HOUSTON More than a half-year after Hurricane Harvey flooded America’s largest corridor of energy and petrochemical plants, records show the storm’s environmental assault was more widespread and severe than authorities publicly acknowledged. Piecing together county, state and federal records, The Associated Press and Houston Chronicle catalogued more than 100 Harvey related toxic releases — on […]

NEW YORK Charles P. Lazarus, the World War II veteran who founded Toys R Us six decades ago and transformed it into an iconic piece of Americana, died Thursday at age 94, a week after the chain announced it was going out of business. Toys R Us confirmed Lazarus’ death in a statement. “There have […]

PORTLAND Moose have struggled with parasites throughout the northern U.S., but Maine hunters might be allowed to harvest more of the state’s iconic land mammal this year because of strong survival rates in the northern parts of the state. Moose survival in far northern Maine represents a glimmer of hope for the enormous animals in […]

BARRE, Vt. — Vermont’s Rutland Herald and Times Argus newspapers are being sold. In a story published Thursday on their websites, the Herald and the Barre-based Times Argus reported it’s expected the papers will be sold by the end of the month to the Sample News Group by its current owner, Vermont Community Media. Terms […]

Officials say a pair of high-profile restaurateurs who owe thousands for civil judgments and now face criminal charges regarding bad checks have left the state. Thomas and Shannon Bard are accused of writing more than $19,000 in bad checks to Freeport-based Bow Street Distributing. The Portland Press Herald reports the couple was indicted by a […]

AUGUSTA (AP) — Maine’s labor commissioner is blasting accusations by a whistleblower that the department destroyed records of complaints against a new unemployment insurance filing system. The Morning Sentinel reports that Labor Commissioner John Butera described “accusations of improper handling of information” as “baseless and unequivocally false.” Butera said the program is working as intended […]

PORTLAND (AP) — A group of parents raffling off a gun to support a Maine high school graduation celebration is receiving backlash online. WGME-TV reports the group is raffling off a 9mm handgun that a parent donated to raise money for Project Graduation at Hodgdon High School. Sporting goods store owner and parent Michelle Crane […]

AUGUSTA (AP) — Maine Secretary of State Matt Dunlap says three potential political candidates are having the signatures they collected to qualify for the June ballot challenged. Dunlap said Thursday he will determine whether the voters challenging the candidacies properly filed their complaints. If so, Dunlap will hold hearings on the challenges within a week […]