AUGUSTA Environmentalists are urging lawmakers to back a bill they say would help more residents invest in solar power. The Natural Resources Council of Maine says that Assistant Democratic House Leader Sara Gideon’s bill could add about 200 megawatts of new solar power in Maine by 2022. Among other things, Gideon’s bill would raise the […]

AUGUSTA A Maine group is launching a bid to put a proposal to raise the minimum wage on the ballot next year. Mainers for Fair Wages says it will begin collecting more than 60,000 signatures needed to force a referendum in November 2016. It wants to raise the wage from $7.50 an hour to $9 […]

PORTLAND (AP) — Hannaford Supermarkets is recalling packages of pine nuts it says might be contaminated with salmonella. The Portland Press Herald reports the pine nuts are packaged by Superior Nuts & Candy of Chicago and are sold in store produce departments in packages with a clear front and a tan label on the back. […]

AUGUSTA (AP) — A group of lawmakers from both sides of the aisle says Maine must create a competitive bidding process to guide the further expansion of casinos and ensure the state gets the best deal. Casino development so far has been steered by citizen initiative so the state has had no say on things […]

AUGUSTA (AP) — Federal weather forecasters say Maine remains a higher-thannormal risk for flooding over the next two weeks. Officials say river levels and stream flows are above normal because of melting snow, and that could present a problem with a rainstorm forecast for the coming week. The River Flow Advisory Commission held a conference […]

AUGUSTA (AP) — Maine Sheriffs’ Association inspectors are reporting no major issues in the month and a half since the state hired them to conduct compliance checks on medical marijuana caregivers. The checks are unpopular with some caregivers, who grow marijuana for medical use. The Kennebec Journal reports caregivers say the checks are spurred by […]

NEW GLOUCESTER (AP) — New Gloucester fire officials say passers-by who called 911 then started throwing snow on a fire they spotted in a mobile home may have saved the resident’s life. Capt. Scott Doyle says the people were walking past the home when they noticed the fire on a side porch at about 3:30 […]

FARMINGTON (AP) — The Maine Warden Service is offering a $500 reward for information that leads to the person tossing five-gallon buckets filled with dirty diapers in Franklin County streams. The agency said on its Facebook page on Wednesday that so far more than 24 of the bright orange buckets have been recovered from streams […]

RICHMOND The Dresden Swap Shop and Richmond Area Food Pantry will be honored with community citizen awards Sunday at the Enterprise Grange No. 48 in Richmond. The awards are in recognition of outstanding service to the community and mankind. Attendees will have an opportunity to speak about the recipient groups and volunteers. The event will […]