CARIBOU

Leaving moose-car crash, trooper hits second moose

Authorities say a Maine State Police trooper hit a moose while driving his cruiser away from another moose-vehicle crash.

Police say Trooper Fred Thomas was driving on Route 1 north of Caribou on Wednesday when he hit the moose, which crashed into the windshield.

Thomas suffered some bumps and bruises but no serious injuries.

The moose died in the collision.

Authorities say Thomas had just left another crash about a half a mile away.

AUGUSTA

Bill to stop school bullying passes but funding scarce

Democrats are lauding the passage of a bill to prevent bullying in the Maine’s schools.

The bill has been approved in the House and Senate, but it still faces a major hurdle: funding. Scores of bills are competing for scarce funding that’s available.

If it’s enacted, the law will require the commissioner of education to develop a model harassment, intimidation, bullying and cyberbullying prevention policy that school administrative units would use to adopt their own policies by Aug. 15, 2012.

Democratic Rep. Terry Morrison of South Portland said her bill seeks to provide better definitions for bullying and to provide schools a framework to deal with the issue.

Maine law already requires schools to have anti-bullying policies, but Democrats say definitions and guidelines for schools to follow are weak.

SACO

Man faces gun charges after domestic dispute

A Saco man faces felony gun charges after police responded to a domestic dispute at his apartment on Washington Avenue Thursday.

A 26-year-old woman told police that during a dispute at about 8 a.m., Charles Casey, 39, fired a shot from a semi-automatic pistol into an interior wall. Nobody was injured, said Deputy Chief Jeffrey Holland.

Responding officers spotted Casey walking on the street nearby and found that he was carrying a pistol in a carrying case tucked into the rear waistband of his jeans.

Casey did not have a concealed weapon permit and has a felony conviction, police said. He was taken to York County Jail where he is being held on $2,000 bail pending a court appearance on charges of aggravated reckless conduct with a firearm and being a felon in possession of a gun.

Notre Dame Catholic school consolidating with St. James

Maine’s Catholic school consolidation movement has resulted in the closing of the 82-year-old Notre Dame de Lourdes School in Saco.

Thursday was the last day of classes at the school, which will consolidate with St. James School in Biddeford in the fall.

Notre Dame was founded in 1929, and for 22 years classes were held at the former Notre Dame de Lourdes Church. The school moved to its present location on Beach Street in 1951, where it served students through this year.

BANGOR

City officially hires Cianbro to build convention center

The city has officially hired the developer for a $65 million arena and convention center that was approved by voters last month.

In a special meeting Thursday, the City Council voted unanimously to hire Cianbro Corp. for the project in Bass Park.

City Council Chair Susan Hawes said the vote was necessary for the Pittsfield-based company to have a construction schedule for the 5,800-seat arena that includes a groundbreaking this summer and completion by late 2013. The arena will be built with money from a slot machine operation in the city and funds used for downtown projects.

The Bangor Daily News said the city’s Paul Bunyan statue, which overlooks Main Street, won’t be affected by construction.

NEWINGTON, N.H.

Sprague Energy says less oil leaked than initially thought

A New Hampshire company that reported a fuel oil leak into the Piscataqua River said it believes the amount was far less than initially thought.

Sprague Energy in Newington said a small hole in a pipeline led to the fuel leak Thursday. It said the total capacity of the pipeline is 4,700 gallons. However, it said early indications are that the amount of oil that escaped is “substantially less.” The company did not specify an amount.

Crews are working to recover the oil. The majority of the spill is believed to have been contained in the company’s dock area.

The Newington Fire Department said the leak was discovered by a fisherman at about 11:30 p.m. Thursday.