BANGOR

Judge says man who asked for flogging needs evaluation

A Bangor man who asked to be publicly flogged instead of being sent to prison will undergo a psychiatric evaluation.

U.S. District Judge John Woodcock on Tuesday ordered the evaluation for Domingos Nobrega, 34.

Nobrega faces sentencing for his conviction in May of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

The Bangor Daily News says after his conviction, Nobrega filed a motion asking for a sentence of two lashes for every year he would have been sentenced to prison. Nobrega said he didn’t want to be just another prison statistic and that he’d benefit more from a public flogging than prison.

Nobrega’s attorney last week cited the flogging request in filing a motion seeking a competency hearing and psychiatric evaluation.

Prisoners’ access to padlocks prompts lawsuit by inmate

A Maine State Prison inmate has filed a lawsuit demanding that the prison stop giving inmates padlocks for their lockers.

In a complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Bangor, Gerard Landry says he suffered head and facial injuries in September when he was assaulted by a prisoner who used a padlock as a weapon. Padlocks are issued to prisoners to secure their personal belongings in lockers.

The Maine Public Broadcasting Network said Landry is the third inmate to file a federal lawsuit over the prison’s use of padlocks.

Judy Plummer of the Maine Department of Corrections said the prison plans to keep its padlock policy so inmates can safeguard their property.

AUGUSTA

Association official: State owes hospitals $125 million

An official with the Maine Hospital Association says the state owes hospitals $125 million through the rest of this fiscal year in debt that has accumulated since 2009 as hospitals continue to serve Medicaid patients without being fully reimbursed by the state.

That is on top of the $120 million budget gap for the Department of Health and Human Services that Gov. Paul LePage is trying to close.

Jeff Austin, a lobbyist for the Maine Hospital Association, says LePage’s plan to close the budget gap by overhauling MaineCare doesn’t directly address the hospital debt.

A spokeswoman for the Republican governor tells the Bangor Daily News that historically, payments owed to hospitals have not been included in the DHHS budget. The spokeswoman says the debt remains a serious concern for LePage.

BATH

Police want to question man in connection with drug death

Police are asking for the public’s help in finding a man whom they want to question about the death of a local resident.

Police Chief Michael Field said Mark Watrous, 31, is wanted for questioning in the death of Sean Duffy, 35.

Duffy’s body was found in a room at the Hampton Inn on Commercial Street on Saturday afternoon. Duffy worked and lived in the Bath area.

The preliminary cause of death — the state Medical Examiner’s Office has not made a final ruling — is an overdose of prescription drugs that were obtained illegally.

Bath detectives want to ask Watrous about events leading up to Duffy’s death. Watrous is also being sought by police on a charge of failing to appear in court for a motor vehicle offense.

Anyone with information concerning Watrous’ whereabouts is asked to contact Bath detectives at 443-8367.

Field said his department remains concerned about persistent drug abuse in Maine. Anyone seeking information or help with addiction should contact Mid Coast Hospital’s Addiction Resource Center at (800) 244-3805.

DIXFIELD

Six people need treatment after run-in with rabid skunk

Six members of the same Dixfield family are getting precautionary rabies shots after their dogs came in contact with a rabid skunk.

Jamie and Nancy Milledge were hosting a birthday party at their home on Jan. 8 when a diseased skunk came into their yard. Their two dogs came in contact with the animal, which Jamie Milledge eventually shot and killed.

Even though no members of the family had direct contact with the skunk, they all touched the dogs’ saliva-covered coats.

Testing at the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed the skunk was carrying the rabies virus, which can be passed onto humans through saliva.

Jamie Milledge tells the Sun Journal that the shots’ side effects have taken a toll on their bodies.

LEWISTON

Couple changes plans, weds in hospital after diagnosis

A Livermore Falls couple who planned to get married this summer instead held an emotional ceremony in a Lewiston hospital.

Barry Hanson and Pam LaFreniere got engaged last month and planned a wedding for June. But then Hanson, 59, was diagnosed with advanced cancer a week ago. Not knowing how much time they had left together, they got married Tuesday at Central Maine Medical Center surrounded by their children from previous marriages and select friends.

The ceremony was conducted by Hanson’s son, an ordained minister.

LaFreniere, 47, had planned on wearing a wedding gown in June but instead wore a hospital gown in support of her husband.

She said under the circumstances, those little details did not matter.

Hanson says despite his medical condition, he’s at peace.

YARMOUTH

Public invited to weigh in on removal of Royal River dams

The Town Council will host a public hearing tonight on the possibility of removing two dams in the Royal River to restore its natural flow into Casco Bay.

Five of seven councilors agreed in December that the town-owned dams — one just above Bridge Street and one just below East Elm Street — should be removed. Two councilors weren’t at the meeting.

Tonight’s council meeting will be at 7 p.m. in the Log Cabin on Main Street.

If the council decided to remove the dams, the town would still need to secure funding and permission from several government agencies, Chairman Steve Woods said.

Town leaders have been seriously considering the idea of removing the dams for several months.

The granite and concrete barriers, which create a lake effect in the river, once served industries that occupied its banks in the past.

Municipal officials dropped the water level to inspect the Bridge Street dam last summer and advocates for removing the dams recently held two informational forums.

WATERVILLE

Money-saving biomass plant now operational at Colby

While temperatures dropped below zero, Colby College fired up a new biomass plant that will offset the need for oil by burning wood chips, bark and treetops.

The Waterville college says its $11 million biomass plant will replace about 1 million gallons of heating fuel with about 22,000 tons of locally produced wood annually. During peak usage, the college is expected to save $250,000 monthly at current market prices.

The wood will feed boilers to produce steam used for heat, hot water, cooking and cogeneration of electricity.

Colby says the biomass plant is a key part of its plan to be carbon neutral by 2015.

FREEPORT

L.L. Bean will donate to parks with Million Moment Mission

L.L. Bean is giving as much as $1 million to the National Park Foundation with a goal of increasing family outdoor recreation and getting children to visit national parks.

The Maine-based outdoors retailer says the Million Moment Mission aims to get people to share stories, ideas and photos of outdoor experiences online. L.L. Bean will donate $1 for each of them, up to $1 million.

The announcement on Wednesday follows a survey by L.L. Bean and the National Park Foundation that found that 59 percent of parents said busy schedules were an impediment to getting outdoors.

L.L. Bean CEO Chris McCormick says the founder of the 100-year-old company felt that being outdoors was “fundamental to happiness” and that belief continues to drive the company today.

— From staff and news services

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