– PORTLAND

Media groups back author on right to protect sources

Five media groups, including MaineToday Media, are backing an author’s attempt to avoid being compelled to turn over correspondence about the case involving alleged rapes by members of Duke University’s lacrosse team.

Duke wants Robert David Johnson, a Brooklyn College professor who lives in Scarborough, to turn over the correspondence to determine whether the former players broke attorney-client privilege in their communications with Johnson. Duke is being sued by some of the players, who were charged in 2006 with raping a stripper who had performed at a house party hosted by team members.

The charges were dropped a year later, after discrepancies were discovered in the stripper’s story and team members produced alibis.

Johnson wrote about the case in a book. His lawyer claims the author is being singled out by Duke because he has been critical of the university.

The media groups argue that compelling Johnson to turn over his correspondence could make sources unwilling to provide information to authors and journalists. They are filing a “friend of the court” brief in U.S. District Court in support of Johnson.

In addition to MaineToday Media, publisher of the Portland Press Herald, groups that joined in filing the brief are the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, the Maine Press Association, Bangor Publishing Co. and the Maine Association of Broadcasters.

STANDISH

No one injured in collision of two vehicles, school bus

No one was hurt when three vehicles — including a school bus with 34 children on board — collided Friday evening, police said.

According to the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office, the accident occurred near 760 Ossipee Trail about 5:30 p.m.

Deputies said the bus had stopped in the eastbound lane of Ossipee Trail to drop off a child. A Ford pickup truck, driven by Kelly Eastman, 31, of Hiram, hit the rear of a Subaru station wagon that had stopped for the bus and then Eastman’s pickup “grazed” the front end of the bus.

Deputies said it appears that Eastman had looked down to pick up a water bottle she had dropped.

All three vehicles suffered about $1,500 worth of damage, deputies said. An investigation into the accident is continuing.

WESTBROOK

Police chief: Officer’s photo not tied to prostitution case

A photo of a Westbrook police officer that was seized at the home of a defendant in the Kennebunk prostitution case depicts the officer at his Criminal Justice Academy graduation, the city’s police chief said Friday.

The photo was in an inventory of items found in the search of Mark Strong’s home in Thomaston in July. It was noted in news reports about documents filed in court in connection with the case.

Strong is charged with being the partner of Alexis Wright of Wells, who is accused of running a prostitution operation at her Zumba studio and an office in Kennebunk.

Westbrook Police Chief Michael Pardue said his department did an internal investigation after news stories about the search mentioned the photo.

He said it found that the photo, taken from the master bedroom in Strong’s home, showed the officer graduating from the Criminal Justice Academy several years ago. The officer is in his graduation uniform and is the only person in the photograph, Pardue said.

He said Westbrook police determined that the officer and one of Strong’s children were friends in high school.

“There was absolutely no connection whatsoever” to the prostitution investigation, said Pardue, who did not name the officer.

AUBURN

U.S. Senate hopefuls spar over super PAC spending

The issue of big spending by super political action committees caused a tense exchange, as Maine’s six U.S. Senate hopefuls gathered for a debate that had been postponed by Superstorm Sandy.

While others decried outside spending, Maine’s Republican Secretary of State Charlie Summers said candidates should focus on issues instead of worrying about “who’s saying what about whom on the playground.” He accused independent Steve Woods of “whining” when Woods challenged him and said “billionaires” are controlling the message.

Friday’s debate started with Woods offering $10,000 to charity if Summers and Democrat Cynthia Dill could refrain from attacking front-running Angus King and focus on the issues.

The debate at WMTW-TV’s studios was postponed after the storm struck Monday. The other candidates are independents Andrew Ian Dodge and Danny Dalton.

AUGUSTA

Second of three food drives will be held at Blaine House

Gov. Paul LePage and his wife, Ann, are accepting food donations at the Blaine House to help Maine’s needy.

The governor will welcome people from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday for the second of three food drives at the governor’s residence. The final drive will be held Nov. 10.

After dropping off donations of nonperishable food items, residents are invited to tour the Blaine House, enjoy refreshments and meet with the governor and the first lady.

The donated food will be given to the Auburn-based Good Shepherd Food-Bank.

ORONO

Youth obesity could cost $1.2 billion over 20 years

A University of Maine study says the medical costs of obesity for children and adolescents in the state could reach $1.2 billion over the next 20 years.

UMaine economics professor Todd Gabe’s study also suggests that the incidence of obesity is likely to increase from 7.8 percent of Maine’s youths to nearly 26 percent as they grow into adults.

The study uses statistics from the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and data on more than 2,000 children compiled by physical education teachers in 18 schools across the state.

Last year, the medical costs of obesity for all age groups in Maine were nearly $453 million.

GRAND FALLS TOWNSHIP

Regulators recommend DEP reject wind-farm application

Environmental regulators are recommending rejection of application to build a 14-turbine wind farm on Passadumkeag Mountain in Penobscot County.

The Department of Environmental Protection’s recommendation Thursday goes to DEP Commissioner Patricia Aho.

In reaching its decision, the DEP staff said the proposed windmills would disrupt a “one-of-a-kind” view from Saponac Pond. The project was proposed by Quantum Utility Generation, an alternative energy company based in Houston.

The Bangor Daily News said Quantum’s application showed that most of the turbines would be visible from 97 percent of Saponac Pond.

— From staff and news services