AUBURN

Firefighters rescue 4 people in boat above Great Falls

Four people and two dogs were rescued from the Androscoggin River in Auburn after the engine in their small boat cut out and the craft got caught above Great Falls.

What was supposed to be “a moonlit cruise” according to one of the boat’s occupants turned sour about 8 p.m. Thursday when the engine failed.

It took firefighters from Auburn and Lewiston about an hour to rescue the people and dogs. The Auburn rescue boat eventually pulled the powerless craft away from the falls and to shore.

The boat’s owner, Paul Duclos, said he had not used the craft in several years but it seemed sound and they fueled up before setting out.

NEW GLOUCESTER

Father and son arrested after standoff at home

Authorities say a father and son were arrested after an eight-hour standoff at their home in New Gloucester.

Police had to use a dog and tear gas to flush Maurice Diggins, 57, and Dillon Diggins, 26, out of the home about 4 p.m. Thursday.

Cumberland County Sheriff Kevin Joyce said they were each charged with aggravated assault and creating a standoff.

The situation started when deputies went to the home to serve the younger man a warrant on an assault charge. Police say the older man answered the door and lied about his son’s whereabouts.

PORTSMOUTH, N.H.

Worker suffers serious injury when beam hits him in leg

Firefighters say a man working on the center span of a new bridge that will connect New Hampshire and Maine suffered a serious injury when a 40-foot-long steel beam struck in him the leg.

Portsmouth Fire Capt. Mike Hogan said it was not immediately clear how the beam struck the worker about 7 p.m. Thursday. He was at the barge at the state pier working on the final span of the new Memorial Bridge construction project. Hogan said OSHA will investigate.

Hogan told the Portsmouth Herald the worker’s injuries were not considered life-threatening. The center span is to be floated into place on June 10 and the bridge is due to open in July.

BIDDEFORD

Local woman charged with trafficking in crack cocaine

The Maine Drug Enforcement Agency and Biddeford police joined with federal officials to charge a local woman with aggravated trafficking in crack cocaine.

Police arrested Samantha Lamadeleine, 29, of Biddeford on Thursday after she was found with what police believe is 5.4 grams of crack cocaine.

Lamadeleine was already on federal probation for trafficking in dangerous drugs and faces up to five years in prison if convicted of violating her probation. She also faces a state charge of aggravated drug trafficking, aggravated because of her drug history and because she had the drug within 1,000 feet of a school.

AUGUSTA

UMaine at Augusta launches aviation degree program

The University of Maine at Augusta is celebrating the launch of its new aviation program.

The university and Maine Instrument Flight held an open house at the flight school’s Augusta State Airport hangar Friday to celebrate the new bachelor of science in aviation program.