A December letter from Eric Murdock’s lawyer to a lawyer representing Rutgers requested $950,000 to settle employment issues and said that if the university did not agree by Jan. 4, Murdock was prepared to file a lawsuit.

Negotiators are cautioning of struggles ahead for an issue that’s defied resolution for years.

Maine forest rangers have to warn operators of all-terrain vehicles and four-wheel-drive trucks not to get carried away with slipping, sliding and spinning during mud season.

Seoul and Washington, which lack diplomatic relations with the North, are taking the threats seriously, though they say they have seen no signs that Pyongyang is preparing for a large-scale attack.

The closure of the popular Precipice Trail and other trails near the park’s Precipice and Valley Cove cliffs is expected to last until early August.