PORTLAND (AP) — The longtime leader of an insurance company widely credited with saving Maine’s workers’ compensation insurance market is retiring. John Leonard has been The MEMIC Group’s only president and CEO. The Portland Press Herald reports he plans to retire in September 2017. Leonard was recruited to help start the workers’ compensation insurer in […]

AUGUSTA (AP) — The Maine Governor’s Energy Office says heating prices are climbing as winter approaches. The office says the average price for heating oil rose 11 cents over the past two weeks to $2.15 per gallon. Kerosene prices rose 10 cents to $2.66 and propane prices climbed 4 cents to $2.35 per gallon. The […]

AUGUSTA (AP) — Police in Maine’s capital city say they’re investigating after a bogus Facebook page resembling the department’s actual page posted several fake news stories. The Augusta Police Department says in a release the fake page looks nearly identical to its real page. Deputy Chief Jared Mills says it has posted several fabricated stories, […]

FORT KENT (AP) — President Barack Obama has signed off on a proposal to assess and strengthen security at the country’s northern border. Republican New Hampshire Sen. Kelly Ayotte, a bill sponsor, said Thursday the country is facing unprecedented national security challenges that demand a full understanding of the northern border’s needs, strengths, and vulnerabilities. […]

AUGUSTA (AP) — The portion of the Maine hunting calendar when it is legal to hunt for coyotes at night is getting underway. The night hunt starts on Friday. Coyotes tend to be more active at night, which is when they do most of their own hunting. The state allows people to hunt coyotes all […]

NEW YORK The Pope has endorsed Donald Trump for president. A Washington, D.C., pizzeria is a front for a child sex abuse ring. George Soros will “bring down” the U.S. by funding “black hate groups.” These are just some examples of viral stories circulated on social media recently that are completely untrue. Facebook on Thursday […]

LOUISVILLE, KY. Nothing puts a smile on Roosevelt Smith’s face quite like dancing. It helps him forget, for a while, the post-traumatic stress disorder he’s had since the Gulf War. Smith is one of a few dozen veterans with PTSD or traumatic brain injuries who fight depression and anxiety with a group dancing class that […]

NEW YORK Ah, college. Halls of ivy. Stimulating class discussions. All-night cram sessions. … Sleeping in an old woman’s apartment? New York University is introducing a scheme next fall to help students save money by putting them up in elderly people’s spare bedrooms. It may get snickers from some students who see college as their […]

WASHINGTON Determined to hold around two dozen Senate seats in 2018, Democrats will use the coming series of confirmation hearings to try to distinguish themselves from President elect Donald Trump’s billionaire nominees and convince working-class voters who elected him that he’s not on their side. While Democrats have little leverage to stop the Republican’s picks […]

SAN FRANCISCO Uber is riding its self-driving cars into a legal showdown with California regulators. The ride-hailing company is refusing to obey demands by the state’s Department of Motor Vehicles that it immediately stop picking up San Francisco passengers in self-driving cars. Hours after Uber launched a self-driving service Wednesday morning with a handful of […]