LAC-MEGANTIC, Quebec A Quebec town devastated when a runaway oil tanker train ignited explosions and fires braced today for what authorities assured would be a rising death toll as fire crews tried to reach the hardest hit areas more than two days after the disaster. Five were dead and about 40 people remained missing. The […]

About 150 firefighters, some from the United States, spent most of Saturday spraying cold water from the lake on five tanker cars they said still posed a serious risk of exploding. Several Maine fire departments were sent to help Canadian crews deal with the blaze. Eight trucks carrying about 30 firefighters were sent across the […]

PINKHAM NOTCH, N.H. Maine cyclist Dereck Treadwell won the grueling race up Mount Washington, the highest peak in the Northeast, for a second time on Saturday. Treadwell of Topsham, Maine, finished the race up the 7.6-mile auto road in 58 minutes and 14 seconds, riding through fog and 55-mile wind gusts, race officials said. U.S. […]

BRUNSWICK Police are investigating a fatal two-vehicle crash that claimed the life of a motorcyclist Saturday. Brunswick Police Lt. Tom Garrepy said in a news release that Brunswick police, fire and rescue were called at around 11:12 a.m. to a two-vehicle crash on Bath Road near Maine Mattress and Futons. Upon arrival, officers discovered the […]

WEST BATH The West Bath Fire Department has a new fire chief, and a new way of selecting one. Chosen from a pool of 15 applicants, Greg Payson of Topsham was hired to take the reins from retiring Fire Chief Chet Swain Jr., who served the department for 50 years, the last 12 as chief. […]

BATH David Sinclair, local attorney and Bath city councilor, will run for state Senate as a Democrat in the special election to replace Seth Goodall of Richmond. Goodall is resigning to become regional Small Business Administrator for New England. Sinclair made the announcement in a news release late Friday. He is joining a race that […]

BRUNSWICK Rather than spend more than $1 million to repair or replace the crumbling car deck beneath the Black Bridge, state transportation officials have said they will spend a quarter of that amount to demolish it. Brunswick and Topsham officials also are loathe to contribute any funds to the project at a time when both […]

FREEPORT Police are looking for someone who broke into the Amato’s at 114 Main St. either late Wednesday night or early Thursday morning and stole an undisclosed amount of money. Freeport police Lt. Susan Nourse said Friday an employee reported the burglary after reporting to work early Thursday at around 6:30. Officer Thomas Gabbard found […]

BRUNSWICK A west Brunswick citizens’ group has signed a public relations firm in its push to block construction of a train layover and maintenance facility near their homes. In a news release, the Brunswick West Neighborhood Coalition cited a May 22 letter from U.S. Sen. Angus King — a Brunswick independent — to Joseph C. […]