Bangor man arrested on drug charges

BREWER (AP) — Brewer police following up on a tip about suspicious activity have arrested a Bangor man and accused him of selling the recreational drug known as bath salts.

Police went to a motel earlier this week and arrested 32- year- old Ryan Ellis on charges of aggravated trafficking in a synthetic hallucinogenic drug, possession of concealed weapons, having a loaded firearm in a motor vehicle, trafficking in dangerous knives and refusal to submit to arrest or detention.

Police say a search of his room turned up nearly a pound of bath salts with an estimated street value of more than $60,000. The search also yielded four guns and a knife.

Ellis has been released on $2,000 bail.

Two men arrested for Skowhegan robbery

SKOWHEGAN ( AP) — Authorities have arrested two men they say were responsible for an armed robbery at a Skowhegan credit union more than two years ago.

Police say 33-year-old Forrest Goodwin Jr. of Fairfield was arrested Monday on a charge of armed bank robbery.

An inmate serving time on unrelated charges at a Wiscasset jail, 26-year-old Paul Garland of Oakland, was arrested on the same charge Wednesday.

Police tell the Morning Sentinel the men are responsible for the robbery at the Taconnet Federal Credit Union on June 10, 2009. A man wielding a knife robbed the credit union, then escaped on a motorcycle driven by someone else.

No one was hurt.

The suspects will face the charges in federal court in January.

USM program aims to prevent suicides

PORTLAND ( AP) — The University of Southern Maine is creating a network of students trained to recognize the warning signs of suicide among their peers.

The program is being put together by psychologist Micheline Hagan, who was hired in September following a school year in which three USM students died, including one which was ruled a suicide.

Hagan says a student contemplating suicide is more likely to talk to a friend about the problem than set up an appointment with a school counselor.

She tells the Portland Press Herald that if students are trained to recognize the signs of mental illness, they can connect classmates in crisis with the help they need.

The program, called USM Cares, is funded by a $306,000 grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Police: Woman robs Buxton pharmacy

BUXTON (AP) — Police in Buxton are looking for a woman who robbed narcotics from a pharmacy on Thanksgiving Day.

Police say the woman entered the Rite Aid at about 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, made a threat and demanded drugs.

She made off with some prescription drugs.

She is described as white, from 5-foot-5 to 5-foot-10 tall, wearing a white knit hat, sunglasses, white turtle neck under a long black coat, with gloves, jeans and sneakers.

New program focuses on math, science

SOUTH PORTLAND (AP) — An anonymous donation of more than $3 million will be used to encourage Maine’s middle and high school students to explore science and math.

The Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance and the Maine School of Science and Mathematics are announcing a new collaboration next week called the Reach Center.

Jan Mokros, the alliance’s director, told the Bangor Daily News the new center will spend the next few months developing partnerships between research institutions, educators, schools and businesses around the state. The goal is to offer mentoring programs, online classes in specialized subjects such as robotics, and summer and after-school school programs. The center also will help connect students with other projects that promote science and math education.

Hannaford offers ‘to go’ service at stores

NORTH WINDHAM (AP) — Customers at two supermarkets in New Hampshire and Maine can now order their groceries online and pick them up at the stores without getting out of their cars.

The “Hannaford to Go” service has been offered at the Hannaford supermarket in Dover, N.H., since March and was recently added to the chain’s North Windham location.

Store manager John Mullins told the Portland Press Herald that about 20 customers a day have been using the drive-through service in Maine, but he expects that number to increase once the store begins promoting it.

The service is free for the first order and for any later orders of more than $ 125. Otherwise, there’s a $5 service charge.

Joseph Sewall dies in Bangor at age 89

BANGOR ( AP) — Joseph Sewall, former Republican president of the Maine Senate and a longtime businessman and civic leader, has died. He was 89.

Sewall died Wednesday at Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor.

Born and raised in Old Town, Sewall took over the James W. Sewall Co., a forestry and surveying business started by his grandfather and greatuncle, after serving in the Navy during World War II. He retired in 2001.

He was elected to the Maine Senate in 1967 and served as Senate president from 1975-82, making him one of Maine’s longest-serving Senate presidents.

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