Deliberations resume in bee farm killing

PORTLAND (AP) — A jury that’s deliberating in the trial of Maine lobsterman who fatally shot a man at a beekeeping business in North Yarmouth has the options of murder, manslaughter or acquittal.

Jurors listened to a 911 tape that captured the gunshots before adjourning Tuesday. Deliberations resume today.

The defense said Merrill “Mike” Kimball was defending himself from an assault when he shot 63-year-old Leon Kelley three times. Prosecutors say he fired out of anger, not fear.

Kelley’s father-in-law is owner of the business. Kimball’s wife worked there and was retrieving about 700 pounds of honey she’d harvested when the confrontation took place.

Amtrak derails near Portland station

PORTLAND (AP) — The Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority says no one was hurt when Amtrak’s Downeaster derailed a couple of miles from the Portland station.

Executive Director Patricia Quinn says 41 people were on board when the locomotive derailed shortly after the Boston-bound train left the Portland station. The passenger cars were hauled back to the Portland Transportation Center, and track owner PanAm Railways replaced a section of rail.

The incident led to the cancellation of several trains on Tuesday. Officials say normal service will resume today.

Cellphone driving ban approved by senate

AUGUSTA (AP) — The Republican- controlled Maine Senate has supported a bill that would prohibit people from using handheld cellphones while driving.

The Senate on Tuesday voted 24-10 in favor of rejecting the Transportation Committee’s recommendation that the bill be killed. The Senate then gave the bill initial approval, sending it to the Democratic-led House for consideration.

Republican Sen. Roger Katz’s bill would still allow people to use hands-free devices to talk on the phone. He said that distractions caused by hand-held cellphones have become a bigger public safety hazard on the road than drunk driving. He says that 14 states have passed similar laws.

Opponents say they bill is unnecessary because Maine already outlaws distracted driving and question whether it would really solve the problem.

Lewiston cocaine dealer gets 14 years

PORTLAND (AP) — A Lewiston man who was part of a cocaine distribution ring in the city has been sentenced to 14 years in prison.

Lamar Young was also sentenced Monday in U.S. District Court in Portland to five years of probation on charges of conspiracy to distribute cocaine base and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

Authorities say Young and the others contributed money to purchase cocaine base and cocaine powder from suppliers in Massachusetts. The cocaine was transported to Maine, turned into cocaine base when necessary, packaged for distribution, and sold.

Young was arrested in March 2014 in the bedroom of an apartment that also contained a digital scale and several plastic bags containing cocaine powder and cocaine base, and a loaded handgun.

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