Falmouth

Man from assisted-living facility found dead in water

An elderly Falmouth man apparently drowned sometime between Sunday night and Monday morning in the water off Falmouth Foreside, authorities said.

Fred Hamren, 83, a resident of Foreside Harbor at 191 Foreside Road, was reported missing at 7 a.m. Monday.

A Maine Warden Service plane spotted his body in the water 500 yards south of Foreside Harbor, an assisted-living facility. The state medical examiner is performing an autopsy.

Officials from the Department of Health and Human Services are investigating whether the facility’s system for monitoring its clients is adequate, police said.

Hamren had been visiting with his daughter and grandchild the day before and there apparently was confusion about whether he was still with them, police said.

Hamren was last seen walking with a cane on Route 88 at about 7 p.m. Monday, a couple of driveways away from the facility, but was not reported missing until 7 a.m. Tuesday.

Police said the death did not appear to be suspicious.

Portland

Educational technician contract goes to fact-finders

Contract negotiations between the Portland School Board and its educational technicians have broken down and are headed toward a meeting with state-appointed fact-finders.

Becky Fernald, the Maine Education Association’s regional representative to the Portland schools, said Tuesday that negotiations between the sides began about a year ago. A state mediator, John Alfano, was brought in to help settle the contract.

Fernald said that members of the Portland Education Association Educational Technician Unit – representing about 195 ed techs – accepted Alfano’s recommended settlement.

Sarah Thompson, chairwoman of the School Board, declined to go into specifics but said the union’s claim that the board rejected Alfano’s proposed settlement was not true.

“The board is still open to further discussions,” Thompson said.

The sides are scheduled to meet June 25 in Portland with three state-appointed fact-finders. The terms of Alfano’s proposed settlement are privileged and won’t be released to the public.

“Ed techs provide very valuable educational services to Portland students and the board clearly does not recognize this by their actions,” Ina Demers, president of the ed tech unit, said in a press release.

Ed techs work one on one with special needs students, support struggling learners and children with behavior problems, support English language learners, and help non-verbal students learn to communicate, to name just a few of their duties.

Biddeford

Man charged with selling cocaine at AMVETS Hall

A 60-year-old man described by police as a major supplier of cocaine in Greater Biddeford was arrested Tuesday and charged with trafficking in cocaine at the AMVETS Hall and at the Eagles Club.

Reginald Gilbert Sr. of Biddeford was arrested at Pop’s Tavern on Bacon Street by members of the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency’s York District Task Force and Biddeford police.

Police said they had obtained a warrant for Gilbert after allegedly making several undercover purchases of cocaine stemming from an investigation that began in March. Police described Gilbert as a “major supplier” of cocaine to the Biddeford area and said he has drug convictions dating back to the 1970s.

Police charged Gilbert with four counts of aggravated trafficking in cocaine, saying that the purchases occurred within 1,000 feet of St. James School and the Richard Martin Community Center.

When Gilbert was arrested he had several bags of marijuana packaged for sale and cash that police believe consisted of drug proceeds, police said.

Gilbert is being held on $10,000 bail pending an initial court appearance. If he makes bail, he is not allowed to enter Pop’s Tavern, the AMVETS Hall or the Eagles Club, police said.

Augusta

Two legislative primary elections to get recounts

The ballots in two close legislative primary elections – one in Brunswick and one in the Sanford area – will be recounted this week to make sure the proper candidates are declared the winners.

On Wednesday afternoon, the Maine Secretary of State’s Office will oversee a recount of the ballots in the Democratic primary in House District 50, which includes part of Brunswick. Jacqueline Sartoris asked for that recount after the election night count had her losing to Ralph Tucker by 10 votes, or 1 percent of the 874 votes cast on June 10.

And on Thursday morning, the Secretary of State’s Office will oversee a recount of the ballots in the Democratic primary in Senate District 33, which includes Sanford, Limerick, Newfield, Parsonsfield, Shapleigh and Waterboro. In the election night count in that race, incumbent Democratic Sen. John Tuttle edged out his challenger, Rep. Andrea Boland, by 20 votes, or 1.2 percent of the 1,662 votes cast.

Each recount was requested by the candidate who trailed on election night. There are no automatic recounts in Maine.

State names master guide to wildlife information post

A Maine master guide and small-business owner will be the new head of information and education at the state’s Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.

State officials said Bonnie Holding will be named to the post. She will be in charge of overseeing marketing and communications for the department. The information and education division also oversees Maine Wildlife Park in Gray.

Holding has guided at the Megantic Fish and Game Club and Tim Pond Camps. She owns and operates Gold/Smith Gallery at the Sugarloaf Ski Resort and was the first woman employed as a sales associate by the L.L. Bean hunting and fishing department.

Inland Fisheries Commissioner Chandler Woodcock said in a statement that Holding “brings a great deal of experience in the outdoor education field” to the department.

Hermon

One person killed, two hurt in head-on vehicle crash

One person was killed and two others were seriously hurt in a head-on crash Monday in Hermon, authorities said.

The Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office said a Jeep SUV eastbound on Route 2 crossed the centerline near the Carmel town line at about 5:30 p.m. Monday and struck a Ford sedan.

The driver of the Ford was pronounced dead at the scene.

The driver and passenger of the Jeep were taken to nearby hospitals.

No names were released but police said all the victims lived in the area.

Bangor

Augusta woman gets two years for selling oxycodone

An Augusta woman has been sentenced to more than two years in prison for selling oxycodone pills to an undercover informant.

Federal prosecutors said 33-year-old Jennifer Dowling was also sentenced Monday in U.S. District Court in Bangor to three years of probation.

Prosecutors said Dowling sold 37 pills to a confidential informant for $1,000 on May 9, 2012, at the Interstate 95 park-and-ride lot in West Gardiner.

The informant was fitted with a recording device and was accompanied by a Maine Drug Enforcement Agency agent at the time of the buy.

Dowling had faced a sentence of almost six years, but her lawyer said the judge took into account her rehabilitation efforts and the fact she is working.

Fourth of July shooter ruled competent to stand trial

A federal judge has ruled that man who fired as many as 70 shots in Bangor on the Fourth of July last year, forcing the city’s holiday parade to be rerouted, is competent to be sentenced.

The judge made the decision on Monday after getting a hospital report, but no date has been set for the sentencing of 44-year-old Perrin Oliver.

Oliver pleaded guilty in December to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

According to court documents, Oliver wasn’t allowed to have guns because of a conviction five years ago in New York.

Police said he fired the shots from an apartment window. A four-hour standoff ended when a tactical team used tear gas to take him into custody.

Farmington

Man gets 3 years in prison for giving 13-year-old Ritalin

A Farmington man was sentenced to three years in prison Monday for giving Ritalin to a 13-year-old boy.

David Shanley, 26, of Whittier Road was given an eight-year prison sentence with all but three years suspended after he was convicted of a charge of aggravated furnishing of a scheduled drug.

Shanley could have been sentenced to up to 10 years in prison or the charge.

The drug use was first reported to police by the teenager’s mother on Feb. 2. The mother reported finding out about the drug use through a third party and, according to court documents, witnesses reported seeing Shanley and the boy go into the bathroom to use drugs.

Shanley also reported that he used a laptop as collateral to get six Ritalin pills. Ritalin is a brand name for methylphenidate, a schedule II prescription stimulant used to treat attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder and similar conditions.

– From staff and news services

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