A soldier from Maine who was killed in combat in Afghanistan has been laid to rest in a private service.

Thursday’s funeral for Staff Sgt. Eric Shaw at Plummer Funeral Home in Augusta was followed by a graveside service at the Maine Veterans Cemetery.

Shaw, who was 31, was born in Massachusetts and raised in Exeter, Maine. He was killed June 27 when his unit was attacked in Kunar, Afghanistan. He was serving with the 101st Airborne Division out of Fort Campbell, Ky.

Shaw was serving his third tour of duty. He is survived by his wife and three children between 1 month and 5 years old. 

Secretary of State sets order of ballot questions

Secretary of State Matt Dunlap held a drawing Thursday to determine the order of the Nov. 2 general election ballot questions.

The lone citizen initiative, which will ask voters to approve a new casino in Oxford County, is followed by two bond questions:

Question 1: Do you want to allow a casino with table games and slot machines at a single site in Oxford County, subject to local approval, with part of the profits going to specific state, local and tribal programs?

Question 2: Do you favor a $5 million bond issue to be awarded on a competitive basis to increase access to dental care in Maine, $3.5 million to be used for a community-based teaching dental clinic affiliated with or operated by a college of dental medicine to be matched by $3.5 million in other funds, and $1.5 million to be used to create or upgrade community-based health and dental care clinics across the state to increase their capacity as teaching and dental clinics?

Question 3: Do you favor a $9.75 million bond issue to invest in land conservation and working waterfront preservation and to preserve parks to be matched by $9.25 million in federal and other funds?

SCARBOROUGH

Fire department gets grant to hire full-time firefighters

The town’s fire department will be able to hire four full-time firefighters, thanks to a federal grant of nearly $500,000.

U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-1st District, announced Thursday that Scarborough will receive a $448,00 SAFER (Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response) grant to hire more staff.

Pingree’s office said Scarborough’s Fire Department has been unable to grow at the same rate as the town because of the impact the economic downturn has had on the town budget.

Scarborough’s Fire Department has avoided layoffs only by withholding cost-of-living pay increases.

BANGOR

Expedited permit doubtful for array of wind turbines

Maine land-use regulators are hinting that they’ll deny an expedited permit to a Canadian company that wants to build a third array of wind turbines in the western part of the state.

TransCanada already has 44 towers producing power or under construction at Kibby Mountain near Stratton. The company asked the Land Use Regulation Commission to approve a speeded-up permitting process to build 14 more turbines on Sisk Mountain in that region.

While the commission did not formally vote Wednesday, the Bangor Daily News said its members indicated they’ll oppose TransCanada’s expedited permit.

It’s not clear if TransCanada will go through a longer process.

ROCKLAND

Bail revoked for inmate who tried to escape jail

A Maine jail inmate facing sexual assault charges had his bail revoked after he tried to escape by climbing over the fence at the Knox County Jail in Rockland.

Officials said Bradley Lemay suffered cuts and possibly an ankle injury when he climbed the fence in the jail’s exercise yard on July 2.

The Bangor Daily News said a correctional officer ordered Lemay down, but he fell back into the yard.

Lemay was treated at a local hospital and released the same day.

Lemay is facing sexual assault and other charges stemming from a June 9 incident in Camden.

He was recently released from Maine State Prison after serving 21 years for convictions of kidnapping and gross sexual misconduct.

STATEWIDE

Manufacturers association awards college scholarships

The Manufacturers Association of Maine awarded a total of $8,000 in scholarships to the following 11 Maine college students:

Brian Beach of Augusta, who attends Southern Maine Community College.

Eric Flewelling of Pittsfield, Zachery Wehry of Waterville, Christopher Morin of Saint David and Maggi Soliman of Bangor, who attend Eastern Maine Community College.

Brenden M. Wilson of Corinth, Kelton Cullenberg of Chesterfield, Benjamin Allen Picard of Presque Isle, and Tyler Peabody of Hampden, who attend University of Maine School of Engineering at Orono.

Shaun Douglas Turner of Waldoboro and John Nathaniel Condon of Sumner, who attend the University of Southern Maine. 

Marine Corps foundation announces new scholarship

The Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation, which helps to educate children of Marines, announced Thursday the creation of a college scholarship fund in the name of Paul Lafond, a retired Marine colonel who lives in Skowhegan.

The $2,500 scholarship was established by Brammie and Warren C. Cook Sr. of Kingfield. The scholarship will give preference to Maine high school students who are children of Marines.

Lafond joined the Marine Corps in 1942 and served in World War II as a rifleman on Okinawa. After going through officer training, he served in the Korean War, then did two tours in Vietnam, including a stint as commanding officer of the Third Marine Regiment. He retired from the Corps in 1970.

Warren Cook, also a retired Marine, served with Lafond in Vietnam. “(Lafond is) one of the most honest and purposeful men I have ever known,” Cook said.

Each year, the foundation awards more than 10 scholarships in Maine and more than 1,400 scholarships nationally.