Friends of Merrymeeting Bay is again looking for volunteers to assist in an archeological dig at what was the home and trading post of Thomas Ashley on Thwings Point in Woolwich. At that site in 1654, a group of early settlers met and signed papers forming the first European style government in the Merrymeeting Bay […]

WISCASSET The Village of Wiscasset has several new additions — along with the usual favorites — to its Art Walk. The first Wiscasset Art Walk of the 2015 season will take place from 5-8 p.m. Thursday, June 25. WBG Modern and Contemporary debuts its first season in a beautifully renovated 19th century barn located at […]

TOPSHAM — The Cathance River Education Alliance and Topsham Public Library will present a program by a Maine Audobon staff naturalist, titled “State of Our Birds,” at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 30, at the Topsham Public Library, located at 25 Foreside Road. Presenter Doug Hitchcox is the owner and moderator of the ‘Maine-birds’ listserv, Maine […]

UNION An experiment tying teacher pay, in part, to student performance has been dropped by a Mid-coast-area school district. The Regional School Unit 40 board approved a threeyear labor contract at its Thursday evening meeting that covers about 200 teachers and drops the performance incentives from the previous contract that were based on certain performance […]

GREAT CRANBERRY ISLAND The Great Run was indeed a great run for Michael Westphal. It also was in many respects life in microcosm for the 58-year-old carpenter, who has battled Parkinson’s disease — a progressive disorder of the central nervous system that affects the body’s movement — since 2006. Attempting to complete his first marathon […]

KENNEBUNKPORT (AP) — Participants in the 13th annual George H.W. Bush Celebrity Golf Tournament managed to get in a few holes before they were sent scrambling by lightning and downpours. Tuesday’s event at the Cape Arundel Golf Club served as a fundraiser for Gary’s House in Portland, which provides a place for families to stay […]

PORTLAND (AP) — Shaw’s and Hannaford stores are recalling house brands of bottled water after E. coli bacteria was found in the water’s supply. The Portland Press Herald reports Shaw’s brand of bottled water and Hannaford’s Nature’s Place water are both bottled by Niagara Bottling Co. in Pennsylvania. The bacteria was detected at one of […]

AUGUSTA (AP) — Economist Bruce Williamson is the newest member of the Maine Public Utilities Commission. Williamson was sworn into office by Republican Gov. Paul LePage on Tuesday. The Republican-controlled Senate approved his nomination earlier this month. Williamson is a senior economist at the Institute for Nuclear Security at the University of Tennessee’s Howard Baker […]

PORTLAND (AP) — A 29- year-old Portland man is facing up to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to federal child pornography charges. The Portland Press Herald reports federal agents said William Roscoe tried to blame hackers and his girlfriend’s son when they caught him downloading child pornography in April. He pleaded guilty Tuesday […]

SOUTH PORTLAND (AP) — Dozens of members of the Maine National Guard’s 265th Combat Communications Squadron are back home. Official say the 76 soldiers from Maine returned home Tuesday after joining more than 6,500 personnel participating in the Global Lightning training exercise last month at Fort McCoy, Wisconsin. The exercise provided practice in initial patient […]