AUGUSTA

Study: Some areas still have more than 33 inches of snow

Maine’s Department of Conservation said parts of the state still have more than 2 feet of snow.

Every year the Maine Geological Survey conducts a 12-week-long study.

WCSH-TV reported that this year researchers said northwestern Maine is holding onto snow longer than normal.

The department said Carrabassett Valley has the deepest snow in the state: 33.4 inches.

Scott Ramsay of the department’s Off Road Vehicle Division said the snow is quickly melting, but snowmobilers can still ride on it. He said there’s at least one more weekend left of good snowmobiling.

MECHANIC FALLS

Single-car crash kills two, severely hurts two others

Police here said two people were killed and two others severely injured in a car crash.

The names of the accident victims have not been released.

Mechanic Falls Deputy Fire Chief Matt Fifield told the Lewiston Sun Journal that the car carrying the four was headed north on Elm Street when it skidded out of control and struck some trees around 9:30 p.m. Friday.

The crash happened at the end of a curve, with the car landing in a clearing next to a camper trailer.

Fire crews from Mechanic Falls, Poland and Auburn were at the scene to extricate some of the people.

The accident is being investigated.

AUGUSTA

LePage: New Hampshire friendlier for commerce

In his weekly radio address Saturday, Gov. Paul LePage said Maine needs to move forward on several fronts to achieve prosperity. The state’s tax burden, costs of health care and energy and the business climate must all be addressed, he said.

Maine must also “realign its regulations and resources so the private sector has a fighting chance to create jobs and make investments that expand the tax base,” he said.

LePage said that New Hampshire is a “more welcoming place for commerce.” While its population is only slightly larger than Maine’s, its $60 billion gross domestic product is 20 percent more than Maine’s $50 billion in economic activity, he said. LePage said New Hampshire’s household incomes, $63,731, are seventh-highest in the country, compared to Maine’s 37th ranking at $46,581.

“It will take hard work, but we can put Maine on a footing where we can compete with New Hampshire and the world,” LePage said.

In the Democratic response, Rep. Bruce MacDonald of Boothbay brought up the public outcry over the governor’s removal of a mural from the Labor Department office.

“As we approach the 100-day mark of the LePage administration’s time in office, we appreciate our Republican colleagues finally joining us in saying ‘enough is enough,’ on the dramatics coming from the governor’s office that are wasting everyone’s time,” MacDonald said, referring to a published column by eight GOP senators.

But MacDonald said Democrats are mostly concerned about LePage’s policies.

“New jobs and a strong economy come from smart tax and investment policies that benefit our local small businesses, our traditional industries, and help attract new industries to our state,” MacDonald said. He also called for investments in education.

Woman admits burglaries, gets at least three more years

An Augusta woman has pleaded guilty to burglarizing a number of homes in 2009 and 2010.

Sarah Vitale, 29, was sentenced Thursday to at least three years in prison, followed by six years probation. She also has to pay back more than $49,000.

She and her boyfriend, Luke Greenlaw, were charged with dozens of burglaries and thefts. Police said they were arrested in 2009 after trying to pawn jewelry. Freed on bail, Vitale and Greenlaw fled the state, police said.

They were arrested in Chelsea, Vt., in March 2010 following a car chase. Police said they were found with property from a local burglary.

The Kennebec Journal reported that Greenlaw was sentenced to at least five years in prison last month. 

— From staff and news services

 

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