Standish

Three in car, lumber truck crash taken to hospitals

Three people were taken to area hospitals, two with serious injuries, following a car crash in Standish that shut down Route 25 for 5½ hours on Monday.

The crash, which occurred about 9 a.m., involved a Hammond Lumber Co. truck that spilled its load on the road.

A 2002 Ford Econoline van driven by Edmund Seeley, 51 of Lewiston was headed west on Route 25, near Standish Tire, when it slowed to make a left turn, according to a press release from the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office.

A 2002 Mack truck owned by Hammond Lumber and driven by Mathew Wight, 30, of Westbrook also was headed in that direction. Wight was distracted and did not see the van stop, hitting it in the rear and pushing into oncoming traffic in the eastbound lane. There, the van collided head on with a 2008 Ford F-350 pickup driven by Clayton Barker, 59 of Standish.

The occupants of the van, Seeley and Richard Shaw, 54 of Auburn, were taken to Maine Medical Center in Portland with serious injuries.

Barker was taken to Mercy Hospital in Portland with injuries the sheriff’s office said were not life-threatening.

Wight suffered cuts and bruises but was not taken to the hospital.

The Maine Department of Environmental Protection was summoned to deal with leaking diesel fuel from the lumber truck.

The Maine State Police commercial vehicle unit and the sheriff’s office are investigating to determine whether other factors may have contributed to the crash.

WEST BATH

‘Aggravated vandalism’ at car lot being investigated

The Sagadahoc County Sheriff’s Office is investigating what police are describing as “aggravated vandalism” at a car dealership in West Bath.

Sheriff Joel Merry said someone entered New Meadows Auto Sales at 390 State Road and scratched 19 vehicles with keys. The vandalism to each car was extensive, with damage estimated at thousands of dollars.

Merry said the vandals entered the car lot sometime between 6 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m. Saturday. The case remains under investigation. Police are seeking the public’s assistance in identifying the vandals.

Anyone with information should contact the detective division at 386-5827.

Augusta

LePage to visit China, discuss potential business project

Gov. Paul LePage will soon head to China to visit with a company regarding a potential manufacturing project in northern Maine.

The Republican is scheduled to leave Maine for Beijing on June 21.

His office said he was invited by a company that’s headquartered there to discuss an investment and manufacturing project in Maine.

Peter Steele, a spokesman for LePage, said representatives from the company are interested in the Loring Commerce Center in Limestone.

He said it could “result in a significant number of new jobs,” but declined to provide further details about the company or the potential project.

LePage will return to Maine the following Thursday.

The governor recently returned from a three-day trade mission to Reykjavik, Iceland.

Man sentenced to 48 hours for unemployment fraud

A Cumberland Center man will spend two days in jail following his conviction for fraudulently receiving unemployment insurance payments.

John Willis, 56, was sentenced to 48 hours in the Cumberland County Jail in Portland and ordered to pay restitution of $15,159.

State officials accused him of collecting unemployment benefits while he was working.

Willis was convicted on May 8.

Twenty-three reported cases of unemployment insurance fraud have been referred to district attorneys for prosecution in Maine this year. Last year there were 88.

A call to Willis’ home was not immediately returned.

Governor appoints new deputy finance chief

Maine’s associate commissioner for tax policy has been appointed deputy finance chief.

Gov. Paul LePage said Monday that Michael Allen has become the acting deputy commissioner of Finance for the Department of Administrative and Financial Services. The Republican governor said Allen will also continue to serve in his previous role.

Allen is replacing Richard Rosen, who was appointed to serve as head of the department last month after Commissioner Sawin Millet stepped down to spend more time with his family.

As deputy finance chief, Allen, who is a University of Vermont graduate, will oversee the Bureau of the Budget and Office of the State Controller among other things.

– From staff and news services