BATH

Motorcyclist seriously hurt in afternoon crash with car

A motorcyclist was seriously injured in a crash Friday afternoon in Bath.

The collision involving a motorcycle and a car occurred shortly before 2 p.m. at the intersection of Oak Grove Avenue and Crawford Drive, Bath police said in a news release.

Police said there was “no immediate evidence” that alcohol was a factor in the accident.

The car was driven by Debbie Knowlton, 46, of Bath, who was not injured.

Police said the motorcyclist is a 30-year-old man from Bath, but they did not immediately release his name. He was taken to Maine Medical Center in Portland with severe injuries, police said.

Bath police are investigating the crash with help from an accident reconstruction team from the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department.

HOULTON

Garage fire leads to arrest for manufacturing meth

A fire that broke out in a garage in Houlton led to the arrest of the owner on charges of manufacturing methamphetamine.

A fire erupted Thursday night in a garage at 5 Johnson St., flattening the building. Houlton firefighters battled the blaze and then called in police and eventually the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency to investigate after the discovery of what appeared to be materials for making methamphetamine, police said.

Police said the cause of the fire has not been determined and so cannot say whether it was connected to the apparent methamphetamine production.

Police charged Thomas Lowery, 36, with manufacturing methamphetamine and he was being held on $5,000 bail at Aroostook County Jail.

BANGOR

Woman gets 51 months for robbing pharmacy

A Madrid Township woman was sentenced Thursday in U.S. District Court in Bangor to four years and three months in prison for robbing a Kingfield pharmacy last summer.

Michelle Wilcox, 28, pleaded guilty Oct. 18 to the June robbery of Western Maine Pharmacy, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. As part of the sentencing, Wilcox will undergo three years of supervised release after serving her sentence and was ordered to pay $1,153 in restitution.

Police arrested her less than an hour after she robbed the Main Street pharmacy of prescription medication June 4.

Wilcox called the pharmacy around 3:30 p.m. and asked the pharmacy technician if they carried 8 mg Suboxone strips, according to court documents. About an hour later, Wilcox passed a note to the technician reading: “Give me all the 8 mg. subs you have. I have a weapon and will use it. Please cooperate and it will be done.”

Two of the employees gave Wilcox 85 boxes of the prescription drugs, according to the court documents. The medication is used to treat opiate addiction.

Wilcox was identified as a suspect shortly after the robbery when Franklin County sheriff’s deputies interviewed witnesses at the pharmacy and reviewed surveillance cameras.

Deputies found Wilcox around 5:30 p.m. on Toothaker Pond Road in Phillips riding in a pickup truck that witnesses had reported leaving the pharmacy around the time of the robbery.

They found her with the robbery note, the drugs and the sweatshirt seen on the surveillance tape. Wilcox confessed to the robbery while being interviewed by the deputies, according to the court documents.

Re-entry college students can qualify for scholarships

Maine residents who abandoned their college education at least three years ago can now qualify for a new scholarship program worth up to $4,000 a year, University of Maine System officials announced Friday.

The $1 million scholarship is funded with annual revenue from the state’s portion of gambling revenue from the Bangor and Oxford casinos and a one-time appropriation from the Legislature last year. It can be used by students at any of the seven UMS campuses.

To qualify, residents must be re-entry students who are completing their first baccalaureate degree. It’s estimated that Maine has more than 200,000 residents who have some college experience but never got a degree.

“That is a significant stranded cost – both in terms of monies invested and opportunities lost,” said Chancellor James Page. “Our goal is to work with these folks to help them achieve their educational goals and move Maine forward.”

Officials say there are few scholarships or financial aid packages available to adults. This scholarship is tiered to provide incentives to students to complete degrees, with smaller scholarships for people with only a handful of courses, and larger scholarships to those closer to a degree.

More information about the new Adult Degree Completion Scholarship Fund can be found at: http://www.maine.edu/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/ABCDE-scholarship-application-for-web.pdf.

PARIS

Judge denies defense’s bid to move manslaughter trial

A judge has ruled that the trial of a woman charged with manslaughter for allegedly causing the death of two friends in a West Paris car crash will remain in Oxford County.

A judge Thursday denied the defense’s motion to move 21-year-old Kristina Lowe’s trial out of Oxford County because extensive media coverage would make it hard to find an impartial jury.

Authorities allege Lowe was drunk and texting at the time of the January 2012 crash, which took the lives of Logan Dam, 19, and Rebecca Mason, 16.

Lowe has pleaded not guilty to two counts of manslaughter, operating under the influence and leaving the scene.

AUGUSTA

LePage giving $30,000 from fund to redo home

Gov. Paul LePage is giving $30,000 from his contingency fund to help renovate a home for young adults with special needs.

LePage’s office said Friday that the money will go toward refurbishing the Parish House, which is owned by the Bar Harbor-based nonprofit Local Solutions.

Six young adults will live in the Parish House, which will also offer services to help residents find jobs and other activities.

Local Solutions is teaming up with the Portland-based nonprofit Community Housing of Maine in the effort.

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