Bill to increase minimum wage dies

AUGUSTA (AP) — A bill that would have raised the state’s $7.50 per hour minimum wage has been defeated in the Legislature.

The bill died Friday because the Democratic-controlled House and Republican-led Senate couldn’t agree on it.

The House supported a version that would’ve raised the minimum wage to $9.50 by 2018. The Senate backed a different version to raise it gradually to $9 and also make several changes to work rules for minors.

A group named Mainers for Fair Wages is gathering signatures to try to force a referendum on the issue in 2016. The group wants to raise the wage to $9 in 2017 and then raise it a dollar a year until it hits $12 in 2020 and be adjusted after that to the cost of living.

State’s unemployment rate unchanged in May

AUGUSTA (AP) — The state’s preliminary seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for May was unchanged from the previous month.

State labor officials say the unemployment rate was 4.7 percent last month. The rate was down from 5.7 percent a year ago and the number of unemployed declined 7,800 over the year to 32,200. The state’s ratio of employment to population was 60.3 percent, which was above the U.S. average of 59.4 percent. Maine’s ratio of employment to population has exceeded the national average for nearly eight years.

The national preliminary unemployment rate of 5.5 percent was up slightly from 5.4 percent in April and down from 6.3 percent a year ago. New England’s unemployment rate was 4.9 percent. Vermont had the region’s lowest unemployment rate at 3.6 percent. Connecticut was highest at 6 percent.

2 banks robbed in

less than half an hour

PORTLAND (AP) — Back-to-back armed bank robberies in Maine’s largest city prompted police in Portland police to lockdown a busy downtown parking garage as officers swarmed the city looking for the robber.

Authorities say the man entered the C Port Credit Union just before noon and brandished a handgun as he demanded cash. Less than half an hour later, police say the same man robbed the Bank of America at One City Center.

Police say he fled with an undisclosed amount of cash from both banks. There were no injuries or shots fired.

The man fled into a parking garage at One City Center, leading police to lock down the garage in Monument Square for more than an hour.

Man stabbed during dog cage fight

GLENBURN (AP) — Police say a Charleston man stabbed another man in the face during a fight inside a pit bull’s dog cage.

Police charged 25-year-old Jesse Merritt with elevated aggravated assault on Thursday night and took him to Penobscot County Jail. They say Merritt and 38-year-old Alan Hartley of Glenburn got into a fight after they crawled into the dog cage.

The incident took place at Hartley’s home. The dog is Hartley’s and was not involved in the incident.

Police say it is unclear why the men were fighting in the dog cage. Hartley is being treated at Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor for a stab wound to the face. Police say the two men knew each other prior to the fight.

It was unclear if Merritt has an attorney.